( I wrote it in a hurry so forgive any possible mistakes. If you have any questions feel free to ask. )
The frantic sounds of heavy boots splashing against wet concrete and muffled voices echoed through the heavy fog clouding Jungkook's mind. He was still tied to the chair, his body slouched forward as far as the taut ropes would allow.
Hours of continuous torment had seriously reduced his physical frame to a broken, trembling mess. The icy water they had repeatedly thrown over him had soaked through his dirty clothes down to his wounded flesh, leeching every remaining drop of body heat from his limps.
Bone rattling, involuntary tremors wracked his chest, forcing his teeth to gabber uncontrollably. His left eye was swollen, entirely shut, dark purple and blue as a thick crust of dried blood covered his lips, gluing them together.
Each breath he took into his bruised lungs felt like inhaling scorching lava. He was on the verge of unconsciousness, his head uselessly dangling and his senses dull and ruined.
The distant sound of approaching steps cut through his stupor and a pair of black, polished shoes stepped into the dim, yellow light hanging right above him.
Minhun stood over him, casually holding a burning cigarette between his fingers, looking down at Jungkook's shattered state with an expression of pure, raw delight and amusing malice, his dark eyes glowing with a vicious, sickening joy.
" Look at you, Jungkookie!" Minhun purred, a volatile laugh bubbling up from his throat while taking a slow drag and blowing the thick,spiced smoke directly into his swollen face." A pathetic, dirty, little rat in a cage. You look so... wonderfully...deliciously wrecked." He barked a vicious chuckle, clearly relishing the dreadful sight.
Jungkook didn't bother lifting up his head. He barely had the strength to keep his one eye open.
" I came to share the good news." Minhun boasted, scrunching down until his mouth was a breath away from Jungkook's bruised ear, his voice low and ominous, sounding like a chilling, poisonous whisper. " My friend from the Mexican cartel just entered the city. The old man... the one who bought Taehyn will be stepping through that door in half an hour. He's very excited to meet you. He heard how handsome you are and he's got big plans for you."
Minhun pulled back, tossing his head to the side as he let out an amusing, triumphant giggle." He'll use you, pass you over to everyone in his gang, break every single bone in your body and once he gets bored he'll feed you so many drugs enough to stop your heart. And my Taehyung? He'll be in my arms by the end of the year... willingly and without any objections. "
Jungkook's jaw locked, a muscle twitched as a white-hot spark of pure hatred ignited deep inside his broken soul. Agonisingly slow, Jungkook forced his head up.
His bloodshot eye locked onto the man he had once called ' brother ' but now held nothing more than a devilish, arrogant smug. He gathered the coppery taste of blood and saliva pooling in his mouth, drew a jagged breath into his aching chest and leaned forward with every remaining ounce of strength he had.
A thick glob of blood and saliva struck Minhun directly across his gloating face, instantly cutting off his mocking laughter. " Screw... you... asshole..." Jungkook barked back, gritting his teeth. " He doesn't... know you... exist... he'll never... be yours..."
Minhun lifted an eyebrow, an amusing, dry smirk spreading on his lips. " He will. He doesn't have a choice."
Jungkook's teeth gritted till they hurt."Ne - never..."
Warily, Minhun lifted his hand and wiped the blood and spit from his cheeks. His features contorted into a malignant, murderous mask of unbridled wrath. " You fucking whore! " he screamed as his voice vibrated with a terrifying, venomous rage. " Pull a stand like that to your new master and he'll tear you to pieces. Not that I mind. "
He hoisted his hand ready to strike but before he could even move a deafening explosion detonated beneath their feet. The entire concrete floor shook violently, the shockwave rattling the steel girders overhead and blowing out the bulb hanging above their heads, sinking the room into a chaotic shadow.
A deep rumble echoed from the far depths of the building, cracking the concrete walls of the warehouse. The metal door of the room burst open as Minhun's head snapped around and saw his men rushing into the room, his face white as a ghost and slick with sweat.
"BOSS! BOSS WE HAVE TO EVACUATE!" one of the men snarked, grabbing Minhun's arm and leaned close to whisper to his ear." There's a huge gas leak in the lower basement. It hit the main generators. The whole building is about to explode. We've got to get you out of here."
Three more secondary explosions ripped through the lower levels in a dangerous sequence. The floor beneath them grew hotter and hotter and within seconds thick, stifling plumes of black, chemical smoke started spreading through the floor vents and iron gates, billowing upward into the vast space.
Radiant,orange - red flames licked up the walls, devouring old wooden crates, tables and oil barrels with immense speed. Sheer panic erupted among the men.
" FALL BACK! CLEAR THE PERIMETER. GET TO THE CARS! NOW!" Minhun growled, his cool, calculated composure evolving into frantic, self-preservation to save his own skin.
He didn't look back at the chair.
He didn't bother glance at the boy he had grown up with and had tormented for days.
Without a moment of hesitation, Minhun sprinted out of the room and into the smoky corridor alongside his men, leaving the steel door swinging wide open behind him.
Jungkook was abandoned once again.
The unbearable heat in the room instantly spiked, turning the freezing air into a blazing, choking oven. Vibrant, orange light from the spreading inferno cast huge, dancing shadows across the walls as thick, acrid smoke filled the place, rolling across the ceiling and descending on him like a heavy blanket.
