Too Good to Be True
The answer was so shocking that Captain Lee could only blink for a moment.
They found her?
The other side had simply answered "yes" to the question he’d tossed out… yet he still couldn’t believe it. Was this what it felt like to be so dazed by an enormous stroke of luck that it seemed like a dream?
“S-Say it again, Lieutenant Seong! What did you just say?”
Captain Lee pressed his headset tight against his ear and shouted. Lieutenant Seong answered once more in a bright, energetic voice.
-Crackle…! Yes, Captain! We’ve located the target you ordered us to find yesterday—Major Yoo So-jin! However… crackle…!
Aha! So this was a lie!
As he listened to Lieutenant Seong’s transmission, Captain Lee regained a sliver of cold reason. The thought that it was all fabricated flashed through his mind.
The witch they hadn’t been able to find despite hours of frantic searching by massive numbers of troops and helicopters across land and sky—they were claiming they simply stood still in one spot and ran into her? That was impossible.
Look at this bastard.
Convinced he had seen through the ruse, a sly smirk flickered across Captain Lee’s lips before vanishing.
‘You think you can lure me in with this pathetic lie and pull the trigger behind my back? Not a chance, you son of a bitch…’
He cursed inwardly and prepared to cut the transmission. The reason for the lie was obvious. The man was furious at being abandoned and worked up over the deaths of his platoon members; he probably wanted revenge.
A decent attempt, but did he really think someone like Captain Lee would fall for it? He’d chosen the wrong opponent.
Even as Captain Lee wore a bitter, contempt-filled smile, Lieutenant Seong’s report continued.
-Crackle…! But sir, we have secured Major Yoo So-jin’s person. She wasn’t a zombie—she’s alive. Crackle…!
“Alive? Lieutenant Seong, are you serious right now?”
Captain Lee asked back with cold sarcasm. He would never speak to this man again, yet the sheer absurdity of the claim made him want to snap back in refutation.
-Crackle…! Yes, sir! She sustained a leg injury, but her life is not in danger! Crackle…!
“Crazy bastard… Spouting nothing but bullshit.”
Captain Lee muttered the curse under his breath with the mic covered. No matter how desperately he was trying to sell the story, he should at least make the lie believable… Captain Lee didn’t even feel like asking how they had met her or what insane coincidence had led to it. It would clearly be a fabricated story anyway.
Just as he scoffed and reached to sever the radio link, an utterly shocking revelation—one that made him doubt his own ears—flowed from Lieutenant Seong’s mouth over the transmission.
-Crackle…! But there’s something strange about her, Captain! It’s unclear whether it’s due to mental trauma or an attempt at deception, but she keeps insisting she is not Yoo So-jin! Crackle…!
“…Cough! What?”
A light twitch ran across Captain Lee’s startled cheek. No matter how elaborate a lie someone tried to craft, claiming that the person known as Yoo So-jin was fake was impossible. This was the kind of story only someone who had never actually encountered the witch could tell. In a trembling voice, he asked,
“She said… she isn’t Yoo So-jin? Then… who did she claim to be?”
The fake Yoo So-jin was sitting right in front of him, but mentioning the name didn’t particularly unsettle him. After all, only the co-pilot and himself were listening to this channel. He had already cut the connection to the others.
-Crackle…! Well… it’s awkward to say, but she claims to be Hwang Nayeon, the daughter of the Taeyang Group chairman! She says she forged her identity as the president of Taeyang Group and came to Seoul… crackle…! If you meet her in person, Captain, you’ll understand, but she seems mentally unstable. She keeps mixing English into her speech at random, so it’s hard to understand her…!
Mixing English?
Captain Lee’s already widened pupils dilated further. At this level, it could no longer be dismissed as a made-up story. How could Lieutenant Seong possibly know the witch’s verbal habits and true identity…?
My God. Such perfect luck actually existed!
Captain Lee’s heart pounded with overwhelming glee. Now he could kill the real Hwang Nayeon instead of the made-up fake and take a clear photograph. Drill a clean bullet hole through her forehead, then capture an extreme close-up so sharp that anyone would recognize her…!
No—first take several photos while she was still alive, then put the bullet in her head! Hehehe!
Captain Lee shook his head with a deranged grin. The fake Yoo So-jin and the hairdresser were beginning to look at him in fear, but those bitches no longer mattered. Once he recovered the checks he had given them and dropped them in Busan, that would be the end of it. If they became too troublesome, he could simply abandon them here.
“Um…! Lieutenant Seong! Is Hwang Na— I mean, is Major Yoo So-jin still alive? No changes to her secured status?”
-Crackle…! Yes, we are protecting her safely… Ratatat—! Ratat—! Ratat—! …Do you copy, Captain? We’ve encountered a small group of zombies and are… Bang! Ratatat—! Ratat—! currently engaged! Crackle…!
Sudden gunshots rang out, chopping Lieutenant Seong’s voice into fragments. The fact that it was indoors made the echoes even louder.
