It happened so quickly that no one had time to react.

The jeep swerved to the right, sending Jongsuk tumbling into the window, before it swerved dangerously to the left and rolled onto its back.  It was nothing like he had ever experienced before; the world around him rotated quickly as the jeep spun down the hillside.  Metal crunched with metal as Jongsuk tried to find some form of footing to protect himself but it was no use; he had banged his head onto the window glass hard enough to rattle his brain and blur his vision.  He heard the soldiers next to him curse before they cried out; one of the men’s arms had snapped from the spin and the other had hit his head hard enough to fall unconscious. 

As the jeep crashed to a stop, Jongsuk gasped and tried to regain his senses.  The jeep had come to a forceful stop against the trunk of a tree.  Fumes were erupting from the front hood and the driver was hanging upside down in his seat, held securely by his seatbelt.  He, too, was unmoving. 

Jongsuk blinked blood out of his good eye as he tested his limbs.  Nothing new was broken though he was sure one of his shoulders was dislocated.  The concussion in his head made his ears roar and all he could hear at the moment was the frantic racing of his heart. 

Taking a few deep breaths, he turned his head to look at the door closest to him.  It wasn’t blocked by anything; he could probably kick it open if he tried.  Letting out a breath, he winced as he shifted his weight on the crumpled roof of the jeep and aimed his foot at the door.  He felt nauseous as pain rippled through his shoulder; it was definitely dislocated, if not broken.

Shaking away the ringing in his ears, he gave the door a solid kick.  To his dismay, it stayed closed.  Taking a few more deep breathes, he aimed once more and threw as much of his weight into the kick as he could.  He sighed in relief as the door sprung open.  Gritting his teeth, he crawled out of the jeep and rolled onto the grassy ground.  Sitting in a heap, he took deep breaths of fresh air and swallowed the bile that rose in his throat. 

That was when he heard it.  The sound of gunshots and… explosions?  He turned to look up the hill he had just rolled down from to see smoke billowing up from the hillside.  What was going on?  What happened?  His mouth dropped as a fighter jet suddenly swooped across the tree tops followed by more sounds of gunfire.  What was going on here? 

They had been driving down a dirt road atop a hill.  Below them was an expanse of forest with nothing else in the vicinity.  They had been traveling for at least an hour before a sudden explosion erupted near the first jeep in a long line of traveling vehicles.  Before Jongsuk could grasp the situation, his jeep had been sent tumbling.

He swallowed and tried to get to his feet as another fighter jet zoomed across the sky.  Who were they?  Why were they attacking the caravan?  Unless… Jongsuk felt his heart skip a beat as hope suddenly overwhelmed him.  Could it have been Search and Rescue?  Was it his squad that was sweeping over the forests just now?  Had they finally come to look for him?

Suddenly overcome with hope, he took a few steps up the hill towards the gunfire.  He had to tell them where he was!  He had to show them… he could finally go home.  Finally…

He gasped as something white hot pierced his left calf, sending him to his knees and face first into the dirt ground.  He let out a soft cry as pain seared through his nerves.  He curled his body into a ball and looked at his leg; blood seeped from a fresh gunshot wound and coloured the fallen leaves a deep dark red.

“Bastard,” someone muttered from behind him.

Jongsuk rolled onto his back and sat up.  He looked down towards the jeep as one of the men crawled out; it was the one who had hit his head.  He held a handgun with his right hand as he staggered towards Jongsuk with an angry scowl.

“How did you do it?” the marine hissed, swiping at the blood from his nose where he had slammed into the door, “How the hell did you signal your position?!”   He pointed the gun to Jongsuk and pulled the trigger.

Jongsuk flinched as the bullet flew past his head.  He scooted back as the marine staggered even closer.  Signal their position?  There was no way he could have done that.  It must have been from that flicker from the GPS locator days earlier.  He had lost all hope when Search and Rescue hadn’t come for him but they were here now!

“You son of a ,” the marine snarled, wincing as he took another step closer, “You were in the room weren’t you?” Taking another menacing step forward, he stood to his tallest and looked down at Jongsuk with cold eyes.  “You were,” he hissed, “Weren’t you?”

