Unlike his facial expression, his eyes were firm.
Colonel Clark soon returned to the bearing of a soldier as well.
“They say the incident was reported five minutes ago.”
“Five minutes ago…”
“The caller was a local police officer on patrol. He heard an explosion and went to check, and found a minibus overturned on its side and burning.”
Taesu’s expression hardened rapidly as he pictured it in his mind.
“If the blast was enough to flip a minibus… damn it. C4.”
“Pardon?”
“C4, I mean. With that kind of explosive force, what else could it be?”
Taesu answered.
At the same time, a peculiar light flashed through Colonel Clark’s eyes.
“You received explosives training as well?”
“Isn’t that something you’re not supposed to ask me?”
“In any case, the PKO is also pushing for an emergency deployment with C4 in mind.”
When Colonel Clark’s answer veered slightly off course, Taesu brought it back to the point.
“I trust you’ll handle that wisely.”
“Ask what you’re curious about.”
“Did the bus explode while it was driving on the road?”
Colonel Clark answered Taesu’s question immediately.
“They say it was stopped at a bus stop.”
“If it was a bus stop, there must have been quite a lot of foot traffic.”
“That’s the assumption.”
“Then have the casualties among tourists and civilians been tallied?”
Taesu pressed straight to the heart of the matter.
Colonel Clark answered right away.
“So far, they’ve identified three seriously injured tourists. They’re still confirming the rest.”
“I don’t know what it’s like there, but is it that hard to see injured people with their own eyes?”
“I’ve only received the report myself, so I don’t know for certain.”
At Colonel Clark’s answer, Taesu realized his mistake.
“I’m sorry. I got too impatient and was rude.”
“Not at all. I also need to return to my office, assess the situation, and coordinate.”
Colonel Clark did not seem at ease either.
It was then.
Vrooom.
A military jeep in front of the building could be seen moving quickly toward the military hospital.
It seemed Jeong Minsu and the others had just departed.
Seeing that, Taesu reflexively checked his wristwatch.
A little over a minute?
“Colonel, when did you say the helicopter would arrive?”
“It isn’t exact.”
“Then about ten minutes for them to go and come back, ten minutes to fly there, plus some extra?”
Taesu’s expression stiffened as he calculated the time.
From the moment the incident occurred, it would take at least thirty minutes before they arrived at the scene.
‘This is insane.’
It was far too late.
News of the terrorist attack had come far too suddenly.
It was showing everyone the bare truth: they were not yet systematically prepared.
Taesu forcibly held together his thoughts, which were beginning to unravel.
Just then, Squad Leader Sam approached with a cell phone in hand.
Step.
He reported directly to Colonel Clark.
“It’s the assistant squad leader. He says they can’t secure an emergency transport helicopter immediately.”
“What?”
“Some helicopters are in the middle of transport operations, and others are under maintenance.”
“Tell them to get anything in the air, fast.”
Colonel Clark roared.
Listening to their exchange, Taesu felt his vision go dark.
‘I wasn’t even hoping for a dedicated helicopter.’
Even if this had been sudden, the fact that they could not operate even a single emergency helicopter left him feeling hollow.
Meanwhile, Squad Leader Sam quickly spoke with the assistant squad leader and promptly reported.
“They say there’s one helicopter available for deployment right now.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“It can carry four people, excluding the pilot.”
Squad Leader Sam’s voice sank low.
Colonel Clark, who had been riled up, was the same.
It was an absurdly small personnel limit for deploying into a dangerous area where a terrorist attack had just occurred.
At moments like this, one needed someone to vent at.
“What the hell have those bastards at the aviation maintenance depot been doing all this time?”
“T-that’s…”
“I wasn’t asking you, Squad Leader.”
“Sir.”
Squad Leader Sam answered at once, his face taut with tension.
In the meantime, Taesu thought quickly, then asked Colonel Clark.
“Wouldn’t it work if three medical team members and Squad Leader Sam deployed together?”
“Dr. Choi.”
Colonel Clark called him in a heavy voice.
His expression said he did not want to repeat the same argument again.
Then James lowered his cell phone and approached.
“I agree with the Director of External Cooperation’s concerns.”
“Doctor.”
“However, Dr. Choi and the other two are of a very different nature.”
“You’ve said as much.”
Even Colonel Clark, of all people, answered James politely.
James was the same.
Without raising his voice even once, he continued his argument calmly and seriously.
“Can we truly stand in their way?”
“Hm.”
“Everyone has their own domain.”
“Understood. I won’t engage in the same argument again.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
James expressed his gratitude courteously.
Perhaps burdened by that courtesy, Colonel Clark subtly averted his gaze.
Instead, he immediately gave Squad Leader Sam an order in a heavy voice.
“Tell them to send that helicopter.”
“Yes, one moment… They say it’ll arrive in about ten minutes at the latest.”
Squad Leader Sam lowered the phone after finishing the call and reported the result.
Then Colonel Clark spoke with a subdued gaze.
“Squad Leader, you’re deploying with them.”
“Sir.”
“Move while remembering, at every moment, the reason the External Cooperation Department exists.”
“Yes, sir!”
