Noisy Neighbors (3)

Ju Kang-rim denied it, but Jang Han-taek seemed utterly convinced that he belonged to some strategic special forces unit under the US military.

"There were all sorts of rumors flying around when that officer who was siphoning supplies from Yongsan got killed—dozens of helicopters and armored vehicles showed up near Itaewon. I had a bad feeling from the moment they started messing with US military supplies. I knew something like this was coming."

"...Yeah, got it."

"Uh, so... what should I call you, boss?"

"Me?" Ju Kang-rim was briefly dumbfounded by the "boss" label but answered honestly. "The grim reaper who came to drag your asses in."

Jang Han-taek took it as some throwaway line to hide his identity.

"Th-then... Grim Reaper Agent, sir?"

"...Sure. Call me whatever."

"Gr-Grim Reaper Agent, sir. What else do you want to know?"

Ju Kang-rim pressed the hand axe against Jang Han-taek's finger again.

"I saw you controlling those ghouls earlier. How'd you do it?"

"Pardon? Uh, uh... I-I don't really..."

"One finger every time you hesitate."

"N-no, I really don't know! I don't...!"

Thud.

A scream tore through the air. But Ju Kang-rim had only slammed the axe down right next to the finger.

Jang Han-taek gasped for breath and shouted, "No, ugh, heuk, I swear! I really don't know! They just told me from above to bring them along, and these ghouls followed me! That bastard Park Young-hoo told them to 'listen to this guy,' and after that, they obeyed me!"

"For real?"

"Why would I lie...? Ugh, heuk."

To unravel the secret of the ghouls, he'd need to meet someone higher up than this guy. Lopez had melted away just for trying to spill the destination, but Jang Han-taek was spilling everything without a problem. That meant he didn't know much worth knowing.

Ju Kang-rim knew a traitor like this wouldn't yield much gain anyway. But that didn't mean he'd stop the interrogation.

"Park Young-hoo? So that's the name of the officer above you."

"Y-yes. The one we're supposed to meet in Incheon."

"Right. I see."

To meet someone who knew more, he'd have to head to Incheon.

"Good. Then let's go to Incheon."

"Pardon?!"

The mission assigned by Yeomra ended here, but he couldn't pass up the chance to learn more about the Kangryeong faction. Besides, Ju Kang-rim was short on time. He had to kill immortals as fast as possible to stop the zombie apocalypse.

"We'll load the cargo onto that truck and go, right? Perfect, we can move together. Plenty of space now that there are fewer passengers."

Ju Kang-rim glanced at the warehouse full of sprawled corpses as he spoke. Jang Han-taek shivered at the psychopathic remark, but he had no choice. He nodded reluctantly.

"Drop me off somewhere convenient on the way. I'll handle things from there."

He had no intention of charging in headfirst like an idiot. Ju Kang-rim hadn't forgotten that his body was still just a slightly tougher-than-average civilian. Without tricks and dirty tactics, he'd be the one getting wrecked.

Ju Kang-rim hauled Jang Han-taek to his feet and followed him ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to the truck they were loading.

Before climbing in, Ju Kang-rim paused. There was still a ton of unloaded cargo—explosives and bundles of firearms.

"Hold up. Gather all the ghouls in one spot."

"Pardon? Uh... okay."

Jang Han-taek complied, puzzled. As the ghouls clustered in the center of the warehouse, Ju Kang-rim checked outside. Zombies were still swarming. Too many for the truck to punch through.

Once the ghouls were bunched up, he told Jang Han-taek, "Get in the truck and pull out first."

Sensing Ju Kang-rim had something planned, Jang Han-taek scrambled into the truck. Ju Kang-rim headed to the electrical room and flipped the power back on. Blaring music and bright lights flooded the warehouse, agitating the zombies even more.

Then he flung the warehouse doors wide open. The electric shutters rolled up automatically, and zombies poured in like a flood.

They spotted the ghouls but didn't attack unless provoked. The moment the zombie density thinned, Jang Han-taek gunned the engine and bolted.

As they hit the parking lot, Jang Han-taek briefly considered just flooring it and ditching him. But the thought didn't last.

Boom.

The warehouse erupted in flames in an instant—a massive blast that rocked the truck. Jang Han-taek slammed the brakes and stared blankly at the inferno.

Zombies engulfed in fire thrashed inside, then dropped one by one. The remaining military supplies, zombies, ghouls, and gang members' corpses—all reduced to ash.

But Ju Kang-rim was nowhere in sight.

'Did he bite it?'

Clunk. The passenger door shut as someone dropped into the seat.

"I was gonna kill you if you ditched. Smart move."

At Ju Kang-rim's voice, Jang Han-taek turned with a trembling smile. "Of course, boss. Why would I leave without you?"