Confused, Jongsuk gazed back at him in silence.  In the room… what was he talking about?  And then it suddenly clicked; this marine looked familiar.  Although he hadn’t had the best view, Jongsuk was sure of it.  This marine was the taller of the two marines that broke into Woobin’s hotel room!

“It doesn’t make sense,” the marine muttered, “He suddenly turned around and went back to the hotel.  And then he was just fine this morning… it was you wasn’t it?  You were hiding in the closet!” 

Jongsuk tried to use his peripheral vision to find something, anything, he could use to defend himself.  He felt frustration as he rattled his wrists against the handcuffs.  Even if he found something to knock the gun from the marine’s hands, he wouldn’t be able to use it with his hands cuffed behind his back.  The only chance he had now was to kick the gun out of the marine’s hands.  Could he do it?  With one injured leg?

“Why would you save him?” the marine muttered on, looking around the forest now, distracted, “You’re not even from this country.  Why would you save your enemy?” 

Jongsuk could barely hear the words; his eyes were trained on the gun.  If he could land one well-placed kick, he could buy himself enough time to land a second kick to the marine’s head.  He only hoped that it would be enough to knock him out.  The marine continued to gaze up the hillside, distracted by the gunfire and billowing smoke.  It was now or never.  Jongsuk shifted his weight carefully, gritting his teeth as his shoulder throbbed with pain. 

But just as he gained a better footing, the marine suddenly looked up the hill to his right and raised his gun.  Jongsuk’s heart skipped a beat at the sudden movement.  He flinched as the marine opened fire.  Confused, he watched as the marine jerked awkwardly before falling onto his back and rolling down the hill.  Breathing quickly, Jongsuk looked up the hill to where the marine had discharged the gun.

His breathing hitched as he watched Kim Woobin make his way down the side of the hill, his handsome face scrunched up in a frown.

“Aish,” Woobin muttered as he came to an awkward stop at a tree nearby, “Aren’t you good for anything other than a good ?”  He leaned against the tree and sighed, wiping the dirt and sweat from his face.

Jongsuk stared, dumbfounded, as he watched Woobin holster his gun.  What was going on here?  Did Woobin just shoot his own subordinate?  And… did the marine just shoot at his superior?  That wouldn’t be too much of a surprise; the guy had already tried to poison Woobin.  But what was Woobin doing here anyways? 

“Why…” Jongsuk murmured, watching Woobin as the latter came over to him and knelt down beside his wounded leg, “Why-”

“I just watched my men get blown to bits,” Woobin muttered, examining the leg, “I should, on principle, shoot you right between the eyes just to spite your fighter jets.”  He sighed as he sat back and nudged Jongsuk’s leg with his foot.  “If you want to live,” he said, crossing his legs and hunching over, “Go back up the hill and hope they don’t shoot your .”  He took a deep breath before he continued.  “Consider it a thank you for saving my life back at the hotel,” he muttered, pursing his lips as he finished.

Jongsuk let the words sink in.  Woobin had said his fighter jets… as in Jongsuk’s fighter jets.  It really was his Search and Rescue comrades out there looking for him.  And, once again, Kim Woobin was letting him walk away.  Was it too good to be true?  Was Woobin up to something?  It couldn’t be this easy… could it?  Was Woobin thinking of shooting him while his back was turned?

As if reading his mind, Woobin sighed and took out his gun and a pair of handcuff keys.  He tossed both towards Jongsuk and leaned against the tree nearby.  “Take it if you want,” he sighed, leaning his head back and curling his lips back into his usual cocky smirk, “I doubt you’d even know how to use it though.”

Jongsuk frowned as he uncuffed himself.  Wincing slightly, he took a hold of the gun and felt the weight in his hands.  “Why are you letting me go?” Jongsuk asked, looking at Woobin with narrowed eyes, “Why not just kill me and be done with it?  I thought you were going to execute me.”  He felt a strange flux of emotions as he muttered those words.  He felt bitterness mixed together with a strange hope that maybe the days spent in the hotel room weren’t just relief for Woobin’s boredom.  He knew it was stupid to think that way but even then, he couldn’t help but hope.

