Chapter 3 - Rescue

They waited for a month before they were confident with their hunches and told themselves they were finally ready and bold enough to break out of that place, but what they've been put through during the whole duration of a month can never be disregarded as if it were nothing.

A month has passed and they miraculously survived on leftover meals by the military rebels, and sometimes, Dae Young and Si Jin endured a day or two with nothing to eat at all. They were never given water to drink; the only time they got to dowse water was when either of them were taken out of their cell and were tortured and waterboarded. It was a difficult process of drinking, but at least it had quenched their thirst. 

There were times when Konstantin and his interrogation team went overboard with beating them up, tying them in metal chains and giving them a minimal shot of electricity. The two Korean soldiers had to thank the Special Forces for training them on extremely harsh conditions, but unlike their homeland's military base, their food was scarce and they were extremely famished. 

If they wish to survive, they had to break out now. 

It was nighttime—the time when the two soldiers finally decided to break out—-and Yoo Si Jin started to act according to what they had planned. He slowly crept towards the cage's padlock and started to push and twist the wire inside it, but he quickly backed up and retreated when he heard a door open and the familiar sound of leather boots started thumping towards their location.

He and Dae Young curiously anticipated who were coming (and badly wished it would be Sergeant Choi or any member from the Alpha Team to come to their rescue), until two men came up front their cage. 

Two. Si Jin thought when he saw the official keyholder and one of the rebel soldiers attempting to open the gate. There's two of them, and two of us. This is an opportunity. 

He quickly shifted his eyes to his second-in-command Dae Young, who seemed to comprehend what he was trying to say. Both of them sat waiting for the perfect moment for action as the cage's gate flung open; the two rebels now making their way to Si Jin. "Come here, asian mutt," The man who held the handcuffs slowly bent over to take Si Jin's hands, but in a split second, Yoo Si Jin grabbed hold of the person's hand and forcibly twisted it, shifting positions and pinning the enemy soldier to the ground. Dae Young grabbed hold of the keyholder and knocked him unconscious as well. 

He looked back to check on what was going on with the Captain, seeing him finally locking up the unconscious rebel's hands with the handcuffs.

"I'll take these," Si Jin declared as he pulled out two pistols on the soldier's pockets and immediately headed out of their cage along with Seo Dae Young, leaving the two incapacitated soldiers behind. 

As they moved stealthily towards the long aisle, Si Jin pointed his gun forward readily in case any person lunged right in front of them. Dae Young, who was holding up the other gun, pointed it on either sides as he trailed behind Si Jin. They travelled with one on guard at the front, while the other took cover at the back. 

Yoo Si Jin made a clandestine maneuver when they both had made it a few meters past the hostage room. Dae Young did the same as well, but both were forced to halt when they felt something hard pushed against the back of their heads.

"Put the guns down," both of them could easily tell it was Konstantin who was behind them with the thick accent he used. They heard the handgun being cocked and ready to fire, and was left with no other option but to raise both hands helplessly.

Damn it. Si Jin thought, realizing how close they were to escaping. How the heck did he let this easily slip from his hands? 

Realizing they were outnumbered as of that moment, the two of them decided to let go of their grip of the gun and fling it down. Their lives were at stake, and their two handy pistols were no match to the rifles their opponents had. They were surely going to lose if they decided to charge. 

"I thought we had an agreement, Captain," Konstantin continued on while pointing his gun, the other rebel soldiers who followed did prove helpful by cuffing the Korean soldiers’ hands and kicked them to the ground. "I remember telling you I won't be killing you in one go," 

 "So are you changing your mind? It wouldn't make any difference," Yoo Si Jin spat as he was pinned down to the cold ground along with the sergeant. 

Konstantin grinned, lifting his foot up and used it to step on his head, slowly shifting his weight on it little by little "I'm not changing anyone's mind. I would still squeeze out every ounce of information from you or not at all. One way or another, whether you die in the process or tell me eventually," He bent over to whisper to the Captain's ear, “I'll make sure you suffer. Make you think death is not easy," 

Si Jin gritted his teeth as he felt the enemy's weight on his forehead. It was painful, and almost unbearable. "We're the most useless things you could get with that goal. We would never tell anything--aaagh!" He struggled to mouth each word when Konstantin pressed his foot on him more. 

"You must reconsider, Captain! I'm telling you," Konstantin yelled, now pointing to his men. "Examine their pockets!" Later on four of the rebels hovered over them and fumbled their pockets, as if they were searching for something. 

"A radio, sir," One of them stated when he pulled open the Velcro of Seo Dae Young's pocket. The sergeant, however, can only stay still and be filled with regret while the most valuable possession they could ever have was being taken away. 

The enemy soldier who had taken their radio stood up and dropped the newly-discovered item on the floor and—

BANG. 

Si Jin and Dae Young’s eyes went agape towards their only walkie-talkie, now nothing but a pile of both metal and plastic wires and broken fragments of black plastic pieces scattered in front of them. It was as if watching the Titanic sink: all hope and determination to bust out of the place had sunk into the abyss with just one blow.

"We're done for," Dae Young realized, his eyes were still fixed on their most important tool while he was still pinned on the ground. "It's over," 

Si Jin had nothing left to say either; Dae Young had said what was on his mind. 

"So," Konstantin intervened, stepping one foot on what was only left of the radio, "Here's the deal. You're not leaving this place unless you tell me every single detail about the hostages and your peacekeeping military base." 

Si Jin's eyes darted at the man; now he was furious. 

"If you don't tell me about the whole, explicit information on where is your military base camp, you'll have to endure everything you'll be put through. Worst case, you die," The leader of the militia explained, unknowingly getting himself being mentally murdered by Yoo Si Jin.

"Then we die," Si Jin grumbled while he struggled to look up from his position, "We are useless for that petty motive," 

Konstantin raised a brow, "Oh? I'm amazed you'd allow yourself to die such death. Look at the life you could live outside this place, Captain. I'm sure you have peers waiting for you. Perhaps a loved one. A girlfriend. A wife, perhaps a family," 

Girlfriend, both of them thought. 

"Perhaps David Argus was wrong, Captain," Konstantin shot, having Si Jin glare when he mentioned his former teammate’s name, "He says you are far too empathetic, but I beg to differ after finding out you killed him and seeing you this dense to come home and die here instead. Do you