Igor, having co down the hill, sprinted toward the villa at full speed. The rcenaries followed behind him.
No firefight broke out as they passed several guard posts engulfed in flas, belching smoke.
But they couldn’t let their guard down. Beyond the posts burning and scattering sparks, sothing glinted from the villa.
A mont later, bullets started flying from the villa.
Igor signaled his rcenaries with hand gestures.
The rcenaries running behind him split to both sides in sync with the signal. Even as they moved, they didn’t forget to return fire the way they’d been trained.
Bang! Baaang!
A bullet grazed past Igor’s ear, then ricocheted off the ground.
But Igor didn’t stop running.
He couldn’t stop until he reached a position where he could take cover. The mont he stopped, it was over.
Two of the rcenaries following Igor had already been shot and gone down.
After sprinting for a long while like that, they finally reached the villa’s towering wall. Igor pressed himself against it and caught his breath.
The rcenaries also flattened themselves against the wall, breathing hard as they waited for Igor’s orders.
Even then, the battle continued.
The gunfire didn’t stop, and shouts whose aning they couldn’t make out carried over.
The snipers in Team Five were firing nonstop, and Ivan’s unit was also still engaged.
“This is Alpha. We’re entering now.”
— This is Beta. We’re in contact.
— We’re continuing to snipe. We’ll cover you. Proceed with entry.
After hearing the reports, Igor radioed the entrance team.
“Report the situation at the entrance.”
— There’s no one here.
“You’re sure?”
— Yes. Positive.
“If anything unusual cos up, report imdiately. Maintain a tight periter in all directions.”
— Understood.
Sliding the radio back into the chest rig, Igor scanned the surroundings and spoke.
“We secure the entrance first, then move straight to Special Residence No. 1.”
“Yes!”
At Igor’s hand signal, Team One began moving slowly toward the villa’s entrance.
Only after edging along the wall for about twenty ters did they finally reach the open entrance area.
One rcenary slightly peeked out to check enemy positions.
At that mont, the wall beside his head shattered, fragnts flying. The rcenary jerked back instantly.
“There’s likely a sniper on the second floor of Special Residence No. 1. No visible enemies along the approach.”
“Yeah? Exact position?”
“Flare ca from the third window to the left, relative to the center.”
“Second floor. You’re sure?”
When the rcenary nodded firmly, Igor issued the next order.
“As Team One enters with , Team Two provides cover. Spray the second floor of Special Residence No. 1. Don’t let them get a clear shot at us.”
“Understood.”
When he finished, Igor gave instructions to the sniper team over the radio.
“This is Alpha. There’s a sniper on standby on the second floor of Special Residence No. 1. Sniper Point Three—prepare to take the shooter on the second floor.”
— Understood.
Igor tucked the radio away again and raised his hand, signaling the n.
His fingers counted down—three to two, two to one.
With each finger folding away, the rcenaries’ tension spiked to the limit.
Finally, Igor curled the last finger and clenched his fist.
At that instant, Team One sprinted past the entrance, while Team Two opened up, spraying the second floor.
Igor ran with Team One toward Special Residence No. 1.
Then, from the left, soldiers from the Guard Command burst out.
“Left! Left!!”
At the sa ti, several of the running rcenaries ducked behind trees and raked their rifles toward the soldiers’ direction.
Ratatatatat!
Bang! Bang!
The heat of the battlefield made Igor’s throat go dry on its own.
Only gunshots, the rcenaries’ yelling, and the thud of boots filled Igor’s ears.
How long had they run? At ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ last, Igor and the rcenaries reached the entrance of Special Residence No. 1.
— This is Beta. Enemies at Special Residence No. 2 have been completely eliminated! We will now carry out the underground tunnel demolition.
“Copy.”
Igor checked his watch.
It had taken thirty minutes to get here. That ant they had about thirty minutes left.
Igor shot a look at one rcenary. A masked man, together with a teammate, unloaded their rifles into the door.
