Chapter 33
Meanwhile, Eun Wol's feet fidgeted restlessly against the rubber mat of the car. His gaze stayed fixed on the warehouse. From his angle, there was no way he could sneak even a single peek inside. His brows furrowed deeply, teeth worrying at his bottom lip. If he had to describe his heartbeat, he'd say it was racing faster than he could count. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this unsettled.
A quiver stirred through the fabric against his chest, followed by the inevitable buzz that made his pulse falter.
"You've got to leave now."
Eun Wol's eyes widened, fingers tightening around the steering wheel. He leaned forward. "Gyu In isn't back yet!"
"He's been made. You have to leave. Now."
"I'm not leaving him." He twisted around, snatched a black cap from the backseat, and tugged it on. He barely had time to adjust his mask when another urgent voice cut in.
"All that rustling better be you trying to leave. I'll figure out a way to get him out."
"Shut up!"
"You rush in, you both die! Trust me, I'll get him out. You leave first."
"I said I'm not leaving him."
The comms went silent, broken only by the soft click of the car door.
The mask in his fist crumpled as Eun Wol inched his way along the far side of the warehouse. His eyes swept the floor. The figures were still there, scattered, gathered slightly toward the right.
"Fuck," he hissed under his breath, scanning for the only one who mattered.
Relief flickered for just a second when he spotted a slouched silhouette behind the carts then his chest locked up again.
Eun Wol moved down the aisle, keeping low as he slipped past one cart after another. He edged closer, breath caught tight in his throat, only to freeze when the metal frame of another cart boxed him in.
Gyu In's head snapped up. His eyes widened the moment they met Eun Wol's.
For a beat, the noise of the warehouse faded. Their stares locked, a frantic conversation carried in silence.
Get out. Now.
Eun Wol shook his head, jaw set.
Not without you.
Gyu In's jaw clenched, his glare cutting through the chaos but Eun Wol didn't budge an inch.
Ignoring Gyu In's glare, Eun Wol ducked under the metal frame and crept forward, stopping only when he finally reached him.
"Before you mouth another word," Eun Wol whispered harshly as he fumbled the mask onto Gyu In's face, "cover your idiot face."
"Why the hell are you—"
Eun Wol clamped a hand over Gyu In's mouth and shook his head. He yanked the cap down just enough to hide his face, muttering under his breath, "Idiot."
A strange warmth bubbled in Gyu In's chest as he watched Eun Wol scan the area frantically.
"Did you get hurt?" Eun Wol whispered. "Never mind. Let's get out of here first."
Gyu In didn't answer with words. Instead, he squeezed Eun Wol's hand, letting the grip say everything. It lingered longer than necessary. A silent promise.
I won't let anything happen to you.
They stayed low behind the crates, hearts hammering.
A slow, deliberate clap echoed across the warehouse.
"Ding ding… where is the rat hiding?"
Yoon Do Su's voice slithered between the shadows, playful and cruel all at once. A faint glint of metal caught the dim light as he twirled a gun lazily in his hand.
Gyu In's grip on Eun Wol's hand tightened slightly, anchoring both of them to the moment. Eun Wol's pulse spiked, but his eyes stayed locked on Gyu In's, silently asking if he was okay.
The men moved through the warehouse with unnerving calm. Their laughter and murmured words curled through the air like smoke. Every step, every glance, was a reminder that Gyu In and Eun Wol were nothing more than rats in a cage.
Gyu In leaned in, his voice low and harsh against Eun Wol's ear.
"Stay close. Follow my lead. Do not move until I say so."
Eun Wol swallowed and nodded almost imperceptibly. The tension pressed in on them, thick as the shadows. For the first time, the small squeeze of their hands felt like the only solid thing in the room.
Do Su's voice drifted again, light and teasing.
"Come on now. Don't make this boring for me."
Every instinct screamed danger. Every instinct told them to freeze. Every heartbeat reminded them that they only had each other.
Yoon Do Su strolled casually into view, spinning the gun around his finger like a toy. His eyes flicked toward the shadows, his smile sharp and cruel. His footsteps echoed deliberately, unhurried, as if he had all the time in the world. Every few steps, he paused to listen.
The first shot shattered a crate to their left. Dust rained down, sharp and acrid.
