Target Located

"Oppa!"

The woman sitting across from Captain Lee called out loudly and tapped his knee.

"I'm starting to get scared! Are you sure this place is really safe?"

Her gaze was fixed on the desolate city visible outside the window. It was still early morning, so brilliant sunlight poured in through the eastern windows.

"Hmm?"

Captain Lee turned his head to follow her, pretending to be utterly unconcerned. Having seen it for three straight days now, the impact was less than on the first day, but the sight of the dead city from the air was undeniably bleak. The roads, jammed solid with motionless vehicles, were even more so.

"It's fine! It's okay! It's not what it looks like! If it was truly as dangerous as you think, would I have shown up with just a few people? I'd have brought a whole truck. And we've got our troops stationed there too! Hahaha! What can you expect from a woman? So timid! Aigoo, you're a woman through and through!"

Captain Lee pointed at the soldiers seated behind them and forced a booming laugh. Only then did some of the tension leave the woman's face.

"Well, you soldier oppas see this stuff every day so maybe you're not scared, but... people like me get frightened. So you have to protect me properly while we're shooting, okay?"

The woman swept her freshly dyed brown hair behind her headset and flashed a coquettish smile.

I probably should have told her to add another layer of padding to her chest...

Captain Lee thought as he stared at the woman in the female military uniform. The witch he had met the day before had a chest large enough that the "Yoo So-jin" name tag was slightly lifted, but this woman lacked that volume. Her hips were the same... Anyone who looked closely would notice that her entire figure was completely different. Even with all that heavy makeup, the facial resemblance was only about eighty percent.

Aigoo, but finding someone this similar in just half a day is an achievement in itself. It's fine, it's fine...

Captain Lee quickly shook off the negative thoughts. The moment he returned to Busan yesterday, he had moved with frantic urgency. Normally soldiers returning from zombie-dense areas were supposed to be quarantined for forty-eight hours, but neither Major Oh nor Captain Lee had any patience left for such petty rules.

He had first contracted a makeup artist from a wedding hall, then scoured a run-down bar that Taeyang Group executives would never frequent to find this woman. A woman with a similar face shape and height to Hwang Nayeon...

"It's a little funny to say this after I already took the full payment upfront, but what's the point of taking photos in a place like this?"

The makeup artist asked, clutching her bag of cosmetics tightly. Captain Lee waved his fingers vaguely in the air and rattled off whatever came ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to mind.

"There's meaning to it! This is Seoul! A special urgent directive came down to include beautiful female soldier photographs with Seoul as the background in next year's military-wide calendar to inspire the will to reclaim the city! That's why we commissioned you two on such short notice!"

"He called me beautiful! Oh my! This oppa really knows how to flatter a girl! Hehehe..."

The woman playing Yoo So-jin, cheered by the praise, pulled a mirror from her bag. As she examined her reflection, she muttered to herself.

"Aww, I love the hair! Sis, you really nailed the color. But... don't the eyes look too sharp? It seems kind of vicious... Sis, wouldn't it be better to extend the eyeliner longer and softer like this?"

"No, no! It's fine! This is exactly right! It's the female warrior image! Hey, hey! Don't touch it!"

Fearing the makeup might smear, Captain Lee hurriedly answered for the makeup artist and grabbed the woman's hand. He had spent four full hours since dawn painting her face with cosmetics to make her resemble the witch. Ruining it now would be disastrous.

"Hmm, if you say so. I still think these eyes look scary though..."

The fake Yoo So-jin pouted for a moment but soon gave up and put on a helpless expression.

"Well, I've already received all the money. If you want a retake, that works for me. If it really comes to that, I'll give you a fifty-percent discount, Oppa. Hohoho!"

Crazy bitch. Look at her getting greedy...

Captain Lee smiled at her while cursing inwardly. At the same time, he rationalized the situation. Killing someone this greedy couldn't be that big of a sin...

"But Oppa, you must be good at photography. After hearing the amount, I assumed you'd bring a professional photographer, but you're saying you'll take the pictures yourself..."

The makeup artist looked back and forth between Captain Lee and the camera bag beside him, surprised. Captain Lee thumped his chest and spun another casual lie.

"Even though I'm wearing a uniform, I'm the kind of guy who... has won plenty of awards in photography contests. I'm a pretty well-known photographer in my own right."

Of course the large digital camera at his feet would never be used. It was only there to avoid suspicion. The equipment he would actually use today was a Polaroid camera.

"It'd be nice if more jobs like this come up!"

The fake Yoo So-jin clasped her hands together as if praying. To her, who had been scraping by on insufficient supplies and pitifully small voucher tips every day, five million won in vouchers was irresistibly attractive. It was precisely because of that large reward that she had immediately jumped at the suspicious offer to become the model for the military calendar.

"Me too, sis! Me too...!"

