jacket - lee suhyeok

ten

chapter ten
abandoned

We all sat in a circle around the fire again, starting to calm down after what unfolded. We are starting to realize Gwinam would always come back for us as long as he was alive. We wished the eight story fall would finally kill him, but we were skeptical. Suhyeok holds my free hand in this. Slightly needing it with his thumb. I could tell he was nervous.

"Suhyeok... Don't be nervous. I'm sure he's gone." I whisper over to him. He looks up at me, eyes filled with sorrow. I've never seen him like this. He takes in a deep breathe and responds. "I'm not nervous. I'm afraid. Afraid for you." He says softly.

"Why?"

"I don't want him to come back and hurt you. You saw what happened earlier, I can't protect you when he's like this." Suhyeok replies, referring to his enhanced strength and speed. I don't stay anything, not knowing how to respond to that.

"Hold on... Don't you hear that?" Namra says, turning her head to all of us. "Hear what?" Suhyeok replies with a mumble. "Why? Is someone coming again?" Hyoryeong says, shifting uncomfortably.

"They're coming."

We look out into the night sky, not hearing nor seeing anything or anyone. "I don't see anything," Cheongsan whispers, looking over at where Gwinam was pushed off. I turn to Namra, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Suddenly, the buzzing of a helicopter can be heard.

"I hear the chopper." Cheongsan speaks, voice a little louder this time. He stands up and walks over to the edge of the roof, watching the helicopter fly towards us. We all get up now, shocked and grateful at the same time.

Some of us start to pick up some fire wood to alert the helicopter. I wave my hands in the air and jump up and down.

"Over here!"
"We're here!"
"Please help!"

We all yell loudly, hoping the helicopter will notice us. The helicopter slowly comes towards us and lands on the roof. The bright light hitting our faces and the fan making our hair fly back behind our heads.

Our cries for help turn into cries of rejoice. Our distressed faces turn into joyful ones. We're saved. Two men come down from rope, landing onto the roof floor. Daesu starts to walk up to them but they aim their guns at us, and he walks back in shock.

The two men stay on the roof as the chopper flies up and turns in another direction, leaving. Cheongsan walks up to the men again before he yells demands at us. "Get down! All of you!" He says, gun pointed directly at Cheongsan.

"S-sir. Please save us..." Daesu says in a confused tone. I look up at Suhyeok and see he's just as confused as the rest of us. They tell us to get down again, voice getting louder. Daesu is the first to get down on his knees.

I get down as well, pulling on Suhyeok's blazer, motioning for him to comply. We all lie flat on the ground, our hand in front us. The two men walk around us, checking out temperatures one by one. Saying "Clear," after each beep.

Namra is the last one to be checked. I looked over at her as she tries to hide her deformed eye, one of the armed men puts the machine in front of her forehead, clicking on it and it indicating her temperature is too low.

They give her a blanket, disregarding it as hypothermia. I let out a breath in relief, grateful she didn't get caught. "We'll rescue you after coming our mission." One of the men state firmly.

"You can get up now." He says. We all stand on our feet, Suhyeok putting his hand on my good arm to help my balance. "Are you the only survivors?" He asks.

"We don't know." Cheongsan responds. "I'm sure there are more." He says nodding. "We'll go down for a few minutes, wait here." The armed man shouts. I start to have many questions and worried. What if they don't come back for us after completing their mission? What is their mission?