Thugs (2)
“What the hell is this?”
Five tattooed men stood in front of a roadside tree.
“What happened to this bastard?”
One of them, a scarred man, spoke up, and the other tattooed guys replied.
“Looks like someone killed him.”
“Probably another survivor group...”
“Should we report to the boss?”
The scarred man nodded curtly.
“Yeah. But first, we gotta figure out who did it.”
IV fluid sprayed wildly from the tree, where a tall man was tied up, dead. He was one of Black Tattoo's members.
“Tch.”
Joo Sang-jin, Black Tattoo's action captain, grimaced and smacked his lips.
“What kind of fucker is this?”
The tall man's body was covered in axe wounds. No one would do that without some serious grudge. Or...
“Torture?”
Maybe someone interrogated him.
“Captain!”
Another tattooed guy who'd gone on patrol came back with a report.
“There's another body over there...!”
Joo Sang-jin followed him and let out a sigh.
“What the hell is this now?”
More bodies. Two were Black Tattoo members, the third looked like a survivor from another group.
“Did that group kill 'em?”
Joo Sang-jin shook his head at the question.
“Nah.”
If so, they wouldn't have left their buddy's corpse like this. A third party was definitely involved.
“This is a headache.”
The boss wouldn't sit still once he heard. He'd explode that someone dared challenge Black Tattoo.
Joo Sang-jin rubbed his cheek. The scar from the boss's rage still stung.
“The dead ones are still warm. Means they're close. Search every inch. If we don't find 'em, the boss'll beat the shit outta all of us.”
“Yes, sir!”
Black Tattoo's men shouted and scattered in all directions.
Joo Sang-jin muttered, staring at the corpses.
“Gonna have a bunch of funerals today.”
At that moment, not far away.
“Name's Joo Sang-jin,” Yang Min-cheol said as he walked with the group, spilling info on his old crew. “He was like their action captain, had a scar on his face.”
“Scarred guy, huh...”
“No official group name back when I was there, so he might not still be around.”
Yang Min-cheol looked uncertain, but Go Cheon-su shook his head.
“Nah, he's probably still kicking.”
The small fry knew Yang Min-cheol's face. Someone with a bigger rep like that was likely still in the group.
“If he is, that's trouble.”
Yang Min-cheol grimaced.
“Most of 'em are tough guys who work out. Don't wanna drag you down, hyung.”
“No sweat.”
They'd run into thugs like that sooner or later anyway. Go Cheon-su replied calmly.
“Even without you, they'd be in my way. So don't worry about it.”
“For real?”
“Yeah.”
Go Cheon-su probed for more.
“They don't all move together, right? Any group traits worth knowing?”
“Hmm...”
Yang Min-cheol thought for a sec, then spoke.
“Boss likes splitting into separate teams. Patrols, mobile units, escorts, that kinda thing.”
“Teams, huh.”
The tall guy had been on patrol. If Joo Sang-jin was still action captain, he'd probably lead the mobile unit.
“Multiple patrol teams? We only ran into a few.”
“Yeah, exactly.”
Yang Min-cheol nodded.
“Some get missions from the boss, others just watch the perimeter. The ones you killed...”
“Were scouting or looting other groups, probably.”
Obvious.
“Anyway, don't stress. You've told me enough.”
Twenty guys wasn't small, but down to seventeen now. If they split up, pick 'em off one by one.
Go Cheon-su checked straight ahead at the sudden chat pop-up.
“Huh? What's that...”
A 5-ton cargo truck sat there.
“A truck?”
Jang Seo-yeon glanced back at him.
“The thing those dead guys mentioned?”
Go Cheon-su tilted his head at the open cargo bed.
“Dunno. Let's check it out.”
Area was quiet. No one around.
Go Cheon-su approached slowly and peered into the bed.
Viewers joked among themselves, but something caught his eye.
“Zombies were here?”
Bloodstains everywhere in the bed. Chunks of flesh scattered—clear sign of zombies spawning.
“Cheon-su!”
Kim Ha-ryeong's shout made him turn from the bed. She'd been checking the front and peeked around, gesturing.
“The hood's busted open!”
Go Cheon-su went to see. The hood was torn off.
Inside was a mess.
“What the...”
