TDIMEH Chapter 57

   57. Infiltration

“Steal it? What do you mean?”  

“I don’t think negotiations are an option. Anyone running a farm of this size wouldn’t take the risk of gambling their lives for a ransom.”  

“What are you saying?”  

“If they accept the ransom and let us go, the location of the island will inevitably be exposed. If we attempt to bargain, they could just take the money and kill us. The chances of that happening are high.”  

At Junhyuk’s words, Se-ah gasped in shock.  

“T-Then what should we do? Should we keep hiding on the other side of the island?”  

“No. We have to find an opportunity to escape. From what I overheard, a boat will arrive in two days to pick up goods. The boss or whoever it is will likely be with them. We need to sneak onto that boat. Otherwise, we’ll have to seize it.”  

“Both options sound incredibly dangerous.”  

Even listening to the plan made it clear how difficult and risky it was. They had no idea what kind of boat would arrive, and rescuing the captives while escaping would almost certainly expose them.  

Junhyuk was undoubtedly aware of this.  

When she looked at him, puzzled, he nodded as if to confirm.  

“Yes. It’s an extremely dangerous operation. That’s why—”  

“Don’t tell me…?”  

Se-ah trailed off in horror.  

“Yes. I’ll go alone. But before that, I need to get the antidote for Amihan.”  

“N-No, you can’t! Where could you possibly hide on the boat? And what if you can’t find your way back? We might never see you again! I won’t allow it!”  

She shook her head vehemently.  

The thought of being left behind without him was terrifying, but what she couldn’t bear more was the danger Junhyuk would face on the boat.  

There would be no place to hide in the open sea.  

Even the sound of gunfire had left her breathless with worry. She couldn’t imagine enduring the agony of not knowing whether he was alive or dead.  

“I… I don’t want this.”  

Se-ah clung to his arm, fearing he might leave at any moment.  

“Don’t worry. I’ll come back alive, no matter what. You know me. I’m Do Junhyuk, your captain. I wouldn’t get hurt so easily and leave my team behind.”  

“Even so, I won’t allow it.”  

To Se-ah, it seemed better to live trapped on the island forever than to risk Junhyuk’s life. She couldn’t bear the thought of escaping at the cost of someone else’s life.  

So she made up her mind—she wouldn’t let him go alone.  

Instead, she decided it would be better to steal one of their phones.  

Although there was no internet connection, they had mentioned that the phones could still make calls.  

If they could steal a phone and send a distress signal, help would come. All they needed was a safe hiding spot until rescue arrived, which seemed far safer than Junhyuk’s plan.  

“While you’re getting the antidote, I’ll look for a phone. If we can make a call, the authorities will find us.”  

Junhyuk’s face darkened at her words.  

“I absolutely forbid it.”  

“Then I forbid you, too. If you keep trying to do things alone, I’ll go down there myself.”  

“What kind of nonsense is that? I’m trying to protect you because it’s dangerous.”  

Se-ah glared at him with narrowed eyes.  

“Do you have two lives or something, Captain? It’s just as dangerous for you. That’s why we should do it together. Even if I’m not much help, it’s better than you going alone.”  

Junhyuk ran a hand roughly over his face as he stared at Se-ah, who showed no intention of backing down.  

Deep sighs escaped repeatedly.  

“If I’d known it would come to this, I should’ve just left you on the beach,” 

He muttered under his breath. Finally, with a resigned expression, he sat down on the ground.  

“Fine. We’ll go together. But don’t act on your own. Just watch what I do. That’s as much as I’m willing to compromise—no more.”  

Seeing his firm stance that left no room for further negotiation, Se-ah reluctantly nodded. Still, she felt reassured just knowing they would stay together.  

The next morning, Se-ah stretched lightly to ease her stiff body and spoke to Boss Nam, who was also stretching nearby.  

“After sunset today, Junhyuk and I will head down to get the antidote and steal a phone. Please take care of Amihan while we’re gone.”  

“Do you really think you can manage that? It sounds dangerous. Why don’t you let Do Junhyuk handle it alone while you stay here?” 

Boss Nam suggested, his face filled with concern.  

