Chapter 339 Let's Move

Chapter 339 Let's Move
The drive to the location felt tense, with every passing second making the atmosphere inside the vehicles heavier. Ryan sat at the back with the other four security personnel, among whom was the hacker with the laptop still beeping, directing them on which area to go.

The silence inside the vehicle was heavy, broken only by the occasional sound of the tracking device beeping softly and the low hum of the engine.

Ryan kept looking down at the device, checking the location repeatedly as his fingers tightened around it.

"How far?" he finally asked.

"About five minutes," the hacker replied.

Ryan nodded and leaned back slightly, his expression hardening as his mind returned to Derek. He knew his friend, and he knew how stubborn and arrogant he could be. He could only pray that Derek's stubbornness had not put him in more danger than necessary.

The thought of finding Derek badly injured, or worse, made something tighten painfully inside his chest, but he refused to allow himself to think about the worst-case scenario.

They were going to find him, they had to.

About five minutes later, the tracker indicated that they were finally at their destination. The SUV came to a stop a short distance away from the building shown on the tracking device, and Ryan immediately looked through the window, studying the large, isolated building standing ahead of them.

"So this is the place," he murmured softly.

The man beside him nodded, his eyes remaining fixed on the building.

"Yes, sir. This is the location we picked up," the man replied.

Ryan said nothing as he continued staring at the building in front of them. There was something unsettling about the place. From a distance, the building looked like an old warehouse that had seen much better days, its walls appearing worn and neglected, while parts of the surrounding area were covered in overgrown weeds and scattered debris.

It looked abandoned, but the few vehicles parked near the side of the building immediately told Ryan that somebody was using it and that someone has his friend hostage.

He narrowed his eyes as he studied the surroundings, trying to notice anything that could give them an advantage, while the men immediately began checking their weapons and equipment, making sure everything they needed was ready before they stepped out of the vehicles.

Ryan looked around at them, his expression serious.

"Listen carefully," he said quietly. "We don't know exactly how many people are inside, and we don't know what condition Derek is in, so we are not going in there carelessly."

The men nodded while Ryan looked toward the building again.

"We need to be smart about this."

One of the men checked his weapon before looking at him.

"What is the plan, sir?"

Ryan took a few seconds to study the building again and its surroundings before answering.

"I'll go through the back with three men," he said, pointing toward the rear of the building. "The other two will go through the front."

He looked at each of them to make sure they were paying attention.

"We need to move quietly, and shooting should be the last option," he said firmly, causing the men to exchange looks among themselves before turning back toward him and nodding.

"We understand, sir," they replied almost simultaneously.

"I don't want anything to become more complicated than it already is," he continued firmly. "Our main goal is to get Derek out safely, so don't start shooting unless there is absolutely no other choice." He emphasized the last part, making sure they understood exactly what he meant.

"Understood," they replied.

Ryan took a deep breath before reaching for the vehicle door.

"Let's move," he murmured.

The men quickly stepped out of the cars, closing the doors as quietly as possible before spreading out according to the plan.

Ryan moved toward the back of the building with three of the men, keeping his body low as they moved through the darkness.

The night was unusually quiet, and every small sound seemed louder than it should have been. The faint rustling of leaves, the distant sound of an animal moving somewhere in the darkness, and the soft crunch of gravel beneath their shoes all seemed amplified by the silence surrounding them.

When they reached the back of the building, they immediately moved behind a large structure that gave them enough cover to observe the area without being noticed.

Ryan raised one hand, signaling for everyone to stop, and they immediately froze, waiting for further instructions.

He slowly leaned forward and looked toward the building. Through one of the windows, he could make out some movement inside. He narrowed his eyes as he watched carefully, trying to determine exactly how many people were inside.

There were men moving around, and he could clearly see they were armed. He counted carefully, making certain of what they were walking into. He counted the first man, then another, and another until he got to the fifth man. He counted again to make sure he had not made a mistake, and after confirming once more that there were truly five armed men inside, he slowly turned toward his group.

He quietly raised five fingers before lowering his hand again.

"There are five," he whispered, and the men beside him nodded.

They remained hidden for a few more seconds, carefully watching the movements inside the building and trying to understand what was happening.

