The men surrounded them, pulling them to their feet and quickly tending to their wounds, securing the area as they prepared to extract them. Despite their injuries and exhaustion, a hard-won sense of accomplishment hung heavy in the air—the mission was a success. The intel was secured, and the network had taken a hit they wouldn't easily recover from. But the toll had been high, with both Yeongsoo and Sean bearing fresh scars from the brutal encounter.
As one of the medics wrapped Yeongsoo's shoulder, he clenched his jaw, the pain a mere fraction of what he'd have to face when he returned to Haeun. He'd kept his promise to complete the mission—but at what cost? Bruised, battered, and bleeding, he could only imagine Haeun's reaction.
Sean, seated a few feet away, winced as a medic stitched a gash across his eyebrow. Catching the troubled look on Yeongsoo's face, he managed a grim smile. "Still worried about what to tell him?"