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the fox. that's what they call him, the greatest and talented thief known in south korea. no one really knows his true identity or face, it was always hidden underneath a mask. according to witnesses, he was fast, agile, and alluring like a fox. he can even infiltrate a high security area without getting detected. that's how good he is.
but everyone also wonders if the fox is working alone. how can he easily break into the computer systems of these facilities? he must have a partner working with him. however, these were only speculations, they have never seen the fox working with someone.
here comes lee jeno, a policeman in his 3rd year. he was recently assigned in the task for whose goal is to capture the fox.
joining the task force increased his curiosity for this criminal. just how good is he that nobody in the country can catch him?
crime rates have been continously rising every month, especially in theft. apparently, the fox became a role model for other thieves, however they can never compare to the skills the fox has.
it was also the reason the precinct was very busy with different cases. it was giving him a headache, its been weeks since he last had proper sleep. why can't the fox just surrender himself? but that would never happen.
"team meeting, now!" he snapped his head up from his paperworks when he heard his chief's voice.
he quickly got up, following his coworkers in the meeting room. they all sat down. there were currently five people assigned to this team, him, mark, and other three he isn't quite close with yet. plus his chief.
"good morning. the reason for this sudden meeting is because the secretary of the owner of the national museum received a message from the fox."
their chief says, turning his laptop around so the screen can face them. there was a photo of the letter there. the letter was written in print. that's why the handwriting cannot be identified.
"the letter has already been tested for fingerprints by the forensics, however the fox made sure no prints were found. the only clue we have for his next move is this letter. have you read what it said?"
in the letter, it said that he was planning to steal the new art piece that the national museum will acquire in three days. it must be priceless if the fox already has eyes on it before it even arrives.
"in three days, the fox will strike. they have commissioned us to protect the item once it arrives from the airport. we have three days to prepare for this mission. prepare yourself as the fox is no easy opponent, do not let your guard down. you have no idea what tricks he has on his sleeves. do not let him get away." their chief says, looking at them expectantly. the five of them saluted at his orders.
"good. more details will be added in the next few hours. meeting adjourned."
so, this was it. he was finally gonna see the fox in action in three days. for some reason, he feels excited. he was gonna witness the fox with his own eyes. he was looking forward to it.
-
three days finally came. as of now, the art piece is still in the airplane. the police waiting for the art piece was already on standy before it even arrives. jeno is assigned to the team that will guard the whole museum. the museum was still open, while many officers lurking inside.
he was taking his rounds at the 2nd floor of the museum. there was nothing suspicious there, but a man wearing a beret and long black coat caught his attention. he wasn't suspicious, it was his stunning looks that caught his attention. he's pretty, jeno thought to himself. the black clothing he's wearing emphasized how light his skin color is, his eyes were small, and has a sharp nose. from his view, his side profile looked perfect. he seemed to be immersed in the artwork in front of him.
jeno was busy admiring him when the guy suddenly looked at his direction. their eyes made contact from across the room. he finally got a clearer look at his face, he didn't think that the museum guest was really that pretty. the said guy just smirked at him before walking out of the room.
jeno felt there was something behind that smirk. but he just can't pin a finger on it. there was something mysterious about that guy.
-
the art piece is almost near the museum. so far, there has been no problems encountered. it was almost closing time, there were only less people remaining inside. he assumes that the piece will arrive once the museum was closed.
it was tiring standing all afternoon. but he can't relax now, he can feel his muscles tensing as the night becomes deeper. there was still no sign of the fox. did he back out because there were too many guards inside? highly unlikely. the fox was never to back down from any obstacles just to obtain what he wants.
"this is your chief. the package has arrived. everyone, stand by on your positions."
it was announced through his radio. he was the one guarding the hallway to the package's new room.
"2f hallway, east, is it clear?"
that's the position he's assigned. he immediately reponded with 'clear' on his radio. there was no suspicious activity there. there was also three other cops inside the room, and there were two of them guarding the hallway.
"package coming up."
minutes later, a group of men in uniform showed up at the end of the hallway. in between them was a man pushing a cart with a box in it. it must be the art piece.
"any signs of fox?" his chief came up and asked him. jeno shook his head.
"well, let's stay alert, okay? we never know when he'll strike."
he patted jeno's back and proceeded inside the room where the art piece was. jeno took a peek inside. in the middle of the room was an egg shaped piece placed inside a glass case. it looked like it was made from gold due to its color. if it really is gold, then it really costs a fortune, jeno thought to himself.
once there was no one near it, security lasers went on. the red beams of light when triggered, would activate the alarm. just how important this piece is? jeno thought the lasers were cool, that was his first time seeing one in his whole career.
after securing the art piece, everyone went back to their positions. jeno remained alert. any small sound would catch his attention. he listened and analyzed his surroundings carefully.
* clink. *
it was a small sound, barely noticeable, but jeno certainly heard it. it sounded like something light fell on the floor. he glanced around the hallway, looking for his partner, but he wasn't around. where did he go?
he guessed it was up to him to check. he took his radio and pressed the button.
