Chapter 60
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Trap
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Captain Capston chuckles lightly.
“You’re trying to persuade me like that? I’m hurt. If it’s something that absolutely must be done, I can accept any personal losses. That’s my real duty. Regulations can’t be more important than duty, right?”
“I’m sorry.”
When Winter apologizes sincerely, the captain shakes his head.
“No need to apologize. Thanks to you, I got promoted, so it’s only fair I might get demoted because of you too. It’s not like you’re asking for personal gain. You’re just worried about people.”
With that, he circles back to the original topic.
“The issue I mentioned as difficult is the ammunition disbursement. You seem to have only thought about mobilizing troops, but to maintain combat readiness, we need sufficient ammo first, don’t we? The company doesn’t manage that much ammo on its own. Assuming your theory about the ‘Trickster’ infiltrating is correct, the follow-up attack won’t be on a small scale.”
“I did consider that, but...”
Winter thought that just having the necessary troops awake would provide some level of preparedness.
“If the captured guy pulls off something, he’ll wait for dawn when security is weakest. I figured the biggest threat then wouldn’t be the mutants, but chaos itself. If we prepare in advance, we can at least avoid the chaos. As for extra ammo... we’ll just have to secure it then.”
“So you see some inevitable sacrifices depending on the situation.”
“That’s the realistic limit. We can’t exactly stage a full rebellion.”
“Who knows? There might be a way.”
The captain ponders for a long while, then calls all company officers over the internal line.
It takes a considerable amount of time for everyone to assemble. It’s Christmas Eve, after all. One platoon leader who was in the civilian sector doesn’t arrive until thirty minutes after the initial call.
There’s not much time to spare. Winter checks the time repeatedly. No one knows when it might happen. The best case is it doesn’t, but they’re preparing under the assumption it will.
Everyone’s expressions are sour. Even in an emergency, people want some minimum personal time they can call their own. Christmas week is America’s biggest holiday, so no one’s thrilled about being called in off-duty.
“Ah... Seeing this guy here means it’s something nasty again.”
It’s Jeffrey’s lament. He looks at Winter, sighs deeply, and mutters under his breath. Fair enough—he came back from combat while everyone else was enjoying themselves.
Of course, that applies to Winter too. That’s why Jeffrey’s complaint doesn’t drag on.
The captain asks Winter to speak. It’s the third time today he’s having to explain the situation. Even Winter feels a bit fed up.
“...For those reasons, I’d like us to maintain maximum alert tonight. It’s not a big deal, really. If no attack comes, it’s just standing watch for one night. I’d appreciate your help.”
Sergeant Riverman nods vigorously.
“I knew something was off about the lieutenant’s vibe earlier. So that’s what you were worried about. Honestly, it feels a bit overkill, but...”
Is he opposing? No, he isn’t.
“If it weren’t for the lieutenant, our platoon would’ve lost a lot more at the hospital. While everyone was slacking or thinking wrong, the lieutenant made the right call alone. I’ll trust him this time too.”
“Thanks, Sergeant.”
The NCOs voice their support easily enough. Unlike the Korean military, where NCOs start at sergeant, U.S. NCOs rise from trainee ranks. They’re a group built on solid skills, with a highly practical mindset.
Enlisted men and NCOs often clash with higher commands over the radio in combat. They’re the ones lamenting that the brass has no clue about the field. That might be why they understand Winter so readily.
Even Staff Sergeant Pierce, the top NCO, sides with Winter.
“Sun Tzu said a true leader leads not by force, but by example. A good soldier’s instincts are usually spot on. We can’t ignore the young lieutenant’s opinion. Not with his track record.”
Sun Tzu? Oh, right. Winter, momentarily confused, feels a bit awkward. He doubts that’s what “example” means in The Art of War. Still, no need to burst the staff sergeant’s bubble.
‘He seems proud of memorizing a cool quote...’
The staff sergeant keeps a stoic face, but there’s a faint emotion leaking through. Winter, skilled at reading people, picks up on it.
Everyone wants to seem cool sometimes, no matter how serious they are.
With that, the remaining three platoon leaders and other officer-level soldiers mull over their positions—everyone except Jeffrey. Staff Sergeant Pierce stares them down silently. That alone makes them uncomfortable. In the U.S. Army, staff sergeants outrank even lieutenant colonels in rarity.
2nd Platoon Leader Lieutenant McCoy sighs.
“No helping it. Doesn’t look good if I’m the only one opting out... Let’s do it. If nothing happens, it’s just a sleepless night. You said there’s no real risk if no incident occurs... I’ve been feeling uneasy too.”
That breaks the ice, and the rest raise their hands in agreement. 3rd Platoon Leader Lieutenant Sullivan scratches his head.
“They’re showing ‘Home Alone’ on TV right now...”
“...”
Even Americans spend Christmas with Kevin?
Well, it is their home turf.
Finally, the Weapons Platoon Leader agrees.
“Now that I’ve heard this, I won’t rest easy anyway. It’ll nag at me. I won’t sleep even if I lie down. Might as well pull an all-nighter together.”
With consensus reached, Lieutenant Capston draws attention.
“The problem is ammo. Without it, no amount of other prep will suffice. Is there a way to draw rounds without going through control?”
It’s essentially a question for Staff Sergeant Pierce. He nods.
“I’ll handle it.”
“How?”