The makeup artist nodded enthusiastically and patted the inner pocket of her jumper. Inside it... the envelope containing the voucher she had received as advance payment that morning sat thick and heavy.

Enjoy it while you can. Those vouchers... I'll be collecting them after I kill you anyway. Who the hell would hand over that kind of money to the likes of you?

The vicious calculation had already finished inside Captain Lee's head. Killing people and going through their pockets wasn't exactly pleasant, but he couldn't possibly abandon ten million won in vouchers.

"The responsibility is heavy, Oppa! You have to make me look pretty, got it?"

The fake Yoo So-jin placed her hand on Captain Lee's knee and gave him a little wink.

"You don't need to worry about that. I'm a professional. In return, you two just need to cooperate well. Since this is material for the Ministry of National Defense... you understand what I mean. Soldiers will be looking at these, so we might need a bit of boldness. If you're too reserved when I ask for something, the photos won't turn out well."

Captain Lee flattered the two women to win their goodwill. This lie was crucial. Only then would they not suspect anything when he gave them the drug later.

Let's see. Did I bring everything properly...

Captain Lee checked his preparations one more time.

The Polaroid camera for taking photos. He had prepared two in case of emergencies. Blue tape and rope to bind their limbs, GHB to knock the woman unconscious, beer to mix the GHB with, a gag to put in her mouth. Five liters of gasoline to burn the woman's corpse. He had already explained beforehand that the gasoline was to burn part of a building to give the scene a proper war-zone atmosphere.

It's all here, fuck...

Captain Lee glanced out the window, tension creeping into his face. Seeing the golf course stretch on, they would reach Seoul airspace soon. It was time to review the operation.

First I'll need to land somewhere safe and fix the makeup...

After going through so much trouble to bring her this far, it would be unacceptable to ruin the photos because her cheek makeup smudged slightly. He planned to deal with the makeup artist after everything was finished.

In the meantime, I'll have the soldiers catch a zombie and sever its lower half...

That much wasn't particularly difficult. He just needed to choose a wide clearing where only a couple of zombies wandered, or a riverside park, land the helicopter, and order them to aim below the waist. He had even prepared an excuse for why it had to be done that way. If he said it was a prop for the shoot, the soldiers wouldn't find it too strange. Actually, even if those bastards did find it strange, it didn't matter much...

The hard part is the process of having the soldiers stand guard while making that bitch get bitten by the zombie...

Captain Lee rubbed his forehead, wrinkles deepening between his brows. For this job, handling it quietly was just as important as taking the photos. No matter how little interest people had in others' business these days, it would be far from ideal if the soldiers witnessed him making the woman he had brought all this way get bitten by a zombie.

Fearing any leaks, Captain Lee had deliberately chosen crew members who knew nothing about yesterday's mission—the helicopter pilot, co-pilot, and the two combat soldiers brought as backup.

There needs to be some kind of wall between the waist-severed zombie and the soldiers. A wall that prevents the soldiers or the pilot from seeing what the women and I are doing...

Captain Lee licked his lips nervously. He had roughly decided how to carry out the task. After pretending to take a few photos, he would suggest they drink the drugged beer to ease the tension... and once the stand-in passed out, he would grab her and drag her to the zombie to be bitten.

Wait a second... After I drug the stand-in and she faints, the makeup artist will probably scream. Should I gag her before that?

Captain Lee fell ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠into serious thought. According to the waiter who had sold him the drug, it would knock them out within five to ten minutes... but five minutes was a wide range. Still, if he drugged the makeup artist too, he would have no way to fix the stand-in's disguise if it came off.

...Maybe after the stand-in faints, I should cover the makeup artist's mouth, threaten her with a gun, and tell her I'll spare her if she stays quiet and does what I say? Gag her and everything... But would that bitch actually listen in that situation? ...Ha, this is a real headache. And I have to watch out for the zombie too. Those things will probably keep crawling even without their lower half, so I can't let myself get bitten...

When he had hastily thrown the plan together yesterday, it had seemed like everything would go smoothly without a hitch... but now that execution time had come, quite a few small complications kept popping up.

"Ugh..."

With a heavy heart, Captain Lee unknowingly let out a groan. It would be perfect if someone else handled it for him, but that was impossible. This was something he had to stain his own hands with.

"We're above the Han River. Please indicate the next destination."

The helicopter pilot turned and asked. Captain Lee subtly wiped his sweaty palms on his uniform trousers and looked out the window.

"Uh... find a somewhat secluded building around here! We need to land somewhere with low zombie traffic. Ah, but it won't work if there are no zombies at all."

"Please give more specific instructions."

The pilot, hearing the nonsensical order, asked again with a sour expression. No zombies was bad, but too many was also bad... exactly how many did he mean?

