White Christmas (2)
The SUV's roof caved in with a sickening crunch. A zombie with milky white films over its eyes slammed against the windshield before tumbling off. As if that were the signal, more than a dozen zombies burst from the alley and hurled themselves at the fifth and fourth vehicles in rapid succession.
CRASH—!CRUNCH—!
Zombies that had smashed through the fourth vehicle's windows with their heads were now swinging their arms wildly at the soldiers inside.
“Aaaaaah!”
The soldiers in the back seat, who had been aiming their rifles rearward in tense anticipation, screamed and frantically pulled their triggers.
Bang—!Bang-bang—!Rat-tat-tat—!Rat-tat-tat—!
Dozens of gunshots thundered inside the cramped vehicle. A zombie with its head and shoulders shredded to ribbons was shoved out of the car along with a supply crate. Even through the agony of what felt like ruptured eardrums, a flash of pure triumph crossed the soldiers' faces. They had accomplished their goal.
But their brief joy at having survived the razor-thin crisis lasted only a moment.
BOOOOM—!
The fifth vehicle, its front windshield splattered with blood, veered sideways and slammed into parked cars along the roadside, coming to a dead stop.
“……Huk!”
A choked groan escaped the soldiers in the fourth vehicle as their escape route was cut off. The situation was far too urgent for them to realize that the bullets they had just sprayed had punched straight through the fifth vehicle's driver’s skull.
Screeeech—!
The fourth vehicle's driver slammed on the brakes, but the collision was already inevitable.
CRUNCH—!THUD—!CRASH—!
Starting with that impact, all four vehicles piled up in a chain-reaction collision and ground to a halt.
Groooooaaar—!
The zombies let out long, drawn-out howls as they charged the now-immobile prey. It was too dark to count them precisely, but at a glance there were easily over fifty.
Wiiiiiiing—!
The fourth vehicle's driver kept stomping on the accelerator, desperately trying to push the fifth vehicle out of the way. But the fifth sat diagonally across the road, wedged firmly against obstacles with no sign of budging. Their own tires spun uselessly in place; they couldn't reverse even a single meter.
Rat-tat-tat—!Rat-tat-tat—!Rat-tat—!
Gunfire erupted from every direction. Tracer rounds streaked wildly through the air, painting chaotic streaks of light.
Thud—!Thwack—!
Stray bullets shattered windows and headlights. Yet the zombies kept sprinting forward at terrifying speed, showing no sign of thinning out. The darkness was the greatest enemy. Every time a zombie lunged out from beyond the reach of the headlights, more friendly blood sprayed across the snow.
“Aaaaaaaaah! You fucking bastards! Die, you sons of bitches!”
Soldiers who had thrown open the doors and leaped out fired wildly in every direction, cursing at the top of their lungs. Nineteen rifle barrels in total. The firepower was more than enough. But the complete absence of tactical command was dragging them deeper and deeper into disaster. The lieutenant who should have been ordering them to form ranks had long since fallen into full-blown panic.
“Shoot! Kill them all! Kill themmm!”
The lieutenant kept screaming the same order while firing indiscriminately.
They said there were no zombies in Yeongcheon… They said there were no zombies in Yeongcheon… What son of a bitch fed us that bullshit and got me killed like this?!
Inside his pitch-black mind, only bitter, resentful howls echoed.
Rat-tat-tat-tat—!Rat-tat-tat—!Rat-tat-tat-tat—!
The soldiers, too, were burning through precious ammunition with full-auto fire before they could even aim properly. Occasionally a zombie’s torso or head would explode, but dozens of times more bullets were simply hammering innocent buildings and shattering windows. And this terrain—both lanes completely blocked by stopped vehicles—was the perfect killing field for zombies charging in with nothing but teeth and claws.
Groooooaaar—!Graaaaaah—!
Zombies leaping from the darkness onto car roofs instantly closed the distance between themselves and the soldiers.
“Aaaaaagh!”
The men in the lead vehicle were swarmed and let out bloodcurdling screams.
Crunch—!
The moment a zombie sank its teeth into the lieutenant’s neck and wrenched its jaws, a chunk of flesh tore free and a fountain of hot blood sprayed high into the air. Right beside him, the driver—blood dripping from his own mangled arm—was still desperately trying to bash a zombie’s skull in.
“Gaaaaah!”
The lieutenant jammed his rifle muzzle into the zombie’s stomach and pulled the trigger.
Rat-tat-tat-tat—!Rat-tat-tat—!
The creature’s abdomen burst open, scattering ragged chunks of flesh through the air. But that was the end of the lieutenant’s resistance.
Groooooaaar—!
A second and third zombie piled onto his back, sinking their teeth in. Unable to bear the weight, the lieutenant collapsed to the ground still clutching his rifle.
Rip—!Riiiiip—!
Even amid the deafening gunfire, the sound of his own flesh being torn away was seared clearly into his ears.
As he died in a haze of pain and terror, the lieutenant’s wide-open eyes caught sight of his soldiers scattering and fleeing in every direction. But he already knew. Retreat was no longer possible. In the end… they would all die.
“Fall back! Fall back!”