“We’ll say it’s for tomorrow’s range training, pulled early. Filing the paperwork later among the clerks... Won’t sit well with you, Captain, but it’s common among us. Besides, with the current emergency, ammo draws are frequent. Routine stuff gets lax.”
His “us” naturally means the NCO ranks.
He has a point. Winter just came back from a firefight, and in this era, ammo gets used around the clock without warning.
Post-op leftovers aren’t always recovered one by one; they request and receive what’s needed, and companies keep spare stashes. Strict peacetime procedures are impossible to follow.
Instead, they track weapons meticulously. Can’t risk them leaking to refugees and sparking riots.
“Will that excuse fly? Range training on Christmas? And pulling it now? Who’d buy that?”
The captain’s skeptical, but the staff sergeant smiles softly.
“You’re famous for being by-the-book, so they’ll gossip that the CO’s being unnecessarily strict, and the clerks will buy it while joining in. Sorry in advance for the trash-talk.”
“...”
Captain Capston rubs his temple.
It sounds simple, but it won’t be easy. Only someone with the staff sergeant’s experience and connections could pull it off.
The staff sergeant turns to Winter.
“Water Lieutenant needs to help too.”
“Me?”
“Ammo depot security’s under Able Company. The kids there really like you, so if you come along, it’ll go smoother.”
He seems to know the troops’ dynamics well. Winter recalls Sergeant Amy from the Chinatown checkpoint.
“Be careful. If the lieutenant gets bit by a rabid dog, our whole company might go nuts.”
‘Depending on the person, they might help even if I explain it straight.’
Winter nods readily.
“Yeah, makes sense. Got it.”
With little time left, things move fast once positions are set. Officer-level soldiers rush out to assemble their troops. The rest dive into ops planning.
“Since we know nothing of the enemy’s plan, ours should rely on improvisation except for the essentials. For now, assigning positions and sectors for emergencies will have to do.”
Spreading out a camp map, the lieutenant speaks, and the staff sergeant agrees.
“Don’t sweat it. Battle plans are the first casualty once fighting starts anyway.”
Plotting routes on the map, they conclude that under proper response, initial forces can deploy within three minutes no matter the direction.
“What about your troops?”
The captain asks Winter while offering his take.
“With their lack of combat experience, exposing them upfront is tough. How about prepping them together and using them to calm the refugee area if needed?”
“Agreed. Good idea.”
As mentioned, chaos could be the real enemy. Given the refugee density, panic could lead to significant crush casualties.
Or if refugees bolt en masse, it could overrun the defensive line from behind.
Two ‘Winter Alliance’ combat squads can’t handle it alone.
“Low chance of enemy contact, but not an easy task by any means.”
Winter gets his concern.
“They were guarding checkpoints originally. It’d help to tip them off ahead. For now, I’ll warn refugees in my reach.”
“That’s more important than ammo. Go do it now. We’ll handle the rest.”
Staff Sergeant Pierce chimes in.
“Then Water Lieutenant, handle that and head to the ammo depot.”
“Got it. I’ll hurry.”
It’s thirty minutes to midnight. The checkpoint troops eye the rushing Winter curiously.
The large tent he left hours ago is still rowdy. So much so that many don’t notice him enter. But Jang Yeoncheol spots him instantly and approaches with a welcoming face.
“You’re back. No idea what it was, but good work.”
Winter shakes his head.
“Not over yet.”
“Huh?”
“Mr. Jang. Gather all alliance executives. Including Yura and Jinseok.”
Jang Yeoncheol reads Winter’s urgency, looking flustered—he’s never seen him like this. Still, he nods and calls people. The excited crowd quiets immediately.
Most faces are unfamiliar. Yeoncheol interpreted “executives” broadly. Not bad.
Winter explains the situation as concisely as possible. Min Wangi coughs seriously a few times, and Jang Yeoncheol’s face hardens.
“Uh, Little Boss. So... possible attack at dawn?”
“Yeah. Not certain, but worth alerting for. Yura, Jinseok—head to barracks now. Arm up and wait at the parade ground. After ammo draw, Charlie’ll attach one or two suitable guys. If something happens, focus on calming the refugee area.”
Yura and Jinseok lack independent judgment. Charlie support is essential. Winter’s gaze shifts to Jang Yeoncheol and Min Wangi.
“And you two.”
Before he speaks, Min Wangi nods.
“It’s fine. Leave it to us. Ahem. The boss can’t handle everything alone. You picked us for times like this.”
“...”
Winter smiles naturally and nods.
“Got it. I trust you both.”
Now the boy officer sprints to the ammo depot. He arrives before Staff Sergeant Pierce, who’s surprised.
“Didn’t think those tasks were that quick, but you made good time.”
“Good people help me out.”
“Heh.”
The staff sergeant chuckles briefly and leads the way.
The ammo depot sentries are familiar faces, one especially so. Sergeant Matthew Cohen. He’s startled to see Winter.
============================ Author's Note ============================
1. This novel is clearly updated 3-5 times a week... so why the ominous comments about it already running away?
Ugh? Daily updates? What’s that?
2. The GPS station from chapter 58 isn’t actually a GPS station. The soldier just said it without knowing.
It is foreshadowing for later plot, but not yet.
Here are the coordinates of the facility.
35.735365, -120.753806
Whoever figures out what it is will get a gift from the author.
Too few clues?
Don’t worry. The author started from the same point during research—just spotted it on the map and wondered what it was.
Hahaha. Will we get the answer? Looking forward to it.