Flames of a Failed Heist - 8
"Alright. You all saw where they went, right?" Kim Soi flashed a faint smile. "You might not know exactly where they're heading in the dead of night, but anyway, this is our chance."
For starters, there were no men around. That meant the remaining risks were pretty much zero.
"I've got everything prepared..."
If the organization in front of them had been a proper outfit, pulling off a theft with just her mercenary band's level of firepower would have been laughable. But this group was pathetically small. There might be a watchman left behind, but the odds weren't high.
"Let's make this quick and clean, then start a new life."
Life as a mercenary had no future. Sure, another conflict might flare up someday and bring boom times, but Kim Soi had no confidence she'd last that long. But if a massive haul of cash fell into her hands, her options would open wide. She could join some organization and live it up, or buy up goods and become a traveling merchant.
"Let's go."
The night was deep. Kim Soi held her breath with her subordinates as they slipped toward the base.
"From here on, keep it quiet. There might be sentries, so move carefully."
No men, but the base itself probably wasn't completely empty. Still, no matter how hard they looked, it didn't seem like anyone was around.
"No watchtower or anything... Looks like we can head in."
The wooden palisade was tall, but Kim Soi took a running start and vaulted over it effortlessly.
"Hurry up and follow."
From inside the fence, she tossed down a rope, guiding her unit members as they climbed over one by one.
"Seriously... there's nothing inside at all?"
"Yeah."
Wooden base, warehouse, barricade. Aside from those three, the place was as good as empty.
"Head to the headquarters. Got the artifact ready?"
From certain dungeons or supply points, you could get not just cash, but useful items. Guns, swords, clothes infused with special powers. And among them were one-use items perfect for limited situations.
"Thief's Key—use it now."
One of Kim Soi's subordinates pulled a metal key from his pocket and jammed it into the wooden HQ door.
Thief's Key has been used.
Over the next 5 minutes, any bills inside the safe zone will drop outside the door.
It was an item capable of destroying a safe zone itself from the outside with overwhelming power. For a proper organization, it was something they'd treat like a half-baked dud. Safe zones were precious and absolute. Any real group would have dozens of ways prepared to protect theirs. It couldn't hurt the people inside, and it offered no defense against attacks through base windows or the like. If you had the firepower to take down everyone in the base, it'd be better to just put in a bit more effort to collapse the whole structure or blockade it and negotiate. An item literally made for thieves, who had no means to smash safe zones.
"Good. Let's see how much we score..."
Kim Soi held her breath, staring holes through the door. And time passed.
"Huh?"
The group panicked.
"Not a single bill?"
"Maybe they haven't hit a dungeon yet—"
"Does that even make sense?"
Kim Soi bit her lip hard. He looked weak and sloppy, but he was a man. And being a man meant he was someone's son. Even if he got chased out or fled after losing a turf war between groups, he could easily bring a decent amount of cash.
"They built a whole base... and really? Nothing?"
Maybe she'd been too complacent from the start. His forces were weak, the base shabby, so perhaps he hadn't prepared anything worthwhile.
"W-what... do we do?"
The item was already used. And they'd taken the risk to come inside.
"Damn it... Raid the warehouse at least! Who knows, maybe there's something good."
Valuables might be hard to find, but the warehouse could have decent stuff left behind.
"Hoo..."
Kim Soi felt her head spinning from the anxiety.
"I'll keep watch for a bit. You guys search on your own."
She stared at the door, pulling out a cigarette and lighting up. She was on edge. She didn't want this gamble to end like this.
"Q-quiet!"
Sounds of items clattering echoed. The mercenaries rummaged desperately.
'Is it really empty? Or are they all asleep?'
Kim Soi, cigarette in mouth, stared at the building in confusion.
"Nothing back here either."
The butt burned out. She tossed it aside casually and looked at her mercs searching the warehouse.
"This... seems to be everything."
"Mostly food, and nothing that'd fetch a high price no matter how you look at it..."
Of course, it wasn't worthless either. If they'd just arrived in Anseongu, they'd have seen this mountain of food as a treasure trove.
"Grab what we can for now, and search for anything else."
But they'd already found one supply point. Food was always vital, but it wouldn't change their lives. Just more of the same existence, stretched out a bit longer. Starve when no jobs, risk your neck for peanuts when there were. Feast if you luckily found an unclaimed supply point, starve endlessly if not.
Kim Soi didn't want to go back to that life.
"No secret rooms or anything? Or sturdier locked boxes...?"
But nothing. Kim Soi sighed.
"Isn't it getting brighter? Not morning yet—"
"Wait, why's it so warm in here—"
The moment they noticed the anomaly, scorching light poured down on them. Accompanied by hellish heat and the nauseating stench of burning wood assaulting their noses.
"F-fire!"
"What the—why all of a sudden—"
Kim Soi clamped her mouth shut. 'Fuck, the cigarette? How the hell!'
She'd thought she'd dropped the cigarette butt on the ground, but somehow the fire had spread here.
"G-get out first! Don't breathe the smoke, head outside... Ack!"
Something boomed and exploded inside the warehouse.
"B-bombs? Were there bombs inside?"
"No way!"
They had no idea. The butane gas Sunwoo had stashed there not long ago had reacted to the heat and blown. Even if they'd known beforehand, they couldn't have responded properly in this chaos.
"Fuck, run! Get out!"
With the explosions, the flames roared fiercer.
"Ugh...!"
The fire spread like flowing water along fallen branches and leaves on the ground.
"Door! Door! Run for the door!"
Kim Soi gritted her teeth and yelled. If even one person was left inside, they'd surely get caught—but they had no luxury to care right now.
"Run!!!"
Luckily, they weren't spotted. Aside from some singed hair, no one was hurt.
"W-what... do we do about that?"
But the freshly built outpost was burning miserably. Flames engulfed the palisade, the warehouse still raging.
Kim Soi stared at the sight, trembling.
"Fuck..."
Failure. She'd senselessly torched an artifact that might've fetched a decent price. No gains, all losses. If only they'd swiped the food inside, it wouldn't feel this hollow.
"For now... we hide."
It was night. Bad luck, and even regular zombies could mean dozens or hundreds. Anseongu was safer now, but anything could happen. No room for complacency.
'What now...'
It was a decision born from worrying about her band half a year or a year from now. A crime committed thinking inaction meant no stable life ever. But the result was disastrous.
'They'll probably figure it was us.'
She didn't know their strength, but from now on, they'd openly antagonize her mercenary band. She didn't think they'd lose in open fight, but these guys being the local powers who held grudges wasn't good.
Not immediately, but they had to leave ASAP. Wouldn't do to have members kidnapped or ambushed. Another botched job. She could feel her subordinates eyeing her suspiciously.
"...Hide. I'll keep watch, you rest."
Kim Soi found a suitable abandoned building nearby, confirmed no zombies inside.
"I'll wake you if I'm sleepy. Rest first."
"Got it!"
She barricaded the only stairs zombies could climb, then absentmindedly looked out the window.
"Damn it..."
It was all burning. Her stupidity and folly turned to flames, reducing a fine outpost to ash. She lit another cigarette. Knowing it was dumb and foolish—but otherwise, she couldn't endure it.