Flander turned to her. "Answer me two questions first."
"Fine, but make it quick."
He nodded. "First, how did you know I was hiding there? Second, how did you know I had the power to get you out?"
"That's all you want to ask?" Laila looked half amused, half exasperated. Did he not realize what kind of situation they were in? At least ask something more constructive. But since he asked, she didn't mind answering.
"If it weren't you who told Martin we'd be here, he wouldn't have found us—at least not so fast or so well prepared." She saw that he looked like he wanted to interrupt, so she raised her hand to stop him. "Don't rush to argue. It's a long explanation, and we don't have time. If you want to know, we can talk next time we meet."
She grabbed Roy's watch and checked the time—it was almost up. "As for the second question, I just knew you were that kind of person. Sorry, no time left. Martin's yours to deal with for now. Once I'm back, someone will come take over custody of him."
She finished, then gave Roy a pat on the shoulder. "Let's get on the chopper."
"…" The people around her were momentarily speechless. Was she forgetting something?
Martin roared, "Are you looking down on me?! If you dare get on that helicopter, I'll blow myself up right here!"
Laila acted like she didn't hear him, urging everyone to climb up the rope that had been dropped down from above. Only when his shouting got annoying did she casually reply, "Then go ahead."
With that, she was already scaling the rope first.
Her bold move stunned everyone, but Roy didn't hesitate—he followed right behind her. The others still hesitated, glancing at each other, until Dong-ge's voice came roaring from above: "What the hell are you waiting for?! Get up here!"
With that, one by one, they began climbing.
Laila had no fear because she was sure Martin wouldn't pull the trigger. She knew his type—he might treat other people's lives like dirt, but he cherished his own.
If he weren't wearing that bomb vest, she might've worried the gun would go off by accident. But the moment he used his own life as leverage, she knew he had run out of real options. There was nothing else he could use to threaten her.
Not to mention Flander—his presence meant the agreement still stood. And as long as that agreement existed, he would help her. Because only with her people's help could Martin's power base be thoroughly wiped out.
Even the worst celebrities have a few die-hard fans. Martin had been a boss for years—there were bound to be a few fiercely loyal subordinates. If they weren't eliminated, Flander's future in this country would always be full of danger. That's why Laila wasn't worried he'd break the deal unilaterally.
As Laila got closer to the helicopter cabin, a furious Martin raised his gun and aimed in her direction. His weapon had a large caliber—powerful enough to punch through a chopper's hull, let alone a person.
"Stop right there!" Martin's voice trembled with rage. It was the first time he'd faced someone who wasn't intimidated by his gun. Did they all think he was carrying a toy? Had they not seen the bullet holes he'd left in the helicopter?
He was about to fire a warning shot when Flander finally spoke.
"Mr. Martin, I suggest you let them go."
His voice wasn't loud, and the roar of the helicopter blades made it even harder to hear. But Martin was close enough to catch it.
He gave a sarcastic laugh. "And what gives you the right to say—" The last word stuck in his throat as his eyes fell on the object in Flander's hand—a child's shirt.
It had the word "Daddy" printed in English across the chest. It was his son's favorite shirt, so beloved he refused to throw it away even after staining it with fruit juice that wouldn't wash out. If not for that very stain, Martin might've dismissed it as just some random shirt. But now… even if he wanted to lie to himself, he couldn't.
"Fr—AND!" he roared through clenched teeth, ready to shoot Flander on the spot. "What did you do to him?!"
He regretted it. He never should've taken Flander along when his son got sick. His wife could've taken the boy to a regular hospital, and they wouldn't have had to worry about being recognized. But no—he had to trust Flander, the foreign-educated doctor. He believed domestic hospitals were so bad they could make a healthy kid sick.
He never imagined that his love for his child would become the trigger of his downfall. If time could be reversed, even if his son had been on the brink of death, he would never have brought this damn traitor near him!
"What could I have done?" Flander said calmly. "I simply arranged for them to stay somewhere safe for a while. You know the mountain's in chaos right now. If they got caught in the mess, what if some fool bumped into them by mistake? Wouldn't that be too frightening for them?"
He made it sound reasonable, but Martin didn't believe a word. "Somewhere safe"? No, he was holding them hostage to use as leverage. Money could be earned again, but if he lost his wife and child… he wasn't sure he'd ever have the chance to father another.
Flander knew this all too well. As the faction's doctor, he had examined Martin many times. He knew full well that Martin had suffered injuries in his youth while fighting for territory—injuries that made it extremely difficult for him to have children. But by some stroke of luck and years of effort, he had finally gotten a son.
That was why Martin had guarded his wife and son so fiercely—entrusting them with his most precious treasures. His ultimate plan was that, even if he died someday, his son could still live comfortably.
But now, his son had fallen into the hands of the one man he had thought would never betray him. And aside from rage, all that remained in Martin's heart was fear.
Meanwhile, Laila and her group had already boarded the helicopter.
"Flander, we're off. Stay in touch," Laila called out, making a phone-hand gesture.
Before Flander could respond, the chopper turned sharply and flew away.
And at that point, even if Martin wanted to do something to stop it, it was already far too late. Not that he could focus on the helicopter anymore—his full attention was now locked on Flander and what was in his hand.
"Flander, what do you want from me?" Martin asked hoarsely, a wave of hopelessness rising in his chest.
He had always been proud and confident—never did he expect to be defeated by betrayal. His son was everything to him… and he simply couldn't bear the thought of losing him.