"Guys, I got the package"
I spoke over the radio "proceeding to the extraction point, follow immediately" I added
"Roger!" a loud and harmonious response echoed from the radio.
After instructing my team over the radio, I turned my attention back to the briefcase.
I stared at it for a couple seconds, then tried opening it.
But couldn't, it was locked, of course.
Only high ranking military and research personals knew the key code. And I'm not one of them.
'They should have at least given me the key code, so I could confirm it really was the prototype'
'Sigh'
I clipped the briefcase to my waist, and exited the room.
I made my way towards the balcony, planning on going down the fastest way possible.
I dropped my bag, searched and brought out, a grappling rope. I had packed for situations like this.
I hooked it on a nearby pillar, tugged it multiple times, to ensure it was tight enough, wore back my bag, then climbed over the balcony.
My gloved hand was wrapped tightly around the rope, as I stared down at the distant ground below.
'Here we go'
I stepped off the balcony, my hand still held the rope, but was free enough for me to glide down.
It was frightening to most, exhilarating to some, but to me?, it was my usual way of going down a building without an elevator.
But things went wrong.
The rope was no longer hooked, I was now free falling.
Reacting faster than I could think, I quickly held on to another balcony.
Pain shot from my shoulder but I ignored it, my heart was beating slightly faster, certainly adrenaline.
My mind cleared, and I noticed, I wasn't far from the ground, I was hanging on the balcony on the second floor.
'Tsk, I hate when this happens'
After few short breaths, I released my grip.
I landed on my feet with practiced ease, stretched my legs a bit before quickly running towards the extraction point with measured speed.
A small forest stood between the abandoned building and our extraction point.
I brought my radio to my lips, and spoke.
"Captain speaking, I have exited the building and I'm now standing at the entrance of the forest, you guys should move quickly, I'm waiting"
A few seconds passed and the radio cracked to life
"Captain am on the second floor, but I have an issue, Kang Joon has been fatally wounded. His right hand was nearly cut off"
Dea-seong spoke with worry and urgency.
With haste, I sent a signal back to HQ, signalling our success.
Few seconds passed and my team could be seen running towards my location, but they weren't alone.
A motorcycle followed slowly behind.
"Captain!"
Dea-seong called as he came close, his voice heavy with anxiety.
"Kang Joon!!, how can you let yourself get injured by such, lowly and pathetic terrorists"
I spoke harshly, seeing the pathetic state he was left in.
"Pardon my intrusion, I'll be collecting that case"
The biker spoke, removing her helmet and placing it on her bike.
I turned my attention to her, then spoke
"I'm sorry that's not possible"
My voice brimming with confidence.
She nodded, then charged at me with the speed of a bull.
My reaction was instantaneous, with a blur of movements I pulled out my handgun and shot at her.
She dodged!
She was inches away from me when I shot!
"How!!!?"
I spoke, confusion evident on my face, but hidden behind my mask.
Ho-gu took her brief moment of distraction to tackle her.
But she stood solid as a rock, unmoving.
I raised my gun again to shoot.
But she does something completely unexpected again.
She lifts Ho-gu, even with his large build.
"What the fuck!!!"
Ho-gu yelled in complete disbelief.
She then tossed him at me, prompting me to drop my gun and brace myself to catch him, or try to at least.
Dea-seong drops Kang Joon and sprints towards her, at full speed, while drawing out his twin blade.
SWISH!
SWISH!
SWISH!
Dae-seong's blades could be heard cutting through the air, with the skill of a master.
But it didn't matter, she blocked and dodge with ease.
But Dae-seong didn't relent.
Suddenly, a small cut appeared by her neck.
It was an unforeseen attack by Hayoon, who had thrown a small knife.
Her expression shifted for a second, before she swiftly catches dae-seong's hand and flings him at Hayoon.
During this fight kang Joon had managed to back himself to a tree as he shot at her, hitting her on the rib.
she looked at the wound, visibly shocked, then at me.
But something wasn't right.
Her eyes was slowly growing bright red.
Like it does in animes.
Sensing something was wrong, I quickly picked my gun and shot at her.
BANG!, BANG!
She disappeared from where she stood.
My instincts screamed danger, as I saw a terrifying fist coming straight at my face.
I blocked.
The force had me sliding back, and my arm broken.
She charged again, throwing several powerful blows with terrifying speed.
