Chapter 7
Ryan felt like he was just drifting in the sea, the waves carrying him farther and farther out, his mind floating around, never settling anywhere.
He dreamed for what felt like forever—about all those little moments with Emily. Her smile was so clear, so close, like she was right there, but when he tried to reach for her, it just faded away into nothing but bubbles.
He saw himself kneeling beneath an old oak tree, offering Emily a ring in his hand.
"Emily, will you marry me?" he asked, his voice trembling with hope.
Emily's eyes lit up with happiness and surprise, and soon, her eyes filled with tears.
"Emily, I know being with me means you'll face real danger—criminals with nothing to lose, enemies looking for revenge... But I promise, I'd risk everything to keep you safe.
"There are only three things I truly love in this world: my job, my country, and... you.
"I swear, for the rest of my life, I'll never betray you!" Ryan vowed, his words full of devotion.
He watched Emily extend her hand. Just as he moved to slip on the ring, she pulled back. Her face looked pale, almost translucent.
"Ryan, faithless men end up alone. Abandoned by all."
In the next instant, she broke apart into countless fragments right before his eyes.
"EMILY!" Ryan screamed.
He jolted upright, gasping. The sharp scent of disinfectant filled his lungs. He was in a hospital bed.
"Ryan, you're finally awake..." Sophie's voice trembled, tears brimming in her eyes.
But Ryan didn't even hesitate. He threw off the covers and bolted for the door, barefoot and desperate.
"Emily... I have to find Emily!" he shouted, his voice raw with panic.
He barely took two steps before everything went dark. Clutching the edge of the bed, Ryan nearly passed out, fighting to stay upright.
"Mr. Cole! We've got a direct order from HQ—we need to move out, now!" the officer shouted, urgency in his voice.
"Ryan, I'm coming with you!" Sophie said, her voice trembling with determination.
Despite the urgent mission ahead, Ryan's fingers trembled slightly as he hesitated. A teammate nearby quickly spoke up, trying to steady him, "The rescue teams are still searching every corner of the water."
Honestly, no one truly believed anyone could have survived the blast—the words were only meant to calm Ryan's frayed nerves.
He took the mission file, his voice coming out hoarse. "Let's move."
*****
"Warehouse Five. The hostage is a key operative. Command's orders: ensure their safety at all costs."
Ryan strode toward the scene, where an agent hurriedly briefed him on the situation before adding in a lowered tone, "Mr. Cole... my condolences."
His steps faltered. A coldness flashed in his eyes. "Condolences for what?"
The agent startled, instinctively stepping back, too nervous to reply.
Ryan clenched his fist, nails digging deep into his palm. But anger had to wait—the crisis demanded focus.
The loudspeaker system was ready. Sophie stepped forward, delivering the standard calming phrases meant to de-escalate.
The hostage-takers remained unmoved. Ryan took the microphone from her. His question was brief. "Your terms."
"That's what I like—no nonsense. Get us out of here, and leave one hostage behind—we want that woman," one of the kidnappers said coldly, holding a knife to the hostage's cheek.
The blade pointed toward Sophie.
Before Ryan could react, Sophie paled and blurted out, "Impossible! Why would you need two hostages?"
Ryan shot her a sharp look. "Quiet!"
That was so unprofessional. She was supposed to be the negotiator.
Just as Ryan feared, the kidnapper flew into a rage, dragging the knife across the hostage's face and leaving a deep, bloody gash. Blood splattered everywhere as he roared, "Are you going to give it to us or not?"
"Calm down. We agree," Ryan said, keeping his voice steady.
Sophie instinctively stepped back, her voice shaking. "No... I won't..."
Everyone could see how scared she was, and it left them all wondering if she really was a professional negotiator.
Sophie gripped Ryan's sleeve like a lifeline, refusing to let go. She could feel the sudden shift in everyone's gaze, and her face drained of color, looking even more terrified.
"No deal then," the captor growled, pressing the blade deeper.
"I'll go! I'll do it..." Sophie suddenly shrieked.
Yet her legs seemed locked in place, refusing to move.
Ryan fought back a frown, lowering his voice. "Follow protocol."
Her lips quivered. "I—" But the words wouldn't come.
Trembling, she took a step toward the captors. Behind his back, Ryan signaled the team.
The commander's voice came through the earpiece. "All units, snipers in position. Prepare to breach."
Three seconds passed in a heartbeat.
The moment the captor reached for Sophie, the team sprang into action.
A crosshair was aligned. A single shot rang out—right between the eyes.
"Sophie! Get down!" Ryan yelled.
But Sophie seemed paralyzed by fear. At the sound of the gunshot, she screamed, turned, and sprinted toward the rear exit.
Her panic gave the remaining captor a crucial moment to react. The sniper held fire. The team rushed forward. "Watch out!" Ryan shouted.
Enraged, the second captor lunged, knife aimed straight for Sophie's back.
In that split second, Ryan dove forward, shoving Sophie out of the way. The blade sliced across his shoulder, drawing blood.
He grunted in pain, pulling her back with him. "Run!"
Just as he tried to retreat, a sudden force shoved him from behind—Sophie had pushed him forward, directly toward the armed man.
Ryan lost balance, crashing into the attacker.
The cold steel pierced his abdomen. His eyes widened in disbelief at the frenzied face before him.
Sophie shrieked from behind, "No, I didn't do it!"
The team stormed in, kicking the kidnapper to the floor. Ryan went down right after, his face frozen in utter disbelief.
Ryan was stunned and unable to process what had just happened. Sophie just shoved him.
Pain—white-hot and searing—drove Ryan to his knees. Blood soaked through the dark fabric of his uniform in seconds.
"Mr. Cole!" someone cried out, their voice shaking with panic.
"Sir! Stay with us! Somebody get a doctor!" another voice shouted, desperation ringing out.
Ryan didn't even get a chance to process what was happening before the darkness crashed over him.
When Ryan finally opened his eyes, the first thing he felt was a searing pain in his abdomen.
"Mr. Cole! You're finally awake!" someone shouted, relief flooding their voice.
Ryan tried to speak, but her throat felt raw, scraped dry, "The mission..."
"Relax, Mr. Cole! The VIP only got a scratch. One of the kidnappers was shot dead right there, and the other one's already been arrested!" the officer said, sounding relieved.
Ryan gasped for air, clutching the officer's hand so tightly his knuckles turned white. "Where's... Sophie?"
Even after waking up, he still couldn't believe what had just happened.