NOVEL NEXT Chapter 67
Chapter 67: The Calm Before the Storm
It had been drizzling since yesterday. Today was supposed to be outdoor exercise day, but with the weather like this, cancellation seemed inevitable.
The inmates of the building-type correctional facility looked forward to outdoor exercise, which was their only chance to feel the ground beneath their feet once a week. Being confined up high was suffocating.
No matter how cold it was or how hot the sun beat down, they would prefer to go outside. But with weather like this today, it was obvious the inmates would be disappointed. Of course, the attitude of the Assistant Duty Officer in charge of the outdoor exercises was a bit different.
Do-yeon looked pleased to have one less task.
“Senpai.”
“What?”
“Working with you makes me feel like I’m really doing the job of a correctional officer. Thank you, senpai.”
“That’s unexpected.”
Lee Si-hyun chuckled softly. If Do-yeon found out he was transferring elsewhere, she would probably be the most shocked. But knowing his persistence, there was no need to worry too much.
The morning passed as uneventfully as usual. However, as they headed to the dining hall for lunch, the atmosphere felt a bit off.
It was as if the mood was suspended on some topic. Just as he was pondering it, someone grabbed his shoulder.
“Si-hyun.”
It was Jun-cheol. He wore a more serious expression than usual.
“Are you heading to eat?”
“Yeah.”
“Then let’s eat together. I have something to talk about.”
Si-hyun nodded.
They settled at a corner table in the dining hall.
“You probably didn’t hear since you were in the ward….”
Jun-cheol started. When on duty in the ward, it was inevitable to be out of the loop about outside news.
“What happened?”
From Jun-cheol’s expression, Si-hyun could tell it was not good news.
“There’s been an incident at the Seoul Detention Center. It hasn’t hit the news yet, but it’s going to soon.”
“An incident? What kind of incident?”
The mention of it making the news soon hinted that it wasn’t just a minor incident. Correctional facilities tend to keep things under wraps; even when incidents happen, news tends to leak out only slowly. When a death row inmate escaped in Daejeon, it was kept quiet until a significant time had passed, and even then, it was only because a fellow inmate reported it.
But soon?
“It seems an accident occurred while transferring a death row inmate.”
“Was it serious?”
“…Yeah. A large freight truck collided head-on with the transport vehicle. All three correctional officers inside lost their lives. The truck driver did too.”
“What?”
Si-hyun’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Three correctional officers dead?
Unlike police or firefighters, correctional officers rarely face fatalities in the line of duty. That’s why they often claimed their jobs were safe, contrary to public perception. But for three to die in a single day? It was both absurd and shocking.
“That’s not all.”
Jun-cheol continued with a serious expression.
“The death row inmate has vanished.”
“That doesn’t make sense! With such a major accident? They must’ve been thrown out the window during the collision!”
“They probably searched that well. But it seems they couldn’t find him. As you said, he might have been thrown out and came to himself before fleeing. But listen.”
“Yeah?”
“Everyone’s saying it’s really strange. Four people died in the accident, yet the death row inmate’s whereabouts are unknown? Plus, the accident happened on a quiet road with hardly anyone around.”
“Thinking about it, that does sound strange.”
Si-hyun replied thoughtfully.
“They’ll probably catch him soon anyway. There’s nowhere to run in this small country. Once they do, we’ll know what happened. But even so, the issue is serious.”
Jun-cheol said with a grim face. Si-hyun nodded heavily, understanding what he meant.
The missing person was a death row inmate. South Korea doesn’t hand down death sentences for just one or two murders. Being sentenced to death means they are among the worst offenders, very familiar with homicide. Furthermore, even if they committed another murder, their sentence wouldn’t increase. The risk of citizens being exposed to indiscriminate violent crime was significant.
“This is going to cause a state of emergency. I hope he gets caught before anything happens. Who is that death row inmate?”
Even combining all the death row inmates from five detention centers, the number wasn’t high. And someone sentenced to death would certainly be known for a widely reported crime.
“Kang Tae-eun.”
“Oh, that guy.”
He was a serial killer who had killed eight people. An extremely dangerous individual with a horrific history.
As soon as the news broke, chaos was likely to ensue. It was a scandal waiting to explode.
◈ ◈ ◈
Just as expected, when that fact hit the news, public reaction was uproarious. Thousands of comments flooded the internet articles. Most expressed that they couldn’t live in peace due to the anxiety. The notorious serial killer being released back into society was a given reason for concern.
There were hundreds of comments asking why society hadn’t executed such scum before it came to this. Many criticized using taxpayer money to feed and house death row inmates.
The police only issued a general statement about the incident. It didn’t seem like they were intentionally withholding details.
Since correctional officers had died, Si-hyun heard various narratives until finishing his shift. Yet many questions surrounded the incident; whether it was just an unfortunate accident or someone’s deliberately orchestrated crime wasn’t clear. Further investigation was certainly needed.
While Si-hyun was reading online articles, his phone rang. Checking the screen, it was Jun-cheol.
“Yeah, hyung.”
“Can we talk?”
“Sure, go ahead.”
“It’s just that one of the correctional officers who died was one of our classmates.”
“…A classmate?”
Si-hyun gripped his phone tighter.
“Yeah. Nam Hae-young. You probably know him? He was right next to us.”
“….”
Si-hyun recognized him. Because they were so close, they chatted often during training and even shared drinks together. He remembered how excited he was to get assigned to the Seoul Detention Center, right near his home. Now, he must be devastated.
