Shootout (1)
The sharp crack of gunfire split the air.
“What the hell? YB, what’s that gunshot?!”
Jinwoo’s startled voice crackled through the receiver. Right beside him, the Witch kept screaming hysterically, turning his already chaotic mind into complete pandemonium.
“This is exactly why I warned you the ransom plan was impossible! Why didn’t you listen to me? See?! There are seriously so many people trying to kill me!”
“I don’t know… haaa…! Suddenly… they started shooting at their own bodyguards… haaa…! Three people are dead…!”
Even as panic flooded him at the completely unexpected turn of events, Yubin pressed the transmit button on his walkie-talkie and answered Jinwoo. In that brief moment, armed troops poured out of the Black Hawk. Eight men in black uniforms, all carrying polycarbonate riot shields and MP5 submachine guns.
What the hell? Why were eight of them crammed in there? Does that helicopter even have that kind of capacity?
Countless questions raced through Yubin’s rattled mind. Only a few seconds later did he realize the truth: these bastards had never intended to fly the Witch’s group of five back in the first place.
Meanwhile, the men in black uniforms advanced rapidly toward the onboard café, using the fake Major Park as a human shield. The Black Hawk that had dropped them off immediately climbed back into the sky.
“Get down!”
Sheriff, who had been watching the front with hawk-like eyes, shouted as he wrapped both Yubin and the Witch in his arms. Mingu did the same from the opposite side, slamming both of them to the floor.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat—! Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat—!
The enemy thrust their gun barrels between their shields and opened suppressive fire. The café’s glass windows shattered instantly. Bullets sparked and ricocheted off the metal pillars.
Crash—! Crash—! Ting—!
They weren’t aiming with any real precision, but the sheer volume and noise alone were enough to make anyone’s mind go blank.
“Kyaaaah!”
The Witch of Ruin, sprawled on the floor, squeezed her eyes shut and let out a piercing shriek.
“…Are these bastards out of their fucking minds?”
Sheriff lifted his head, muttered in disbelief, then roared at the black-uniformed troops.
“Your boss is right here as a hostage, you sons of bitches! Stop shooting!”
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat—! Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat—! Rat-tat-tat-tat—!
As if in direct response to his words, they answered with another burst of submachine-gun fire. Thanks to Sheriff giving away their position with his voice, this volley was noticeably more accurate.
Clang—! Crash—! Crash—! Piiing—!
The sounds of things shattering and breaking continued nonstop from both below and on the floor above.
“She’s not a hostage… It looks like they were planning to kill her from the start…”
When Yubin muttered his assessment of the situation, Mingu gave a small nod in agreement.
“It’s a revolt.”
Even as they spoke, the enemy kept advancing in a low crouch, firing every two seconds without pause.
Rat-tat-tat—! Rat-tat-tat—! Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat—!
The overwhelming barrage left Yubin’s group on the third floor unable to even lift their heads properly. Glass shards and powder flew behind them. Bullets even struck the floor and bounced up.
“I don’t give a shit if it’s a revolt or a coup… Hnngh!”
Sheriff crawled backward, then used nothing but the raw power of both arms to lift a thick bulletproof table, flip it over, and drag it into place.
Thud—!
Once the heavy table was set up facing the direction of incoming fire, Sheriff waved everyone over.
“Get over here! Hide behind this!”
“Go, Sheriff! You too, crawl!”
Yubin shouted. But the Witch, lost in full panic, simply clutched her head and continued shrieking in an ear-piercing dolphin-like wail.
“Uwaaaaah! Kyaaaaah!”
“I said move!”
Yubin grabbed her and raised his voice again. Still, the Witch curled up like a shrimp and refused to budge.
“Hnnngh!”
Lying flat, Yubin wrapped his arms around her waist and strained with everything he had. But with only one real hand and the limits of his current posture, he couldn’t lift her even an inch. If he could get to his knees it would be different, but raising his upper body right now would likely get his head blown clean off.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat—! Rat-tat-tat-tat—! Crash—! Crash—! Piiing—!
Bullets continued to fly just above their heads. Glass fragments sprayed everywhere. Several rounds even grazed the edges of the bulletproof table. If Sheriff hadn’t been bracing it with his back, it would have already flipped over.
