Chapter 20: Chapter 20: A Force Retreat

Sky hadn’t slept.

Not after everything that had happened.

Not after seeing Nani break down for the first time.

And definitely not after the message.

The moment Nani had finally let himself rest, Sky had stepped out of the room, checking his phone back. Perth’s message was still on the screen.

> UNKNOWN ACCOUNT ACTIVATED.

Alias traced to Nani’s old network.

It’s active.

Sky’s grip on his phone tightened.

Someone was digging.

And they weren’t just looking for Nani.

They were baiting him.

His first instinct was to call Perth. Demand answers. Find out who the hell was pulling these strings.

But when he turned back—when he saw Nani curled up on the couch, finally asleep, chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm—

He hesitated.

For the first time in his life, Sky chose to wait.

Not because he wasn’t worried.

But because Nani needed this. This brief moment of peace.

So instead, Sky sat in silence.

Watching. Waiting.

And deciding that whoever had sent that message?

They weren’t getting anywhere near Nani.

---

The Safehouse

By the time they arrived at the safehouse, the tension in the air was thick enough to cut.

The building itself was a fortress. Modern. High-security. Reinforced walls. The kind of place designed to keep people in as much as it kept threats out.

Santa was the first to step inside. He took one glance around, wrinkled his nose, and dropped his duffel bag with a loud thud.

"Okay, I hate it."

Dunk, dragging his own bag behind him, groaned. “Yep. This sucks.”

Joong, ever the practical one, scanned the space before sighing. “It’s not about comfort. It’s about security.”

Santa made a face. “Yeah, yeah, we’re safe. But at what cost?”

Dunk flopped onto the nearest couch, arms spread dramatically. “I don’t care if this place has bulletproof glass and laser sensors, it still feels like a prison.”

Perth, already at the security console, tapped a few keys and hummed approvingly. “At least it’s a well-guarded prison. The security is airtight.”

Sky had barely spoken since they arrived.

He stood near the entrance, arms crossed, scanning every detail.

Nani, beside him, could feel it.

The tension in Sky’s stance.

The way his fingers tapped against his arm.

The way his eyes lingered on the reinforced doors, the locked-down exits.

He didn’t like it.

Not one bit.

Nani exhaled and muttered, "Feels like a cage."

Sky’s gaze flickered to him.

For a second—just a second—something softened in his expression.

Then, just as quickly, it was gone.

"At least it’s a secure cage."

Santa groaned loudly. “Oh, great. That makes me feel so much better.”

Joong ignored them, turning toward Sakda and Thanawat. “How long are we staying here?”

Thanawat’s expression was unreadable. “As long as it takes.”

Santa grumbled. “That’s government talk for ‘we have no idea.’”

Thanawat didn’t deny it.

Sky, finally shifting his stance, cut in. “We’re not staying locked down forever.”

Sakda, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.

“You don’t get a choice in this, Sky.”

The room stilled.

Because this wasn’t just the head of their unit speaking.

This was Sakda—their mentor, their father figure.

Sky clenched his jaw. “We can take care ourselves.”

Sakda’s sharp gaze landed on him. “Sure. That’s why HQ is in shambles.”

Sky went silent.

Nani, standing slightly behind him, felt something twist in his chest.

Sakda’s voice softened just slightly but remained firm. “You are my squad. And I am not going to stand by and watch you all get picked off one by one because you’re too damn stubborn to accept help.”

Dunk shifted uncomfortably. “It’s not like we don’t appreciate the concern, Chief, but—”

“No buts.” Sakda’s tone left zero room for argument. He took a slow breath, rubbing his temples before muttering, “You’re all going to give me a heart attack at this rate.”

Santa, unable to help himself, muttered under his breath, “Then stop caring so much.”

Sakda immediately smacked the back of his head.

Santa yelped. “Ow—okay! Point taken!”

The tension cracked—just slightly.

---

Protection Detail

Thanawat set his hands on the table. “Let’s get one thing clear.”

He wasn’t asking.

“The attack on HQ wasn’t random. Jason Blackwood wanted to prove a point.”

Sakda nodded. “And the point was? We’re in his way.”

Dew, standing beside them, crossed his arms. “Which means you all are now targets.”

Joong leaned against the table. “We can handle ourselves.”

Thanawat’s gaze was sharp. “I know.”

Sky’s jaw clenched. He didn’t like where this was going.

Thanawat continued, “That’s why we’re not just protecting Nani. We’re protecting all of you.”

Santa groaned. “This is getting worse.”

Dunk raised a hand. “Can I protest?”

