Chapter Text
Joo Jaekyung gripped Dan’s chin and turned his head from side to side. “Are the cops sending kids to do their dirty work now?”
The duct tape dug into Dan’s wrists as he strained against his bonds.
“ID says he’s twenty-nine, boss,” said one of the henchmen, flipping through Dan’s wallet.
Jaekyung’s eyebrow quirked up, but his expression remained bored as he shifted his cigar from one side of his mouth to the other. “So you’re a big boy, huh, Detective Kim? Any big boy secrets you’d like to share with me?”
Dan jerked his head to the side, but Jaekyung’s grip was strong and he couldn’t pull his chin free.
Jaekyung huffed out a laugh. “Still got a little fight in you, I see. Were my boys too gentle with you?” He released Dan’s chin to grip a handful of his hair and yank his head back, leaning in close enough that Dan could feel the heat from the tip of his cigar. “Because I can promise you that I won’t be if you don’t start answering questions.”
Dan glared back at him defiantly. “I have some questions for you too, Mr. Joo.”
One of the henchmen snorted, and another punched him in the ribs.
Jaekyung’s arched eyebrow arched up higher. “Is that so? What kind of questions?”
“Why did you order your men to steal munitions from the police force forty-eight hours ago?”
The room grew deathly quiet. Jaekyung watched him with an icy gaze for several moments, then took his cigar out of his mouth to flick the ashes to the concrete floor. “This is your first time interrogating someone, isn’t it, Detective Kim?” His voice was low and dangerous.
Dan resisted the urge to swallow. “So you don’t deny that you gave the order?”
To Dan’s surprise, Jaekyung let out a chuckle. His hand dropped from Dan’s hair as he stepped back, lowering himself into the chair across from Dan and propping an ankle on his opposite knee. He snapped his fingers and reached over his shoulder. One of the men came forward and handed him Dan’s wallet. He gave it a brief look, flipping it open with one hand. “You all can go,” he said to the henchmen.
“But boss,” one of them objected, stepping forward.
Jaekyung turned his head only slightly, but the man froze instantly, his face growing pale. “R-right. Sorry, boss. Tell us if you need anything.” He and the other men shuffled hastily out of the room, leaving Dan alone with Jaekyung.
Jaekyung took a drag on his cigar, his half-lidded eyes reminding Dan of a tiger sizing up its prey. “Tell me more about these stolen munitions, Detective,” Jaekyung said.
Dan blew a strand of hair out of his eyes. “You should know more about them than me, Mr. Joo. You’re the one who stole them, after all.”
Jaekyung tilted his head incredulously. “Did you actually attend the police academy, or did you just steal a badge and glue your photo onto it?”
Dan grit his teeth. “Antagonizing me won’t get you anywhere.”
“Who’s antagonizing who, exactly?” Jaekyung said coldly. “You’re the one invading my turf and accusing me of a theft I haven’t committed.”
Dan kept his glare in place, but doubt flickered across his mind. “You really expect me to take your word on that?”
Jaekyung rolled his eyes. “No, Detective, I expect you to look at the evidence and use your brain.” He gave a condescending smile. “If there is a brain sitting in that pretty little head of yours, that is.”
“What evidence?”
The end of Jaekyung’s cigar lit up amber as he took another drag, letting the smoke shoot out of his nostrils. “Do you know the Honey Club downtown?”
“I don’t frequent host clubs,” Dan replied.
Jaekyung smirked. “How do you know it’s a host club, then?”
Dan couldn’t help but flush a little. “It’s the police’s responsibility to keep tabs on gang-related businesses.”
Jaekyung chuckled. “Whatever you say. Anyway, I and most of my men were at that club the night before last, during the time that you say the theft took place.”
Dan narrowed his eyes. “Most of your men?”
Jaekyung gave him an impatient look. “A handful were out on business. Not nearly enough to pull off a job like the one you’re describing. You can check the CCTVs.” He flicked his cigar pointedly. “A professional cop would’ve done that already.”
Dan couldn’t deny that Jaekyung had a point. Yoongu had been right: they’d jumped into this operation too soon and with too few eyes to look at the big picture. It made him wonder why the captain had been so eager to initiate such a dangerous operation without making basic checks like the one Jaekyung had just mentioned.
“Well,” Dan said, “if you didn’t do it, who did?”
Jaekyung looked unimpressed. “How the fuck should I know who stole your guns? Do you think I grab drinks with every mob boss in Gangnam on the regular? So we can gossip about all the dirty business we’ve been up to?”
“You seemed intrigued when I first mentioned it,” Dan pressed. “You have an idea of who might have done it, don’t you?”
Jaekyung didn’t answer immediately, and Dan gave a smile. Got him.
“Don’t look at me like you’ve got me on the ropes, Detective,” Jaekyung drawled, rising to his feet in a fluid motion and flicking his cigar stub into the corner. “You may be cute, but you’re still twenty years too green to be playing cat and mouse with me.”
Dan blinked in surprise. Had he heard that right? Had he just been called cute by one of Gangnam’s most vicious mob bosses? “I’m not green,” he objected. “I’ve been on the force for six years.”
Jaekyung grabbed his chin again and brushed a thumb across his lips. “That’s green as hell, sweetheart.”