“Just leave her! Don’t push it!”
Mingu yanked Yubin’s shoulder back behind the table. To them, this scheming bastard was far more important than some wicked witch. Yubin looked back at them and shook his head firmly.
“We have to keep her alive!”
Things had spiraled in a completely unforeseen direction, but he still believed this woman held significant value as a hostage. Now that the Little Chairman had turned into a zombie, Hwang Nayeon was Chairman Hwang’s only remaining heir.
“Kyaaaaaaaah! Aaaaaaaaah!”
The Witch, deep in panic, kept clawing at her own hair and screaming. She was making so much noise that it was actually making it easier for the enemy to pinpoint their location.
“Ugh… what a fucking annoying bitch!”
Sheriff reached around the side of the bulletproof table, grabbed her ankle, and yanked hard.
Riiiiip—!
Her stockings and military skirt tore against the floor, but she slid behind the table as easily as if she weighed nothing. The moment she was clear, several bullets slammed into the exact spot where she had been cowering. Her small handbag took multiple hits, smoke curling from the fresh holes. The Witch’s eyes widened in horror.
“…Oh Jesus! That was seriously dangerous!”
“Then why the hell do you think we kept telling you to keep your head down, you idiot?! Stay low!”
Sheriff pulled her close beside him and roughly shoved her head down.
Ting—! Ting, ting—!
The exposed corners of the bulletproof table—those without polycarbonate shielding—kept splintering and breaking apart. Yubin’s group huddled tightly together behind it, unable to move an inch, while the enemy, hidden in Jinwoo’s blind spot, methodically sprayed MP5 fire and steadily closed the distance.
On their side, the only weapons available were pistols and blades. There was a submachine gun in a bag a few meters behind them, but crawling over to retrieve it would be extremely risky. And even if they managed to get it, none of them were skilled marksmen. Engaging in a firefight against eight professionally trained soldiers was never going to be a viable option.
That alone was already despairing enough, but then another helicopter’s rotor sound suddenly echoed from above.
Whump-whump-whump-whump—!
This time it was a black helicopter with a massive external loudspeaker attached.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat—! Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat—!
It hovered in the air with a clear diagonal view of the onboard café and fired a warning burst into the river below. Then the black helicopter switched on its loudspeaker.
“If you do not resist, you will not be harmed! All we want is Hwang Nayeon and the serum, so hand over those two things quietly! I repeat! If you do not resist, you will not be harmed! We have no desire to hurt you! Just hand over Hwang Nayeon and the serum! Stand up with both hands on your heads!”
“…Fuck. They’ve lost their goddamn minds,” Sheriff growled through clenched teeth.
Eight men with shields in front. A gunner aiming at them from a helicopter behind. The situation had clearly become one where survival seemed impossible. If they didn’t have their secret weapon—Jinwoo—it really would have been over.
“…What the hell is going on?”
Jinwoo clicked his tongue as he watched the onboard café through the scope of his K-2 rifle. He could tell everyone was hiding behind the bulletproof table while bullets kept slamming into the area around them… but he had no idea how many enemies there were. From where he and Samsuk-i were concealed, the bridge pillars completely blocked his view of the plaza where the helicopter had landed.
And then the black helicopter appeared, switched on its loudspeaker, and began repeating the same message.
“If you do not resist, you will not be harmed! All we want is Hwang Nayeon and the serum, so hand over those two things quietly! I repeat! If you do not resist, you will not be harmed! We have no desire to hurt you! Just hand over Hwang Nayeon and the serum! Stand up with both hands on your heads!”
The booming voice was loud enough to reach Jinwoo even from over five hundred meters away. He knew Yubin wasn’t stupid enough to stand up obediently just because they told him to, but it was clear the situation had grown far more dangerous.
“YB! Can you hear me?”
Jinwoo pressed the transmit button and shouted. If Yubin’s walkie-talkie had been destroyed, things would get extremely complicated.
- Chiii—! Yeah! Haa…! I hear you! Rat-tat-tat-tat—! Rat-tat-tat—!
Thankfully, Yubin answered right away. Even during that short exchange, the sound of gunfire crackled through the speaker.
“How many are coming from the front?”
