We found Yongguk and Himchan hyung on the same floor as before. The doctor was finishing the sling for him. He jumped when we entered without knocking.
“You aren’t meant to be in here—“

“—they’re family alright?!” That silenced him. That was quick thinking Himchan hyung. I looked at our leader who had his arm in a sling. “How are you hyung?”

“Better but it’s a little sore.”

The doctor finished and told us that we could go. Quickly Zelo and I relayed the message to the other two. At first they were sceptical but decided that like we had it was better than nothing.

Zelo stayed close to leader hyung as we hurried down the hall towards where they parked the ambulances. Our leader did not appear good. A lot of the colour had gone from his face.

“Did they give him painkillers?” I asked Himchan hyung as we opened the door to the paramedic’s lounge. He gave me a look that said ‘you’re kidding right?’ After that I dropped the subject. How stupid of me, of course he would have had painkillers.

The room was empty but now we needed to find the keys for the actual vehicle. Where were they?

“Look high and low!” Himchan hyung declared. We agreed, checking the table, near the sink. Zelo opened the fridge and I had to struggle to not hit my forehead with a hand.

Yongguk hyung sat on the floor and gave a groan. He really did look terrible. “Ah ha,” Himchan’s call of success made our leader nearly leap out of his skin. He dangled the keys in the air, a sly grin on his face.

“Let’s hit the road!” He then started laughing at his cheesy joke. Zelo and I cracked grins but we were more concerned about Yongguk hyung’s lack of reaction. The wound had taken a big toll on him, more than we would have liked or hoped.

We raced out the other door to where the ambulance had been parked. Himchan hyung fumbled with finding the right key while Zelo and I helped our leader around the other side to where the doors could be opened. There was a familiar click as he unlocked the vehicle. But now there was another problem, the back doors needed to be unlocked individually.

“Hyung we need the keys!”

“What for? The damn ambulance is unlocked isn’t it?!” Ah this hyung, he was going to give me a headache soon. But he leaned out the door nearest to us and threw them. Zelo caught the bundle before they hit the ground. After a few minutes of searching he found the keys and put them in the lock. We opened the doors getting Yongguk hyung to sit on the floor amongst the equipment.

Himchan started the engine but then suddenly switched it off. “Wait we can’t go yet.”

“How are we going to stall time until they do?” I asked becoming concerned. Those paramedics would be back and we didn’t know when.  In my head I knew exactly what needed to be done. “Wait here,” I said to Zelo who looked as if he was listening. Grabbing the handles of the door I opened it outwards.

“Yah what are you doing?!” Himchan hyung yelled at me from the driver’s seat.

“I need to see how far away they are.”

However that hyung was in no mood to let me go. “Come back here! If someone sees you running around then they’re going to ask questions.”

“Please hyung, it will help—“

“—you are to do as Himchan says!” I immediately shut my mouth. Yongguk hyung winced, his free hand on his shoulder. Zelo knelt beside him, ready to assist if need be. He shook his head at our maknae’s offer.

I nodded limply, going to sit in a squishy corner. He was injured yet he’d managed to put me in place by straining his voice with a yell. I couldn’t do what I wanted. The guilt could tear at me.

“Someone’s coming!” Himchan hyung exclaimed. “Quickly hide before they see!” He ducked down under the dash board; the rest of us sat still on the floor. Zelo carefully kept watch, I scooted closer to the doors, ready to hold the handles if I had to.

Zelo tapped me on the head. “What is it?” I asked and he pointed. Two familiar faces waved at us. “Oh it’s Youngjae and Daehyun hyung.”

“You could have warned us!” Himchan started to rant the moment the door was opened for the other two. “You nearly scared me half to—“

Seeing Youngjae cut him off. To our surprise and Youngjae’s Himchan hyung hugged him. “Good to see you. How are you feeling?”

“Not too sore thanks hyung.” Himchan hyung held him at the shoulders and then hugged Youngjae hyung again. All of us were confused, except for our leader who didn’t want to get up from his spot. Then we saw Himchan’s eyes b. He only cried when he had good reason but what reason did he have this time?

“…” He had meant to speak but the words evaded him with his breaking voice. “You saved my life… I’m never going to be able to repay that you know.”

Youngjae hyung nodded, his hyung’s tears of remorse and guilt moving him. “If I had asked you to repay me then I never would have done it in the first place. A life is a life whether it’s yours, mine or Zelos.”

Himchan held him tighter at this, the tears squeezing out. Everyone else began to well up at their moment. I was in the middle of wiping my own eyes until my ears picked up the sound of yelling.

Uh oh

“Hyung,” I reached over to tug at Himchan hyung’s shirt. “Hyung I think we’re busted. We have to go right now!”

Himchan hyung released Youngjae and then started the engines. He slammed his foot on the pedals and we were off with a large jolt. I banged into one of the compartments above the floor. Rubbing my head I could at least be relieved there was no blood.

“Does anyone know how we get there?!” Himchan hyung asked as we drove fast out of the hospital grounds.

“Isn’t there a school nearby?” Youngjae hyung asked, a little uncertain.

“Yeah there’s that school and it’s behind a warehouse.”

“There’s more than one warehouse hyung!”

He turned to look at us for a moment. “Well we’ll have to search each and every—“

“—HYUNG LOOK OUT!” With a large turn he steered the ambulance away from an oncoming truck. We heard a crash from behind but figured we were ok since we didn’t feel impact. Himchan hyung swore and then muttered an apology for both.

Glancing at Yongguk hyung he had his head in a hand. “We’re going to die.”

“Don’t give up hope.” I said to him, doing my best to appear brave.