"hello? package 1? is everything okay?" he spoke through his radio, but no one answered. he tried again, nothing.
he heard coughing and grunts inside the room. he bit his lip. maybe the fox was attacking now. but the alarm didn't trigger. he called for back up using his radio but again, no reply was received as if they couldn't hear him. what's happening?
he can't stand there doing nothing. he bursted the door open and immediately coughed. there was gas everywhere, he could barely see a thing aside from some movements. once his vision was more clearer, he saw his fellow officers getting beat up by one small figure.
it was the fox!
jeno stood there, mesmerized for a second before coming back to his senses. the fox was a good fighter, his movements so calculated and smooth, screaming experience.
he saw his other colleague fighting him so he decided to attack the criminal from behind. he tried tackling him down the ground but the fox seemed to sense him as he easily dodged his move. he sent a final kick off his coworker and he grabbed a bag on the floor. jeno glanced at the center of the room, the art piece was gone. it also didn't help that the gas inside the room was making him dizzy. but the fox was there, he wasn't just gonna let go of him without a fight.
he quickly got up to his knees and took out his gun. he fired at his direction but he easily just dodged it. he fired again, he missed. again. but the fox just easily dodges them all. he noticed that the fox was heading his way. it happened fast, then he felt something hard come contact on his cheek. a punch.
jeno fought back, trying to throw a punch. again he dodged it then felt a hit on his stomach. he ignored the pain and tried to hit the fox again but all his attempts were futile. they were all dodged or blocked, he was the one getting beat up. plus the gas was making him disoriented.
"you're one tough guy, huh?" the fox commented. jeno realised he was wearing a gas mask that's why he wasn't affected by the gas at all. "normally, the gas would've knocked anyone down in three minutes. i'm surprised you're still standing."
"i'm not as weak as you think." jeno noticed that the fox seemed to let his guard down while they were fighting. he took this chance to catch the other's punch and tackle him down the floor.
he heard the man beneath him chuckle. "oh no, you caught me. what am i supposed to do now?"
jeno shifted his weight at his abdomen, to prevent him from getting back up. he smirked at the fox.
"well, i caught you. you're going to jail." jeno smugly said, feeling proud of his actions. is he really putting the fox in handcuffs?
"who said you caught me?" just then, he was thrown off and was now pinned on the ground, with his hands above his head. "you think it would be that easy?"
the fox laughed. jeno struggled to remove him but the effect of the gas was getting to him. he was losing strength, he let the fox win against him.
"sleepy now, are we?" the fox said. "you know, i have a thing for men in uniform. maybe we could meet up and have coffee, what do you think?"
"as if." jeno weakly muttered, his eyes struggling to keep open. he heard the fox 'tsk'.
"too bad. well, i got to go now. i appreciate the effort of putting up a fight with me." he stood up from jeno and grabbed the duffle bag on the floor. "till next time, cutie!"
that retreating back of the fox was the last thing he saw before blacking out.
-
jeno woke up. he realized he was still on the floor. the only difference was there were paramedics running around everywhere. there was even someone examining him when he woke up.
"sir, are you okay? how do you feel?" the paramedic asked him. he rubbed his temple, slight headache. "do you have a headache?"
jeno just nodded. "how long was i out? my head hurts."
"you've been out for two hours." the paramedic replied. "that's a common side effect of the gas you inhaled. but don't worry, it will fade in a few hours. the gas wasn't toxic, it just makes people sleep. but you inhaled too much that's why the side effects may be stronger. headaches, eye soreness, and dizziness, those are the common side effects, so don't worry too much if you experience them."
jeno just nodded again. he was still out of it. the paramedic assisted him to stand up to sit on a chair instead of the floor. he handed him a blanket and water. he was instructed to rest.
he leaned back on his chair and sighed, remembering the events that occurred. how weak he was on the hands of the fox and letting him get away. no back up even came. what happened to their mission? why did the fox easily get away again? how come nobody heard the ruckus that was happening?
"yo, dude." he snapped out of his thoughts and saw mark sitting down next to him. like him, he had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and holding a cup of water. "how are you?"
"i'm fine but what happened? what happened to everyone?" he asked. "i asked for back up on the radio, no one answered. where were you guys?"
he couldn't help let the frustration on his voice slip.
mark sighed. "i-i don't know. it happened too quickly before we could even react. there was sleeping gas thrown on the floor and before we knew it, the fox was launching in on us, throwing fists at us. the gas made it more easier for him to quickly knock us out."
"so everyone on the first floor was knocked down when i called for back up?"
"i don't know. the radio was also strange, we weren't receiving any replies from anyone when we used it."
"is the signal weak?"
mark shrugged. "it was working fine until minutes before the attack. maybe, it was really hacked, like someone purposely jammed the signals?"
"there are rumors that the fox isn't working alone, you know. rumors say he has a talented hacker working with him that's why he can easily bypass security systems with ease, with the help of a hacker."
"...that makes sense." jeno rubbed his face with his palms. "but i can't help feeling useless. he was right in front of me! i even pinned him down, but that damn gas made me weak at the last moment... if only i was a bit better!"
mark rubbed his back. "jeno, it's not your fault. don't blame yourself. it was the task force's fault, we underestimated this mission and how good the fox is."
jeno didn't say anything after that. they both sat in silence. he was only thinking of one thing after that.
next time, he isn't gonna let the fox get away. he'll be the one falling for his trap next time.