Jungkook gasped for air, violently coughing but the dense, black smoke filled his lungs, burning his raw trachea and forcing a fit of constant, body racking coughs that bled his chest. Hot tears streamed from his blurry eyes, stinging against his open wounds.
' I have to get out... I can't die like this... not here... not now...' his mind wailed through the mist of terror and the flames surrounding him while a desperate surge of survival instinct run through his veins.
Jungkook's upper body was thrown forward, yanking his bound wrists violently against the ropes tied behind the wooden chair frame. He screamed into the thick , suffocating smoke, the rough fibres tearing straight through his sensitive flesh, blood welling up and slicking his bruised wrists but the knots were too damn tight.
He kicked out with his trapped legs, slamming his ankles against the chair legs, trying to splinter the wood or break his bindings. Suddenly the chair tipped to the right, crashing hard onto its side against the heated floor.
The impact rammed his bruised shoulder onto the hot stone, knocking the little remaining air out of his burning lungs. " HELP! SOMEONE... HELP ME! PLEASE... HELP ME!" Jungkook blared, his strained voice instantly swallowed by the roaring crackle of flames and another heavy blast.
The thick smoke was becoming denser, wrapping around his face kike a strangling hand, his vision began to dangle with vivid, white spots, his lungs seizing as rhe oxygen had dangerously vanished from the room.
His strength, what was left of it, was utterly draining away, his moves growing sluggish, his heavy lids battling as the blazing fire closed in on all sides.
Trapped, bound and choking on the ash, Jungkook lay on the scorching floor, waiting for the inferno and smoke to drag him into the dark, whispering one name.
" Taehyung..."
____________________
The inside of the SUV smelt of expensive leather, gun oil and cologne. The vehicle tore the streets of the West district at breakneck speed, its twin - turbo engine roaring like a caged beast and the atmosphere inside was suffocating.
Taehyung was sitting in the middle row, his broad figure hunched forward, his fingers digging so deep into his knees that his knuckles were stark white. His red rimmed eyes were fixed onto the dark tint window, catching the blur of streetlights passing by.
Every red light felt like an eternity, every second spent in traffic was a blade twisting in his stomach. His chest heaved in shallow, hectic pants and his heart hammered a frantic, erratic rhythm against his spine.
Next to him, Jimin was silently trembling, his hands tightly interlocked in his lap as he nibbled his lower lip till it almost bled, thinking the worst possible outcome. Yoongi was sitting across them, his dark eyes grim, checking and re - checking the magazine of his weapon, the muscles in his jaw twitching.
None of them could stay still. The terror in the car was palpable, thick enough to choke on. The only person utterly untouchable by the frenzy was Rocco Bellini.
The giant sat in the front passenger seat, resting one elbow on the door frame, his hand loosely holding an encrypted satellite radio. He wasn't fidgeting, he wasn't staring at the time. On the contrary, his posture was relaxed, imposing and totally immovable.
Rocco glanced through the rearview mirror, his sharp,cold eyes locking on Taehyung's spiraling reflection. " Relax,Mr. Kim. Breathe. " Rocco said, his deep, raspy voice cutting smoothly through the sound of the roaring engine.
Taehyung's head snapped up, his bloodshot eyes flashing with a sudden,wild despair. " How can I relax? He's been in their hands for days. Each second we waste those monsters..."
" Listen to me " Rocco cut him off quietly, slightly shifting his head to lock eyes with him, his voice laced with a chilling, absolute authority born from decades of surviving war and blood. " Anxiety is a luxury for men who have already accepted defeat. My team does not lose. We do not make mistakes. Those holding your man are amateurs playing with matches. We are the storm that puts them out."
Taehyung's throat bobbed, his chest still rising and falling but something in Rocco's unshakable confidence forced the wild panic in his veins to ease just a fraction.
" You want to save him? "Rocco added, his eyes narrowing into thin lines. " Then pull yourself together. When those doors open, he doesn't need to see a broken man crying over his body. He needs to see his protector. You. "
Before Taehyung could properly answer him, the satellite phone in Rocco's hands buzzed with a hummed, heavy vibration. He glanced at the glowing screen, his expression immediately shifting into a profound, unquestionable respect. He swiped the screen, brought the phone to his ear and spoke a single word in Italian. " Don."
He listened for a few seconds, giving a quiet nod as he turned around in his seat, extending the phone directly towards Taehyung. " It's the Godfather. Damiano De Luca. He wishes to have a word with you."Rocco said smoothly.
Taehyung's body went rigid before reaching out with a shaky hand,taking the phone and pressing the receiver to his ear, the corner of his eye catching Yoongi's restless figure. "Hello?"
" Mr. Kim." a low, smooth voice, struck with a quiet, terrifying weight that seemed to instantly command the air in the car, spoke. It carried no warmth but a rather undeniable,regal presence. The voice of a ruler that commanded thousands with a single nod.
" I am Damiano De Luca. I might be in Italy but my eyes are currently on you. " he said, the soft clink of a glass lightly echoing over the secure line.
He didn't ask if he was ok. He didn't speak as a man with authority.
Taehyung's fingers gripped tightly around the phone, his voice dry. " Don De Luca... thank you for sending help..."