“Things changed a little bit,” Woobin sighed, “If you hadn’t noticed.”  He fell silent as he closed his eyes and frowned.  He reached up and placed a hand over his stomach.

That was when Jongsuk finally noticed.  Woobin’s uniform has been too dark to tell but now that Jongsuk looked closely, he could see the light glimmer of copper against the soaked cloth.  There was no mistaking it; Woobin had been shot. 

“You…” Jongsuk whispered, his eyes trained to the gunshot wound, “When…”  He trailed off as his eyes glanced towards the fallen marine.  It must have been just then.  The marine had shot Woobin just before he was hit himself. 

“I don’t think you have time to be worrying about others right now,” Woobin said, giving Jongsuk a pointed smirk, “I don’t hear the jets anymore…. Maybe they left without you?”

At those words, Jongsuk glanced up the hill.  It was true; he couldn’t hear the sounds of the jets anymore either.  In fact, everything had fallen silent.  What happened?  Did Search and Rescue really leave?  Impossible… right?

“You better boogie,” Woobin said, nodding towards the hillside, “Your ride’s leaving.”

Jongsuk turned back to him, suddenly very aware of the situation.  If he left and tried to climb the hill, Woobin would likely die from blood loss.  But if he stayed and helped Woobin, he would be giving up any chances of going home.  It was strange; the choice should have been obvious.  After all, why would he give up everything to help the enemy? 

But what was stranger was his urge to throw the gun aside and check Woobin’s wound.  How bad was it?  Was it life threatening?  Did the bullet hit any vital organs?  Questions raced through his mind as he gazed at Woobin’s pale face.  If only he had moved faster, he could have disarmed the marine before Woobin had been shot.

“Yah,” Woobin murmured softly, gazing at him with dark eyes, “What are you waiting for?”  The smirk was gone.  In its place was an expression of acceptance.  “Hurry and go,” he whispered quietly.

Jongsuk let out a breath as he gazed at Woobin.  He shouldn’t be conflicted, he told himself.  He should go and forget everything else.  He should go…

The both of them looked up as the suddenly heard the nearing sound of a helicopter.  Jongsuk looked towards the hillside, his heart racing in his chest.  It must have been the Search and Rescue helicopter!  They were finally here, after the jets had cleared the obstacles.  He had to go now, before it was too late!

“Go you fool,” Woobin muttered from behind him, “Unless you want to stay for some more crazy monkey .”  When Jongsuk turned and threw the authority a nasty glare, he chuckled lightly before saying, “Don’t let this wound fool you; I’m still a beast in bed even if I have a bullet in my gut.”

Clenching his jaw, Jongsuk climbed to his feet unsteadily.  He didn’t have time for silly banter.  His comrades were waiting for him; he had no more time to waste.  There was no choice to be made here; it was simply the process of putting one foot in front of the other and climbing the last hill.  It was easy; he would do it.

“I’m… not going to say thank you,” Jongsuk muttered, taking a step up the hill and wincing as his wound stung.  Balling his hands into fists, he continued his climb.  He heard Woobin chuckle behind him but he didn’t turn back.  There was no reason for him to turn back.  Behind him was just an expanse of enemy territory, and Kim Woobin was just an enemy soldier.  The only way to go now was forward… to where his team waited.

The climb seemed to take forever and each step felt as if he was shot in the leg over and over again.  He had become drenched in sweat and the only thing that kept him from crying out in pain was his tight grip on Woobin’s handgun.  At last, he could see the hill top.  His team was waiting for him just over the horizon.  He could hear the helicopter’s blades spinning as it hovered over the hill top.  He was so close.

He had no time to react as the ground to his left suddenly rippled.  As if in slow motion, he watched the leaves shake before bursting into the air in a mixture of dirt, fire, and smoke.  The explosion knocked him back towards a tree, sending him cleanly off his feet.  He felt the hard impact of wood on the back of his head as he hit the tree and fell into a heap at the base of the trunk.  His vision blurred and his ears rang with a high pitched frequency.  He could barely hear the sound of his own echoed breathing as the ground beneath him shook with the explosion’s reverberation.  In a matter of seconds, his world became pitch black as his consciousness slipped away.

