Chapter 7 There Are Explosives

But that wasn't going to be a problem for Echo. She noticed the latest model of explosives stuck under the window—something she recognized from a previous heist where she had to blow open a vault.

Echo frowned. When she'd first come in, she'd noticed this was the only window close enough to the ground to have an upward-sliding lock, while the others were too high up. Jumping out of those would be either fatal or at least cause serious injury, so they were sealed shut with fixed glass. These guys had thought everything through.

But locks were no match for her. Despite the situation, a confident smirk played on her lips. To her, these things were just decorations. With a cold scoff, she reached out to unlock the window.

Just as her hand touched the deadlock, she hesitated, pulling back and glancing in Ryan's direction.

The Dark family hadn't treated her too badly, all things considered. Sure, she was forced to be Ryan's servant, but given how cold-blooded he was, letting her live and only making her a servant was practically generous.

And she was the one who'd stolen from him, after all, which led to this situation. The Dark family didn't really owe her anything.

Echo was usually the type to do whatever she wanted, but that didn't mean she was heartless. If someone treated her well, she'd return the favor.

Ryan, so far, was someone she owed. With a sigh, she smacked herself lightly and decided to repay her debt.

Turning on her heel, she sprinted back toward the meeting room where Ryan and the others were.

The glass door was thick and bulletproof, so no matter how much Echo banged on it, it didn't make a sound. She waved frantically in Ryan's direction, frustrated. When she needed him to notice, he didn't, and when she didn't want him to, he always did.

Seeing that Ryan still wasn't reacting, she got even more desperate, kicking the door and waving her hands faster.

Ryan, who had been looking down at something, seemed to sense something was off. He frowned slightly before lifting his head, noticing Echo's frantic state outside the glass door. A strange expression flashed in his eyes as he saw her panic.

Ryan immediately signaled to Cobra, "Open the door."

As soon as the door opened, Echo rushed straight toward Ryan. With less than seven minutes left out of the ten, the urgency was killing her.

"What's going on?" Ryan asked, his cold eyes fixed on Echo as he leaned back on the sofa.

Echo glanced at the Southeast Asian crime bosses seated around the room. She then leaned in close to Ryan, whispering urgently into his ear.

She wasn't stupid—if she spoke up in front of everyone, these were all powerful crime lords. In a life-or-death situation, they'd all be looking out for themselves, and as an outsider, Ryan's crew would likely be at a disadvantage. Better to let Ryan decide what to do.

The bosses exchanged puzzled glances. Everyone knew Ryan was famously cold and unapproachable, never letting anyone get too close. Yet here they were, almost touching.

After Echo finished whispering in his ear, Ryan's expression darkened. Without asking any questions, he stood up abruptly, wrapped an arm around Echo's waist, and said coldly, "Let's go." He led the way out without another word.

Hawk and Cobra exchanged a glance, something flickering in their eyes, but they followed Ryan out without saying anything.

The rest of the crime bosses were left staring at each other, confused. But they hadn't survived in this world by being clueless. If the powerful Dark family was suddenly leaving, something was definitely wrong. They quickly got up and followed behind Ryan's group.

"Hurry up, there's only three minutes left," Echo urged, feeling Ryan's arm still around her waist as they moved forward.

He was taking long strides, each one covering twice the distance of hers. Thinking they'd be faster if they ran, she tried to pull him toward the door, but Ryan's face darkened. After all his years in the underworld, he wasn't about to lose his cool over anything.

Running? He hadn't sunk that low.

With a firm tug, he tightened his grip on Echo's waist, his voice steady as he said, "Calm down, I'm here." He quickened his pace toward the door, maintaining his usual composure even in this tense moment.

It was hard to tell if he was just that confident or plain arrogant.

"What's going on, girl?" one of the older bosses with gray hair asked, unable to hold back his curiosity as he saw how quickly Ryan was moving and how panicked Echo seemed.

Echo glanced up at Ryan, and when she saw he didn't object, she quickly said, "There are explosives."

Three simple words, yet they drained the color from every Southeast Asian boss's face.

Suddenly, everyone was in a panic. The younger ones dropped all pretense of cool and authority, breaking into a run toward the exit. The older ones exchanged a glance and then sped up to follow Ryan. To be a leader, you had to have the strength and tactics of one.

"The door won't open! The door won't open!" The bosses and their men who had rushed ahead found the main door completely locked, and their panic grew even more intense.

"Blow it up!" Cobra, out of nowhere, pulled out a handgun, ready to shoot the lock off.

The Southeast Asian bosses didn't even have time to be shocked that Cobra had managed to bring a gun past all the security checks. They quickly said, "No, don't! This is a controlled lock. If you force it, it might never open."

They had picked this heavily fortified hotel for its high level of security, but now that very security had turned the place into a trap. With all communication tools removed for secrecy, they were completely cut off from the outside world—a massive blunder.

"Move," Ryan barked, his sharp tone making everyone instinctively step aside.

He pushed Echo forward, and without a word, she quickly got to work. Her hands moved swiftly, and in just moments, there was a soft ping as the lock clicked open.

No one fought for the position this time; they let Ryan lead Echo out first, then followed in a rush.

Tick-tock, tick-tock—the seconds slipped away rapidly.

Echo was always acutely aware of time, every theft she'd ever done had been in impossibly short windows, yet she'd never faced a life-or-death situation quite like this. Usually, if she got caught, she could still escape, but now, if she didn't make it, it was straight to the afterlife. She regretted coming back to warn them; she could've repaid her debt in the next life.

Sweat made her hands slick, and the pressure of the ticking clock made them tremble. She struggled with the final lock, fumbling with the mechanism.

"Stay calm." A commanding voice cut through her panic, and a strong hand gripped her trembling wrist firmly.

Echo glanced up at Ryan. His expression was steady, with no hint of fear or panic in his cold, intense eyes. The harshness and resolve in his gaze somehow calmed her down.