Ju Kang-rim didn't smile back, just jerked his chin. "Drive."

Unfortunately, no soul toll from the zombies killed in the blast.

"Alright. Spill everything you know about your organization."

Ju Kang-rim kept grilling Jang Han-taek ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠during the drive. Jang Han-taek, fully committed to flipping sides, spilled freely—but it was mostly useless fluff.

"P-Park Young-hoo is a pretty strong awakener. Carries this massive chainsaw, and his strength is insane. There'll be other members at the warehouse too."

"I'll handle that. What's this 'Elder' guy?"

"Honestly, I don't know his name either. I've only heard Park Young-hoo call him 'Elder' this and that. Oh, but..."

Jang Han-taek hesitated, then continued. "Most of the Kangryeong faction members were originally from the Gwanak faction, from what I heard. The tiny Kangryeong group suddenly absorbed the nationwide Gwanak organization. That's why not much is known about Kangryeong."

"Recent absorption of a small group?"

"Yeah. There was some grumbling, but the Kangryeong execs are so brutal it died down quick."

Ju Kang-rim mulled it over. Now he got why he'd never heard of the Kangryeong faction. It had been small until recently, then pulled some major move in a flash before vanishing. No wonder it was off his radar.

"So how'd a guy like you end up in a group like that?"

"Pardon?"

"You talk like it's all secondhand. You weren't an original member, right? No tattoos, speech doesn't scream street thug. You joined recently."

Jang Han-taek nodded at the sharp read. "As expected of an agent—you've got eyes for people. Yeah. Six months ago, I was running a small business in Cheonan."

Cheonan. Six months ago. That's when a Gate opened there. It lasted a week and made big news as a mess for the locals.

Sounded like it tanked Jang Han-taek's business.

"So you turn to gangster shit? Shooting people? Why not just become a zombie hunter?"

"...I did."

Jang Han-taek gave a bitter smile. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Ju Kang-rim eyed the back of his head.

"Got some half-assed awakening ability and figured I'd give it a shot. Zombie hunting pays decent, so I dragged my old employees in and started up."

"And?"

"It was all grind and no real pay."

Ju Kang-rim fell silent. He got it. Even zombies looked human enough. People who balked at killing animals had zero stomach for this. Without real talent, turning factory workers into zombie hunters overnight was a pipe dream. Probably only Jang Han-taek could even function, and even he couldn't generate enough income solo.

"To make real money, you'd have to loot empty houses or peddle black cores... Can't say I never did. But it was still tough."

Hyenas. One of the top insults hurled at zombie hunters. Saving people or not, public opinion sucked. Zombies couldn't be cured, sure, but these guys butchered friends and family who'd been fine days ago. Intellectually necessary, emotionally? No contest.

Plus, hunters harvesting and selling black cores or swiping victims' belongings was rampant. Some treated bite-prone hunters like zombies themselves.

"Then one day, a black core dealer offered me a job with them."

"That your current group?"

"Yeah. Hesitated when they said 'join the organization,' but bashing zombie skulls for a living? Not sustainable. Didn't seem much different from what I was doing anyway."

Jang Han-taek rambled defensively. "And the gigs were just 'haul this cargo here, guard that'—way safer than fighting zombies."

"So you shuffled mystery weapons around?"

"...Yeah. With northern refugees flooding out and hunters multiplying, probably a lot like me."

Ju Kang-rim recalled the bus full of zombie hunters crossing over before he did. Maybe they were Kangryeong too.

"And controlling zombies? Who wouldn't bite? Plus some execs are powerhouse awakeners. For nobodies like us, it was a godsend."

Not hard to understand. Ju Kang-rim had jumped ship without hesitation for success too.

"Any of your old employees in that warehouse I blew?"

"...Yeah, but that's the life. Fly-by-night gigs like this."

"Right."

Ju Kang-rim clammed up after that. Jang Han-taek sneaked peeks at his expression, but he didn't speak again until dawn, nearing the Incheon warehouse.

They passed military checkpoints leaving Seoul without issue—probably Kangryeong connections.

"Five more minutes and we're there."

"Got it."

Couldn't ride shotgun the whole way, so Ju Kang-rim hopped out.

"Boss. How about the cargo bed?"

"Cargo bed?"

Jang Han-taek nodded. "Tight security. Easier to sneak in via truck than walk up. I'll pop the door when I unload."

"...Why go this far?"

Jang Han-taek looked sheepish. "US military backing? Gotta stick with the winning side."

Ju Kang-rim didn't bother correcting him anymore. Instead, he pondered. Tight security meant truck infiltration beat sneaking in on foot. But it required trusting this Jang Han-taek guy.

After a moment, he nodded. "Fine. Let's do it."