Thanawat arched a brow. “You can try.”

Dunk dropped his hand. “Never mind.”

Sakda smirked. “Smart choice.”

Sky finally spoke. His voice was even, controlled. “Interpol’s already backing us. That’s enough.”

Thanawat didn’t flinch. “No. It’s not.”

Sky’s shoulders tensed.

Sakda stepped in. “This isn’t a debate, Sky.”

Joong exhaled. “We don’t need bodyguards.”

Dew, smirking slightly, leaned in. “Yeah? Too bad. You’ve got one.”

Sky’s expression twitched. “What?”

Dew grinned.

“My squad’s handling protection detail.”

Silence.

Santa let out a low whistle. “Shit. That’s worse than Interpol.”

Dunk nudged Nani. “Damn. You get Sky watching your back and his scary big brother?”

Nani sighed. “This is my life now.”

---

Interpol’s Backup

Before they could process all the information, the security door buzzed.

Perth checked the monitor.

“…Well. Shit.”

Joong frowned. “What now?”

Perth smirked. “Your new best friends just arrived.”

The door opened.

Two men stepped in.

One was tall, sharp-eyed, smirking like he ran the world.

The other was grinning like he was about to cause problems.

Interpol’s new protection detail.

Agent Gemini.

Agent Fourth.

Santa stared.

Dunk slowly grinned.

“Oh,” Santa whispered. “This is gonna be chaos.”

------

Interpol’s Plan

The tension hadn’t fully settled, but the immediate danger was over.

Now came the new problem.

Interpol.

Sky stood with arms crossed, expression unreadable as Agent Gemini and Agent Fourth outlined their plan.

“Nani will have 24-hour surveillance,” Gemini said smoothly, glancing between them. “One of us will be with him at all times.”

Sky’s jaw tightened. He didn’t like it.

He didn't like Interpol breathing down their necks.

Didn’t like that they were calling the shots.

And he definitely didn’t like the idea of some random agents glued to Nani’s side.

“That’s excessive,” Sky said flatly.

Gemini tilted his head, smirking. “Not really. He’s our witness.”

Sky’s fingers twitched. “He’s our teammate.”

Fourth, standing beside Gemini, grinned. “You say that like it’s different.”

Sky’s glare could’ve burned through steel.

Joong, sensing an impending homicide, cleared his throat. “And the rest of us?”

Gemini turned to him. “Your unit isn’t off the radar either. Dew’s squad and Interpol will run rotating shifts securing the perimeter.”

Santa sighed dramatically. “Oh, great. Babysitters.”

Dunk nudged Nani. “Damn, you’re high maintenance.”

Nani, still half-processing, exhaled. “Believe me, I wish I wasn’t.”

---

Room Assignments

The safehouse wasn’t huge, but it had just enough room for them to divide up.

Four rooms. Eight people.

And somehow, that turned into a battlefield.

Perth, typing at the security console, barely glanced up. “I’m with Santa.”

Santa threw an arm around Perth’s shoulder. “See? That’s teamwork. We don’t even need to discuss it.”

Dunk grinned. “Guess that means I’m with P’Joong.”

Joong sighed. “Of course.”

Then—Dew smirked.

“Well, I guess that means I’m with Nani.”

Sky’s head snapped up so fast it was a miracle he didn’t break his neck.

“No.”

Dew blinked innocently. “No?”

Sky’s jaw clenched. “You’re not sharing with him.”

Nani, already exhausted, sighed. “Can I at least have a say—”

“No.” Sky and Dew said at the same time.

Nani groaned. “Fantastic.”

Santa, watching the disaster unfold, grinned. “Damn. Nani, how does it feel having two grown men fight over you?”

Dunk snorted. “Like a bad romance drama.”

Sky shot Dew a glare. “You have your own squad. Stay with them.”

Dew shrugged, clearly enjoying himself. “What’s wrong, Captain? Afraid I’ll steal your partner?”

Sky’s eyes twitched. “I will throw you outside.”

Gemini, watching the chaos unfold, whistled low. “Damn. Possessive much?”

Fourth laughed. “I like this team.”

Joong pinched the bridge of his nose. “For the love of God, can we just finalize the damn rooms?”

Santa smirked. “Sky’s obviously sleeping with Nani.”

Silence.

Dunk gasped dramatically. “You mean ‘sleeping in the same room,’ right?”

Santa grinned. “Sure.”

Sky, done with everything, exhaled sharply. “Fine. I’m with Nani. Everyone shut up.”

Dew, still smirking, tossed a wink at Nani. “You win this time, Wongravee.”

