Chapter 46
Chapter 46
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 46
Chapter Title: Terror
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"Ugh... This sucks. Why the hell is a Hajji in America?"
After the 9/11 attacks and through the Iraq War, U.S. soldiers twisted "Hajji"—a term for those who had completed the Islamic holy pilgrimage to Mecca—into a slur against Muslims.
Post-9/11, Americans' image of Islam was extremely negative.
Ali, who had to bear the brunt of that negativity, was ignored by kids from the same school since childhood.
Ali thought:
'I haven't done anything wrong, so why are they tormenting me like this?'
He wondered.
Why go this far just because he was Muslim?
He agonized over it again and again.
'Ah, someday I need to give those who torment me for no reason a real reason to fear me.'
And so, from his childhood years until now, he endured silently.
The bullying didn't stop in high school either.
It was agonizing.
Ali wanted to get revenge on those who mocked him every day with their laughter.
But what could he do?
He had no friends and spent his time at home after school.
That made him close to computers, and he discovered the deep web.
There was so much that amazed him.
'So there's a world like this out there.'
In the midst of that, he made contact with al-Qaeda, the Islamic terrorist group targeting America.
He had vented about his life on the deep web, and someone reached out. They started talking daily.
The man said:
"Allah is great. Endure the trials that befall you."
Over years of conversation, the idea that 'it's not my fault' slowly seeped into Ali.
His words were a comfort even on days he came home from being bullied.
'It's not my fault. They're the bad ones, and this is Allah's trial.'
Ali was brainwashed like that.
One day, the man said:
The time for revenge had come.
He was to instill fear in those who gave him trials and spread Allah's greatness.
And Ali began to listen intently.
"Terrorize the school! Die for Allah!"
He told Ali of a location where items to proclaim Allah's greatness were waiting.
When Ali arrived, there were bombs, guns, and plenty of ammo.
'Ah... yes, this is it. The thing that can give them a reason to hate me.'
Ali pondered how to inflict maximum shock on America.
The school was too big; alone, he could only kill a few.
Was there a way to take the whole school hostage?
While thinking, he realized it during lunch rush.
'Here!'
The cafeteria had only one large entrance; no other way in.
Block that, and it was done.
Thanks to rumors of good food, students rarely went out and gathered in the cafeteria.
Ali had spotted it on day one, confirmed on day two, and set the plan for today, the final day.
As a Berkeley High School student, he didn't raise suspicion.
He planted bombs inside the cafeteria.
For the grand finale.
And hid guns beforehand.
In the storage area inside the cafeteria.
As the cafeteria filled with noisy students, he walked straight through.
To the guns.
No one paid Ali any mind.
He opened the storage locker, grabbed the gun quick, shut and locked the cafeteria doors.
Bang! Bang!
Ali grinned and said:
"Allahu Akbar."
I ducked reflexively.
At the same time, my eyes met Dong-hyun's.
His eyes mirrored mine.
Terror.
Damn it.
We were cooks.
But our battalion commander was a training maniac.
No exceptions for kitchen staff.
We got dragged to every major drill, even enemy infiltration training.
The stuff we learned cursing that lunatic was coming in handy now.
I signaled Dong-hyun.
[Quiet].
[Assess situation].
Dong-hyun nodded fast.
We pressed tight against the wall by the cafeteria where the shots came from.
Children's cries and a mad shouting voice faintly reached us.
I put two fingers to my eyes, pointed to the kitchen door leading to the cafeteria.
[Recon].
Dong-hyun shook his head immediately.
[Danger].
He mimed clenching and opening his fist rapidly.
[Enemy numbers unknown].
[Armed status unclear].
I signaled again.
[Secure kitchen back door].
Dong-hyun nodded.
First, secure our exit.
Luckily, the kitchen had a door for trash and supplies.
I whispered to Dong-hyun as quietly as possible.
"Fuck... looks like real guns."
"What do we do?"
Dong-hyun's eyes shook with anxiety.
Fear was natural.
But soon, he gritted his teeth.
"The kids... we have to save them."
"You mad bastard..."
But I thought the same.
We couldn't abandon the trapped kids and run.
"Got it. Report first, then see."
We didn't hesitate anymore.
We moved silently, like cats.
My heart pounded wildly.
I signaled Dong-hyun.
[I go].
[Cover].
Dong-hyun nodded with a resolute face.
He grabbed a large lid nearby like a shield(?).
Idiot... what good is that?
I quietly opened the back door.
Peeked outside.
Good, no one.
I slipped out fast.
Back to the wall, trembling hands pulled out my phone, dialed 911.
My voice barely came out.
I swallowed dry, spoke clearly.
"Berkeley High School cafeteria! Armed gunman! Send help now!"
I hung up.
Whew... report done.
Now hold out till cops arrive.
I checked back inside.
Dong-hyun still held the lid, tense, watching me.
I signaled.
[Report complete].
[Wait].
Problem was, who knew what would happen inside before they got here.
Ji-hoon's 911 call triggered the highest alert at Berkeley PD dispatch.
"Berkeley High School cafeteria! Gunman with firearm! Multiple students!"
The dispatcher's hands flew.
Screen showed school location and live data.
Report shot up the chain.
"Suspected school terror incident!"
It raced past the chief to local SWAT, especially the police terror suppression unit.
School terror!
American society bore deep trauma from past horrific school shootings.
Afterward, most schools added locks per classroom, evacuation manuals, safety measures.
But this was different.
"Cafeteria?!"
SWAT team leader's face hardened.
Unlike classrooms, cafeteria was vast and open.
Lunchtime meant hundreds, maybe thousands packed in.
Worst-case scenario.
Police intranet flashed emergency signals; radios blared urgent orders.
Patrol cars blocked roads around school; armored SWAT loaded up and rolled out.
Quiet Berkeley streets exploded with sirens and chopper blades.
Police frenzy couldn't dodge media eyes.
Dozens of cop cars swarmed Berkeley High, helicopters overhead—local stations cut programming.
"Reports of a shooting at Berkeley High School. Police deploying en masse. Details unclear."
The news spread nationwide via cable and internet in seconds.
CNN, Fox, MSNBC switched to breaking news.
Red 'BREAKING NEWS' banners flashed; they linked to nearest field reporters.
Phones buzzed with alerts.
[Berkeley High 'Active Shooter' Possible]
[Police Prepare for Cafeteria Hostage Crisis]
Twitter, Facebook exploded.
#BerkeleyHighSchool #SchoolShooting
Hashtags topped trends instantly.
No info leaked from trapped students inside.
Instead, chaotic perimeter videos, unverified rumors, frantic parents filled timelines.
"How many suspects?"
"Casualties?"
"Terror group link?"
Questions flooded, but early reports were chaotic, info fragmented.
Speculation and fear amplified over facts.
Eyes nationwide fixed on a California high school cafeteria in little Berkeley.
The nightmare recurring, terror gripped America.
Ah.
These eyes...
The eyes I always got.
Fear.
Yes, eyes full of fear.
Anyway, finale was mass explosion.
No plans for quick kills.
Fear more.
Before me, several people with gunshot wounds to arms and legs trembled, begging for life.
Their huddled shivering was hilarious.
Bystanders and my tormentors alike eyed me with unified terror.
Aah, this was it.
I silently thanked the one who made everyone here tremble with just one gun.
"P...please... it hurts so much..."
One writhed, spraying blood, crawling the floor.
One of my bullies.
Looked good crawling like a bug.
Cops would come soon from the shots, and I'd take them too.
I had the detonator; finger twitch and boom.
And... my death would spread Allah's greatness across America.