Crave You Forever
Chapter 88: They didn’t stand a chance

Chapter 88: They didn’t stand a chance

Just as Sean and the hostages disappeared around the corner, Yeongsoo felt the vibration of heavy footsteps drawing closer. He steadied himself, listening closely. Suddenly, the sound of metal boots on concrete quickened, and he realized more guards were coming than he had anticipated—at least six, maybe more.

"Sean, I might have a bit of a problem here," he muttered into his earpiece, adjusting his grip on his weapon.

"What’s the situation?" Sean replied, his voice strained as he pushed forward with the hostages.

"More guards. Six, maybe eight. Heavily armed," Yeongsoo replied, eyeing the narrow corridor, calculating his options.

"Hang tight, I’ll double back," Sean said.

But before Sean could turn around, an explosion rocked the facility. The ceiling above trembled as pieces of concrete and dust rained down, scattering debris across the corridor. Yeongsoo threw himself against the wall, shielding his face as a cloud of smoke filled the air.

"Sean, what just happened?" he shouted through the crackling in his earpiece.

"That wasn’t us!" Sean’s voice came through, barely audible over the chaos. "I don’t know—someone must have triggered the emergency lockdown. They’re trying to bury us in here!"

The guards weren’t stopping, though. Despite the unstable building, they surged toward him, firing rapidly. Dodging a hail of bullets, Yeongsoo lunged behind a nearby pillar, his breathing sharp as he assessed the situation. He took a deep breath, then leaned out, firing a few quick shots. Two guards went down, but the others pressed forward, seemingly unfazed.

"I’m pinned down," Yeongsoo muttered, teeth gritted.

"Hang on, Yeong—I’m coming!" Sean’s voice echoed through the earpiece, though it was riddled with static.

Another explosion sounded from further down the corridor, and this time, the blast knocked Yeongsoo to the ground. He felt a sharp pain rip through his shoulder as he hit the floor, a warm trickle of blood soaking into his black jacket. Dazed, he tried to push himself up, but his arm gave out, throbbing with every heartbeat.

"Yeong!" Sean’s voice came through, frantic. "Yeongsoo, answer me! Where are you?"

Yeongsoo pressed his earpiece, coughing as smoke filled his lungs. "Still... here. But I’m... injured."

"Just stay alive, alright?" Sean’s voice was firm, though a hint of desperation slipped through.

As he struggled to get to his feet, one of the guards seized the moment, charging at him. Yeongsoo barely managed to twist out of the way, using his uninjured arm to knock the guard off balance before delivering a swift blow that sent him sprawling. But even as the guard went down, two more replaced him, guns aimed right at him.

"Sean..." Yeongsoo gasped, feeling his strength waning. "Might need you... right now."

Just as the guards closed in, another shot rang out, and one of the men dropped, clutching his chest. Sean appeared out of the smoke, blood streaking down his forehead, but his eyes were sharp and focused. He fired again, taking down the last guard, then hurried over to Yeongsoo, grabbing his good arm and hauling him up.

"Nice of you to join me," Yeongsoo managed, his face pale from blood loss but a smirk still tugging at his lips.

"You look like hell," Sean replied, but there was a glint of relief in his eyes. "Come on, we’re not out of this yet."

They hobbled down the hallway together, supporting each other as the walls around them groaned, debris falling with each rumble. Alarms blared as the facility’s automated defense systems kicked in, targeting them with laser-sighted turrets mounted along the ceiling.

"Seriously?" Yeongsoo muttered, his tone exasperated. "They had to install these?"

Sean gave him a grim look. "Guess they weren’t expecting any intruders to walk out of here."

With his one good arm, Yeongsoo aimed up, firing at the nearest turret. Sparks flew as the turret was disabled, but the others quickly swiveled toward them, zeroing in.

"Run!" Sean shouted, and together they dashed down the corridor as bullets chased their heels. The next turn led them to a staircase, but just as they reached it, another explosion tore through the facility. The stairs buckled, part of the ceiling collapsing. They were both thrown forward, crashing onto the debris-covered landing below.

Groaning, Sean pulled himself up, clutching his side. Blood seeped through his jacket, but he forced himself to his feet, reaching out to drag Yeongsoo up alongside him. "We’re almost there. Just a little further."

"Fuck, no kidding," Yeongsoo grunted, feeling lightheaded as blood continued to soak his jacket.

They pushed forward, stumbling through the maze of corridors that were rapidly filling with smoke. The only sound was the pounding of their own footsteps and the distant shouts of guards, closing in from all sides.

"Sean, I thought we secured the hostages’ exit?" Yeongsoo asked, a hint of dread creeping into his voice.

Sean’s face fell, and for a brief second, the fierce determination in his eyes faltered. "We... we did," he muttered, swallowing hard. "But I heard over the comms—they didn’t make it. Guards intercepted them. They... didn’t stand a chance."

Yeongsoo’s stomach twisted, a hollow feeling settling in his chest. "So they’re gone... all of them?"

Sean gave a grim nod. "I should’ve been faster. But if we don’t get out now, we’ll be next."

The facility was beginning to shake as explosions echoed from deep within, sending tremors through the floor. They reached a side exit, but just as they were about to push through, a group of guards appeared, blocking their escape route.

"Yeongsoo, take cover!" Sean shouted, pulling him back as gunfire erupted.

Pinned down, they exchanged a look of silent understanding. If they didn’t act fast, this was it.

"We can’t take them all," Yeongsoo murmured, wincing as his shoulder throbbed painfully.

"Then we make them think we can," Sean replied, a fierce glint in his eyes. "On my signal, run for the left."

With a last, determined breath, Sean threw a flash grenade down the hall. The burst of blinding light sent the guards scattering, and in that split second, he and Yeongsoo dashed left, skidding into another corridor that led them closer to an emergency exit.

As they burst out into the open air, the facility behind them erupted in flames, the explosion ripping through the building and sending shockwaves into the night. The force of it threw them both forward, hitting the ground hard as debris rained down.

Yeongsoo coughed, trying to push himself up, but his body had reached its limit. Beside him, Sean lay sprawled on the ground, clutching his wounded side, barely conscious.

"Guess... we made it," Yeongsoo whispered, his voice barely a breath.

Sean turned his head, managing a faint, pained grin. "Not exactly the clean getaway I had in mind... but yeah."

They lay there for a moment, exhausted, the adrenaline finally ebbing as the full weight of their injuries settled over them. Around them, the night was eerily quiet, the flames from the facility casting an ominous glow on the surrounding landscape.

Eventually, the sound of distant sirens reached their ears—backup, finally arriving.

"Think we’ll ever get a job that goes smoothly?" Sean muttered, his voice faint as his eyelids drooped.

"Maybe next time... but probably not," Yeongsoo replied, his lips curving into a weary smile as he allowed his eyes to close, his body finally succumbing to the darkness.

As the sirens grew louder, they lay side by side in the glow of the burning facility, battered but alive—survivors in a mission that had taken more than it should have.