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A CONTRAST
CLOSE-COMBAT WEAPONS
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A CONTRAST
CLOSE-COMBAT WEAPONS
AN EXPANDABLE TACTICAL BATON
AND
A WOODEN STICK
Kim Hyun Joon’s investigation had gotten off on a false start. When Nana Wang informed the NCI profilers about the unsub heading for the huge overpass or flyover construction site in Jungwoon 7-dong, he had offered to track down the killer.
Together with a young and plump local detective, they scouted the area beneath the overpass. It was the gathering place for teenage runaways and the homeless. The place seemed isolated, being near a redevelopment site.
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They looked around and spotted some homeless derelicts. Having squatted down, Kim Hyun Joon showed them an image of their wanted man on his handphone, and asked them for information.
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One of them, being an alcohol-sodden derelict, refused to answer without being offered an alcoholic drink first. He grumbled that the image was blur. Kim Hyun Joon disclosed that he was searching for a murder suspect.
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Their investigation generated fear in one man. Having eavesdropped on the conversation, he seemed to be thrown into a panic and was trying to flee.
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Out of the corner of his eye, the profiler noticed the man’s suspicious behaviour. Kim Hyun Joon quickly sprang to his feet with unsurprising agility. Possessing superb physical fitness, his movements were quick, and his suit jacket flew open. Being athletic and fleet-footed, he rushed after the man, running over stones, bumps, holes and jumping over uneven ground. Just watching the profiler run and jump is enough to make one’s heart race.
The plump detective also broke into a run but he lagged behind. Huffing and puffing heavily, he showed that he lacked stamina.
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Mind you, the homeless man was no ordinary lethargic fellow; he was surprisingly strong and violent. Armed with a long wooden stick which he had picked up along the way, he waited surreptitiously behind one of the huge pillars of the overpass to pounce on the lawmen.
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But, do not for one moment think that the profiler could be so easily ambushed by his adversary. Kim Hyun Joon had training in martial arts and hand-to-hand combat in the Special Forces. He was previously not only a bomb expert but also a detective.
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The vigilant profiler turned suddenly to face his hostile adversary. With his stick raised, the homeless man was ready to thrash him but Kim Hyun Joon moved like greased lightning, twisting his body swiftly away as the wooden stick came crashing down. Thanks to his nifty footwork, the stick missed him, and he was able to push the man away with his bare hands.
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The aggressive man made his intentions plain as he pointed the stick at Kim Hyun Joon. Swiping violently at the profiler again, the homeless man managed to compel him to back away.
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Turning to face the plump law enforcement officer, the man slashed his stick wildly like a madman. The detective was compelled to flee. Though he had successfully scrambled to safety, it seemed at first that he couldn’t run fast enough to get away from the violent man. It all goes to show that law enforcement officers who were not at the peak of their physical fitness might lose out in a contest of strength and stamina.
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With his hand raised, the cool and collected Kim Hyun Joon signalled for the homeless man to stop. He ordered him to put the stick down. His authoritarian bellow, ‘Now!’ did not stop the obstinate man. Probably prompted by irrational fear, he lurched at the profiler again. It would have been thrilling to watch a hand-to-hand combat scene without weapons but what happened next was just as thrilling.
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Noting that his authoritative command had fallen on deaf ears, Kim Hyun Joon was compelled to whip out his concealed expandable tactical baton from his suit jacket.
Now, it had become a one-to-one fight with close-combat weapons.
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In one swift, fluid and stylish movement, he flicked his wrist quickly to expand the tactical baton to full size. The retractable baton was a powerful self-defence tool.
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Raising the baton in an intimidating stance, Kim Hyun Joon swung it round with his stretched hand.
The man, seemingly fearless, mimicked his move and thrashed at him again with his stick.
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The profiler avoided the stick. But Kim Hyun Joon had, in one tactical move at high speed, swept his baton down to swing it at his opponent. The action was too swift for the eyes to follow.
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Moving swiftly into the attacker’s space, Kim Hyun Joon slashed at the man again as he jumped up and his baton came crashing down.
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But, since they were at close quarters, as he descended, Kim Hyun Joon used his leg to jab at the man’s solar plexus, causing him to fall heavily on his back. The homeless man, caught by surprise, was not aware that he had left himself open to the counterattack by the martial artist.
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Rushing forwards swiftly to reap the rewards, the detective clapped the handcuffs on the helpless homeless man. The suspect must have been exhausted by the strenuous fight and lay there like some fruit that was ripe for the picking.
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Kim Hyun Joon emptied his bag of his clothes. Upon finding a zippered bag, he rummaged through the contents which included ornaments, the most interesting of which was a plumb bob used in construction sites.
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INTERROGATION
One occupational hazard of the profiler’s job was not just dealing with people with a vast range of unstable characteristics but also confronting those whose mannerisms were comical.
Han Gi Cheol, the unkempt homeless man, was one such fellow. Having been hauled back to the police station, the previously violent man resembled a docile, helpless mouse in the environment where law enforcement officers abound.
