Chapter 29

Chapter 029: Limit (8)

At the request for a situation report, the deputy captain calmly explained what had happened.

"The hose nozzle struck the head of Captain Gu from Dobong Fire Station and threw him away."

"An explosion happened at the same time, destroying the barricade we built."

"We currently have three victims remaining and four rescue firefighters."

They had originally planned to gradually reduce the size of the barricade as the number of people decreased.

But losing the section Captain Gu had been holding created a serious problem.

More importantly, disabled victims were still on the roof.

If the blast pressure struck them directly, the thin fireproof blankets would never endure it.

Hee-soo spoke to the remaining firefighters.

"We need to rebuild the barricade immediately."

"Otherwise, everyone is in danger."

"Five more minutes."

"If we can hold for five minutes, everyone survives."

The five-minute claim was nothing more than hope.

He had no evidence whatsoever.

But those words gave everyone the strength to keep moving.

The basket must have reached the ground.

Another message appeared.

[2 Rescues Successful]

[8 People Remaining]

Hee-soo's heart dropped.

What?

Was the suppression firefighter more seriously injured than I thought?

He was worried.

But this wasn't the time to investigate.

Every second mattered.

They had to rebuild the barricade and rescue Captain Gu.

Meanwhile, the fire that had already swallowed the fifth floor continued spreading through the building.

The fire was so intense that it created a strong rising air current above the structure.

Because of that, helicopters couldn't approach.

Even the roof could feel the heat.

The rescue firefighters wearing Hee-soo's equipment could endure it.

But the victims were finding the increasing heat harder and harder to bear.

On top of that, Captain Gu wasn't moving inside the burning debris.

The deputy captain tried to leave the barricade.

Hee-soo grabbed him.

"We need to rebuild the barricade first."

"Otherwise, all of us could die right now."

"What about Captain Gu?!"

"We can't let everyone die!"

"Block the opening first!"

"Then we'll think about him!"

"Hurry!"

The five rescue firefighters focused first on restoring the collapsed barricade.

Even while working, Hee-soo pushed his brain as hard as possible.

He redesigned the barricade so fewer people would be needed to support it.

"Two people can hold this version."

"When the basket comes back, send down the remaining three victims."

"Then we'll go down last."

"Let's do that."

"We don't have another choice."

"Once the barricade is finished, the deputy captain and I will go get Captain Gu."

The deputy captain had no time to argue.

He pointed at one firefighter.

"When the basket arrives, take the victims down."

"I'm going to get that man."

"I'll stay."

"Firefighter Choi can..."

Hee-soo shook his head.

"No."

"If I'm not here, this position won't hold."

"The important thing right now is getting everyone out quickly."

"Captain Gu won't burn to death where he is."

As he spoke, they suddenly saw Captain Gu sit up inside the flames.

Hee-soo shouted,

"GET OVER HERE!"

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING OVER THERE?!"

Captain Gu shook his head several times as though his mind was still foggy.

Then he noticed Hee-soo and began crawling toward them.

When he finally made it behind the barricade, everyone let out a breath of relief.

Captain Gu leaned against the barricade and tapped his helmet.

"This thing saved my life."

"Ugh."

"Is the basket back yet?"

"It's coming."

"You should go down this time."

"No."

"I'm still okay."

"I was dazed for a moment, but my head doesn't feel seriously damaged."

"I can keep going."

His vital signs did actually look normal.

However, the system only provided limited information.

Hee-soo couldn't be certain.

I need to add more medical information to this thing.

This isn't enough.

Captain Gu contacted command.

"Can one rescue firefighter and three victims descend together next time?"

"Do that no matter what."

"Are you really okay?"

"What could possibly happen to me?"

"We heard you got caught in an explosion."

"An explosion like that is nothing."

"If you're okay, then fine."

"How many people are left up there?"

"Five members of Dobong Rescue Team and three victims."

"Send Choi Hee-soo down this time!"

Hee-soo immediately refused.

"Another firefighter has to go first."

"That's how everyone survives."

While they were talking, the basket arrived.

The rescue firefighter hesitated when they tried to put him inside first.

Captain Gu shouted,

"WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO HESITATE!"

The firefighter was practically shoved into the basket with the victims.

But the basket didn't descend.

Captain Gu shouted,

"Lower the basket!"

"Put Choi Hee-soo on it!"

Hee-soo answered firmly again.

"Send them down now and bring the basket back up."

"I'm not going down this time."

"Hey, you..."

Someone at command started to shout.

Then, perhaps realizing there was no time, another order went out over the same open radio channel.

"Quickly."

"Just lower it first!"

The basket descended faster than usual.

[4 Rescues Successful]

[4 People Remaining]

Only then did Hee-soo understand the meaning of the previous message.

Ah.

The injured suppression firefighter went down under his own power.

That means I didn't rescue him.

Good.

They began preparing to descend.

Then Captain Gu spoke.

"Hee-soo."

"They're pulling the crane away."

"What?"

They looked down toward the area where the aerial ladder truck had been positioned.

The equipment was being withdrawn.

Captain Gu radioed command.

"Why are you pulling the crane out?"

"The ground here is too weak."

"It can't support the crane anymore."

"The crane has tilted badly."

"We need to withdraw it immediately."

Only then did Captain Gu understand why command had been so desperate to send Hee-soo down first.