"A building with a view of the Han River, find a safe spot with only one or two zombies! The rooftop of a low building or something like that! And the helicopter must be able to land right nearby... That's about it."

Captain Lee said. All the other conditions were for his own safety, but the Han River view was necessary to increase the photo's credibility. That much was required so that bastard Chairman Yang would truly believe they had found and killed her in Seoul.

"Yes, understood."

The helicopter pilot reduced speed, slowly turned, and began to descend.

Whoosh—! Whoosh—!

Buildings streamed endlessly beneath their windshield. From high-rise apartments to low commercial buildings... the Han River basin was packed with countless concrete and cement structures. Naturally, the zombies were equally innumerable. But buildings that satisfied all the conditions Captain Lee had listed were not easy to find.

"How about the sports field at three o'clock, Captain?"

After wasting considerable time, the co-pilot pointed to the side and asked. Only about four zombies moved across the wide grassy field. Optimal conditions for landing a helicopter. But Captain Lee shook his head. There were no structures around that sports field that could block the view.

"No, that's not what I meant... It needs somewhat higher... walls or something. This... photography requires the model's concentration, so we need to arrange it so she doesn't feel other people's eyes on her..."

Captain Lee spouted whatever came to mind. Even after circling the area multiple times, no suitable location appeared, and irritation began rising in his chest.

Ah... fuck, this shouldn't be a big deal but it's really pissing me off...

Captain Lee secretly clenched his teeth and tried to calm his anger. He couldn't show these bitches a scary side yet.

Could it be... that those bastards had actually succeeded?

In his frustrated mind, the soldiers he had abandoned at Children's Grand Park yesterday came to mind. They had most likely been wiped out, but there was always the chance.

If those guys had survived through sheer luck, and if they had gone even further and killed the zombified Hwang Nayeon... then he wouldn't need to get blood on his own hands or carry out this difficult, dangerous deception.

Yeah, let's send a radio message. There's no downside anyway.

Having made up his mind, Captain Lee turned the helicopter's nose toward Children's Grand Park to contact the PRC999K issued to the 3rd Platoon. If some of the 3rd Platoon had survived but hadn't found zombie Hwang Nayeon, he could simply ignore the transmission. Even if he heard resentment in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠their voices, he would leave them there and go...

"Huh?"

When the Black Hawk reached the vicinity of Children's Grand Park, a dumbfounded sound escaped Captain Lee's lips.

"What's wrong, Oppa? Did something happen?"

The stand-in Yoo So-jin asked with a frightened face. But the one who had truly become scared was Captain Lee.

What the hell is this, all these corpses...

Captain Lee's spine went cold at the sight of the bodies strewn across the road. At least several hundred... These many zombie corpses had definitely not been there yesterday. Had the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠twenty soldiers of the 3rd Platoon really killed all of them?

"Oppa, why are you acting like that? Don't scare us! We're already nervous enough!"

The stand-in Yoo So-jin and the makeup artist raised their voices together. Captain Lee, who had barely regained his composure, quickly waved his hands and fabricated an excuse.

"No, it's just... the corpses look unfamiliar from up here. All of these were killed by our troops. This is the level of firepower when soldiers fight with determination. Do you feel more reassured now? ...Connect the radio of the stationed troops to my headset."

Having calmed the women, Captain Lee ordered the co-pilot. A moment later, Second Lieutenant Seong's voice came through his headset.

The man's voice was bright. There was no trace of resentment toward the superior who had abandoned him. Captain Lee pretended to be calm and spoke.

"Ah... you made it. Second Lieutenant Seong, I... was very worried... Were you all right?"

"Really? That temporary position was advantageous for defense? Are you still at Children's Grand Park?"

Captain Lee could hardly believe his ears. He had chosen the spot at random simply because it had a wide enough clearing for a Black Hawk to land. To think it had been a strategically advantageous defensive position...

It sounded strange at first, but with Second Lieutenant Seong's bright voice and the countless zombie corpses littering the road, it didn't seem like a complete lie.

"I see, I see. Water is important...! Well done. You did really well! Hahaha."

Captain Lee poured out praise he didn't mean. After all, they had been dropped there with nothing but a single canteen and no information and had lasted twenty-four hours. It made sense they would be thirsty.

"I see friendly troops."

The co-pilot pointed downward. On the roof of the Children's Hall, hidden behind a high wall decorated with traditional tiles... two soldiers were slowly waving their hands. Another even walked out the front gate and raised his hand. There was no sense of urgency in the scene. It looked completely stable.

These bastards... was this place actually advantageous for survival? How?

After a brief pause to process the situation, Captain Lee asked.

"Second Lieutenant Seong... By any chance, during the night... did you find... the target?"

He hadn't held out much hope. It was about as much expectation as scratching a lottery ticket on the spot. Yet Second Lieutenant Seong's energetic—and completely unexpected—answer came back immediately.