Code: Last Operation Chapter One
1472 Words
*Title: _Bulletproof Vow_ [GL]*
The massive iron door slammed open, its echo tearing through the dark warehouse like a gunshot.
Fast footsteps followed.
Shin Soo Min moved across the dusty floor, her black boots silent against the concrete. Her face was calm, almost bored, but her sharp eyes missed nothing. They held a dangerous stillness that made the darkness feel nervous.
She scanned the shadows and whispered, her voice barely audible:
“This place gives me a bad feeling... are you sure the target is here?”
Right behind her, Park Kang Ah kept her g*n raised, steady and ready. Her eyes swept every dark corner with military precision. She answered low, her voice clipped:
“The information is solid. And if it’s wrong, we’re walking out of here as corpses.”
Soo Min turned toward her, a faint, nervous smile tugging at her lips. The kind of smile that hid fear behind sarcasm.
“Nice. I was getting tired of living anyway.”
Kang Ah’s head snapped toward her, sharp and furious.
“Stop saying things like that. As long as I’m with you, nobody’s touching you. Understood?”
Soo Min stepped closer until there were only inches between them. She locked eyes with her, her gaze unwavering and dead serious.
“Same goes for you. I won’t let anyone hurt you either.”
For a very brief moment, despite the tension suffocating the warehouse, a tiny smile broke through on Park Kang Ah’s face. It was there and gone in a heartbeat.
But the silence didn’t last long.
---
The sound of metal crashing shattered the quiet from the back of the warehouse.
Both of them froze instantly, bodies going rigid.
Between the steel crates, the shadow of someone moving quickly darted past.
Kang Ah didn’t take her eyes off the spot. She whispered, her voice all command:
“Cover me from here. I’ll get closer.”
But Soo Min immediately shook her head, her jaw set.
“No. I’ll go. You cover me.”
Kang Ah let out a frustrated sigh, her patience fraying.
“We’re not here to argue about who’s braver. Listen to me, Shin Soo Min.”
Soo Min stepped even closer, until Kang Ah could see the strange, terrifying determination blazing in her eyes.
“I’m not afraid of dying,” Soo Min said, her voice low and fierce. “I’m afraid of watching you fall in front of me.”
Silence settled between them for one second. One heartbeat.
Then—
Gunshots exploded through the warehouse, deafening and sudden.
Park Kang Ah grabbed Soo Min by the wrist and yanked her behind a huge metal crate.
“Get down!”
Soo Min hit the floor hard, but without hesitation she pulled a small pistol from beneath her jacket and fired two quick, clean shots into the dark.
A distant scream echoed.
She lifted her head slightly, a smirk playing on her lips despite the chaos.
“One down.”
Kang Ah stared at her in disbelief through the gunfire, her eyes wide.
“Didn’t I tell you not to move?!”
Soo Min smiled faintly, adrenaline making her reckless.
“Didn’t I tell you I never listen?”
---
Suddenly, one of the attackers jumped from above the crates, his body aimed straight toward Park Kang Ah.
Soo Min’s eyes widened in pure, undiluted terror.
She screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice raw and tearing:
“KANG AH!”
Without thinking, without planning, she threw herself at him before he could reach her.
The two crashed violently onto the floor, the impact knocking the air from her lungs.
The warehouse filled with the sounds of fighting—grunts, scuffling, heavy breathing.
Soo Min slammed her knee hard into his stomach, but he grabbed her arm and tried to twist it behind her back, his grip like iron.
Before he could snap it—
Park Kang Ah appeared behind him and struck the back of his neck with the butt of her g*n. Hard.
He collapsed unconscious instantly.
Soo Min breathed heavily, strands of hair sticking to her sweat-slicked face. She looked up at Kang Ah and laughed weakly, exhaustion and relief mixing in her voice.
“Told you I could handle it.”
Kang Ah shook her head lightly, but the pride in her eyes was unmistakable. It was fierce and warm and scared.
“You’re dangerous... and honestly, that scares me even more.”
---
Slow clapping echoed from the top of the iron staircase, mocking and deliberate.
The main enemy finally appeared.
He stood above them on the metal platform, holding a small remote control in his hand like it was a toy.
He smiled, his expression full of cruel amusement.
“Beautiful...”
Then he raised the remote in front of them, his thumb hovering over the button.
“Choose. Save her... or save the hundreds of people outside this warehouse.”
The atmosphere froze instantly. The air turned to ice.
Soo Min’s eyes flicked to the side. She noticed a large black bag sitting in the middle of the room, unassuming and deadly.
She whispered quickly, her mind racing:
“The bomb’s in there... right?”
Kang Ah answered quietly, her voice dead. She’d already calculated the odds.
“Yeah. And if we get close, he’ll detonate it immediately.”
Soo Min lifted her gaze, and suddenly all the fear was gone. In its place was absolute, terrifying confidence.
“Leave him to me.”
Kang Ah turned toward her immediately, real panic breaking through her commander’s mask for the first time.
“Shin Soo Min... no.”
---
Soo Min slowly raised her hands in surrender and began walking forward, her steps measured and calm.
“Fine. I’ll come closer. Just let Park Kang Ah go.”
Behind her, Kang Ah’s voice cracked. It was a sound Soo Min had never heard before.
“I’m older... I should be the one—”
Soo Min cut her off without even turning around, her voice steel.
“You’re my leader. And I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
The enemy laughed sarcastically, enjoying the show.
“Wow... this is a whole drama series.”
But Soo Min wasn’t even listening to him anymore.
Her eyes calculated the distance carefully. Every inch. Every second.
One step...
Two...
Three.
Then suddenly—
She moved with shocking, explosive speed.
With one brutal kick, she sent the black bag sliding away from the enemy, across the floor and out of his detonation range.
At the exact same moment—
Park Kang Ah fired directly at his hand.
The remote flew from his grip, clattering across the metal floor.
Soo Min dove across the floor, grabbed it, and smashed it against the ground with all her strength. Plastic and circuits shattered.
The man screamed furiously, his face contorted with rage:
“NOOO!!”
A second later, Kang Ah’s bullet pierced his shoulder, the impact forcing him onto his knees. He collapsed, defeated.
---
The sound of police sirens grew closer outside, wailing through the night.
The rain poured harder than before, hammering against the warehouse roof.
Soo Min sat on the cold floor, breathing heavily, her chest heaving. Adrenaline was crashing, leaving exhaustion in its wake.
Park Kang Ah sat beside her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Her touch was warm and grounding.
She asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper:
“You were ready to risk your life... why?”
Soo Min looked up at her, and despite her exhaustion, she smiled. It was tired but real.
“Because you’re my leader... and I won’t let you die for me.”
Kang Ah stayed silent for a moment. Her eyes shimmered with tears she desperately tried to hide, her throat tight.
Then she spoke softly, her voice thick with emotion she couldn’t control:
“And I won’t let anyone touch you either. From now on... every mission, we do it together.”
Soo Min smiled faintly, a teasing light returning to her eyes.
“But on one condition.”
Kang Ah raised an eyebrow, a watery smile touching her lips.
“What is it?”
Soo Min laughed weakly as she tried to stand, her legs shaky.
“In every mission... I’m protecting you first.”
Finally, Park Kang Ah laughed. It was real and relieved and warm. She reached out her hand to help her up.
“Alright, hero girl... get up before the cameras catch us like this.”
They stood side by side, shoulder to shoulder.
Rain crashed against the ground outside while the two walked through the darkness together... partners.
The storm was just beginning, and little did they know, the enemy was closer than they ever imagined.
*To be continued...* 🌧️✨
- Writer