Idiots who knew nothing about trucks had forced it open and wrecked it. Whatever they wanted, they'd shredded the engine bay like a rag.
They were fixing up a truck, right...
Black Tattoo's patrol must've scavenged parts and trashed it.
Go Cheon-su checked the battery compartment on the side.
“They ripped this out too.”
No battery where there should be one.
“Smashed the hood hunting for the battery, huh.”
Engine bay wrecked, but nothing else obviously missing.
Go Cheon-su chuckled dryly.
“Buncha amateurs.”
Stream all day, you pick up truck basics.
“Thanks for the praise.”
Go Cheon-su shrugged and crawled under the truck. Undercarriage was fine. Then to the cab.
Blood splatter, but no major damage. Keys even on the floor.
“What the hell were these idiots doing?”
Hood mess aside, truck was pretty clean overall. With keys, it might've run fine.
If no big issues, Black Tattoo just fucked it up.
“Zombies got 'em, then?”
“Seems like.”
Go Cheon-su nodded at Jang Seo-yeon's question.
“Then those Black Tattoo assholes scavenged parts after.”
“So...”
“Truck's toast.”
Not the Merry, they trashed someone else's ride instead of ditching theirs.
Better if they were just dumb. If the boss's head was twisted, who knew what bullshit later.
“Anyway, time to move...”
Go Cheon-su paused mid-sentence to the group.
Something like clothing fluttered from the alley ahead.
“Hold up.”
He signaled the group and approached slowly.
Whoosh.
He raised his arm, axe following.
“Whoa, wait!”
Someone burst from the alley.
Go Cheon-su froze, eyeing the newcomer.
“Huh...?”
Office worker. Suit like the guy the tall man killed.
“What...”
The man waved frantically at Go Cheon-su's scowl.
“Wait! Don't attack!”
Sudden appearance demanding no attack—Go Cheon-su's eyes widened.
“Who the hell are you? Speak fast if you don't want the axe.”
“Uh, I—!”
The man pointed at the truck.
“I was riding in that! Hid to survive!”
“Oh?”
Go Cheon-su kept the axe up.
“Then why lurk here? Sketchy.”
“Not lurking! Came back! I'll explain! Please, lower that...”
No immediate threat. Go Cheon-su eyed him up and down.
“Min-cheol!”
Check anyway.
“Pat him down.”
“Got it, hyung!”
Yang Min-cheol rushed over and frisked him. Go Cheon-su asked,
“Min-cheol, you seen this guy before?”
“Huh? No.”
No tattoos—probably not Black Tattoo. Could be disguised, but no point. Go Cheon-su lowered the axe.
“Th-thanks.”
Only a small cut on his hand. Man sighed in relief.
Go Cheon-su scanned the alley. Just him.
“Knew right away you're not with them. You got a kid in the group.”
“Them?”
Go Cheon-su raised a brow; the man mimed tattoos on his face.
“Y'know, those tattooed guys.”
“Ah.”
He'd run into Black Tattoo too.
“What'd they do?”
“Zombies chased us, they pretended to help. Then bashed our heads in.”
Go Cheon-su recalled the tall man smashing a pleading guy's skull.
“My coworker got lost in the chase. Similar suit—seen him? No clue where he is now.”
Guy had no idea his buddy died blocks away.
“Calm down. You came back, so you missed what went down here?”
Key was Black Tattoo's direction after grabbing parts. Know their path, avoid bumping into 'em.
Win if they fought, but no needless risks.
“I saw... Came back early for the truck.”
“Good.”
Go Cheon-su grilled him.
“Which way'd the tattoo guys go?”
“That way... south!”
Not on their eastbound route.
“Got it. Thanks.”
Go Cheon-su murmured and waved the group on.
“Let's go.”
“Huh...?”
The man yelled as they moved.
“Wait!”
He pointed at himself.
“What about me?”
“Figure it out yourself.”
No room for more. Go Cheon-su said flatly. The man pointed south again.
“You ain't going that way?”
Absurd. Go Cheon-su stopped.
“That way?”
Straight into them? No reason.
“You need a car.”
Man looked baffled.
“Can't pass ahead without one.”
Heading here for a vehicle, but can't without? Bullshit. Go Cheon-su frowned.
“What're you on about?”
And he got a shocking answer.