Before the Fall

Chapter Fifty-Six - Coal

Namjoon

I had waited for several weeks. It had been hell.

I had sent out a few scout crews to comb the nearest airports looking for a viable plane. When I got the call they had finally found one, and by some miracle it was still fully fueled, I was almost beside myself.

Humanity had taken a massive blow during Li's Extinction process. Whole cities had been wiped out, and Seoul had been no exception. He had hybrids everywhere then, but after the massacres, he pulled most of them out and left only us behind. The original plan stated that hybrids would be shipped in as soon as possible to get major cities back up and running.

That had not happened. Yet.

My ears twitched with anticipation. And fear.

Anticipation of perhaps finding Aster, sending Li to his death, and getting our lives back. But fear that everything could be different. Aster could be dead. Any number of things could have happened.

"Sir?"

Jungkook was standing at the door of my office, a small tablet in his hand.

"Come in, Jungkook. Have you made any progress?"

Since Li's departure with Aster in tow, Jungkook had been tasked with trying to hack a way into H-Corp's servers. Day after day had come with a report that he had not yet succeeded. I felt today would be no different.

"I'm in."

I froze my movements and my eyes darted over to meet his. He nodded happily and rushed to show me the screen on his tablet.

"I got in and I found a backdoor to their security system. General, she's alive."

His words had trailed off into a whisper as he broke such glorious news to me.

I held the tablet in my trembling hands as I watched Aster wander around a fairly large bedroom. She seemed to be tidying it up and every movement she made was like water to my thirsty soul.

"Where is she?" I asked softly, still staring at the screen.

"New York."

"He took her to the HQ? She looks cared for." I felt skeptical and a bit cautious as I stared at the black and white video playing out on the screen.

"She seems to be located in a housing facility on the HQ compound. Should we try to contact her?"

I pondered his words for a moment. Should we? What if us trying to communicate with her put her into danger? What if Li had already wiped her memory?

"I think..." My voice fell silent as I saw the door to Aster's room open and Li himself walked in. I gripped the tablet tighter as I watched the scene unfold.

Aster rushed over, reaching up to give him a kiss on the cheek, then lacing her arm through his the two left the room, and I was left wondering what on earth had just happened.

"Oh..." mumbled Jungkook. He quickly saved the poor tablet from being crushed between my hands and I felt my heart rate quicken.

"He's already begun..." I muttered. Rage filled my chest.

"Begin what, sir?"

"Tell the rest of the unit to get ready. We're leaving tonight."

"Sorry? We aren't-"