Someone’s desperate shout.
Rat-tat-tat-tat—!Rat-tat-tat—!
More gunfire. More screams.
“Aaaagh! Uuuugh!”
“Help me! Somebody help! Aaaah!”
“Fuuuuck!”
Curses, pleas, and the zombies’ roars all blended together, stabbing into their eardrums. The pure white snowfield was quickly dyed a vivid crimson with the blood of young soldiers. The number of fallen allies grew at almost the same rate the zombies decreased.
Thud—!
The fourth vehicle’s driver, fleeing in blind panic, tripped over a zombie corpse and went sprawling.
Whump—!
The thick layer of snow slapped him across the side of his face. He was so numb he couldn’t even feel the cold. The only thing left in his mind was the desperate command to survive, to keep running.
“Haaah…! Haaah…!”
He frantically reached out with his left hand, trying to push himself up. But the snow kept making him slip. His heart raced faster. Suddenly everything went black. If he got bitten now… it was over.
Groooooaaar—!
Zombies were howling right behind him, but he couldn’t even tell up from down anymore. His arms and legs felt as heavy as in a nightmare.
“Get a grip, you idiot!”
Someone grabbed the back of his collar and yanked hard. In that instant, the driver regained his senses and managed to scramble to his feet.
“Follow me! We’re heading for high ground!”
The sergeant who had saved him shouted while laying down covering fire behind them. The driver nodded frantically.
“Y-yes! Yes sir!”
Rat-tat—!Rat-tat—!
The sergeant sprayed a dozen rounds to barely hold off the two zombies chasing them, then vaulted over the cars and turned toward the sidewalk. The driver had no idea what the plan was, but he followed the sergeant without question.
Graaaah—!
A zombie wearing only summer clothes spotted them and came sprinting across the snow-covered sidewalk. Even missing an arm and most of its intestines, the creature moved far faster than any living human.
Shhhk—!
More zombies poked their heads out from the alley. That disgusting, rotting skin!
“Dieeeee!”
The driver screamed at the top of his lungs and squeezed the trigger with every ounce of strength in his right index finger.
Rat-tat—!Rat-tat—!Rat-tat—!
The bullets from his K-2 turned the zombies’ torsos into bloody rags, but the creatures simply twitched and rose again. Why was it so damn hard to land a headshot? The driver’s hands shook as he swapped out his magazine. It was already his second reload.
While he bought time, the sergeant scrambled onto the flat roof of a single-story storefront and reached down.
“Grab on and climb up fast! More are coming!”
“Ah… yes sir!”
When the driver extended his left hand, the sergeant roared at him.
“Sling your rifle and use both hands, you moron!”
“Yes! Yes sir!”
The driver slung his rifle over his shoulder and thrust both arms up. With a grunt of effort from the sergeant and frantic kicking against the wall from the driver, the two men finally hauled themselves onto the roof—just before the zombies could grab the driver’s ankles.
“Haaah…! Haaah…!”
The driver wiped sweat from his eyes and gasped for breath before finally lifting his head.
Rat-tat-tat-tat—!Rat-tat—!
Gunfire could still be heard from where they had been standing moments ago. But the frequency and volume had dropped dramatically. Only a handful of soldiers were still on their feet and firing—and they were almost certainly completely surrounded.
“Over here! Climb up over—!”
The driver’s urgent gestures toward his comrades gradually lost strength. The brave ones who had stood their ground, the ones who had tried to run—every last one of them had been devoured in seconds. From less than thirty meters away, he could only watch helplessly as the last surviving soldier was torn apart by zombies. There was nothing he could do to help.
“Aaaaaaaaagh!”
The soldier, completely covered by zombies and drenched in blood, let out a long, horrible scream. That ghastly death cry bored straight into the bones of the two survivors. But right now, even mourning a comrade’s death felt like an unaffordable luxury.
Grooooah—!Graaaahk—!
Right below them, zombies were leaping and clawing at the edge of the roof, their fingers barely missing. At this rate, some of them might actually manage to climb up.
“You fucking bastards!”
With tears and snot streaming down their faces, the driver and sergeant unleashed full-auto fire from their K-2s at the zombies below. Even as bullets rained down and heads exploded right beside them, the creatures kept jumping relentlessly, trying to reach the men.
Rat-tat-tat-tat—!
The smell of gunpowder filled the air. Dozens of zombie corpses now littered the ground beneath the shop. How much time had passed…?
Click—!
The dry click of a firing pin striking empty air snapped the driver back to his senses.
“……Huk!”
His eyes widened as he frantically patted his tactical vest. No more magazines. There were still moving zombies left… and he was completely out of ammo. Worse, the soldiers who had been their comrades only minutes ago were now staggering back to their feet as undead.
“You out of ammo too?”
The sergeant beside him asked in a voice thick with fear. The driver nodded weakly.
“Yes… I’m completely dry.”
“Fuck… We’re screwed…”
The sergeant muttered, staring down at the street with hollow eyes. Even at a glance, there were still more than a dozen zombies left. Now they would either have to kill all of them with their bare hands or stay up here and freeze to death.