" Save your gratitude for when your man is back in your arms. " Damiano interrupted softly, yet his tone was laced with absolute steel." I'm not doing this out of charity Taehyung. Two years ago we were ambushed and my husband Caspian was shot by men who thought they could break my empire by touching the soul of my life. " Damiano paused, taking a slow breath that was clearly audible through the line.
" It was Woo Shik who pulled him out of death and saved his life." The Don continued, his tone carrying a chilling, absolute decree of loyalty." He preserved my entire world. Therefore the De Luca family owes a debt of blood to him and his circle. Whatever resources you need, are yours. You have the full weight of my name behind you."
Taehyung felt an odd, profound lump form in his throat, a sharp wave of gratitude breaking through his despair and hope bloomed within him.
" I know the madness tearing through your chest, Taehyung." Damiano softly added, his tone carrying the dark, unyielding wisdom of a man who had walked through the gates of hell and returned victorious." I know how it feels to think you have lost the light of your life. But do not let despair blind you. Stay calm. Stay focused. Steel your heart. Your man is out there, ensuring the darkness waiting for you to come and save him. Do not keep him waiting. "
Taehyung shut his eyes, took in a deep, steadying breath and when he opened them, the wild panic had vanished, replaced by a deadly, focused resolve." I won't. I will bring him home. Alive." he whispered firmly into the mic.
" Good. Go. " Famiano commanded softly." And execute those who stand in your way. Put me on speaker."
Taehyung removed the phone from his ear, pressed the speaker and placed it in front of him.
" Mr. Park... your brother is in good hands. Do not worry. You'll see him very soon."
Jimin gulped hard, clenching his fists and his voice sounded rough when speaking." Thank you... for everything."
" Mr. Min. Read your file three times. I must admit I'm quite impressed not only by your accomplishments but mostly by your loyalty to your family. " He laughed." Rocco thinks highly of you and that is extraordinary for my Head of security. He's rather hard to impress."
Rocco slightly coughed but remained still, not turning towards them or uttering a single word to confirm or deny it.
Yoongi's head snapped up without actually wanting it. He had no idea if he should take it as a compliment or an insult having gained a mob's attention. " Should I say I'm honoured?"
Damiano laughed at the other end." I understand why he likes you. Rocco,old boy, he's exactly like you." The Don replied in clear amusement." He values family more than his principles and he's ready to throw himself into the crossfire for his people. You'll get along just fine. Mr. Min we might be on opposite sides of the law but when it comes to loyalty we know who to serve. Hopefully, we'll get the chance to meet."
Jimin held Yoongi's hand tightly and breathed slowly through his nose, his heart had lost that frantic beat and felt somehow lighter.
Yoongi's expression was unreadable. Something between fear and awe for the respectful way the Godfather had spoken and for Rocco's unexpected approval. Now, working with him didn't feel so off.
The line went dead with a soft click. Taehyung handed Rocco the phone, his red rimmed eyes now burning with a sharp, deadly focus as the convoy of cars roared into the West District.
__________________
The thick, heavy tires of the SUVs shrieked against the concrete as the convoy screeched to a halt in a shadowed alleyway on the left flank of warehouse 14. Through the dark, the silhouette of the huge industrial complex looked abandoned.
A stifling silence stretched in the air for a brief moment, a quiet so nerve-wracking, it felt like the breath before execution.
Then the earth violently split open.
A catastrophic explosion thundered through the heart of the complex, shattering the night into a million blinding pieces. A massive shockwave slammed into the side of the vehicles, rocking the multi - tone cats on their axes.
Instantly the black sky turned an angry orange as roaring plumes of flame burst through the concrete roof and shattered windows. Thick, dark clouds of smoke billowed upwards, swallowing the night sky in a vortex of fire and ash.
Inside the first vehicle the world stopped moving.
Taehyung's heart didn't merely drop. It completely shattered into billions fragments, his eyes widened into vast, terror - stricken pools, staring at the vivid, petrifying reflection of the wildly spread inferno. His blood instantly turned ice cold, his breath clogged tightly in his throat as his brain battled to process the nightmare unfolding before his eyes.
" NO! " Taehyung ripped through his throat, a bloodcurdling howl of unadulterated anguish gushing from his lungs " NO! NO! NO! JUNGKOOK!"
Jimin's hands flew to his mouth, a feral cry erupting from within as his whole body violently shook." Oh my God! Oh... my God! Yoongi he's in there... He's trapped... "
Yoongi's knuckles turned white as he clutched onto his sidearm so tightly the metal practically groaned. The colour was drained from his face, his sharp eyes locked on the burning inferno. Every cop instinct, every tactical training, his rigid composure dissolved into a horrific, suffocating realization.
Jungkook was trapped somewhere in that raging hellhole of a furnace.
" OUT! GET OUT NOW!" Yoongi's roars rippled the inside of the car with a mixture of pure panic and ferocity as he kicked the door of the SUV open and hurled himself into the night.
Taehyung was already out of the car, sprinting blindly towards the massive inferno like a madman. The smoke from the flames hit his face but felt nothing. Just the searing agony burning through his chest.
" JUNGKOOK! JUNGKOOK! " Taehyung screamed into the blazing flames, his hoarse voice laced with a horrified desperation as he charged toward the main loading dock, his eyes frantically scanning the surroundings, utterly unconcerned about his own survival.
