Vector || An Ryeji Adventure

Mission I: Emerald

"I always wondered about that," Yeji said.

"Well, I was the one who did it."

"You!?!?"

"Yes. Look at me. I have the face of a guy who looks like he's been high his whole life. With a little training, I learned the North Korean accent. The Iranians rolled out the red carpet to welcome the new engineer from North Korea. Getting out was a different story. Two of our operators died saving me. I know it's rough to say, but that's the job, unfortunately."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Yeji said.

"Thanks. It's highly likely that I'll have to make that sacrifice some day, maybe for you, maybe for someone else, maybe never. But I'll tell you one thing: If they've pulled me out of the field to be your driver, you are special, and special means they have something hot planned for you."

Yeji gulped, but hid it. "So, how does this work? Are you on call if I need you?"

"Yes, I'm available during your mission prep. If you go more than one block from your apartment, please contact me. There's always the chance that enemy operators have heard about you and may try a hit. I won't let that happen, but I need your cooperation. Take this burner phone, and call this number if you need me. Let it ring twice and then hang up. Whatever you do, don't text me. It leaves too much of a record."

"Do you want to come up for a snack? I mean, as colleagues?"

"I'd rather not," Snowflake said. "Right now everything's great. But if you stray from the path or go rogue, I might be the last person you ever see, so I don't want to become buddies. You may have to do the same to me."

"I agree. Thanks for clarifying that. Have a good night, and I'll be in touch if I need anything."

Snowflake drove away.

Yeji turned the key in the door and pushed it open. Once inside, she dropped her bags and took a deep breath. Then she put her pistol and silencer in the refrigerator's vegetable drawer.

"Welcome back, Vector," a voice called out from the darkened living room. In a heartbeat Yeji got into a martial arts stance. Then she flicked on the lights.

"Radius," she said coolly as she looked at the woman. She was tall, around 60, and had long white hair combed back over her head. She was also wearing a black women's suit and black high heels.

"How was training?" she asked.

"You tell me," Yeji smiled.

"That place is never going to be the same after you. Three of the guys you beat up in that sparring session are now out of the service on disability. We're ordering thick padded suits for future fights, just to be safe."

"What can I do for you?" Yeji asked curtly. She still wasn't sure if she trusted Radius.

"You'll spend a few days back here. Get a chance to rest and reconnect with the other girls. I'm proud to say that their comebacks are going great. But remember, you can't tell them anything or make any future plans like tours or comebacks unless we say so."

She continued. "After that, we're sending you to Berlin. It's fashion week, and you'll be walking on the runway for Prada. One of the other models will be Ekaterina Raskolnikova. She's not important, but her father, Dmitri, is your target."

"Why do we care about him?"

"I'm sure you're aware that one of the most precious metals in the world these days is lithium. It has a million uses, but the most important one is for rechargeable batteries. The modern world can't exist without them. Raskolnikov is a Russian oligarch with billions of dollars. Rather than just buy mines or look for new deposits, he's set up a private army of violent fanatics that are attacking other mines as well as ships leaving with lithium. Raskolnikov enforces his twisted form of loyalty through horrific practices, like abducting the children of other mine managers and doing horrendous things to them. His favorite tactic is to blind the kids if he doesn't get his way."