As our convoy of police vehicles speeds through the night towards the mountain crime scene, I lean forward in my seat, addressing Inspector Han who's driving.
"Sir, I think we need to consider the possibility that whoever took our officers is armed with guns," I say, my voice grave.
Han's eyes flick to me in surprise, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. "Guns? That's a bold assumption. You know as well as I do that firearms are strictly banned in South Korea. It's incredibly rare to encounter them in any criminal activity."
I nod, understanding his skepticism. "I know, sir. But hear me out. Some gangs, especially those with international connections, are still known to possess firearms. They're rare, yes, but not unheard of."
Han's brow furrows as he considers this. "Go on," he says, his tone cautious but attentive.
"Think about it," I continue, my words coming faster now as I lay out my reasoning. "Our missing officers are well-trained, experienced professionals. For them to disappear without a trace, without even a distress call... they must have been confronted with a threat they couldn't fight back against. Something that neutralized their training and equipment instantly."
"And you think that threat was guns?" Han asks, his voice low.
I nod firmly. "It's the most logical explanation. A knife or a blunt weapon wouldn't have subdued both officers so quickly and quietly. But a gun? That changes the entire dynamic of a confrontation."
Han is silent for a moment, processing this information. "If you're right," he says slowly, "then we're dealing with a much more dangerous situation than we initially thought."
"Exactly," I agree. "And if they're willing to use firearms against police officers, we need to be prepared for anything when we arrive at the scene."
Han nods grimly, reaching for his radio. "I'll alert the team. We'll approach this as an armed and extremely dangerous situation."
I lean forward, my mind racing with possibilities. "There's something else we need to consider, sir," I say to Han. "I don't think our officers just vanished into thin air. They must have found something - a clue, a lead - and tried to follow up on it."
Han glances at me, his expression a mix of concern and curiosity. "What are you getting at?"
"I think," I continue, choosing my words carefully, "that whatever our colleagues discovered is crucial to this case. And it's likely still out there. When we arrive at the scene, we need to focus our efforts on finding whatever it was that caught their attention."
Han nods slowly, processing this. "That's a good point. But what exactly are we looking for? Do you have any ideas?"
I shake my head, frustration evident in my voice. "I'm not sure, sir. It could be anything - an out-of-place object, a hidden trail, maybe even a structure we overlooked earlier. Whatever it is, it was significant enough for our officers to investigate further, and for the perpetrators to take drastic action."
"So you're suggesting we comb the entire area again?" Han asks, his tone skeptical but considering.
"Yes, sir," I affirm. "But this time, we need to look at everything with fresh eyes. Anything that seems even slightly out of place could be the key we're looking for."
As Han opens his mouth to respond, the crackle of the walkie-talkie interrupts our conversation. He picks it up, listening intently to the message coming through.
After a moment, he puts it down, his expression grim. "That was the tech team," he informs me. "They've been trying to track the location of our missing officers' mobile phones. No luck. It seems the culprits disposed of the phones somewhere random after capturing our people."
I feel my heart sink at this news. "They're covering their tracks," I mutter.
Han nods, his jaw set. "Which makes your theory about them finding something even more plausible. These aren't amateurs we're dealing with."
As we continue our journey through the dark mountain roads, the weight of the situation settles heavily upon us. Our missing colleagues, the potential of armed criminals, and now this mysterious clue that could be the key to everything - it all adds up to a volatile and dangerous situation.
"When we get there," Han says, breaking the tense silence, "I want you to lead a team in searching for this potential clue. Your instincts have been good so far on this case."
I nod, feeling a mix of determination and apprehension. As the lights of our convoy cut through the darkness, I can't help but wonder what we'll find when we reach our destination, and whether we'll be in time to save our colleagues.
***
The cool night air is filled with tension as our convoy pulls up to the crime scene. The area is once again bathed in the harsh glow of floodlights, casting long shadows across the abandoned logging camp. As we exit our vehicles, the gravity of the situation weighs heavily on each of us - two of our own are missing, possibly in grave danger.
Inspector Han begins to issue orders, his voice steady despite the stress evident in his eyes. "We'll divide into search teams," he says, pointing to different areas of the site. "Remember, we're looking for anything out of the ordinary. No detail is too small. Whatever our missing colleagues found, it's out here somewhere."
I'm just about to lead my team into the dense underbrush when the unexpected sound of a high-powered engine cuts through the night. We all turn to see a sleek, black luxury sedan with tinted windows winding its way up the narrow mountain road.
"What the hell?" I mutter, exchanging confused glances with Detective Kim beside me.
As the car pulls to a stop, its headlights momentarily blinding us, I see Han's face contort in a mixture of surprise and frustration. The rear door opens, and a tall, distinguished-looking man in an immaculate suit steps out, followed by two aides in equally sharp attire.
"It's Superintendent General Park," Han says, his voice tight. "What on earth is he doing here?"
The arrival of such a high-ranking official is unusual, to say the least, especially at this hour and in such a remote location. As Han hurries to greet the Superintendent General, I can already see the ripple effect of this unexpected visit.
Officers who should be searching are now standing at attention, others are hurriedly tidying up the command post, and there's a palpable shift in the atmosphere from focused urgency to nervous energy.
"This is the last thing we need right now," Detective Kim mutters beside me, voicing my own thoughts. "Every minute counts, and now we're going to be tied up in bureaucratic nonsense."
I nod in agreement, watching as Han leads the Superintendent General on an impromptu tour of the crime scene. The floodlights catch the polished shoes of the high-ranking official as he carefully picks his way through the rough terrain, looking comically out of place in his expensive suit. I can see the strain on Han's face as he tries to balance courtesy with the urgency of our mission.
"We can't let this derail us," I say to my team, tearing my eyes away from the spectacle. "Let's get back to work. The clue our missing officers found is still out there somewhere."
As we move deeper into the woods, the sounds of the impromptu visit fade behind us, replaced by the crunch of leaves under our feet and the occasional hoot of an owl. The beam of my flashlight cuts through the darkness, illuminating patches of dense undergrowth and gnarled tree trunks.
We comb through the area meticulously, examining every broken twig, every disturbed patch of earth. The weight of our missing colleagues' fate hangs heavy in the air, spurring us on despite the distraction back at the command post.
As I continue to scan the area with my flashlight, something unusual catches my eye. I crouch down, my knees cracking slightly in protest, and shine the light more directly on the forest floor.
There, partially obscured by fallen leaves and pine needles, is a strange pattern on the ground. It's not a natural formation - the lines are too straight, too uniform. I brush away some of the debris, revealing more of the pattern.
"What the hell?" I mutter to myself, leaning in closer for a better look.
The pattern appears to be sweeping marks, long parallel lines etched into the soft forest floor. It's as if someone had taken a large broom and methodically swept the area. But why would anyone be sweeping the forest floor?
I stand up slowly, my mind racing. This isn't about cleaning - it's about covering something up. These marks are from someone trying to erase evidence.
Carefully, I begin to follow the path of the sweeping marks. As I move deeper into the woods, following this bizarre trail, I keep my senses on high alert. Whoever did this might have missed something in their cleanup.
I pause for a moment, wondering if I should turn back and inform Han about my discovery. But something tells me to keep going.
The sounds of the search party fade behind me, replaced by the eerie silence of the forest. In the distance, I can hear the muffled voices of the Superintendent General and his entourage, still touring the main crime scene.