A strong, tattooed hand directly slammed against his chest, blocking his way with the force of a brick wall. Rocco stood in front of him, his face illuminated by the huge, orange glare of the flames. Even as ash rained down on them and secondary rumbles shook the earth beneath them, his expression remained undeniably and lethally focused.
" Get out of my way!" Taehyung barked, his eyes burning with an insane, bloodthirsty frenzy while trying to shove Rocco away and grabbing his tactical vest." He's in there. I got to save him. Let me go."
" Kim, pull yourself together." Rocco snarled back as he seized Taehyung by the front of his jacket, shaking him with grounding force." You run blindly into the fire. Without coverage you'll die in the doorway and Jungkook is as good as dead. Is that how it ends? Fucken fool!"
" I DON'T GIVE A FUCK!" Taehyung screamed again, his face inches from Rocco's, hot tears breaking free and streaming down his cheeks. "Do you think I give a damn about my life? If he dies in there, I die with him! So get your hands off me!"
Yoongi rushed to them, his gun drawn, his face twisted in a mask of raw, violent focus as he snatched Taehyung by the collar." Listen to me, you fucken idiot! Rocco is right. We go in prepared or we don't bring him out alive. Keep your head, Kim. Keep your goddamn head and do as you're told."
Rocco shifted his head, his icy cold eyes sweeping across his thirty elite operatives who stood in a tight formation behind him, suppressed assault rifles raised, night - vision visors lowered, unfazed by the rising inferno.
" LISTEN TO ME." Rocco ordered his squad, his heavy voice ringing like a fearless general declaring war." The target is in that building. Search every floor. Every room. Every corridor. Tear down every wall, every iron door and every burning beam till you find Jeon Jungkook. If anyone gets between you and that boy... kill them without hesitation. You do not get out till you find him or I'll skin you alive. MOVE!"
Rocco signalled the men from the last truck to move forward, holding hoses of water and clearing their path.
" YES, SIR!" the men barked in unison and with terrifying, military precision the tactical team split into four breach elements, rushing towards every viable entry point, armed with heavy battering rams and explosive charges, hitting the secondary steel doors while five men were splashing water to clear their path.
The doors were blown inward with controlled flash charges and the De Luca forces surged into the fire like black shadows, their weapon - mounted flashlights cutting through the thick smoke.
Another massive blast rumbled from deep underground, probably a second internal gas line exploding and causing the foundations beneath their feet to violently shudder. Plumes of sparks and flying embers shot out of the upper windows.
" We're going in!* Yoongi roared, racking the slide of his weapon with a lethal, metallic click, his sharp eyes fixed on the burning entry corridor." Taehyung, stay right on my hip!"
" I'm right behind you." Taehyung replied, drawing in a deep inhale full of smoke, burning his lungs but he didn't pay any attention as his mere focus was finding Jungkook.
At that exact moment, Seojoon observed Jimin's figure lunging towards the blazing building and a look of sheer horror - stricken panic flashed in his eyes. " JIMIN!" he screamed, rushing towards him.
Jimin's head snapped to the side where the loud voice was heard, his face pale as a ghost, his eyes swollen, bloodshot and utterly empty with terror and panic. He looked like he was on the brink of collapsing right onto the asphalt.
Seojoon grabbed Jimin by the shoulders, pulling him hard against his chest, shielding him from the blazing heat blowing off the building." Jimin, stay back! You can't go in there!"
" Hyung... Jungkook is inside..." Jimin whispered, his hands tightly gripping the man's jacket with fierce desperation, his voice cracking completely while burying his weeping face in the man's neck." He's in there... I have to help him... I've got to do something..."
" I know but you can't help him. Let them do their job." Seojoon answered through gritted teeth, holding Jimin's trembling frame while gazing at the towering fire with panicked eyes. "They'll find him. They won't come out without him."
Inside the breach point, the heat struck them like a physical blow. Taehyung and Yoongi stormed through the blow out threshold right behind Rocco and his men. The air was thick, suffocating and scorched, reeking of burning rubber, raw gasoline and chemical fire. Dense, black smoke rolled along the ceiling, dropping fast toward the floor.
" BREACH AND CLEAR!" Rocco's tactical commander shouted ahead of them as the heavy, rhythmic clatter of boots echoed against the floor and laser sight beams crisscrossed through the blinding fog. " PRIMARY SECTOR CLEAR. THERMAL IMAGING SHOWS MULTIPLE FIRES EXPANDING FROM THE BASEMENT!"
Taehyung pushed past one of the men, his wild eyes frantically scanning the area, staring at the vast, burning corridor wrapped in swirling black smoke." JUNGKOOK! JUNGKOOK CAN YOU HEAR ME? WHERE ARE YOU BABY?" he yelled into the furnace, his voice cutting through the blazing concrete walls.
With Yoongi's gun raised beside him and Rocco's men clearing their path with undeniable,brutal determination, they plunged deep into the scorching heart of the warehouse, racing against the collapsing building to save the boy trapped inside the flames.
The merciless heat inside felt like a crashing weight pressing down on Taehyung's chest till each breath tasted of ash, diesel and burning iron.
" FLANK RIGHT! CLEAR THE LOWER BAY!" a tactical operative screamed over the fierce crackling of the flames, his weapon - mounted flashlight beam cutting a yellow swath through the thick, ink - black smoke.