Jinwoo asked quickly. Knowing the enemy’s exact numbers was the most critical information right now. If he pulled the trigger recklessly and let even one slip through, escaping afterward would become a nightmare.
- Chiiii—! Eight of them, and they’re all carrying shields! But Jinwoo, that’s not the problem… what are we going to do about that helicopter? Chiiik—!
Yubin sounded worried. Jinwoo tensed his core to hide his own anxiety and replied.
“I’ll take care of it. Just hold on a little longer.”
Even while Jinwoo was exchanging messages with Yubin, the black helicopter overhead continued repeating almost the exact same message.
“Do not resist! We have no intention of harming you! If you hand over Hwang Nayeon and the serum, we promise to let you go safely! I repeat! Do not resist—hand over Hwang Nayeon and the serum! Stand up right now with both hands above your heads! If you surrender, we will not shoot!”
Even though they had a completely clear line of fire, there was only one reason they kept issuing threats instead of simply opening fire. The serum. They were afraid of accidentally destroying it, so they couldn’t risk indiscriminate shooting. That meant Yubin still had a very narrow window of time.
“…Perfect.”
When all eight black-uniformed men finally entered his field of vision, Jinwoo gave a small nod. Whether they were crouching low behind polycarbonate shields or using the fake Major Park as a human shield, none of it mattered anymore. It was time to eliminate them one by one.
Clack—!
Jinwoo set down the K-2 and grabbed the LaRue Magnum sniper rifle he had placed beside him. He brought his eye close to the scope. His first target was the side of the hovering black helicopter. From his angle it was slightly diagonal, but that actually worked in his favor.
The gunner leaning halfway out the open door, aiming his submachine gun downward, showed no worry or fear on his face. Of course he didn’t. He firmly believed no threat existed for him right now.
“You’re underestimating us way too much.”
Jinwoo read the target’s subtle rhythm as it swayed lightly up, down, left, and right with the air currents. He muttered quietly and pulled the trigger.
Bang—!
The instant the first shot rang out, Jinwoo yanked the charging handle to chamber the second round. He slipped his finger back into the trigger guard and fired again.
Baaang—!
The second gunshot sliced sharply through the air.
Clack—!
By the time Jinwoo had reloaded at blinding speed, the helicopter gunner’s head exploded inside the scope, spraying bright red blood across the cabin interior. The second round immediately struck the man in the front seat, producing another burst of red mist. The helmets they wore were nothing more than paper hats against the devastating power of .338 Magnum rounds.
Whump-whump-whump-whump—! Whiiiine—!
Having lost one gunner and one crew member in the blink of an eye, the black helicopter’s pilot panicked, spun the aircraft, and climbed desperately. The helicopter sped away toward Gangnam, the dead gunner’s upper body dangling limply from the open side door. The odds of it returning within the next few minutes were now extremely low.
Clack—!
Jinwoo set the sniper rifle down and picked up the K-2 again. His next targets were the eight men in black uniforms who had already reached the front of the pontoon bridge. Startled by the sudden loud gunshots and the death of the helicopter gunner, they had frozen in place and were now spraying indiscriminate suppressive fire.
“Too late.”
Watching the black-uniformed men hurriedly lower their shields and crouch, Jinwoo muttered emotionlessly. He had zero intention of showing mercy to bastards who had pointed guns at his friends. He had learned through painful experience exactly how much sorrow such foolish compassion would bring. He would never… forget that lesson.
Scanning them through the scope, Jinwoo aimed at the slightly exposed ankle beneath the shield of the man farthest to the left and pulled the trigger.
Bang—!
Once again, his K-2 did not betray him. The round flew exactly where he had aimed.
Thud—!
The man on the far left collapsed as his ankle was blown apart, causing his shield to tilt at an angle. Jinwoo didn’t miss the brief gap. He fired in rapid succession.
Bang-bang—! Bang—! Bang-bang-bang—!
The far-left man’s head, the man beside him in the heart, and the third man’s forehead were all pierced in turn, spraying bright red blood. Five remained. The survivors panicked and tried to turn and flee, but to escape they first had to climb over the corpses of their fallen comrades on the narrow pontoon bridge.
“None of you are going anywhere.”
Jinwoo spat the words like a cold reaper and fired another 5.56mm round.
Bang—! Bang-bang—! Baaang—!