Pyeongtaek US Military Base (3)
Seong Gyu-hyuk must have been feeling the same way I was.
"The beasts... they eat those monsters?"
The big burly man twisted his face and looked up at Seong Gyu-hyuk.
"You guys call those non-human things monsters, huh? We just call 'em zombies."
I call them Human Beasts. Lots of different names out there.
The burly man continued. "And yeah. The beasts eat zombies. Not just zombies—they eat each other all the time, too."
Seong Gyu-hyuk glanced back at me. The Special Forces captain was definitely on the same page as me. Hell, all the Special Forces guys probably were.
Beasts. I'd known they'd vanished somewhere. Birds, rats, dogs, cats—all gone from the streets since the apocalypse hit. Never heard one, never seen one.
My guess back then was spot on. The beasts had banded together, forming their own waves. By eating each other.
I looked at Seong Gyu-hyuk. There has to be more to learn. Ask him.
Whether he read my eyes or not, Seong Gyu-hyuk turned back to the burly man. "A few more questions. If a beast horde rampages through here, what are the Americans doing about it? What's their plan?"
The burly man shook his head. "I already told you. Whatever those fuckers are up to is their business, not ours. We're just here for the guns."
Seong Gyu-hyuk nodded and asked again. "Last one. Why guns?"
The burly man tilted his head at Seong Gyu-hyuk, frowning. Hard to tell if he was a farmer or a construction grunt, but the middle-aged guy with skin black as night looked pretty damn menacing like that.
"Why guns? What the hell do you mean?"
Seong Gyu-hyuk replied calmly. "Guns are loud. They'll provoke the bastards and draw them in hordes. Don't the beasts react the same way?"
"Nah, they're the same. Beasts come running at noise too."
"Then why guns? You've got shovels right there. Wouldn't the smart move be to handle it quietly?"
The big man's expression shifted into something strange—like a smirk mixed with a bitter grimace.
"...You guys really haven't seen those beasts up close, have you."
Seong Gyu-hyuk waited silently for his answer.
The man said, "Listen up, government soldier. Ever seen bats flying at dusk? Cute little things, right? Palm-sized at most. Even the big ones are just two palms put together."
The amusement faded from the man's face.
"The bats here? They're on another level. Bat bodies the size of a man, unfolding wings several meters wide, soaring through the sky. You think dogs are still just dogs? Cats? Truck-sized monsters strutting around calling themselves cats. Cats aren't cats anymore. Bigger than tigers, even. The ones barely holding their size are birds and rats. But even that's changing."
Seong Gyu-hyuk's face grew grave as he listened. The Special Forces operatives, Seong Ga-yeon, even my own expression shifted.
Cats bigger than tigers? Dogs the size of cars? What the fuck?
Seong Gyu-hyuk asked, "Changing how? What do you mean?"
The burly man sighed. "Eating. The more they tear into something, the bigger they get. Four-legged carnivores bulked up first. Bats next. Birds and rats are still kinda normal—for now. But it's only a matter of time. Day by day, they're growing."
The kneeling survivors' faces darkened. Shadows crept under their brows.
Seong Gyu-hyuk said, "...They grow by eating... So the beasts in the city are devouring people... no, monsters... and getting bigger?"
"Yeah. They bulk up eating each other too. The more they eat, the more monstrous they become, like you said. Imagine a truck-sized dog prowling the streets and shoving its head through your window—what happens then?"
The burly man bared his teeth in outrage. "Steel bars on windows? Worthless as toothpicks. The whole wall comes crashing down. So tell me—how the hell are we supposed to protect ourselves without guns and bombs?"
Seong Gyu-hyuk had no reply, just stared down at the middle-aged man.
A truck-sized dog smashing through a window. Yeah... that's no joke.
Seong Ga-yeon stepped forward. "You said beasts eat monsters, but what about survivors? Has anyone been eaten?"
The burly man turned to her. "Not yet. No live ones taken. But it's coming. Zombie numbers in the city are thinning out."