Rocco's men moved with unnerving, robotic efficiency, kicking down shattered doors and clearing room after room. Down a blazing corridor on the East side of the subterranean level, five charred figures lay motionless near a collapsing ceiling, the brunt bodies of masked nen, completely unrecognisable, caught in the initial gas blast.
" FIVE DEAD HOSTILES! " One of the men shouted, sweeping his suppressor light over the bodies. " No sign of the asset. The East sector is empty."
" Check them again! " Taehyung barked, storming down the corridor, his eyes bloodshot and stinging as he violently pushed one of the guards aside. He snatched a flashlight from a man's vest, frantically pointing it at the blazing dark, his jacket ruined, his face covered in ashes and sweat." JUNGKOOK! JUNGKOOK!"
" Tae! Don't go in. Step back. " Yoongi ordered, his voice raspy from inhaling the acrid air as he gripped him by the forearm, pulling him away from the falling wooden beam showering the embers. " He's not here. If he was, those bodies mean..."
" Don't you fucking say it! " Tae screamed on the top of his burning lungs as he yanked his arm free. He shifted towards Rocco who was calmly surveying a thermal mapping unit held by his second in command. " Where is he? Your thermal cameras were supposed to show us his location. Where is he?"
" The fire is washing out our thermal sensors, Taehyung." Rocco smoothly responded, his hoarse voice totally devoid of panic despite the rising hell above them. " The basement is split into two sectors divided by a central firewall. If he's not here, then he's in the west wing."
" So why are we standing here?" Yoongi shouted, checking the thermal mapping, trying to tame the panic in his chest." The West wing is directly above the gas line. The entire place is going to collapse."
" MOVE! WEST WING NOW!" Taehyung barked, barging past the team and sprinting blindly into the smoke - filled haze towards the western division.
__________________
The West wing of the burning warehouse was an absolute inferno. Jungkook lay trapped on his side where the chair had fallen, his bruised body pinned against the scorching concrete floor.
The air had transformed into poison, thick, toxic black smoke rolled down from the ceiling like heavy shadows, settling over him, choking his lungs till each gasp brought on body - racking fits of hard coughing that tore his vocal cords.
His left eye was swollen shut, his right eye horribly burnt from the ashes, viewing the world through a watery, blood - red blur. He was half conscious, his mind wobbling on the brink of the dark abyss but his instinct to survive refused to let him die.
' I can't die here... Not like this... I have to live...' his feverish mind kept screaming through the massive flames roaring around him.
After Minhun and his thugs fled to save their pathetic lives he was left all alone. The heat was unbearably hot, scorching his wet clothes till steam rose from his jacket. He was unable to reach the knot behind his back binding him to the chair but he suddenly realised the wooden frame had splintered near his right wrist.
Biting down the agonising pain in his dislocated shoulder Jungkook dragged his tied up hands upward, frantically rubbing the rope against the jagged edge of the broken chair leg.
" Faster... please.... Oh God... just a little more..." he mumbled to himself as another set of violent coughing racked his body. He sawed his wrists back and forth against the rough wood as it sliced deep into his flesh, blood welling up and coating his palms, slicking the fibers. The wood was tearing through his already bruised skin making him scream into the stifling smoke and a raw, choked sound died in his throat but he didn't stop.
He grounded his teeth biting down the overpowering anguish, his fingers twitching, scraping, cutting his own flesh against the broken, sharp edges until...
The blood soaked fibers gradually gave way.
His hands were set free.
Tears tricked down his ashen, bruised face as he pulled his bleeding arms forward. But his relief was instantly crushed. His ankles remained bound against the heavy base of the chair with thick industrial wire that no bare hand could snap.
Another violent, thunderous explosion rocked the floor beneath him. The concrete cracked open four yards away and a massive geyser of orange flame erupted through it, igniting the ceiling beams directly above his head. Burning rumble ls rained down around him, peppering his back with fiery sparks.
The claustrophobic terror haunting him since childhood returned with a terrifying, smothering vengeance. The room was shrinking, swallowed by walls of fire and smoke.
He couldn't breathe.
His lungs felt lined with ash.
His head was dangerously spinning.
He reached out with his aching, bloody hands, clawing feebly at the blistering stone floor, dragging his bound legs and the chair behind him inch by inch, crawling away from the wall of fire.
" Tae - Taehyung..." Jungkook wept into the dirt, his voice barely a wheeze, his strength totally spent as his forehead hit the blazing floor. " Taehyung... save... me..."
He collapsed onto his stomach, his vision gradually twisting into absolute darkness, trapped in the centre of the hell fire as the burning ceiling started falling around him.
________________
Thick, oppressive clouds of soot - black smoke billowed through the corridors, reducing visibility to less than two feet. Spirals of orange red heat boomed like ravenous beasts but the breach team refused to retreat.
Ten of Rocco's heavily armed men pressed forward in tight formation, welding high - pressured fire hoses connected to the building's emergency bypass valves. Massive jets of water violently surged out, striking the scorching wooden beams, filling the narrow West wing corridor with a scaling, thick fog of white steam.
" MOVE! CLEAR THE CORRIDOR!" Rocco's second in command instructed over the roar of the flames and his voice slightly distorted through his tactical gear.
Near the entry of the West wing, one of the men suddenly kicked aside a piece of charred wreckage and beneath it lay a mercenary from Minhun's crew, groaning in pain, his leg trapped under a collapsed iron girder, his mask melted to his face while choking on the heavy smoke.