Squad Leader Sam answered powerfully, with crisp discipline.
Meanwhile, James spoke briefly to Taesu.
“Dr. Schmidt is putting together the dispatch personnel.”
“When will they depart?”
“Even if they hurry, they’ll leave in about thirty minutes.”
“It’ll take about an hour to arrive. No, wait, we need to consider road conditions too.”
“The roads there are paved, so they can get there in an hour.”
It seemed James had visited Mohar before.
Taesu did not question his calculation.
“Then there’ll be about an hour and a half gap until the advance team arrives.”
“That’s from now. If you calculate from the time you arrive, it’ll be different.”
“I expect it’ll be about an hour.”
“Buy us that one hour.”
James gave the order firmly.
Taesu’s gaze hardened as he answered with weight.
“Of course. That’s why I endured all that shitty training.”
“Was it that shitty?”
“I won’t even piss in this direction until the day I die.”
“It certainly must have been shitty.”
James even used the harsh expression as he played along.
Taesu sensed his intention and smiled with a wink.
“I’ll hold out no matter what.”
“Then I’ll head back now.”
“Yes. You need to go back and hold the center.”
“Dr. Choi, you look pleased that the person who nags you is leaving.”
For the first time in a while, James tossed out a light joke.
It was right before their first deployment.
He likely wanted them to have some ease rather than tension.
Taesu immediately caught on and responded with shameless cheer.
“Oh dear, isn’t the helicopter here yet?”
“You’re not waiting for a taxi.”
“Oops. Right. I mistook it for a call taxi.”
As Taesu smiled broadly, James lightly patted his shoulder.
Tap, tap.
James smiled calmly and encouraged him.
“Take care of yourself.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll look forward to a heroic tale that will delight my ears.”
“I’ll prepare a well-rounded story.”
Unlike Taesu’s lively voice, his eyes shone with a heavy light.
Satisfied, James nodded and turned around.
Then, perhaps at a glance from James, Colonel Clark moved with him.
Step.
“I wish you good luck.”
“I’ll look forward to a welcome gift.”
“As much as you like.”
Colonel Clark gave a brief farewell and moved away.
It seemed he had cut his words short so he would not show any more worry or concern.
Taesu kept smiling until he was far away.
Soon, the two of them left.
Vroom.
He waved toward another jeep.
But only for a moment.
Once the jeep moved away, Taesu quickly asked Squad Leader Sam.
“When did you say the helicopter would arrive?”
“About five minutes left.”
“We need to grab whatever we can from the quarters. Run.”
Taesu shouted and was just about to turn and run.
Squad Leader Sam called him.
“Dr. Choi.”
“What is it?”
“Wouldn’t the elevator be faster?”
“What are you—ah.”
Taesu’s eyes caught the rope hanging down outside the building.
They were currently on the second floor.
In the time it would take to run to the emergency stairs, they could get down and then some.
There was no point in comparing.
Taesu quickly ran toward the rope and shouted.
“Let’s go.”
“Good.”
Tap tap tap.
Squad Leader Sam answered and ran alongside him.
Each of them had a carabiner in hand.
The moment they reached their respective ropes—
Clack.
They hooked the rope into the carabiner and jumped straight down.
A short while later.
Taesu and Squad Leader Sam were standing on one side of the parade ground.
Each had a large duffel bag slung over one shoulder.
Both checked the time on their wristwatches at the same time.
After that, the directions of their gazes differed.
Slowly.
Squad Leader Sam looked up at the sky, searching for the helicopter.
Taesu, on the other hand, stared toward the parade ground.
‘They should be arriving by now.’
He meant the team members who had gone to get the medical supplies.
Even if the helicopter arrived, they could not deploy without the team members and supplies.
So they had to arrive first.
That was what Taesu hoped, but the result was the opposite.
Dudududu.
A small sound came from the sky.
“Dr. Choi, the helicopter’s coming!”
Squad Leader Sam shouted loudly.
Taesu heard it too and looked up in that direction.
The rotor noise rapidly grew louder as the helicopter approached.
But its size was distinctly different from the emergency transport helicopter they had used in the snowy mountains.
For one thing, it had only a single rotor.
Seeing it, Taesu murmured his blunt impression.
“It’s a baby.”
“That’s a medium-class helicopter.”
“A helicopter used for reconnaissance or security patrols.”
“That’s right.”
Squad Leader Sam seemed to have nothing more to say.
Taesu’s explanation had been that clean.
Meanwhile, the helicopter that had arrived over the parade ground slowly began to lower its altitude.
Thud-thud-thud-thud.
He had called it small, but that was only compared to an emergency transport helicopter.
The helicopter’s rotor noise was tremendous, and the wind rushing in was almost hurricane-level.
Taesu and Squad Leader Sam’s expressions were not bright.
The other team members had not arrived.
Even though the helicopter had.
The pressure of time was growing heavier and heavier.
Clench, clench.
Taesu repeatedly clenched and opened his empty fists.
It was an expression of impatience.
It was then.
Honk—flash.
A car horn blared noisily, forcing its way through the rotor noise.
Then headlights stabbed sharply at his eyes.