The boy , looked around at the bodies of the men who had been protecting him. All of them were dressed in military gear and armed with assault rifles. They were probably stationed here to both protect and keep an eye on the boy.
"Drop your weapons and raise your hands,"
Kwon Taekjoo ordered the lone boy. Though the kid was shaking in fear, he seemed incapable of releasing the gun he clumsily gripped. Instead, he lifted his trembling arms to point the barrel at Kwon Taekjoo.
Kwon Taekjoo sighed. After a brief exchange of words, he strode toward the boy with long steps. Nervously, the boy pulled the trigger.
But the bullet shot harmlessly towards the ceiling. Kwon Taekjoo had swiftly sidestepped, knocking the boy's hand aside. His own gun struck the kid's face, causing blood to spill from his nose.
While the boy instinctively held his nose, Kwon Taekjoo quickly subdued him, pinning his arms behind his back. After securing the boy, he informed Yoon Jongwoo of the situation.
" Area cleared."
"G1, the site is cleared. Proceed with data retrieval."
Kwon Taekjoo took a deep breath and scanned the room again before pulling out the perpred USB devices and plugging them into the main PC and the strong units. Once the USB was recognized, he quickly copied all the backup data and temporary files.
Of course, this wasn't the end of the process. It wouldn't be long before the USB's formatting program automatically activated, permanently erasing all files from each PC.
It was then that a loud vibration shook the floor above. The entire ground felt as though it was being pushed down by a heavy force. Although faint, Kwon Taekjoo could make out the roar of an engine. Something was approaching the house rapidly from above.
Perhaps the boy had already called for backup from the Cuba military. But even the boy seemed unsure of what was happening. Maybe the neighbors notified the authorities after being awakened by the gunshots.
But still, for a neighborhood call, the response was incredibly fast.
Kwon Taekjoo tried assess the situation by speaking directly into his communicator.
"What's going on?"
"Sunbae, a couple of strange vehicles are moving in on the location."
"How many?"
"Two. They look like armored cars."
"Are they police special forces? Or the Cuban military?"
"They don't have flashlights. No identifying emblems either."
"Find out who they're connected to."
"Understood."
By that time, the data retrieval had finally completed. Kwon Taekjoo yanked the USB out and tucked it into his inner pocket.
At that moment, he sensed a presence Behind him. Someone was coming down the stairs. The boy, still tied up on the floor, seemed to have noticed the footsteps too and trembled in fear.
Kwon Taekjoo focused intently on the approaching footsteps before quickly turning to face them. Then rifle aimed directly at a familiar face. It was the little girl with nasal tubes. Just as he feared, the sedative hadn't fully worked on her due to her condition.
The girl, from her part, seemed unable to comprehend the situation. Why were her parents asleep like they were dead? Who was the dark-skinned man in front of her, and why was her brother tied up in front of her? To her, everything must have seemed like a nightmare.
She shuddered violently, as if in shock. It was as if she were hyperventilating.
"Clam down, don't be scared. I won't hurt you."
Kwon Taekjoo tried to reassure her, extending both hands in a non-threatening manner. But the girl looked as if she were on the verge of bursting into tears. A wet spot began to form at her feet.
"Sunbae! I think it's a U.S. PMC (private military company,) I don't like the look of this. You need to get out of there!"
Moments later, something tumbled down the stairs with a series of thuds, stopping in fromt of the blank-faced girl. It was a high-powered grenade- one capable of easily demolishing the entire basement.
"Damn it, take cover!" Kwon Taekjoo shouted in horror.
A moment later, a massive explosion rocked the room, plunging everything into darkness.
.
.
.
.
End of chapter.