“Hey there’s a warehouse!” Himchan hyung suddenly exclaimed. “Damn no school nearby though.”

Zelo then asked a question. “Would the aliens know where it is?” Yep we now knew he was crazy. But that sparked Youngjae hyung to suggest something that proved to be helpful.

“It’s on the edge where the border is so we should find where it is and head there.”

Himchan hyung nodded. “Hmm I think it may be this way.”

“You think it is?!”

“We’ll find out anyway.” I was beginning to think that someone else should be directing us instead of Himchan hyung. Leaning over I saw Youngjae had a device in his hands. It looked like a GPS.

“We’ll see if this gives us the correct destination.” He typed in ‘North to South Border’. At first it took a while to load and then it died.

Both Youngjae and Daehyun hyung looked devastated. They turned it over and the three of us saw that it needed batteries. “Maybe we need new batteries.”

From where Yongguk hyung was sitting there was a chuckle. All of us but Himchan hyung turned to look at our injured leader.

“I cannot believe this actually happened. Oh the irony.” He kept on laughing while we waited, utterly blank minded. Going through his pockets he revealed what he had in his hand.

There were two batteries.

Youngjae hyung turned the GPS over and checked. He then started to laugh and Daehyun hyung joined in. We all just laughed until our ribs were sore. Still humoured by what had happened Yongguk hyung gave the batteries to me which I then passed to Daehyun hyung.

Yep they fit.

The laughter just got worse. “Hey what is so funny?” Himchan hyung asked, scanning the roads, hitting the brakes.

“Try it again.” So Youngjae hyung entered the place and up came the map. All of us broke out into cheers as the device started to tell Himchan hyung where to go.

The radio crackled someone trying to reach our vehicle. Daehyun hyung found the off switch and flicked it. Now with that complete we kept grinning but quieted down.

It looks as though there is a God.

We drove for a long time, all of us but Himchan hyung falling asleep. We were so tired and worn out that we didn’t imagine anyone would wake for a while. What did cause us to stir was the sound of the vehicle coming to a stop.

“Hyung what’s happening? Are we here?”

“I think so,” Himchan hyung sounded exhausted. “This is the end.” How we had managed to drive all the way there without being caught I could only imagined. Himchan hyung must have at least gone down several alley ways and crossed at least two red lights.

We all slowly jumped out of the ambulance, Daehyun helping Yongguk hyung out. There wasn’t much. A barbed wire fence was the main line of defence as well as a few troops patrolling, each of them in camouflage and armed with a rifle.

Our group scanned the area. There was indeed a large warehouse which looked empty and a school where nobody was there. In the distance we heard the sound of engines. All of us felt our stomachs drop as we saw the tanks that were operating close by.

“We have a problem; when do they open the other exit?”

“Not until late.” Himchan hyung walked over to the wire. He gave it a short pull and part of it came loose. We stared at it until he replaced it with a hurry. “Yep this is the spot I think.”

Glancing at the warehouse Youngjae came up with another good idea. “We’ll take cover in there. They’ll be looking for the ambulance soon.” Police sirens sounded dangerously near. We agreed and hurried into the abandoned building.

There were two levels. One where there was the ground production for the conveyor belt and the other where the office would be. Going up the stairs our feet banged against them in loud echoes and we prayed no one except us would hear them.

Shutting the door we then were captured by an anxious silence. The sirens were now loud enough that they hurt our ears. Car doors shut, we heard men running around the area. And then we heard yapping.

Crap

They had dogs with them.

Yongguk hyung swore but made no apology. We understood. We knew exactly how he felt.

We were screwed.

If the police didn’t find us then the dogs would.

All of us looked at each other. Hopelessness was clouding our faces as they entered the building, the barks bouncing off the walls.

Yongguk hyung glanced at the time. “We have about six and a half hours before the entrance is opened. In the case that we do not make it out of this alive all of us should prepare ourselves to say our last words.”

The grim reality of the situation we faced set in quicker than concrete. We all eyed each other, our hearts falling as well as our faces. Taking our hands every one of us placed them in the middle.

“It’s been great.” Yongguk hyung started, his voice shaking. “No matter what happens it’s always been great spending time working with you.” He squeezed our hands and we stayed connected.

“Yes I really did enjoy being with you all like Yongguk hyung said.” Youngjae hyung agreed, a sad smile drawing his mouth in a line.

Himchan hyung started to speak. “This hyung wanted to show you a mature side of him. But instead I made myself appear to be like a kid.” We all started to disagree but he continued with, “hey you know it’s true!”

“I have something to say…” Daehyun hyung sounded like his normal nervous self. “I… I had been thinking and… I said no to something because… I was scared… But now…” He glanced down at his lap. “Now I think I may be ok with it. That is if anything were to happen.”

WHAT THE?!

None of us knew what to say. We all waited for him to explain but he kept his mouth closed. Yongguk hyung had a moment where he knew the answer but this was not shared with us.

“I have something to confess.” Zelo began, appearing more nervous than ever. The kid peered about at us anxious ridden. “About the aliens… I… I know they don’t exist. I wanted you guys to tell our Supervisor that I am crazy so he would let me off the team.”

A few of us let out gasps or one worded responses. Zelo sniffed, his head hanging in shame. “I’m sorry… I don’t want to leave this team anymore so please don’t tell him.”

“Tell him we thought you’re an alien?” At the joke our maknae broke into a grin with all of us breaking into some chuckles. The sound of the dogs made us quiet.

And then it came.

It was the sound of footsteps slowly going up the stairs in a one two, one two rhythm up to our doom. We huddled together, clinging to the member nearest to us as we saw the shadow of a man in a helmet moving in.

Thud

Thud

Thud

Thud

Then it stopped.

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