I dodged as many as possible, but got hit several times more.
Mid beat down, a familiar voice came from my radio, signalling the arrival of our extraction chopper.
"Guys!!!, get up!!! we need to move out!!!, now!!!"
I yelled aloud, narrowly evading a punch to my face.
The others pulled themselves up, now desperate to end this strange beat down.
"Don't even think of rejoining the fight!!!, leave!!!"
They looked at each other for a second, Dae-seong then picks Kang Joon and runs away with the others.
"Don't take too long!"
Dae-seong said, as he disappears into the forest with others.
Sigh!
"With them out of the way, I can take things more seriously"
I spoke, my expression becoming more stern, as I brought out my dagger and held it in my right hand.
"You think, the outcome will be different?"
She replied coldly, and in Mandarin of course.
"Yes"
I answered in same, straightening my broken left arm.
I dashed forward with the best speed I could muster, and swung my blade, to cut her lower abdomen.
She didn't bother blocking, as she was about to kill me with her incoming punch.
I tilted my head backwards, narrowly dodging her killing blow, but that wasn't all, with fluid movement I had cut somewhere else.
Her wrist.
She looked at the deep cut on her wrist, blood dripping from it seriously.
Before she could look up, I had tossed a stun grenade at her.
I had already turned my back to run away, and I saw the surprise on her face.
BANG!!!
Resulting in such petty tactics, felt shameful to me, but it is all for my country.
I ran at full speed through the forest, apart from the broking of twigs and other forest noises, a ticking sound was continuously heard.
The I realised.
I unclipped the briefcase from my waist, and threw it far away from me, and continued my run.
...BOOM!!!
I hadn't gone far when it exploded.
I made it to the chopper and we took off immediately, I felt down, as the weight of my failure felt heavy.
~~
~~
~~
ONE WEEK LATER
The news of our failure had already gone wide around the agency as our first failure in 29 mission successful streak.
I have been in the hospital since we returned, but today I was called on by the board of directors.
The board is filled with highly experienced military veterans that are now in the special agency and I know two of them closely, one is Anna's elder brother Samuel Yeon and general Hyunwook who is Anna's family friend .
IN THE MEETING
"Squad commander of phantoms Jin-hun salutes the board" I greeted.
"Hmm Jin-hun you've had a outstanding record so far so what caused the failure of this mission", the director of information asked, his stern gaze on me.
~~
"So in conclusion you're trying to say that there's a traitor among us" General Hyunwook asked.
"I don't mean it rudely sir, but yes" I replied as I could see the shock on all their faces but it quickly turned to rage.
"So are you accusing us of treason, we have been loyal to this country before you were even born", the director of operations yelled in a fit of rage.
"You are not allowed to make unnecessary conclusions just because you failed to get your mission done" Samuel added.
"You must be thinking we are just a bunch of old fools after make such absurd excuses like there is a traitor here, and the enemy's eyes were glowing red" the director of foreign operations said with a disappointing look on his face.
'I shouldn't have told them that part', I thought to myself.
"Squad commander Jin-hun you are hereby suspended till further notice with no pay or any type of government support for insubordination and failure to complete your mission", general Hyunwook declared, his words, a final judgement
".....Yes sir", I immediately left the room and went straight to pack my stuff.
At this point I was just bottling my feelings so I wouldn't make a scene.
Anyways I packed my bags and was about leaving when Anna ran to me asking
"Why didn't you see me before leaving"
in which I replied "I couldn't", my cold gaze lingered on her a bit.
She looked into my eyes and placed her hand on my face and said "don't worry I will talk the general, he will listen to me"
After hearing that my face brightened a bit as I gave her a kiss goodbye before leaving.
After my departure I went straight to my parents house and told my father about the situation I was in, hearing the news, he gave me a look of slight disappointment as he said he will see what he can do.
{ ANNA POV }
I Just can't let uncle Hyunwook treat Jin-hun like that, I have to talk him to reduce his punishment no matter what.
My loud footsteps echoed in the silent hallway leading to the general's office.
I knocked twice then opened the door without an answer.
The general was standing before the large glass, his gaze sweeping across night cityscape. It was beautiful, through he didn't say that.
"Anna, what brings you here this beautiful evening" , the general spoke finally paying attention to me.
"Sir or should I say Unc....",
"Oh please, don't call me that, I'm not even fifty yet" the general interrupted.