The operative snatched him by the collar, yanking him up till their visors almost touched. "Jeon Jungkook! WHERE IS HE? " he barked, gritting his teeth.
The mercenary flinched, thick blood spilling from his cracked mouth as he pointed a shaky finger down the left corridor." The... storage... end of.. the hall... tied..."
Without hesitation the operative dragged the half conscious man along the wet floor, tossing him towards the rear guard for interrogation. "Find everything he knows before he drops dead."
" TAE! WAIT!" Yoongi's loud voice cut through the suffocating, smokey air, raw from inhaling the ash. He raised his flashlight, trying to see through the walls of white steam but the air was too dense."TAEHYUNG! STAY WITH THE TEAM!"
It was pointless.
The moment the word ' storage room ' hit his ears, Taehyung lost every bit of restraint he had left. A violent, primal frenzy consumed his soul. He sprinted past the tactical squad, charging headfirst into the stifling sea of pitch black smoke with one thought in mind.
Find Jungkook.
And find him alive.
" TAEHYUNG! COME BACK!" Yoongi shouted again, running after him but an unexpected cascade of flaming ceiling tiles crashed down between them, forming a barrier that cut the hall in two.
Taehyung didn't glance back. He couldn't afford it. The heat scorched his bare face, singeing his dark hair and blistering the skin of his wrists but he didn't feel the pain. His lungs burnt as he violently coughed, heaving breaths and agonising gasps tore through his chest. He slammed his body against the burning doors at the end of the corridor, kicking them open with his feet, Yoongi's voice slowly vanishing under the thunderous roars of the fire.
" JUNGKOOK! BABY WHERE ARE YOU? JUNGKOOK!" The storage room was a living hell. The ceiling beams were engulfed in bellowing flames, showering the floor in cascades of orange red sparks.
And there, in the centre of the inferno, lying motionless on his side next to a broken chair was Jungkook.
Taehyung 's heart stopped beating.
" God! Jungkook... no! No... no... no! " Taehyung wept, dropping to his knees while scrambling across the scorching stone, his knees digging into hot embers.
He reached out with shaky, soot - covered hands, gently pulling Jungkook's limp, bruised body into his lap. Jungkook was awfully pale beneath the grime, his skin feverish and dewy, his left eye swollen shut and his lips split, ashen and bleeding.
He wasn't moving.
" Baby... Jungkook..." Taehyung sobbed without restraint, pressing his forehead against Jungkook's hot, bloodied temple, tears sliding silently down his wan face and on the boy's cheeks." Jungkook... please baby... open your eyes... look at me... It's Taehyung... I'm here... baby please open your eyes..."
Jungkook's head weakly lolled against his chest, a tiny, barely audible gurgle escaping his dry throat.
Taehyung took a knife from his inner pocket with trembling hands, slicing through the industrial wire around Jungkook's ankles and the second the wires snapped, he gathered Jungkook's broken body into his safe, broad arms, cradling him against his chest, grateful he'd gotten the chance to hold him again.
" I'm sorry baby... I'm so sorry... I love you! God I love you somuch..!" the man sobbed into Jungkook's matted hair, his voice shattering into a new set of sobs as he repeatedly kissed his forehead. " I'm so sorry... I failed you... I couldn't protect you baby... please don't leave me... please stay with me... please... I'm getting you out... I won't let you die..."
Jungkook's right eye fluttered open, just a little, a glassy, unseeing slip of black staring up into the face he had cried in the dark, hoping and praying he'd come. A faint, trembling touch of his hand brushed against the man's wet lapel before falling again.
Taehyung stood up, tucking Jungkook securely into his arms and swirled around towards the exit. But before he could take one step, the steel supporting the central roof gave way.
A huge, earsplitting sound ripped through the building as the main concrete ceiling collapsed and tones of burning stone blocks and flaming steel girders crashed down with massive force, completely burying the doorway and sealing the exit in a dense wall of rumble.
A gigantic cloud of dust and sparks blew upwards, throwing Taehyung off his feet. He twisted his body mid - fall, taking the full force of the impact on his own back, using it as a shield to protect Jungkook from the falling rumble, not daring to make a sound,just gritting his teeth and swallowing the stinging pain.
It didn't matter.
Only Jungkook's safety mattered.
And he'd do anything to keep him alive.
They slid into a narrow corner formed by two reinforced support pillars, trapped behind a mountain of burning concrete. The air was dangerously running out fast, swallowed by the deafening fire closing in on them.
__________________
Outside the burning building, the night sky shattered by massive, bone - rattling explosions erupting from the centre of the complex. The whole roof caved in with a horrible, thunderous roar, sending a huge geyser of flames and glowing embers, towering hundreds of feet into the sky.
The ground beneath them shook.
" NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Jimin's voice tore from the depths of his lungs resulting into a blood - curdling, guttural scream of absolute, soul crashing agony. His knees buckled and he fell onto the slightly moist asphalt, his hands digging into the ground.
" They're inside... hyung please do something! PLEASE GOD NO! NO!" Jimin shrieked into the night between sobs and sniffles, tearing his own hair, his face a mask of pure horror and undeniable grief as he rocked back and forth. "NO GOD PLEASE DON'T! DON'T TAKE THEM! "
Seojoon stood rooted to the spot behind him, his face drained of colour, his dark eyes widening in horror and reflecting the towering walls of inferno.
