Chapter 109: Finally Leaving
"That’s the airport..." Adrian mumbled.
"I didn’t hear the helicopter approaching the hotel..." Seo-yeon noticed.
"It’s because it is a high-end hotel miss," Adrian simply replied, though it was a complete lie. "We have an aircraft in that hangar. Once we land, you are going to wait outside."
She didn’t look convinced.
But she nodded anyway.
"Sentinel Eye," Adrian said. "Confirm ground activity."
A brief pause.
"Cold Reach One, thermal scan shows minimal signatures. Scattered heat sources near the hangars. No large concentrations detected."
Ryan frowned.
"Scattered doesn’t mean safe."
"Agreed," Adrian replied.
The landing skids touched down.
Hard.
Controlled.
"Go! Go!" Ryan shouted.
The doors slid open and Shadow Team spilled out immediately, weapons up, spreading across the runway.
"Clear left!"
"Clear right!"
Adrian stepped out last, eyes already locked on the hangar in the distance.
The one he pointed at earlier.
"Form up," he said. "We move to that hangar."
They ran towards the hangar and stepped inside. There were no zombies and it was vacant.
"Good, I can summon a C-130 here," Adrian said and looked at Ryan. "Make sure Seo-yeon does not witness this."
"Don’t worry, our men won’t let her get inside before the summoning. Once it’s summoned, we are going to let her in."
Ryan nodded once.
"Copy," he said.
He turned to one of the operators.
"Keep her outside. Tell her we’re checking the hangar first. No one lets her in until I say so."
"Understood."
Two men moved immediately, stepping out to meet Seo-yeon as she approached the entrance.
"Ma’am, hold here," one of them said. "We’re clearing inside first."
She looked past them, clearly trying to see what was going on, but they held position just enough to block her line of sight.
"...Fine," she said, though her tone carried doubt.
Inside, Ryan watched for a second, making sure she stayed put.
Then he turned back.
"You’re clear," he told Adrian.
Adrian didn’t waste time.
He stepped into the center of the hangar, scanning the open space one last time.
Then he raised his hand.
The system responded instantly.
A faint glow formed in front of him.
Then it expanded.
A magic circle spread across the concrete floor, far larger than the ones before. Lines stretched outward in precise patterns, symbols locking into place one after another. The air inside the hangar shifted, pressure building as if something massive was about to force its way into existence.
Then.
The C-130 appeared.
The crew.
Pilots already in the cockpit.
Loadmasters at the rear.
Engineers moving along the sides, checking panels like they had been there the entire time.
"Systems online," one of the crew called out from inside.
"Powering up."
The engines began to whine, low at first, then rising as the turboprops started to spin.
Ryan let out a quiet breath.
"...Still not getting used to that."
Adrian lowered his hand.
"Ramp," he said.
At the rear, the cargo door unlocked and began to lower, the hydraulic system humming as the ramp touched the ground.
Adrian turned to Ryan.
"Bring her in."
Ryan nodded and moved toward the entrance.
Outside, Seo-yeon looked up the moment he stepped out.
"It’s safe now," Ryan said.
Seo-yeon studied his face for a second, like she was trying to read through the calm tone.
"...Alright," she replied.
She stepped past him and into the hangar.
Then she stopped.
The C-130 filled the entire space in front of her.
Her eyes widened, taking in the size of it, the spinning propellers.
The other crewmen were already moving, sliding open the side access panels and signaling each other as they ran final checks.
"Move. We don’t have time."
Adrian was already on the ramp.
"Load up!" he called out.
That snapped the team back into motion.
Shadow Team moved first, jogging up the ramp in a tight sequence, weapons still slung but ready. The Globemaster crew followed right after, helping the C-130 crews.
Seo-yeon stepped on the ramp and headed inside where she was taken care of.
The loadmaster raised a hand.
"Last man in!" he shouted.
Ryan came up the ramp right after Seo-yeon, turning his head once to check the hangar behind them.
"Clear!" he called.
"Close it!" Adrian ordered.
The ramp began to rise, hydraulics whining as it lifted off the ground. The outside light narrowed into a thin strip, then disappeared completely as the door sealed shut.
Inside, the noise doubled.
The engines roared as power surged through the aircraft. The entire frame vibrated as the pilots pushed throttle forward.
"Hold on!" one of the crew yelled.
The C-130 lurched forward, rolling down the runway. The speed built fast—faster than the short strip should allow.
Adrian braced himself against the side, eyes forward.
"Power!" he called.
"Full power!" the pilot responded.
Moments later, they lifted.
The aircraft climbed steadily, engines roaring as it pushed away from the city. The vibration settled into a constant hum as they gained altitude, leaving the chaos behind.
Adrian didn’t sit. He stayed near the side, one hand on the frame, eyes focused.
"Sentinel Eye," he said again. "Confirm airspace status."
A short crackle came through.
"Cold Reach One, Sentinel Eye," the AWACS replied. "Airspace remains clear along your current heading. No active interceptors detected. No new aerial contacts within your sector."
Ryan glanced at him.
"Still worried?" he asked.
Adrian didn’t look away.
"Yes. Who knows what could happen."
He shifted slightly, looking out toward the horizon.
"Run it again," he said. "Full sweep."
A pause.
Longer this time.
"Scanning," Sentinel Eye replied.
Inside the cargo bay, no one spoke. Even Seo-yeon stayed quiet now, holding onto the side rails as the aircraft stabilized.
Then—
"Cold Reach One," the AWACS came back. "Full sweep complete. Airspace is clear. You are currently outside immediate engagement zones."
Adrian nodded once.
"Good."
Ryan let out a slow breath.
"Looks like we’re actually getting out," he said.
Adrian finally stepped back slightly, but his posture didn’t relax.
"Don’t assume," he replied. "We’re not home yet."