"So that's why they kept telling you to go down first."

Hee-soo was equally dumbfounded.

Were they seriously planning to save me and leave everyone else to die?

Unbelievable.

Below, Yoon-hee was fiercely confronting the head of the Seoul Disaster Headquarters.

"There are still people up there!"

"How can you withdraw the equipment?!"

"Reporter Jo, listen."

"If that crane falls over, there's nothing we can do."

"Can't you see the ground sinking?"

"The entire crane is tilting!"

"Then what are the people on the roof supposed to do?!"

The Disaster Headquarters chief looked helpless.

"We're looking for another method."

"Just wait a little."

"Wait?"

"This isn't a situation where they can wait!"

Even during the argument, the camera continued recording everything.

A new drone was deployed.

The rooftop situation began broadcasting again.

The YouTube chat, which had erupted in cheers every time someone was rescued, suddenly went quiet when the crane began withdrawing.

[Why are they pulling the crane away when people are still up there? Does anyone know?]

[They said the crane was going to tip over, so they had to withdraw it.]

[Is that official?]

[Even so, there were still five people up there! How can they just leave?]

[Rescue Team 3 from Dobong is up there, right? Isn't Choi Hee-soo with them?]

[A chaebol heir probably came down first.]

[True. Otherwise they wouldn't be pulling the crane away.]

Photographer Jang's insides felt as though they were burning along with the building as he filmed the scene that now seemed to have only one possible ending.

A message came through the radio from command.

"We're using every available resource to spray water onto the building."

"But the fire is extremely intense, and the structure is becoming unstable."

"Also, the air currents above the building are too unstable for helicopters to approach."

Captain Gu calmly asked,

"So what do you want us to do?"

"Escape by ourselves?"

"We're looking for a method."

"Hold on a little longer."

"Will that method be ready before we die?"

It sounded like a joke.

But nobody at command could answer.

There didn't seem to be any method.

Hee-soo contacted Chief Jang.

"Chief Jang."

"Do we have steel wire or something similar?"

"No."

"I can get some, but it'll take time."

"I'm thinking of another way too."

"Hold on for a little longer."

Captain Gu looked at Hee-soo.

"What do you need steel wire for?"

"We can't die here."

"We may have to rappel down."

"Rappelling from here would be difficult in this situation."

"Do we have steel wire or not?"

"There should be some in the rescue vehicle."

"How much?"

"One fifty-meter length, I think."

Chief Jang had already started moving after hearing the conversation.

"Clear everything out of the equipment truck!"

"Prepare the air mattress!"

"Quickly!"

"Yes!"

The moment Chief Jang began running toward the rescue vehicle, Yoon-hee ran with him.

"What are you doing?"

"W-wait."

"I don't have time to explain."

"I need to save Hee-soo."

"This may be our only option."

"Can you save him?"

"We have to."

Something close to madness burned in Chief Jang's eyes.

When he reached the rescue vehicle, Jae-sik, who had already been listening through the radio, handed him the steel cable.

The moment Chief Jang received it, he contacted Hee-soo.

"We'll use a drone to lift the steel wire and a rescue harness to the roof."

"Secure it properly."

"Understood."

Captain Gu looked confused.

"What are you planning?"

"Hmm."

"Probably a zip line."

"A zip line?"

"Yes."

"We'll secure the steel cable up here and ride it down."

"Wouldn't it be safer to send up a rope and rappel down?"

"There are too many variables."

"If the rope gets damaged by the fire, it'll be dangerous."

Hee-soo contacted command.

"We're escaping on our own."

"We'll connect a steel cable."

"Prepare an air mattress below to absorb the impact."

"What are you talking about..."

Chief Jang had already attached the end of an eight-millimeter steel cable to a drone and launched it.

The drone flew toward the building.

Then it crashed onto the roof.

The unstable air current and heavy cable made controlled flight impossible.

A second drone arrived carrying rescue harnesses.

The rescue firefighters on the roof quickly grabbed the wire and tied it around a nearby structural column.

The others began putting on the harnesses.

"Chief Jang."

"The wire is secured to the column."

"Are you ready below?"

"We'll be ready in thirty seconds."

"When I give the signal, come down immediately."

The moment he finished speaking, tension appeared in the cable.

Chaotic voices filled the radio.

"What are you doing?"

"You're seriously planning to catch people like this?"

"What other option do we have?"

"The air mattress isn't ready yet."

"This is our only method."

The Disaster Headquarters chief and Chief Jang were arguing.

Captain Gu looked at Hee-soo.

"We're going to survive this, right?"

"One thing is certain."

"If we stay here, we definitely die."

"We need to escape before the next explosion."

Chief Jang's voice came through the radio again.

"Ready!"

"Come down!"

"Ten-second intervals!"

The five people remaining on the roof took deep breaths.

Hee-soo spoke.

"Go first."

"I'll watch how it works and come down afterward."

"What are you talking about?"

"Get down now!"

At that moment, a deep rumbling came from beneath the rooftop floor.

Rrrrrumble!

Cracks spread across the concrete.

Flames from the floor below became visible through them.

"HURRY!"

"THIS ISN'T THE TIME TO BE STUBBORN!"

Captain Gu shouted.

But Hee-soo remained stubborn.

"I'll watch the four of you go down."

"If you're still alive afterward, I'll follow."