No, it couldn't end like that.
They would get out safely.
They had to.
A muscle twitched in Seojoon's jaw as he took a slow step backwards, his chest rapidly rising and falling, staring at the blazing flames that had swallowed the people he loved but his mind stubbornly refused to accept the stark reality.
" No... they're alive. They'll get out... they have to..." Seojoon whispered, his deep voice cracking into a helpless, heart wrecking sob while tears slipped down his cheeks.
In the distance, outside the collapsed wreckage, Rocco who had just managed to get out, stared at the collapsed roof, his jaw set so tightly the muscles in his neck strained, his usual cold eyes burning with a dark, devastating gravity as he ordered his men to storm back in.
His men had stumbled out of the blown - out from the side entrances, violently coughing and struggling to catch their breath. They gasped for clean air and under Rocco's command immediately charged back into the fire with new tactical gears, fire extinguishers and oxygen tanks.
Time stood still for God knows how long and then through the dense cloud of ash and flames, a figure covered from head to toe in layers of soot and smoke emerged.
Yoongi dropped to his knees on the left side of the building, his weapon slipping from his trembling hand. His jacket singed, his face blackened, coughing as he held his throat, his chest heaving in jagged gasps for oxygen.
" YOONGI!" Jimin shrieked in a mixture of despair and relief, scrambling up from the ground, rushing towards him and throwing his arms around the man's neck, pulling him tightly against his chest, desperately weeping and checking him to make sure he was actually alive.
" Baby! Oh my god baby! " Jimin whispered, cupping the man's soot - covered cheeks with shaky hands." You're alive. Where's Jungkook? Taehyung? Did you find them? Where are they? "
His boyfriend learned his forehead against Jimin's shoulder, his red rimmed eyes filled with agonising grief and profound disappointment. "I fucking lost him. The ceiling collapsed... it caved in. Taehyung ran inside the storage room to find Jungkook before... before I could stop him..."
Seojoon staggered back, fingers clutching his hair and a horrible thought crossed his mind.
What if they didn't make it?
What if they were dead under the wreckage?
Rocco marched inside following his men, determined to finish the mission and get them out safe even at the cost of his life. He never left a man behind. He never surrendered. It wasn't part of his nature and character.
The heat was blinding, the fire rapidly spreading, devouring the remains of the warehouse and the night sky and Yoongi, sucking in a deep breath, leaning against Jimin's trembling body, managed to stand up ready to storm inside the blazing inferno.
Just as he was about to put on a new gear and march inside, his eyes caught a glimpse of a single,scorched shoe stepping out into the night.
Through the roaring wall of fire and swirling ash, a tall figure staggered forward and behind him Rocco and his tactical team, safe and unharmed.
Taehyung walked out of the gates of hell. His jacket and T-shirt were torn and brunt covered in blood, darkened by soot and his skin coated in severe heat blisters. However, secured tightly on his blood- soaked arms was Jungkook.
His head was high up, his legs shaking uncontrollably under the crashing weight, his chest labouring in a series of deep, shuddering breaths. He had used his own body as a shield, taking the blow and burnt of the falling concrete to crawl through the narrow gap in the corner, dragging Jungkook out of that tomb when Rocco and his crew found them.
Taehyung stumbled forward, his red rimmed eyes catching a glimpse of three silhouettes in the distance, Jimin, Yoongi and Seojoon and then his knees utterly gave out. He collapsed backwards onto the road, shielding Jungkook in his arms before they both hit the ground.
" TAEHYUNG! JUNGKOOK!" Seojoon wailed, sprinting towards them with inhuman speed.
" MEDIC! GET THE MEDICAL TEAM NOW!" Rocco bellowed, his gravelly voice thundering through the alley while his tactical team instantly moved.
Taehyung's eyelids weakly fluttered, his lips split and bleeding while still tightly holding Jungkook in his soot - stained arms, refusing to let go. " Jungkook... We're out... safe... you're... safe..." he rasped out, tears cutting through the black grime on his cheeks before his eyes rolled back and fainted.
Rocco's private paramedics rushed forward with two gurneys and oxygen masks.
Seojoon, Jimin and Yoongi rushed to their sides as Yoongi pressed two fingers first on Jungkook and then on Taehyung's neck, to check for vitals." They're breathing.. "
" Get them into the medical truck. MOVE! MOVE!" Rocco ordered, guiding the paramedics as they lifted both unconscious men on the stretchers, securing oxygen masks over their faces and hooking up IV fluids inside the back of the vehicle.
Jimin and Yoongi climbed in the trick beside Jungkook, observing the heart monitors beep in a frail, steady rhythm while Seojoon jumped in holding Taehyung's cold hand in his. The heavy doors of the truck slammed shut and it tore down the street as a ghost.
Inside the cabin Jimin was silently crying, drawing in ragged breaths of relief and fear. Yoongi pulled out his phone with trembling fingers and dialled one number.
" Yoongi? What's happening? I saw the satellite feed... the building collapsed. Did you find him?" Hobi's frantic voice asked the moment he picked up.
" Yeah... we've got them. " Yoongi replied, his voice hoarse from inhaling too much smoke while looking at the oxygen mask strapped to Jungkook's wan face. " They're both unconscious, injured but still breathing. Send the units and the fire department to the location. Secure the scene and put out the fire. There are bodies inside. You know what to do."
