The sky was still pitch black. Joe, Geon-woo, Woo-jin, and Hyeon-ju stepped into the hallway at the exact same moment. They shared a silent look of resolve while the rest of the orphanage remained still.
Woo-jin adjusted his jacket and looked at Hyeon-ju. "Did you pack everything?"
Hyeon-ju gripped her bag and gave a firm nod.
"Yeah, it is all ready."
Geon-woo pushed open a bedroom door nearby. He watched his mother sleep peacefully for a long minute before closing the door softly. He turned to the group and signaled toward the exit.
They stepped out into the cold night air. A large SUV sat next to a sleek black Mercedes with red racing stripes. The metal surfaces were damp with dew.
Hyeon-ju and Joe climbed into the Mercedes. Geon-woo and Woo-jin moved to the SUV. Woo-jin settled into the driver's seat and adjusted his rearview mirror.
He looked into the back of the vehicle to check their supplies. Several stacks of flattened cardboard boxes sat in the cargo area. These were meant to hold the weight of the cash.
Geon-woo reached into a small canvas bag on his lap. He pulled out a long sashimi knife. The polished steel caught the dying glow of a nearby street light.
Woo-jin stared at the blade and gripped the steering wheel tight. "Jesus, man."
Geon-woo did not answer but let out a long and shaky breath. He slid the weapon back into the bag as the engine roared to life.
Hyeon-ju led the way toward the bookstore. The Mercedes accelerated smoothly down the empty road. Woo-jin kept the SUV close to her rear bumper.
They reached the back entrance of the bookstore minutes later. Both cars parked in the shadows of the loading dock. The engines ticked as they cooled down in the silence.
Geon-woo and Woo-jin grabbed the heavy stacks of cardboard. Joe and Hyeon-ju followed them toward the heavy metal door. Joe suddenly stopped and scanned the perimeter.
Hyeon-ju paused and looked back at him. "What happened?"
Joe squinted into the darkness of the alleyway. "Nothing. It just felt like someone was trailing us."
Hyeon-ju turned in a full circle but saw no movement. "It might have been your imagination. Let's go in quickly."
Joe grunted and followed her inside the building. The air inside smelled of old paper and dust. Joe pointed toward the main floor.
"You two assemble the boxes. Joe and I'll go get the money." Hyeon-ju barked the order with a sense of urgency.
Geon-woo dropped his stack of cardboard on a table. "How are we going to get these to the car?"
Woo-jin shrugged and grabbed a box. "We can just carry them."
Geon-woo shook his head and looked at the massive stacks of bills. "No, that will take too long." He turned his attention to Hyeon-ju. "Hyeon-ju, do you have any trolleys?"
Hyeon-ju pointed toward the back of the shop. "Go downstairs. To the left, you will see a storage room."
Geon-woo waved for Woo-jin to follow him. "We will get the trolleys. You can assemble the boxes while Joe bags the money. Let's go."
Joe began grabbing bundles of cash from the bookshelves. Hyeon-ju started taping the bottom of the cartons together with frantic movements. Joe looked up at the security monitors in the control room.
A dark silhouette moved across the feed of the front shutter. Joe froze as he watched the shadow linger.
"Hyeon-ju, does anyone visit this place at this time?"
Joe asked without moving his eyes from the screen.
Hyeon-ju stopped taping and looked up. "Um, no. Nobody should be here."
Joe stood up straight and checked his surroundings. "We have been busted."
He rushed into the control room to get a better angle. Hyeon-ju followed close behind him with her heart racing. She looked at the main monitor and saw nothing but an empty hallway.
She let out a small breath and tried to smile. "There is no on—"
"Here! Someone is going to the storage room." Joe pointed at a secondary camera feed.
A large man in a heavy coat was sneaking toward the basement entrance. Hyeon-ju felt the blood drain from her face.
"What do we do?" Hyeon-ju whispered.
Joe narrowed his eyes and headed for the door. "I will go to them. You lock down this place and finish the money. We cannot waste a single moment now."
Hyeon-ju nodded and returned to the boxes. Joe sprinted out of the back exit of the store. He did not see the figure stepping out from behind a dumpster.
A man dressed in all black swung a steel baseball bat. The metal whistled through the air toward the back of Joe's skull.
Joe sensed the shift in air pressure at the last second. He threw his arms up to shield his head.
CRACK!
The steel bat slammed into Joe's forearms with sickening force. The impact sent a shockwave through his skeleton.
"Oh, you are a tough one." The masked man laughed.
Joe let out a low groan of agony. He spun around to face his attacker but his left arm hung limp. The bat had bruised him forearm badly.
The attacker lunged forward and swung the bat in a wide horizontal arc. Joe ducked low and felt the wind of the weapon pass over his hair.
CLANG!
The bat hit a brick wall and sent sparks flying into the dark. A chunk of masonry exploded into dust. Joe stepped in and fired a quick jab with his right hand.
The masked man blocked with the handle of the bat. He shoved Joe back and swung a vertical strike. Joe rolled to the side as the metal a old box style TV.
Joe tried to bounce on his toes but his legs felt heavy. The Parkinsonism clouded his brain and slowed his twitch fibers. He saw the opening but couldn't take advantage of it.
The man in black swung again and caught Joe in the ribs. Joe gasped as he felt bone snap. He stumbled back against a bunch of miscellaneous stuff.
THUD!
The man swung the bat at Joe's head again. Joe slipped the punch and drove a hook into the man's kidney. The attacker doubled over and dropped the bat.
Joe did not give him a chance to recover. He stepped forward and unleashed a classic three-punch combination. His right cross landed flush on the man's jaw.
CRUNCH!
The attacker's head snapped back. He fell backward and his skull bounced off the concrete with a dull thud. He went limp immediately.
Joe stood over him and breathed in ragged gulps. His left forearm was swollen to twice its size. He looked at the fallen man and then back toward the bookstore.