Dead Or Alive

Back to the present. 

He Juan's ears were ringing, whether due to the shock of the sudden accident or the lingering echo of the explosion, he could not ascertain. Perhaps even both. He was still unable to wrap his head around the current situation. How? Everything had been going smoothly as planned, so how could everything turn out like this?

His labored breaths throbbed in his ears, and it took him a while to fully register the commotion around him. 

"Close the door! We must leave this place as soon as possible before the air force arrives!"

"Prepare for retreat!"