The first thing he heard was a soft rhythmic beeping sound of a machine.  The gentle and almost soothing beat carried as he regained consciousness.  Following it was the soft sounds of murmurs around him.  He could hear people talking quietly to his left and hear the occasional click of shoes on the floor. 

Next, he could smell the distinct scent of disinfectant.  He could smell it in the air; it seemed to blanket over his nose.  He could also smell something else in the air… was it flowers?  It smelled strangely familiar, and reminded him of home. 

Blearily, he cracked open his eyes and tried to make sense of what he saw.  He saw white and grey; it took him a moment to realize he was staring at the ceiling of a hospital room.  He heard the sound of a soft whimper to his right.  Shifting his gaze, he wasn’t surprised to see his mother sitting at his bedside with wide eyes; he knew he’d smelled her perfume.

“J-Jongsuk-ah,” she said, standing quickly and leaning over him and brushing a hand over his cheek, “My son, oh Jongsuk-ah…”  Tears streamed down her face as she leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.  “I’ll be right back,” she said quickly, “I’m going to go get the doctor.”  Giving him a relieved smile, she quickly turned and walked out of the room.

Jongsuk gazed after her, his mind still numb.  What happened?  How did he end up in the hospital?  He didn’t have to wait long; shortly after his mother left, several uniformed men walked in the room with bright faces.

“Yah Lee Jongsuk!” one of them exclaimed, rushing over to the bedside with a teary grin, “You lucky bastard!”  He blinked the wetness from his eyes as he gazed down at Jongsuk.  “You were gone for so long, I thought you were dead for sure-” he said excitedly before he was nudged aside by another uniformed man.

“How are you feeling?” the man, his fellow pilot, asked in a quieter voice, “Can you talk?”

Jongsuk tried to speak but coughed as his dry throat croaked.  Wincing, he leaned forward as one of the men brought him a small cup of water with a straw.  He took a few sips before leaning back down and exhaling. 

“I’m…” he croaked, his voice still scratchy, “Fine.  What happened?”  His body ached but it wasn’t anything excruciating.  He was pretty sure he had painkillers dripping through his IV; it would certainly explain the strange sense of serenity he was feeling at the moment.

“We got your signal after you went missing for three days!” the excited one explained, pushing his way back towards Jongsuk’s bedside, “My squad was given the mission to bring you back.  We followed your GPS signal to a hill and kicked some enemy !  We found you unconscious a few feet away from a blast site.”

Jongsuk furrowed his brows as he tried to digest the story.  A GPS signal?  But… “My GPS locator broke on the day of the crash,” he said hoarsely, “How did…?”

“Nope,” the other responded, “We thought it broke too.  We didn’t get anything from you for three days and then suddenly there you were!”

Jongsuk shook his head lightly.  “It can’t be,” he murmured, “That doesn’t make sense…”

“What happened?” his fellow pilot asked gently, “You were off the grid for three days.  We really thought…” He let out a soft sigh as he gripped the bed railing tightly.  “What happened, Jongsuk-ah?” he asked.

Jongsuk closed his eyes as images flashed through his mind.  He remembered that day clearly; it had been like any other day.  He was out patrolling when they came across an enemy fighter jet.  What followed was a dangerous game of tag and then… his plane had been hit.  He remembered waking up in the forest, and falling from a tree.  He remembered a town by the forest and then…  He opened his eyes suddenly as he stared at the ceiling.  And then… what?

“Jongsuk?” the fellow pilot asked with concern, “What?  What happened?”

Letting out a shaky breath, Jongsuk felt himself shiver as he murmured quietly, “I… I can’t remember.”

Author's notes:

HAHA didn't expect that did you?  Kekeke I like throwing curveballs (my Love Me readers will attest to that)!  The next chapter will be the finale so please stay tuned for the last chapter!!