"Not there," he mused, tilting his head. He walked a little further, humming under his breath.
Another shot cracked out. A bottle exploded against the far wall, shards scattering across the floor.
Eun Wol pressed closer to the wall, his hand slick in Gyu In's grip. He bit down on his breath, forcing it silent.
Do Su chuckled softly. "You can hide, but your lungs will give you away eventually."
He raised the gun again. This time, he didn't fire. He simply let the barrel hover, sweeping across the shadows like a spotlight.
The silence stretched until Eun Wol's breath hitched too fast, sharp enough to echo.
"Now run."
Gyu In tightened his grip and yanked Eun Wol out of hiding.
Gunfire erupted instantly. Bullets split the air above their heads as they bent low, sprinting for the exit.
"Don't let them escape!" Do Su barked, and his men surged forward.
Footsteps thundered across the warehouse floor. The two of them weaved between crates, wood splintering each time a shot hit too close.
Eun Wol's chest burned, each breath jagged. Gyu In yanked him around a corner, their shoulders slamming into a stack of boxes. It wobbled dangerously before toppling behind them, buying only a heartbeat of time.
Another shot rang out, ricocheting through the cavernous space, chasing them no matter which way they turned.
They rounded another sharp turn. Gyu In's shoulder clipped a loose plank jutting out, sending a violent shudder through the stacked shelf above them.
Glass rattled. Bottles clinked and trembled, threatening to spill.
Eun Wol's eyes shot upward just in time to see them sway.
Instinct kicked in before thought. He yanked Gyu In close, pressing him against his chest as the bottles crashed down. Shards exploded against the floor, sharp edges spraying around their feet.
For a moment, Gyu In stayed frozen against him, breath caught in his throat. Then the world snapped back into focus.
His gaze dropped to Eun Wol's forehead.
Blood thin, dark lines trickled down his skin.
Gyu In's stomach lurched. For a second, all sound dulled: the shouts, the gunfire, even his own pulse. He could only watch as another bead slid free, too bright, too real, dripping past Eun Wol's temple.
"Focus."
Eun Wol seized Gyu In's face with both hands, forcing his wide, terrified eyes to meet his.
"I'm okay," he said, steady in a way that didn't match the blood streaking down his forehead.
For a beat, Gyu In could only stare. Eun Wol looked nothing like the broken man he had dragged out of hiding. He looked unyielding. Terrifyingly alive.
Gyu In nodded stiffly.
Before he knew it, a hand was pulling him forward, dragging him back out into the open floor.
Sweat stung his lashes, blurring his vision, and he couldn't tell who had ended up on top of whom.
"—" Eun Wol's lips parted around Gyu In's name, but he swallowed it down. They couldn't risk being known.
The sharp tap of brown leather shoes drew closer. Each step landed beside Gyu In's face until a polished toe hovered above him.
Then the weight came.
A heel ground into his chest. His breath hitched, a cough tearing up his throat as pain flared white-hot.
"Say," Do Yoon Su murmured. "Who are you?"
His face slid into view, breath hot and close. Fabric scraped harshly as Gyu In was dragged across the floor. Somewhere behind him, Eun Wol grunted. A second man pinning him down, forcing the air from his lungs.
Fingers reached for Gyu In's mask -
The first explosion ripped through the air outside.
Not one.
Two. Three. Four.
The warehouse froze.
Even Do Yoon Su faltered, snapping his head toward the noise as heavy footsteps thundered past. Somewhere nearby, a briefcase snapped shut.
A hoarse voice cut through the chaos.
"Do Yoon Su, you better clear whatever shit this is before the next meet-up."
"Fucking hell," He spat, just as smoke billowed in and a siren wailed close, too close.
Gyu In didn't waste the opening.
He slapped the hand away from his mask and shoved himself upright. His fist crashed into Do Yoon Su's cheek once, then again before the man could react. Using his shoulder like a battering ram, Gyu In slammed through the gap and lunged for Eun Wol, who was already fighting free of his captor.
"Let them go first."
Do Yoon Su's gaze tracked the fleeing pair, eyes narrowing. "We need to get out of here. Police could show up any second."
*
They burst through the entrance and dove into the car.
Eun Wol slammed the wheel. Tires screamed against concrete as they tore away from the warehouse, leaving smoke, sirens, and gunfire behind.