Only after emptying an entire magazine did the door finally splinter apart, shredded into a hanging, ragged ss.
Other rcenaries kicked at the dangling remnants while maintaining cover.
Beyond the ruined entrance, soldiers lay bleeding on the floor, groaning.
Igor gave the hand signal to enter, and the rcenaries moved slowly through the doorway and inside.
* * *
“What the hell? What is that sound?!”
In the bar on Basent Level 1, drinking while looking out at the dark sea, Kim Jongil jolted in shock.
A blast had erupted out of nowhere. Kim Jongil sprang up and shouted.
“What is going on!!”
At Kim Jongil’s roar, soldiers poured in.
“What is it?”
“I-it’s an attack.”
“What? An attack? What kind of bastards are they!”
“We haven’t confird. The guard posts and security posts, among—”
Boom! Booooom!
Before the soldier could finish, the ground shook and a massive explosion thundered.
“You sons of bitches!”
Kim Jongil hurled the glass in his hand.
The tumbler barely missed the soldiers and shattered against the wall.
“Gather all nearby forces.”
“Yes!”
“Where is Cheolsu right now?”
At that mont, Baek Cheolsu ca down into the basent, bringing Kim Jongil’s family with him.
Jang Songthaek was with them.
“General! You need to evacuate imdiately.”
“What? Evacuate? You’re telling to evacuate right now?”
“First, evacuate to the East Sea Fleet Command—”
“Cheolsu!”
Kim Jongil didn’t listen—he just shouted. Jang Songthaek stepped forward and spoke.
“Comrade Supre Leader, all communications have been cut. The first thing they attacked was the area with the communication lines. Fortunately, contact with the East Sea Fleet doesn’t rely on those lines, so we were able to reach them. A unit should have already been sent through the underground tunnel. They’ll arrive in about an hour.”
At Jang Songthaek’s calm, asured voice, Kim Jongil’s face reddened as he glared.
“Why did you move troops on your own without reporting to ? Is this treason?”
“......”
“Answer ! Why did you move troops at your own discretion?”
“I apologize.”
Jang Songthaek bowed his head deeply. Kim Jongil glared as if he wanted to kill him, then barely forced down his rage and exhaled.
“...Hoo.”
“Father...”
Kim Jongun approached Kim Jongil with an anxious face.
“Yes. Jongun. Are you all right? You’re not hurt anywhere?”
“Yes. I’m fine. Father, are you okay?”
“Yes, yes. Of course I’m fine.”
The blasts that had been continuing finally stopped.
“Go find out what’s happening outside. Cheolsu stays—everyone else, out.”
At Kim Jongil’s order, the soldiers who had co in all filed back out.
Kim Jongil took Kim Jongun’s hand and sat down.
“Everyone, sit.”
“General! Even now, you must evacuate—”
“Cheolsu, sit down for now.”
The blasts had stopped, but the gunfire outside continued.
With no way to know what was happening out there, sitting still like this was the worst possible move.
“General...”
“Cheolsu. I told you to sit. Are you ignoring too? Is that it?”
“N-no. I’m simply prioritizing the safety of you and your family above all—”
“Yes. I know, I know. Sit for now.”
Baek Cheolsu sat down unwillingly.
“Director Jang.”
“Yes, Comrade Supre Leader.”
“Who do you think these bastards are? What kind of sons of bitches knew I was here and ca charging in? The fact that I’m here—no one knows except you and . Am I wrong?”
At Kim Jongil’s question, Jang Songthaek answered a beat late.
“...I don’t know. But even up until this evening, there were no signs of troop movents. And right now, isn’t the entire command structure gathered in Pyongyang?”
“That’s right. They’re all gathered.”
“Then it won’t be forces moved by generals. From what I saw briefly through the window, it didn’t look like a large-scale force entered. There were no tanks or heavy weapons.”
“Really? How did you grasp that in so little ti?”
The suspicion in Kim Jongil’s eyes deepened.