"Well you are about 44 right now, if I remember correctly, anyways that's not why I came here, sir could you please reduce Jin-hun's punishment, it was too harsh for someone with good record up till now or at least let it be a favour for me".
"Anna, his situation is much tougher than you think and can not be resolved on a wimp, and to even resolve his issue, there are many processes, and I wouldn't want to stress myself that much for free"
He answered still looking at the cityscape.
"Want do you want sir?, money?"
"Don't insult me"
He scoffed.
"Then what sir?"
"Rethink your decisions, cause after I say what I want you can't say no"
He spared me a glance as he spoke.
My thoughts reeled, his unknown condition felt...bad, but I would risk it.
"Alright"
"Good choice, here is the condition, you are going to be my wife, as you fit perfectly my standard"
His words took me by surprise, leaving my mouth wide open.
"That's... That's too much sir"
"Anna, no is no longer an option, in fact your future is already written in stone, you. are .going .to .be .my wife"
My jaw clenched, and my mind went overgear, thinking of solutions to my predicament.
'He's not saying this with smug confidence, he's going to convince my parents that he's the perfect suitor for me, while making jin-hun look like a public disgrace'
'But if I accept, it will break jin-hun's heart but save his future, I'm really sorry my love'
"I... Accept"
Tears almost rolled down my eyes from those words.
MC'S POV
it's been five days since I was suspended and it has been boring as hell, I only spent one night In my parents house before going to mine.
Uhhhhhhhh I can't take this boredom anymore "ring" "Siri who is calling?", "General Hyunwook" it replied. "YES ,YES ,YES I LOVE YOU ANNA" i jumped for joy knowing Anna had successfully convinced general Hyunwook to let me back in.
I hurriedly ran to pick the call, "HELLO SIR SQUAD COMMANDER JIN-HUN SALUTES!!!", "Hmm Jin-hun after much convincing I have decided to let you back in but only if you can complete this mission without any failure, The informations needed for this mission will be sent over to your phone", the general explained,"YES SIR" the call cuts..... "Hell yeah those terrorist are cooked" .
Few minutes later I have notifications on the mission stating that there were about thirty arm men in a warehouse in Busan. That's good about three hours drive from here, "I can't fuck this up and I can't take on thirty guys by myself soooooooo why I don't I just blow the warehouse sky high sounds like a good plan to me, I will be leaving tonight".
I arrived at the location a few hours ago and began scaning through to see if all of them were in so I don't miss one.
Later on I placed the bombs at key locations around the warehouse, gave some distance before blowing it sky high while walking away from the explosion like they do in the movies but who would think my excitement will be short-lived.
The following day I waited for the general's call but it's never came, only to turn on the news to see the place I blew wasn't a terrorist den but a gang of kidnappers who had just kidnapped seven children and all as being confirmed dead.
Upon hearing those words my heart sank as I couldn't bring myself to understand what the hell I did, NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOO THIS WASN'T IN THE FILE I WASN'T TOLD!!!!!!!!.
As the news adds "this just came in a video of who seems to be responsible for the explosion", it was a video of me walking majestically after blowing the place up, "This was a set up" I yelled as I ran to the bedroom immediately packing my bags to leave the house as I could already hear the police sirens coming closer.
I was successful in my escape but I needed not just to escape but also clear my name, I called my father numerous times but to not avail so I had no choice but to leave a note telling my father that I was framed and it was all a set up.
For One and the half months I spent my time hiding on the streets, hiding away from the police.
My family house had an angry crowd in front shouting for parents to bring me out as my mother screamed in return that I wasn't there and I was innocent for whatever I was blamed, my father's political career was in shambles, my brother's hospital was suffering losses because of me and I had no one else to run to but Anna.
Later at night, I snocked into Anna's house and into her room, Anna woke up I could see the fright on her face when she saw me "what are you doing here!", she asked "you said you will talk to the general, days later I got to call from him telling me to destroy a den of terrorist in Busan and you can tell what happened" I answered, "so you're saying that the general set you up!" she asked, "yes but things have gone too far for anyone to believe me now".
"Anna i didn't want things to become like these but I will say it anyways, let's run away together, I have some money hidden away we could go to America or any country of your choice"I said my eyes almost tearing up, "Am sorry am doing this to you but I can't..... cause am pregnant with the general's child" Anna replied looking at the floor.
Upon hearing those words my world crumbled.