Sky’s fist clenched.

Nani sighed again. “God, why me.”

------

The First Night

Sky & Nani’s Room

Nani stood at the doorway, staring.

One bed.

Sky, standing behind him, exhaled sharply. “…Of course.”

Nani turned, brow raised. “What, you expected bunk beds?”

Sky ignored him, walking past and tossing his bag on the floor. “Take the bed. I’ll take the chair.”

Nani blinked. “What?”

Sky sat on the chair, arms crossed, looking completely unbothered. “I’ll sleep here.”

Nani, deadpan, pointed at the massive bed. “You realize there’s enough space for two grown men, right?”

Sky shot him a pointed look. “Do you want to share?”

Nani paused.

Sky smirked. “That’s what I thought.”

Nani rolled his eyes. “Okay, caveman. You’re not sleeping in the damn chair.”

Sky didn’t move. “I’ve slept in worse.”

Nani folded his arms. “And I’m not letting my ‘protector’ wake up with a stiff neck because he’s too stubborn to share a bed.”

Sky raised an eyebrow. “You’re that concerned about my well-being?”

Nani huffed. “I’m concerned about dealing with you when you’re cranky.”

Silence.

Then—Sky smirked.

“Fine.”

Nani blinked. “…Fine?”

Sky kicked off his boots and moved toward the bed. “You win. But if you start kicking in your sleep, I’m pushing you off.”

Nani scoffed, crawling into his side. “If you snore, I’m suffocating you with a pillow.”

Sky settled in, arms behind his head. “Try it.”

For a while, they just lay there.

The room was dark. Quiet.

No immediate danger.

No gunfire.

Just… breathing.

Nani exhaled slowly. “This is weird.”

Sky hummed. “What?”

Nani stared at the ceiling. “No one’s trying to kill us.”

Sky smirked. “Enjoy it while it lasts.”

Nani, half-asleep already, muttered, “You’re insufferable.”

Sky chuckled. “…Goodnight, Nani.”

For once—Nani didn’t fight it.

“…Night, Sky.”

---

Perth & Santa’s Room

Santa was already sprawled across the bed, watching Perth set up his laptop.

“You’re really gonna work all night, huh?” Santa sighed dramatically.

Perth didn’t even blink. “Yes.”

Santa rolled over onto his stomach, grinning. “No fun.”

Perth adjusted his glasses. “I’m not here for fun.”

Santa smirked. “Yet here you are. Stuck in a room with me.”

Perth finally looked up. “…Unfortunately.”

Santa grinned wider. “Come on. We’re off duty for the night. No hacking, no tracking, just us…” He gestured vaguely. “…bonding.”

Perth eyed him suspiciously. “…Bonding?”

Santa stretched lazily, muscles flexing just enough to be annoying. “You, me, one bed. The tension is unbearable.”

Perth exhaled. “There is no tension.”

Santa propped his chin on his hand. “There could be.”

Perth closed his laptop. “…Go to sleep, Santa.”

Santa, still smirking, rolled onto his side. “You’re avoiding me.”

Perth, expression unreadable, flicked off the bedside lamp. “I’m ignoring you.”

Santa chuckled softly. “…We’ll see.”

Perth didn’t answer.

But the corner of his mouth twitched just slightly.

---

Joong & Dunk’s Room

Dunk was testing the room’s echo.

Joong, exhausted, rubbed his temples. “If you don’t stop making weird noises, I will smother you with a pillow.”

Dunk grinned. “Love you too, P’Joong.”

Joong groaned. “Why me?”

Dunk grinned wider. “Because deep down, you’d miss me if I wasn’t here.”

Joong grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. “Go. To. Sleep.”

Dunk, laughing, dodging. “Fine, fine. But for real, do you think we’re safe here?”

Joong exhaled, glancing at the locked door. “…For now.”

Dunk nodded, surprisingly quiet. “…Okay.”

For once—he actually shut up.

---

Dew’s Squad & Interpol

Outside, Dew leaned against a patrol car, arms crossed, watching the perimeter.

Gemini smirked beside him. “Your brother’s intense.”

Dew chuckled. “Understatement.”

Fourth stretched. “You think we’ll get action tonight?”

Dew’s vice-captain, Benz, grunted. “You hoping for an ambush?”

Fourth grinned. “I get bored easily.”

Dew rolled his eyes. “Well, let’s hope Jason Blackwood takes a night off.”

Benz muttered, “Doubt it.”

Gemini smirked. “Same.”

For now, the safehouse was quiet.

But they all knew—

It wouldn’t last long.