“Gasp…!”
Captain Lee’s face turned deathly pale. Combat with zombies meant Lieutenant Seong could die. The bastard’s death was of no concern, but if anything went wrong and they lost the witch they had finally captured, it would be an unbearable waste.
“Report your current position, Lieutenant! Where are you engaged? Are you safe? No—more importantly, are you traveling with Major Yoo So-jin? Report that first! Where is Major Yoo So-jin’s current location?”
-Crackle…! I didn’t catch that… Ratatatang! Ratatang! Ratang! …Crackle!
“Is Yoo So-jin with you? Where are you? Answer me!”
Captain Lee screamed at the top of his lungs. If necessary, he would fly the helicopter in for support. He had to secure the witch no matter what. After calming down and looking again, the fake Yoo So-jin sitting in the helicopter was honestly… far too awkward. The desire to use the real one, if possible, had grown overwhelming.
-Craaaackle! We are currently inside the Janghanpyeong shopping center… Ratatatang—! Ratatang—! …Major Yoo So-jin is at the temporary position in the Children’s Hall… Ratatang—! Ratang…! Crackle…!
“Children’s Hall? She’s at the Children’s Hall? You’re saying Major Yoo So-jin is being held there?”
-Crackle…! Affirmative… Ratatatang—! Ratatang—! Confirming again! Major Yoo So-jin is at the Children’s Hall! Ratatatang…! Crackle…!
“Should we… divert to the engagement zone?”
The co-pilot turned and asked. Janghanpyeong, where their allies were fighting, was only two minutes away. All they had to do was cross the Jungnangcheon visible below them. He didn’t know which building the fight was happening in, but adding the helicopter’s gun support would greatly increase their survival chances.
“Hoo…”
Captain Lee craned his neck and scanned the area. Zombies were approaching from both the Jungnangcheon side and the north. Their numbers looked to be in the mid-to-high twenties; at that distance, they would likely reach the road in front of the Children’s Hall in about twenty minutes.
They had to land, pick up Hwang Nayeon, and take off again before the horde arrived… otherwise they would get tangled up with the zombies and be dragged into unnecessary danger.
“Negative.”
Captain Lee drew a finger across his throat in a cut-off signal and gave the order.
“We will land briefly at the Children’s Hall. Securing the target takes priority. This is a critical directive issued personally by Lt. Colonel Jeong.”
“Sir?”
The co-pilot looked back in disbelief. Securing the target? He hadn’t heard the word “target” once during the entire flight. He had only been told they were taking photographs for a calendar pictorial…
What was even more absurd was that, no matter how important the target was, Captain Lee was placing it above assisting allied soldiers currently in combat. He had heard multiple times that she was already safely secured inside the building—whether she was Hwang Nayeon or Yoo So-jin—yet he still chose to act this way.
“Hurry! If anything happens to the target, none of us will survive! Why do you think those troops spent the night stationed in a place like this? Do you want to render their efforts and sacrifices meaningless?”
Captain Lee shamelessly furrowed his brow and raised his voice. The pilot turned the helicopter with a reluctant expression and began a slow descent.
“Hmph!”
He could feel the raw contempt in the eyes of the co-pilot and pilot, but Captain Lee simply scoffed and looked away. What did he care what happened to Lieutenant Seong and the rest of the 3rd Platoon? He had a guaranteed winning hand right in front of him. There was no need to waste time on pointless sympathy.
“Oppa? What’s going on? What’s the target? Are we taking the photo here? I don’t like it here, oppa! It’s too scary!”
As the helicopter drew closer to the corpse-filled Children’s Hall, the fake Yoo So-jin grabbed Captain Lee’s sleeve. He violently shook her off and snarled.
“Shut the fuck up! I’m busy, so stop yapping and stay quiet! Or else!”
“Oh my!”
Shocked by his sudden change in attitude, the fake Yoo So-jin covered her mouth and fell silent. The hairdresser’s eyes widened as well. Ignoring their fear, Captain Lee issued orders to the two combat soldiers.
“You two! Come down with me and retrieve the target as quickly as possible! Understood?”
“Yes, sir!”
The soldiers, who understood none of the situation, simply nodded. Captain Lee grabbed the bag containing the Polaroid camera and gave firm instructions to the pilots.
“Keep the rotors spinning at all times. Do not take off under any circumstances until I return! Clear?”
He was terrified they might abandon him and fly away.
“Why would we do that, sir?”
The co-pilot gave a bitter, bewildered smile. Meanwhile, the Black Hawk touched down on the empty lot beside the Children’s Hall, and Captain Lee and the soldiers jumped out through the open door.
“This way, Captain Lee!”
The soldiers who had been waving from the entrance came forward to greet them. Four men had come out to meet them now.
“The platoon leader is outside requisitioning drinking water!”
One of them reported. Their faces were completely covered in dust from a night of hardship, but Captain Lee answered carelessly and glared at the building.