The old man behind him spoke up. "Nah. That chopper earlier herded in a ton of zombies. Probably stirred up the downtown ones too—might be repopulating every building by now."
The burly man shot a glare back. "Shut it. That's the one thing we don't know. That chopper dragged away what few zombies we had left—how do we know houses aren't empty now?"
The old man clammed up.
The burly man sighed. "If that's the case, we're fucked. No food left, those things'll swarm the living for sure."
He looked up at Seong Gyu-hyuk, teeth gritted. "We need weapons. Guns! We need guns to survive!"
...That's why they aimed at the chopper earlier. If a zombie wave hits and clears the city, they're dead meat.
Seong Gyu-hyuk bit his lip. So did I.
These assholes pointed guns at his team—at me—and pulled the trigger. Normally, we'd get the info and waste them.
Ah... tastes bitter.
I pulled out a cigarette, lit up, and stared at the ground with a sigh. Smoke billowed long and thick.
I felt eyes on me. Looking up, Seong Gyu-hyuk and the Special Forces guys were watching.
...I get it.
I took the bullet, I took them down. Now they're leaving the decision to me—silent approval.
I puffed the cig and met Seong Gyu-hyuk's gaze. Suck... blow— ...Tsk.
I spat on the ground and said, "Next time I say lower the guns, fucking lower them. Don't point your pieces at people like retarded assholes. Next time, I'll slice your throats right there. Got it?"
I turned and walked past the Special Forces team.
The captain nodded at me, then signaled his men to return the guns.
Click, click.
Glancing back, the operatives were ejecting magazines and clearing chambers before handing them over.
A few kept guns trained on the survivors—a warning pose: try reloading, and you're done.
The people took their guns and shuffled off. The unarmed ones just trudged away.
Seong Ga-yeon caught up. "You're just letting them go? They could be dangerous."
"Let 'em go."
I smirked. "What can ya do? I'm the icon of overflowing mercy and love."
Her face twisted hilariously. I shrugged. "We warned 'em. They won't pull stupid shit again."
"What if they do?"
"Then..." Someone flashed in my mind. I chuckled. "Chop off both arms and gouge their eyes?"
She frowned. "...If you're doing that, just kill them."
"Killing's better?"
"Yeah. Better than chopping arms and stabbing eyes."
Really? I see it different. Idiots who ignore warnings deserve worse than death.
I shrugged. "I'll think about it."
Footsteps from behind. The survivors retreating in the distance. Special Forces following cautiously, heading my way.
"Where to now?"
"US base. Gotta find out why they're not arming people and what the hell they're doing inside."
Even if they're Americans on foreign soil, survivors say shit's bad, but they're handing out guns like candy? What're they playing at? If they're selfish pricks hoarding like "mine, fuck off," we'd just wipe 'em and call a chopper.
Walking the runway with those thoughts, Seong Gyu-hyuk fell in beside me.
"Sung-hoon. You speak any English?"
...Crap.
I stopped. Seong Ga-yeon read my face and sighed, nudging my shoulder. "I'll translate. Let's go."
Nice. I started walking again, glancing at her. "You good at English?"
"Lived in Canada with my brother as a kid."
"Goose dad?"
She chuckled and shook her head. "Nah, immigration. Dad was Air Force, got scouted as a captain for a Canadian airline. Whole family went. Figured we'd settle there. But bro went nuts, insisted on becoming a soldier. Canada wouldn't let him, so he ditched citizenship, came back to Korea, and... yeah."
"...And you?"
She shrugged. "I lost my mind too. Shoulda stayed."
Seong Gyu-hyuk, listening, laughed. "You'd have gone radio silent if you stayed."
She shut up.
I asked carefully, "Parents out of touch?"
She nodded. "We're not the only ones."
...True. No contact with my parents, little sister since the end.
Silence fell. We walked the runway like that, mouths shut, until the end—where the US base came into view.