It would be politically incorrect to joke about the homeless man. But, he must have stunk of cheap booze, stale sweat and offensive body odour. A cocktail of pungent smells. He didn’t seem to have a bath for days.
Kim Hyun Joon, who had taken charge of the interview with the homeless suspect, was unperturbed; his face was expressionless.
The fact that Kim Hyun Joon did not pass out nor hold his nose implied that either he was quite at home with the smells that must have pervaded the room or he was made of sterner stuff. Perhaps, he had tried not to appear to be unkind. Air-conditioning must have helped reduce the discomfort.
The tone of the interview was non-antagonistic. It seemed mild by comparison with those of the previous suspects.
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Holding up the plumb bob previously in the homeless man's possession but now encased in a plastic bag, Kim Hyun Joon demanded to know, ‘Where did you get this?’
‘It just looked interesting, so I just picked it up on a street.’
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The profiler’s facial muscles twitched. Was it due to exasperation or from the stink? He stared thoughtfully at the homeless man who sat on the other side of the table, wondering what tactic he should use.
The homeless man looked like a funny caricature of a circus clown. Probably trying to contain the laughter rising from his throat, the profiler took his own sweet time to select another item from the huge pile of evidence, including some clothes.
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‘Then, what’s this?’ he asked. He had placed a decorative bangle on the table.
The dirty unshaven man turned away from the profiler, seemingly frightened by the whole affair. He was still ignorant of why he was being held for interrogation.
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‘Why do you have the murder victim’s belongings?’ he inquired not unkindly. The word ‘murder’ caused the man’s eyes to pop out and he recoiled in shock.
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‘What?' He quickly changed his tune and distanced himself from the stolen items. Referring to an invisible person he cried, ‘This is all his. This isn’t mine.’
The profiler’s head moved ever so slightly, turning to stare impassively without blinking his eyes.
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Then, Kim Hyun Joon looked down. There was no display of emotions on his face. Leafing through his sheaf of papers, he selected a piece of paper with a sketch of a man’s face, and thrust it at him, demanding, ‘What’s his name?’
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‘Mr Kang,’ he claimed, ‘I don’t know his full name. We call him by his family name, Mr Kang. I’m not lying. I only know his surname. Why are you looking for this guy?’
‘He’s a suspect of three murder cases,’ Kim Hyun Joon exclaimed grimly.
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‘What? Murder?’ the man, startled, flinched and backed away in horror. My, was he frightened out of his wits!
‘Where’s he now?’ the profiler persisted.
‘I don’t know. I really don’t know. He requested that I keep the stuff for him until he came back. I’m serious.’
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‘He just asked you to keep it?’ Cocking his head, Kim Hyun Joon narrowed his eyes and questioned, ‘Then, why did you run away?’
The man looked stunned for a moment, not knowing what to say.
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Ploughing on, the profiler questioned rather sternly, ‘Did you steal it?’ Kim Hyun Joon’s stare was intense. He looked like a school principal who was staring intimidatingly at an errant schoolboy who had stolen something. He had expected an answer, but when none was forthcoming, he raised his voice a little.
Suddenly, he morphed into his profiler self, ‘Look, Han Gi Cheol, if you don’t tell me the truth, you’ll be considered an accomplice to this crime.’
The poor man was looked at him in terror. He shifted uneasily in his seat.
Kim Hyun Joon was exasperated. He had been quite patient and calm so far. His muscles twitched.
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‘I mean, he cherished this. I became curious, so, I tried to see what was inside. That’s all,’ he explained uneasily.
Kim Hyun Joon narrowed his eyes. The profiler’s stare was emotionless. He knew he couldn’t get any further with him. It was futile. The frightened man was not a good source of information. He closed his eyes for a second.
The onus had been on him to prove the homeless guy was guilty of the crime but, Kim Hyun Joon’s expression seemed to indicate that he was certain that the homeless man was not the prey that they were hunting for, so he did not press the matter.
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It was not surprising that when Kim Hyun Joon directed his gaze towards the observation room, he shook his head ever so slightly, meaning that they had arrested the wrong man.
Team Leader Kang, who was together with Yoo Min Young, understood the sign.
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Han Gi Cheol, baffled, turned around to see who the profiler was communicating with. He was clueless about the hidden observation room. The mirror on the wall troubled him.
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Kim Hyun Joon, pretending to be absorbed in his paper work, was calmly waiting for the suspect’s reaction. The room seemed to look ghostly now. Fear reared its head; Han Gi Cheol was more terrified than ever.
The profiler must have been amused; he probably steeled himself not to burst out laughing.
When he looked up, he saw Han Gi Cheol’s anxious face. ‘Did he really commit the murder that happened a few days ago?’ the fearful man asked.
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‘Do you know anything?’ Kim Hyun Joon’s curiosity was aroused. ‘It’s just that he doesn’t look the type,’ the suspect explained. Han Gi Cheol cried in terror, thinking about his ill-luck of having met such a murderer. Appearances can be deceiving. What do criminals look like? Is there any indication that a normal looking man might be a criminal?
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Later, Yoo Min Young reported that a witness had seen Han Gi Cheol in the homeless shelter, so they were quite certain that he was not the killer.
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