The air inside the motel room was suffocating. Seojin's gaze remained locked onto Jinho, searching for any sign of deception. Trusting him could be a mistake. But if he was telling the truth… then they had a much bigger problem.
She exhaled sharply. "We take him with us."
Dojin's eyes narrowed. "You're seriously trusting him?"
"No," Seojin said coldly. "But I can't afford to be wrong. If he's lying, we deal with him later. If he's telling the truth, then we need him."
Jinho's shoulders relaxed slightly, but the tension in the room didn't fade.
Hyunwoo, who had been watching quietly, finally spoke. "Then we move now. If the Phoenix is already hunting us, staying here is suicide."
Seojin nodded. "Minji, we're bringing him out."
Minji's voice crackled over the earpiece. "Got it. But hurry. I've picked up movement nearby. Someone's closing in."
Seojin's stomach twisted. "How close?"
"Five minutes, max."
Jinho tensed. "They found me."
Seojin cursed under her breath. "Let's go."
The group moved swiftly through the back exit, keeping to the shadows. The motel's neon sign flickered above them as they slipped into a side alley.
Dojin kept a firm grip on Jinho's arm. "Try anything, and I'll put a bullet in you."
Jinho let out a dry chuckle. "Noted."
Hyunwoo was the first to sense it. He stopped suddenly, eyes scanning the darkened street. "Something's off."
Seojin followed his gaze. The street was empty—too empty.
Then she saw it.
A parked black sedan. Tinted windows. No movement inside.
A classic ambush setup.
"Minji," Seojin murmured, gripping her gun. "Do you have eyes on the sedan?"
Minji's voice was tight. "Negative. But I'm picking up radio signals. They know you're there."
A click echoed through the alley.
Seojin spun just as the first gunshot rang out.
Bullets tore through the air, shattering the quiet night.
Seojin dove behind a dumpster, her gun already drawn. Hyunwoo and Dojin took cover behind a stack of crates, while Jinho pressed himself against the brick wall.
More shots came, the Phoenix's operatives emerging from the shadows—three, no, four men, all dressed in dark tactical gear.
Dojin returned fire, cursing under his breath. "I told you this was a bad idea!"
Seojin ignored him, her mind racing. They were pinned down, outnumbered, and the Phoenix was closing in.
Jinho suddenly moved, reaching for his gun.
Dojin reacted instantly, slamming him against the wall. "Don't even think about it."
Jinho's eyes blazed. "I'm trying to help, you idiot."
Seojin made a split-second decision. "Let him go."
Dojin hesitated. "Seojin—"
"Now!"
Dojin released Jinho just as another bullet whizzed past them.
Jinho ducked, then fired two precise shots. One of the Phoenix operatives dropped.
Seojin's breath caught. He was a good shot. A damn good shot.
Maybe he really wasn't a traitor.
Hyunwoo signaled. "We need an exit."
Seojin spotted a narrow path leading to the main road. "There. Go!"
They moved as one, covering each other as they sprinted through the alley. The Phoenix gave chase, but Minji's voice crackled in their earpieces.
"Get to the van. Now!"
Seojin saw it—Minji's black van screeching around the corner. The door flew open.
They dove inside just as another round of bullets sprayed the pavement.
The van sped off.
Inside the van, everyone was breathing hard. Minji glanced at them through the rearview mirror. "That was way too close."
Jinho was the first to speak. "You believe me now?"
Seojin wiped sweat from her brow. "I believe that the Phoenix wants you dead."
Jinho exhaled, shaking his head. "That should tell you everything."
Hyunwoo leaned back against the seat, wincing as his wound throbbed. "We need a new plan."
Seojin nodded, her mind already working. The Phoenix had set them up. They were being watched, tracked.
And now, they were running out of time.
She met Jinho's gaze. "If you want to prove you're on our side, tell me everything you know."
Jinho hesitated, then nodded.
And as the city lights blurred past them, Seojin realized one thing.
The Phoenix wasn't just hunting them.
They were leading them somewhere.
And she had just walked into their trap.
End of Chapter 54