“That’s not what matters. What matters is how they knew I was here. What do you think, Director Jang? This is sothing only you and —and among the Guard Command, only my closest n—know.”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know? I think I do.”
Kim Jongil pulled one corner of his mouth up in a smile.
“Yes?”
Jang Songthaek asked back.
“I think I know. If soone here betrayed , it’s you, Director Jang. Am I wrong?”
“N-no! Absolutely not. If I had intended that, would I have co here with you?”
“Yes. That’s what’s strange. But if you didn’t betray , then none of this makes sense. Doesn’t it, Cheolsu?”
“......”
Baek Cheolsu didn’t answer. Answering carelessly in a situation like this would be stepping on a landmine.
“Father.”
Kim Jongun called Kim Jongil in a trembling voice.
Kim Jongil looked at Kim Jongun standing beside him with cold eyes.
“Uncle-in-law has no reason to kill you, Father. Why would you suspect him like—”
“Jongun. The seat I’m sitting in is one where you can’t even trust your own blood brother. Understand?”
“B-but...”
Kim Jongun flicked a shaky glance toward Jang Songthaek.
Kim Jongil slowly shook his head. Kim Jongun, barely twenty, was still far too kind.
“Do you know how much blood I had to sar on my hands to reach this seat? My father—your grandfather—and I fought over power too. That’s how I’m sitting here. In ti, you’ll understand too, so stay quiet.”
“...Yes.”
Only after that obedient reply did Kim Jongil stroke Kim Jongun’s head.
“Cheolsu.”
“Yes, General.”
“If those reactionary bastards get in here... if they co in, even once... shoot Jang Songthaek on the spot.”
“Understood.”
Baek Cheolsu glared at Jang Songthaek with icy eyes.
“If that asure will make you trust , then do it.”
Kim Jongil studied Jang Songthaek’s face as he answered. Jang Songthaek remained utterly impassive.
Kim Jongil disliked that expressionless face even more.
“General.”
Baek Cheolsu called him.
“Wouldn’t it be best to evacuate to the East Sea Fleet Command? If we depart now, and calculate the arrival ti of the forces coming from there, we should be able to et them en route. We can link up first, then return afterward.”
Baek Cheolsu tried to persuade him again. His voice sounded almost desperate.
“Your safety is what matters most to . Please do not ignore my counsel.”
“Hmm...”
Kim Jongil glanced once at Kim Jongun’s face, then nodded.
“Prepare.”
“Yes. As soon as preparations are complete, I’ll co to escort you.”
Baek Cheolsu stood, bowed at the waist, and said,
“Then I’ll be going.”
After Baek Cheolsu left, Kim Jongil put a cigarette to his lips and lit it.
He inhaled deeply until his cheeks hollowed, then slowly exhaled the smoke.
“You sons of bitches... I’ll wipe out your entire clan.”
Kim Jongil muttered to himself in a chilling voice.
But no one gathered there answered him.
Kim Jongil grabbed the whiskey bottle in front of him and lifted it straight to his mouth.
Each ti the high-proof liquor burned down his throat, a scorching heat flared through him—yet he didn’t stop.
Not long after, Kim Jongil slamd the empty bottle down hard.
“Khh.”
He glared at Jang Songthaek as he spoke.
“This makes three tis now. You understand, Director Jang?”
“...Yes.”
“No matter how many I kill, these reactionary bastards never disappear. That’s why I have no choice but to spill blood. Looks like I’ll be seeing blood again, yes.”
Ti passed—enough to burn down a cigarette.
“General. Everything is ready. You may go down imdiately.”
At Baek Cheolsu’s words, the family—including Kim Jongil and Jang Songthaek—stood.
They followed Baek Cheolsu deeper underground.
Once they split up and boarded the prepared vehicles, the cars slowly entered the underground tunnel.
How long had they been driving?
Kwakwa-BOOM!
With a trendous crash, the underground tunnel shuddered, and stones rained down from the ceiling.
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