“Ah, yes. I know. The radio said he’s returning safely. Where’s the target?”
“We placed her in the office on the third floor!”
One of the four soldiers took the lead, while the other three assumed defensive positions around the helicopter. Since it seemed they could secure the perimeter against possible zombie approaches, Captain Lee did not object.
“Is there a guard on her?”
“Yes, sir! He’s watching the door from the hallway!”
“Is the building interior secure?”
Captain Lee asked as they walked briskly past several cars and countless zombie corpses. The soldier answered energetically once again.
“Yes, sir! We are maintaining airtight security!”
“Good! Well done!”
In high spirits, Captain Lee gave the man a loud slap on the back. Seeing one of them walking around so casually, it seemed there was no need to worry about safety inside the building.
Thud. Thud.
Captain Lee and the soldiers quickly climbed the stairs to the third floor. During the ascent, there was no conversation whatsoever about casualties or wounded. Captain Lee walked down the hallway with his chest puffed out arrogantly, like a man coming to collect something he had left behind.
“Attention!”
The two soldiers standing guard outside the office snapped to attention and saluted.
“Is this the room? Open it.”
Captain Lee returned the salute half-heartedly and ordered the door opened. The moment the guard opened it, he pushed his way hurriedly into the office. He wanted to see Hwang Nayeon’s face—the bitch who had made him suffer for three straight days—as soon as possible. He wanted to stare into the eyes of the woman he would soon kill and mock her to his heart’s content. But…
“…She’s not here?”
Captain Lee scanned the empty room, then turned around with a frown. Where had she gone? Had she jumped out the window and fled? Impossible. This was the third floor. There was no way a woman’s body could pull off such a feat… Such thoughts raced through his mind as his body completed a half-turn. And the moment that thought formed—
Whoosh—!
Something dark filled his vision and flew straight at him. Before he could register that it was the buttstock of a K-2 rifle, a heavy impact exploded behind his eyes in a shower of stars.
Crack—!
The sound of bone shattering, the metallic smell of blood, and unbearable pain!
Thud—!
Captain Lee collapsed backward helplessly, the back of his head slamming against the floor as he lost consciousness. At the same time—
“Shh!”
The guards who had been watching the door pressed the barrels of the helicopter combat soldiers’ rifles downward and shoved hidden pistols under their chins.
“Don’t even think about it. It’s over.”
The action had happened so fast they couldn’t even process the situation; there had been no time to disengage the safety on their K-2s. The combat soldiers turned deathly pale and gave small nods.
Click—!
Using only their left hands, the guards expertly removed the magazines from the soldiers’ rifles and ordered them placed on the floor.
“Stay quiet. Make no sound at all. Do that and you won’t get hurt.”
The guards aimed their pistols and issued calm commands. Not a trace of tension could be seen on their faces.
‘…Why are regular soldiers carrying pistols?’
The belated question rose in the minds of the helicopter combat soldiers lying prone with their hands raised. But it changed nothing about their current situation.
“What about the helicopter?”
The soldier who had guided Captain Lee’s group here checked his watch and asked. The guards who had disarmed the combat troops moved to the window and cautiously peered out.
“We’re finishing up.”
Outside, the three soldiers who had been pretending to stand guard around the helicopter were now aiming their weapons at both the pilot and co-pilot, issuing orders.
“Kill the rotor. Kill the radio!”
“Wh-what is this?”
The pilot, who had been reaching for his holster, froze as he finally grasped the reality. Three opponents, one of whom had already entered the helicopter and was aiming at the back of his head. No matter what he tried now, the outcome was decided.
“Turn off every switch and get out! Quickly! Follow orders and no one gets hurt.”
The soldier inside the helicopter repeated the command.
“Kyaaaak—!”
Behind them, the fake Yoo So-jin and the hairdresser clutched their heads and screamed. The second soldier who had entered through the open door tried to calm them, extending a hand.
“Shh—! Shh—! We won’t hit women, so please stop screaming. Come down slowly… very slowly. Here, take my hand.”
Whirr—! Whirr—!
During all this, the rotor blades finally stopped spinning. The two pilots and the women were dragged out. With that, the situation was over. In an incredibly simple operation, they had hijacked a Black Hawk without a single casualty on either side.
“Listen…”
The co-pilot, who was being frisked, spoke carefully.
“You men… I may not have been part of what you went through, but I can see that you were the only ones left behind here. I can imagine how resentful you must feel. Still… there’s no need to go this far. Now that we’ve met like this, we can simply return south together. If you stop now, I won’t hold any of you accountable for this. This isn’t the time. From the air I saw… a large number of zombies approaching from a very close distance. They’ll be here any minute. If you waste time like this, everyone is finished. So let’s forget the past and… return to our comrades…”
“That’s a nice speech, but…”
Staff Sergeant Choi said bluntly as he wiped away the thick layer of dust that had been applied to make his face unrecognizable.
“I’m not part of your so-called Invincible 1st Corps.”