189: 188 [I'm currently in front of the XX building that's on fire. Look at that black smoke rising up. It's already been 30 minutes since the fire report was received. How many employees remain inside the building has not yet been determined...] "Move, move, get out of the way!" DeAndre, who was driving, shouted. The urgent reporter's voice continued to flow from the radio. The guys sitting in the back seat also heard the broadcast and cursed in frustration. AA Building fire. To Dane, who was vaguely searching his memory, the man sitting across from him casually asked. "Isn't that the place where you defused the bomb before?" That's right. Dane silently nodded. That day when he had done something like a date with Greyson, that guy had grumbled that he had ruined the date. "What's wrong?" At what the man from earlier said, Dane turned his gaze toward him. The man still asked as if puzzled. "You're smiling." The corners of Dane's mouth slowly fell. Only then did he realize he had been smiling. "No, nothing." Though he spoke nonchalantly, he somehow turned his gaze away. Not understanding his own behavior, he stubbornly looked only out the window until they arrived. * * * When they arrived at the scene, people were already swarming everywhere. The firefighters immediately pushed forward through the crowd taking photos and videos and chattering. Passing by police officers trying to maintain order, they hurriedly grabbed their respective equipment and set out, when Wilkins grabbed Dane and gave him instructions. "In case of emergency, wait for my orders, don't run off alone. Got it?" Wilkins gave instructions to Dane. His colleagues, who knew well his personality of running ahead first whenever anything happened, also cast worried glances. Dane chuckled as if incredulous. "Everyone thinks I'm crazy to die." Had that guy thought the same? He let out a short sigh at the face that came to mind again. Stupid, thinking about that guy's face at a time like this. He blamed himself, but it couldn't be helped. Even without being conscious of it, that face occupied his mind constantly, no, almost every moment. What was he going to do about it now? Dane irritably scratched the back of his head roughly. Until now, he had lived well alone. He would continue to do so in the future. That was the ending that suited him best. Right then, the ground shook with a tremendous roar. Dane, who reflexively maintained his balance, heard someone shout behind him. "Damn, something must have exploded inside there!" As those words suggested, black smoke could be seen rising from one side of the building. Urgent shouts followed. "What happened to the people? Did they all get out?" "I don't know, they said two more people came out earlier." "What about the rest? Are they still inside?" "Where did the fire start? Don't we know yet?" Clamoring voices continued. Mixed in was the sound of someone wailing and calling unknown names, perhaps a relative of someone whose whereabouts were unknown. It was total chaos. The firefighters moved urgently, some spraying water from outside while others prepared to go inside. Right then, someone shouted as if by miracle. "We've made contact with the woman inside!" A police officer who had run over with a mobile phone hastily handed it to his superior. The police chief hurriedly took the call and shouted. "Are you okay? What's the situation there?" The fire team watched the ongoing call tensely. Immediately, Wilkins rushed to the police chief. As if something urgent was happening, the three of them – the special team leader, police chief, and Wilkins – gathered and began talking. And the firefighters who had been about to enter inside waited anxiously for him to return. Wilkins, who returned after a moment, conveyed the situation quickly with a serious expression. Fortunately, there was someone hiding inside the building who wasn't injured. It was fortunate, but instead she was hiding in an inner space of the office and had no way to escape. Recalling the sobbing, crying voice, Wilkins couldn't help but feel troubled. At his head-shaking appearance, DeAndre asked. "So what happens now? Can we go in now?" "Wait a moment, let's look at the blueprints first. I'll tell you what you need to do from now on, so listen carefully." Wilkins spread out the blueprints on the car's hood and began giving instructions. After exchanging information about the location of emergency stairs, places where people might currently be hiding, and the currently identified number of people, someone spoke up. "Let's start quickly. At this rate, the people inside might die from inhaling smoke." Everyone agreed with those words. Wilkins raised his hand as if to calm them down, then continued. "You all know well, but don't move on your own, move according to the designated routes. It'll be troublesome if your routes get tangled with other teams, so make sure to use the radio, got it?" It was all stuff they knew. But there was a reason he was specifically emphasizing this. With his last words, Wilkins turned his gaze to Dane. When Dane said "Yes" as if annoyed, only then did Wilkins turn his head. And a moment later, the moment the team leader's signal was given, everyone ran out as if they had been waiting. * * * There were no problems until they entered the building. Putting out the rising flames, checking the surroundings, just as they had always done. The sudden loud noise left everyone flustered. Was the building already about to collapse? "What's the situation upstairs?" At DeAndre's question, another guy answered. "I haven't heard any word about finding people yet. Maybe there's no one left?" Soon another guy shouted. "What about that woman who supposedly made contact earlier?" "She's on the lower floor. Let's go down first. There doesn't seem to be anyone here." DeAndre spoke again. "Don't overdo it, everyone. If the building starts collapsing, we need to escape too. Hey, don't forget…" Before he could finish speaking, the building shook again with another explosion. While everyone crouched in surprise, suddenly Dane heard something. Though he thought it was impossible, though he himself thought it was impossible to hear that sound within this tremendous noise. Where? He had no choice but to turn his head toward the direction the sound came from. And… Dane searched his memory while lying down. Continuous coughing came from the black smoke. Cough, cough, as he violently shook his whole body and coughed, something flowed out of his mouth. He realized belatedly that he had coughed up blood. And what happened then? The recollection continued. Dane immediately contacted headquarters through his radio. "I hear sounds from inside. I'm going to check." "What? Wait, what sounds are you talking about?" The other guys who heard the radio together shouted in confusion. "We didn't hear anything. How can you hear human voices in this situation?" "Right, it must be a mistake. You can't move on your own, wait!" The other guys shouted urgently. They were right. How could he hear sounds in this situation? It must be a mistake. Though it was nonsensical, he couldn't just let it go. His instincts kept crying out. That he had to go, that he had to check. – Everyone get out, it might collapse! Wilkins shouted from the other side of the radio. – This explosion cracked the building. It's going to collapse soon, the other teams are evacuating now too! Get out quickly! "What about the remaining people?" Dane immediately asked. "What happened to the woman who requested rescue? Did everyone get out?" – Yes! Wilkins shouted. – We've rescued everyone now, get out immediately! There's no time! At those words, everyone quickly turned around and began running. Dane should have joined them too, but somehow his feet wouldn't move. "Dane, what are you doing! Get out quickly!" DeAndre urgently gestured. Wilkins's words were probably true. Their job should be finished now. But Dane couldn't move easily. Something seemed to keep grabbing his ankle from behind. Saying there was still someone there, waiting for him. It's a mistake. No one else had heard it. It was impossible to hear someone's cry in this noise while wearing helmets. Yes, it must be nerves. Wilkins said so. He said he had rescued that woman too. He clearly said there was no one left. Dane, who had been looking back hesitantly, steeled his resolve and turned around. But just as he was about to run, a clear voice reached his ears. 'Please save me.' "Dane!" Another guy shouted at Dane, who had stopped again. "What are you doing? Let's go quickly!" Desperate cries followed, but this time there was no room for doubt. Dane had clearly heard it. The voice of someone wailing. And the next moment, he turned around and began running. "Dane, where are you going? Dane!" "Don't go, stop there!" His colleagues, who had turned pale behind him, shouted, but he didn't stop. They could only watch in confusion as his figure disappeared after running frantically. Soon the building shook again. There was no more time to hesitate. In the end, after exchanging troubled glances, they turned their heads and moved in the opposite direction from Dane, hurriedly escaping from the building.