“There’s ammo… over there…”
The driver stared blankly at the vehicles they had arrived in. They were loaded with the supplies and ammunition meant for the company—including magazines already loaded and ready.
The problem was how to reach the middle of the street through that savage horde of zombies. The moment they climbed down from this roof, they would become food.
Hooooooo—!
A merciless wind whipped snow into their faces. The two soldiers’ body heat, already chilled by sweat, was dropping rapidly. At this rate, they wouldn’t last two hours.
“W-what should we do? We need to get those rounds…”
The driver asked. The sergeant had no brilliant solution either. The two men pressed their lips tightly together, shivering as they glared at the monsters roaring up at them. They prayed desperately that the creatures would forget about them and wander away.
“Hey… you fast?”
A moment later, the sergeant—who had finally reached the limit of his patience—asked in a trembling voice. The driver shook his head.
“Huh? N-not really, sir.”
“What was your hundred-meter time?”
“Around fifteen seconds… back in high school…”
“Then I’m faster. Shit, I’m not exactly confident either…”
The sergeant took off his helmet, set it down beside him, and continued.
“I’ll run down and grab the ammo. You play decoy in the meantime. Got it?”
“Decoy…? What do you mean…?”
“Lure the damn zombies. Light your clothes on fire, lean out over the signboard, whatever—just make sure they stay focused on you.”
The sergeant pulled out a cigarette and lighter and handed them over. The Taeyang Group manual had said so. Zombies were supposedly attracted to fire, heat, and cigarette smoke.
“Will that… actually work? It’s pretty far…”
The driver asked, face pale with terror. The sergeant raised his voice in irritation.
“You want to just sit here and freeze to death instead? We have to try something!”
“Ah… Yes! Yes sir! Understood!”
As the driver took off his parka and lit the inside with the lighter, fresh tears streamed down his face. He had a terrible feeling this plan was never going to work. Running through a street crawling with zombies to grab ammo and come back… It sounded impossible just hearing it. Still, he had no better alternative to offer.
Whoosh—!
A moment later, flames and smoke rose from inside the parka.
Grrrrr—!Grooooah—!
Whether because of the strong smell of the cigarette used as kindling or the fire itself, the zombies on the street went completely berserk. The driver gripped one burning sleeve of the parka and walked to the left edge of the building.
“Stay sharp and keep luring them! If you chicken out and pull back too soon, I’m dead! And if I die, you’re fucked too, you bastard!”
“Yes! Yes sir! Understood!”
The driver wiped his tears with his sleeve and clenched his teeth. The sergeant moved to the right edge of the roof, ready to jump, and gave the signal.
“Alright, start!”
“Yaaaaaah!”
The driver swung the burning coat below him with all his strength. The zombies that had followed him reacted with near-maniacal frenzy, leaping and reaching toward the roof with outstretched arms.
Thud—!
Judging that he had drawn enough attention, the sergeant took several deep breaths, then leaped as far as he could toward the sidewalk below.
Thump—!
The original plan had been a smooth landing followed by an immediate sprint, but the thick snow made him slip. He landed hard on his backside.
“Ugh!”
The sergeant’s head instinctively whipped around. Fortunately, the zombies near the shop were still more interested in the burning military parka, and the driver was holding his ground with surprising courage.
The sergeant quickly pushed himself up and began sprinting toward the vehicles, whose headlights were still blazing brightly.
Crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch—!
His own footsteps on the snow sounded deafeningly loud. Gripping his empty rifle tightly, the sergeant ran with gritted teeth. He slipped several times but somehow made it safely to the fourth vehicle they had ridden in.
“Haaah…! Haaah…!”
Panting heavily, he yanked open the hatch. Boxes packed with full magazines came into view.
Rip—!Rip—!
He tore open the packaging like a madman and had just lifted a small box containing twenty magazines when the driver’s desperate scream cut through the blizzard.
“Sergeant Kang! Behind you! Behind you! Zombies!”
The sergeant’s heart nearly stopped. He spun around, face white with terror.
Groooooaaar—!
The lieutenant, now a zombie, came charging at him with its mouth wide open. More zombies were sprinting right behind it at terrifying speed.
Groooooaaar—!
Even the zombies clustered in front of the shop turned with thunderous roars. Now that the driver’s burning parka had shriveled to almost nothing, the best prey standing defenseless in the middle of the street was Sergeant Kang.
“Aaaaaah!”
The sergeant hurled the box of magazines to buy a few seconds, then turned and ran for his life.
Thump-thump—!
He leaped onto the hoods of the cars parked along the roadside. If he could just reach the roof of another building, he might be able to buy some time…
But the zombies were far faster than he had anticipated.
Crunch—!
An overwhelmingly powerful grip seized the back of his neck and shoulder. Caught by the scruff like a rag doll by the zombified lieutenant, the sergeant lost his balance and tumbled off the car.
Grooooah—!
The lieutenant zombie bared its teeth and lunged at him. At that exact moment—
BANG—!
A single gunshot rang out from across the street. A large hole appeared perfectly between the lieutenant zombie’s eyes.
Thwack—!
It was an impossibly precise headshot, as if measured by a computer and fired by a machine.