Ryan's eyes continued moving from one window to another, studying the men and the layout of the building as much as he could from their position.

"Now, we wait for a distraction," he murmured softly.

The men said nothing as they continued checking the surroundings. It took only a few seconds, then suddenly, a loud gunshot echoed from inside the building.

Ryan immediately tensed, that was their cue.

"What the..." one of the men beside him whispered.

Before anyone could say anything else, the door suddenly opened and three armed men rushed outside.

They immediately looked around, scanning the surroundings carefully to make sure there was no one hiding nearby before rushing toward the front of the building to inspect what had caused the gunshot.

Ryan immediately pulled the men closer to the wall.

"Stay down," he whispered urgently as the three men rushed past where they were hiding.

Ryan watched them carefully until they were far enough away before slowly turning his attention back toward the entrance.

Two men remained behind. They were standing in front of a particular door inside the building, their weapons held firmly in their hands as they watched the surrounding area.

Ryan's eyes narrowed. He studied them for several seconds before something inside him clicked.

"That's it," he whispered almost inaudibly.

One of the men beside him looked at him.

"What?"

Ryan subtly pointed toward the door.

"They're guarding that door." He paused for a moment, making sure they were listening. "That's probably where they're keeping Derek."

The men immediately understood, Ryan looked at them before pointing toward the two guards.

"You two take care of the guards, and I will get Derek."

The men nodded. After making sure everything was ready, they slowly moved forward, keeping low and using the darkness and surrounding structures for cover.

The two guards remained focused on the building and did not notice the men approaching from behind.

One of Ryan's men moved closer to the first guard while the other approached the second and within seconds, they moved quickly, taking both guards down before either of them could raise an alarm.

Seeing that the obstacles were now neutralized, Ryan immediately moved toward the door. He reached for the handle and slowly opened it.

The moment the door opened, his heart tightened.

Derek was inside, he was seated on the floor with his back against the wall, his head slightly lowered, and his clothes dirty and torn in several places.

There were bruises across his face, and a small amount of dried blood could be seen near his temple.

For a moment, Ryan simply stared at him. Seeing his friend in that condition made something painful twist inside his chest.

"Derek..." he whispered.

On hearing his voice, Derek slowly lifted his head, his eyes looked tired, and his face carried the exhaustion of someone who had been through far more than he should have had to endure.

But the moment he recognized Ryan standing in the doorway, something changed in his expression. He looked surprised for a second before a weak smile appeared on his face.

"Ryan?" he called, wanting to confirm that it was truly him. He had heard the gunshot but had thought it was caused by something else or someone else.

Ryan immediately rushed toward him and crouched down.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice dripping with concern as his eyes moved over Derek's bruised face and battered body.

Derek looked down at himself before slowly looking back at Ryan.

"I've been better."

Ryan couldn't help but smile slightly despite the situation.

"You look terrible."

Derek gave him a tired look, but the faint amusement in his eyes remained.

"Nice to see you too."

He paused for a moment before adding with a weak smile, "What took you so long? I thought you had lost your way on your way here."

Ryan stared at him for a second before letting out a quiet laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. He couldn't believe that even after everything he had been through, Derek could still make jokes.

"You're unbelievable," he murmured with a small smile.

Derek gave him another tired smile.

"And you're late."

Ryan shook his head again, but the relief he felt was impossible to hide. His friend was alive, battered, exhausted, and clearly in pain but alive and at that moment, that was all that mattered.

He reached out and helped Derek slowly to his feet, carefully supporting him when he noticed him wince in pain.

"Come on," he said quietly. "Let's get you out of here."

Derek nodded, but before they could leave the room, he suddenly grabbed Ryan's arm.

"Rebecca..." he murmured quietly, and the smile immediately disappeared from Ryan's face as his expression became serious.

"We're going to find her too," he assured him.

Derek stared at him, searching his eyes for reassurance, causing Ryan to tighten his grip around his friend's shoulder.

"I promise you, Derek, we're going to find her," he promised.

Derek slowly nodded, and for the first time since Ryan had entered the room, some of the tension in his face seemed to ease.

"Then let's go," he murmured, they had better things to do than staying there. One of which is finding his wife.

Ryan nodded as he gently led him outside.