“The representative said they’d circulate a message when the funeral is scheduled, but I wanted to let you know first. They said it might take time due to the autopsy.”
“I… can’t believe this.”
“Me neither. Take care. I’ll contact you later.”
When the call ended, Si-hyun felt a heavy sensation for a while. Just the fact that a fellow officer had lost his life felt unsettling. And to think, that officer was a classmate—someone he had talked to and got to know.
Si-hyun bit his lower lip with a bitter expression.
◈ ◈ ◈
Even until the day of the funeral, the death row inmate Kang Tae-eun remained at large.
A massive search operation was underway with police, correctional officers, and military personnel alike, yet they had no significant outcomes. Dozens of tips regarding sightings of Kang Tae-eun came in daily, but none were reliable.
The correctional facility was also on high alert. Previously, when an inmate had escaped while serving time in Cheongsong, the correctional officers there had taken months searching for him.
But this was a much graver incident. Therefore, not only the Seoul Detention Center but also officers from nearby regions had been dispatched to search for Kang Tae-eun. The remaining staff in the facilities had a heavier workload, but there was no way around it.
Si-hyun was at the memorial for his fallen classmate. The funeral was scheduled to take place on the day of the burial, presided over by the head of the Seoul Regional Correctional Office.
However, since they hadn’t yet caught the death row inmate Kang Tae-eun, they decided to reduce the scale of the memorial service. Although it shouldn’t have been that way for the organization’s morale, it seemed they were concerned about public perception.
“Where could that bastard be?”
Jun-cheol sat across from Si-hyun. After a shot of soju, he spoke again.
“He couldn’t hide like this without someone’s help. Someone must be hiding him.”
“That makes sense.”
Si-hyun agreed. In a small country like this, it was impossible for someone to just disappear without assistance.
“The police must be considering that too. They must be digging into anyone with a little connection to him, yet it seems they still haven’t found anything.”
“We’re in a state of emergency too. It would be best if we caught him ourselves.”
The correctional officers were clearly unsettled about this. Especially the officers from the Seoul Detention Center seemed to be boiling with rage. Some officers looked like they’d want to beat Kang Tae-eun to death if he appeared in front of them. It seemed the pent-up feelings towards him were anything but trivial.
“Indeed. It would be nice if that were the case.”
◈ ◈ ◈
“Does the outside air suit you?”
Cheonbyeon asked.
Before her stood a man with his face completely wrapped in bandages, save for his eyes and mouth.
The bandaged man was the death row inmate Kang Tae-eun. And his hidden identity was Baek-wol of the Black Cross.
“It’s perfect.”
Kang Tae-eun replied, twisting his lips into a sinister smile.
“How can a person live without eating? But I’ve gone years like that. Now that I can eat again, I’m almost delirious with joy.”
Cheonbyeon knew that the ‘meal’ he was referring to meant murder.
“I thought that would be the case. But now, you can’t just eat on your own. You have to be selective.”
“Haha, of course. I’m smart enough to know that much. Don’t worry.”
A killer’s ability to distinguish between the strong and weak is often sharper than that of an average person. The way Kang Tae-eun was acting now reflected that awareness.
“Stay put until your face heals.”
Kang Tae-eun had undergone surgery that could rival a face transplant. Once the bandages came off, even his parents wouldn’t recognize him.
“With your words, I shall take this opportunity to rest.”
“After you recover, you’ll be working in East Asia alongside Baek-wol. You don’t know how the organization operates, so do well to learn from him.”
“I will ensure that.”
“Good. Now trust and depart.”
Cheonbyeon leaned back and stood up.
“Baek-wol.”
“Yes.”
Baek-wol appeared as if he had been in the same spot all along.
“I’m heading to the airport, so prepare.”
◈ ◈ ◈
“I feel like I’m leaving at a bad time.”
Si-hyun said.
The Daehan Correctional Facility—and the correctional office itself—had a new atmosphere that was far from pleasant. They still hadn’t resolved the unprecedented escape of a death row inmate.
“Then please stay, senpai.”
Do-yeon looked at him with pleading eyes. She had just begun to enjoy her work as a correctional officer after so many months, and now it seemed she would have to say goodbye to that paradise.
When Si-hyun first mentioned transferring, Do-yeon’s shocked expression was quite the sight. It was as if she had lost her mother.
“You too, Do-yeon, need to become independent.”
Si-hyun smiled lightly.
“Sigh….”
Do-yeon seemed to emit a mere sigh.
“Si-hyun, it’s not your concern. Forget about things here and focus on your new job.”
Jun-cheol said.
Si-hyun was having a small farewell gathering with Jun-cheol and Do-yeon. He had just passed the final exam for the 7th level and was set to enter training next week.
Jun-cheol continued.
“The facility is incredibly strict, so inside information isn’t well-known. It’s said to be a completely different atmosphere from a regular detention center. After all, they deal with Awakened Beings. Be careful in your work. There was even a case a few years ago where a correctional officer was killed by an inmate there.”
“Don’t worry. The ward is my specialty.”
“Yeah, I believe you’ll excel wherever you go.”
Jun-cheol reached out and shook Si-hyun’s hand firmly.
“It’s been great working with you.”
“Ah, hyung, you’re making me feel embarrassed….”
“Wherever you go, you’ll always be the best correctional officer in my eyes. Good luck.”
Hearing those words made the reality set in. It was truly time to say goodbye to the Daehan Correctional Facility. A new chapter of being a correctional officer was about to begin.