Baki and Seongji were in their room. Yenna was already asleep in her stroller. Babies sleep early and wake early, and they do it specifically to destroy the rest of anyone who stays up late.
Seongji looked at the time and frowned. "I should check on the kids. It's past midnight and their rooms were empty earlier."
Baki looked over. "Did you check your phone? See if they called?"
Seongji remembered the missed call from earlier. His phone was charged now. He checked the history and saw Vin Jin's name several times. He called back. No answer. He tried the others one by one. Nothing.
He looked at Baki. "I think they're in trouble. Vin Jin called me several times and now he's not picking up. None of them are."
Baki stood and stretched. "Tch. I hope nobody is trying to ruin my vacation. Because if they are, it won't end well for them."
He looked at Seongji. Seongji had put on the teddy bear baby carrier with Yenna still inside it, completely asleep, her cheek pressed against his chest. Baki stared at the image for a moment and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"How are you going to fight wearing that?" Baki asked.
"It won't be a problem," Seongji said, adjusting the carrier gently so Yenna's head was supported. "Let's not waste time."
They went out into the corridor. The hallway was quiet and dim, just the low hum of the ship's engines and the occasional groan of metal. Most of the ship was asleep.
Baki looked at Seongji and the baby carrier again. "Actually, we're not splitting up. I'm not letting you wander around alone at midnight with a baby strapped to your chest."
Seongji didn't argue. "Where do we start?"
"The deck. Drunk people always end up outside. Their new friends looked old enough to drink."
They moved through the corridors, footsteps steady on the polished floor. Baki's expression got darker with each empty hallway. Seongji kept trying numbers. Every call went to voicemail.
They climbed to the upper deck. The night air was cold and salty with a hard breeze. Seongji put one hand over Yenna's back. A few people smoked at the far end of the deck. Otherwise it was empty.
"Pool area," Baki said.
The pool glowed blue in the dark. Every chair was in place. Every towel was folded. Nothing out of order, no sign of anyone.
"They're not here," Baki said.
Seongji's phone buzzed. He looked at it. Just a random notification. He put it away. "Great timing."
They kept moving. The arcade was lit up but empty. The movie theater was dark. The library, the fitness center, all of it the same. Clean, quiet, and empty.
Seongji said, "There are thirteen of them including the new group. How does a group that size just disappear?"
"Someone made them disappear," Baki said.
They moved faster. Baki pushed through to the upper dining area. The doors were unlocked. He pushed them open and Seongji found a switch that brought up soft amber light across the empty restaurant. Tables set, chairs straight, nothing touched.
Baki stood in the middle of it and said nothing for a moment.
As they turned to leave, a cleaning worker came around the corner pushing a cart. His name tag read Minyul Cheon. He stopped and looked at them, then at the baby carrier, and looked confused.
"Passengers shouldn't be here this late," he said.
Baki stepped toward him. "We're looking for a group of teenagers. Have you seen them?"
The worker blinked. "There are a lot of teenagers on board, sir."
"Fifteen of them together," Seongji said. He described the group quickly.
The worker's expression shifted. He looked troubled. "Sir, there have been kids reported missing today."
Baki and Seongji both went still.
"Missing," Seongji repeated. "What do you mean missing?"
"The captain made announcements this evening. Teenagers went missing from the club area. Security has been searching all night." The worker looked at their faces. "Your kids may be among them. You should go to the captain's bridge. Third deck, forward section. He's been running the search from there."
Baki was already walking. "Third deck."
Seongji bowed quickly. "Thank you."
They took the stairs fast. Seongji kept one hand on Yenna as they climbed.
"Missing kids on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean," Seongji said. "Do you think this whole cruise is compromised?"
"Someone is running an operation," Baki said. His voice was flat and even, but his eyes had gone cold. "On my vacation."