“I don’t want to just sit around worrying again like last time. Even if it doesn’t work, I need to try. Besides, we can check if Kevin’s group is really being held captive. If they are, we might be able to steal a boat and escape since Kevin can navigate it.”  

“Right. We can’t just leave without them. Even if it’s not Kevin, I can drive a boat. It’s been a while, but I can manage if I have to.”  

“Really?”  

“Of course! I’ve owned several yachts. Do you think I wouldn’t know how to operate one? As long as it’s not a massive cruise ship or a cargo vessel, I can handle it.”  

“Wow! That’s impressive! Someone I know failed the test multiple times.”  

Se-ah praised him, lightening the mood as she noticed Boss Nam’s expression brighten for the first time in a while.  

“Well, I passed it all on the first try. Ahem.”  

“That’s amazing!”  

“Anyway, since I’m here, don’t overdo it. Getting off the island is important, but only if we’re alive to do so. So be extra careful.”  

“You’re right. I’ll be careful,” 

Se-ah said, nodding repeatedly.  

“But are you sure about this? There’s not a cloud in the sky now, but the weather feels like it’s going to rain,” 

Boss Nam said, tilting his head as he looked up at the sky.  

Se-ah had the same thought. The weather felt damp and heavy. Given it was the rainy season, even if the sky was clear now, rain clouds could gather at any moment.  

On the contrary, rain seemed to provide them with a better opportunity.  

“If it rains, there won’t be any footprints, and our footsteps will be harder to hear.”  

“That’s true. But we’ll still need to be extra careful. It works both ways—if we can’t hear them, they won’t hear us either.”  

That made sense.  

If their own sounds were muffled by the rain, so would their enemies’.  

“What if I go instead? I feel like I’m relying on you two too much,” 

Boss Nam suggested, gesturing toward himself apologetically.  

“No, I should go. I went yesterday, so I’m more familiar with the path.”  

Se-ah, touched by his offer, politely declined, lightening his burden in the process.  

“Alright then, I’ll be praying for your safety. Also…”  

He paused and rummaged through his pocket. Whatever he was searching for seemed to be buried deep, as the sound of rustling accompanied every movement of his hand.  

“Take this. It was in my pocket when the boat capsized. I’ve been saving it for emergencies.”  

What he pulled out were two mini-sized chocolate bars wrapped in plastic.  

“No, you should keep them for yourself. I can’t take something so valuable.”  

Seeing sweet food instead of fruit for the first time in ages, Se-ah swallowed her saliva but still shook her head. If it was emergency food, it should stay with Boss Nam.  

“No, take it. Otherwise, I’ll feel too guilty.”  

“Then let’s split it. We can break it in half.”  

“There’s no need to split anything. Just eat it. Give the other one to Do Junhyuk.”  

As if worried she wouldn’t eat it otherwise, Boss Nam unwrapped one bar and held it out to her.  

The sweet aroma of the chocolate wafted up, teasing her senses.  

“It’ll melt quickly, so eat it right away. You’ll need the energy for later.”  

In the end, Se-ah took the chocolate bar and ate it.  

She put the other one in her pants pocket to give to Junhyuk.  

***

By afternoon, light rain began to drizzle.  

Perhaps because of this, the fields below were empty.  

No one seemed to be working, which meant there was no chance to confirm if Kevin’s group was among the captives. Disappointed, Se-ah gazed at the vacant field.  

Dark clouds loomed, scattering raindrops, and the sky darkened quickly.  

When midnight arrived and the guards stopped patrolling, the two hiding in the shadows decided to move, using the light coming from the buildings as their guide.  

“Follow me carefully.”  

Junhyuk, crouched low, whispered to Se-ah.  

“That’s the building, right?”  

Se-ah pointed to the gray building Amihan had described.  

Next to it was a larger building, which was the workers’ quarters. The smaller gray building was said to house the administrators.  

There were ten guards.  

Around thirty captives were being held, although one person had reportedly died every few months. Whenever the boss visited the island, he would bring new slaves to replace them.  

The two only needed to deal with eight guards since the others would be stationed at the workers’ quarters. However, eight armed men were no trivial obstacle.  

They needed to secure the antidote and a phone as quickly as possible and escape the island.  

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