" Thank God! You?"Hobi gasped out, the distant sound of keys jingling in the background.
" We're fine. We're clearing out."
" Where to? I'm leaving the station as we speak."
" Wooshik's hospital. Meet us there." Yoongi instructed firmly, roughly coughing.
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The twenty minutes ride to the hospital felt like an eternity of blurred traffic lights, the steady, artificial hum of the life support equipment. Inside the private trauma wing of the hospital, Wooshik was standing at the emergency bay entrance flanked by a top team of trauma surgeons and nurses b
The second the medical truck halted to a stop and the doors flew open, Wooshik's professional mask cracked into deep, personal concern. His best friend, his brother, was lying in a stretcher, unconscious and next to him Jungkook's broken body.
" Get them straight to Trauma 1 and 2!" Wooshik barked at his surgical staff, running alongside the gurneys as they wheeled them down the sterile, bright corridor, nurses adjusting the masks and checking the IVs. "Check for internal hermitage,smoke inhalation and severe thermal burns. MOVE!"
As the iron, double doors of the ICU swung closed, leaving Jimin, Yoongi, Seojoon and Rocco standing in the quiet corridor, the unbearable weight of terror finally began to subside, replaced by a cautious, fragile flicker of hope.
" Will they... make it?" Jimin asked, breathing heavily, tears running down from his swollen eyes, staining his cheeks as he hugged his boyfriend.
" They're tough. They'll pull through." He needed to believe that more than anything.
Rocco leaned against the wall, a cigarette lighter tangled between his fingers. " Min... let the doctor examine you. "
Yoongi huffed, raising an eyebrow." Scared I might kick the bucket?"
Rocco let out a dry chuckle, his eyes carefully studying him." We're in a hospital. They won't let you. "
" No need. I'm fine, really."
" Stubborn." Rocco lisped, allowing himself to finally breathe in relief.
Hobi burst through the sliding doors of the waiting room, all flustered, his eyes wide as he stared at the exhausted, soot - covered group, the unknown male dressed in total black and the guards spread at the entrance and the room.
" How are they?" he asked breathlessly, standing beside his partner.
Yoongi rested his back on the cold, hospital wall, drawing in his first deep, clean breath in hours as a tiny, weary smile broke through the dark ash on his face. " They are both alive." Yoongi softly mumbled, tightening the grip around Jimin's waist.
" Good. Good." Hobi relaxed and a moment later his gaze landed on the towering, tattooed figure a few feet away. " Who's he? "
" Sure you wanna know? He might have to kill you."
Hobi's eyes widened and his brows furrowed."Kill me? For real?" Hobi gulped hard, staring at the man who casually lifted an eyebrow and then winked at him, playing with the silver lighter in his hand.
" Min's partner? That's not how I pictured you."
" Huh?" Hobi frowned more, his gaze darting between Yoongi and the man.
" I thought you'd be... bulkier and... taller." Rocco teased him, a sly smirk coating his full lips.
Hobi looked highly offended by the remark."You watch too many American movies,pal. This is Asia, not Chicago. Some of us have brains instead of muscles."
Rocco laughed, shaking his head." I like him, Min. He's got balls. Just like you."
" Feelings aren't mutual." Hobi instantly replied, rolling his eyes and his brow lifting higher.
Yoongi tried to swallow a laugh as he turned his head towards Hobi. " Rocco Bellini. Head of Security of the De Luca family. This is Jung Hoseok, my partner and the best hacker in Asia. A bit of a nerd but he's cool."
Hobi's eyes widened in complete astonishment and pure horror. He had heard the name before. The De Luca syndicate. The notorious, infamous Godfather, Damiano De Luca. "Who...? How...? Why...? He..."
" Mr.Jung" Rocco casually began saying." I'd say I'm delighted to meet you but I'm afraid the circumstances are rather unfortunate."
Seojoon cut in." The Godfather owed a favour to Wooshik. They were here to cash in, not start a war. You can trust them, Hobi. Tae and Jungkook wouldn't have survived otherwise."
Hobi's mind reeled, trying to process and evaluate the situation and what he concluded had him stunned. Raising his index finger, swaying it between his partner and Rocco, his mouth fell down." You two are... working together?" It sounded more of a statement rather than an actual question. " That's why you told me not to send our units? I bypassed the protocol, broke every law in the book for a mobster? If the captain finds out, you're toasted, partner."
" Let's make sure he doesn't. " Yoongi advised him. " They helped us find Jungkook. Didn't cause trouble. They turned out more effective than our units. " Yoongi reassured him, squeezing Jimin's hand who was still crying and trembling.
Hobi seemed more baffled than before. He never thought he'd see the day Min Yoongi would cooperate with the underworld, break his principles and act so casually about it.
" I still don't like him." Hobi replied, his head tilting to the right side, his inquiry gaze scanning Rocco from head to toe.
" Give it time... it will grow." Yoongi whispered through pressed lips, hardly recognising his own serene voice, releasing a suppressed sigh.
Maybe he was grateful.
Or perhaps he wasn't as disgusted as he thought at the mobster who threw himself into the fire for a couple of complete strangers.
Silence stretched again, heavier and more suffocating as they were all waiting for the doors to finally open.