So Sweet! (2)
The Witch stared at Mingu, who was lounging on the long bench across from her, and wondered, What the hell are these people really?
Why is he the only one wearing a suit?
The rest of the group was dressed in practical waterproof jackets and cargo pants, but this man with the long scar across his face was the only one in a sleek black suit. It seemed bizarre in a zombie-infested world where no one cared about appearances. Why insist on wearing something so uncomfortable?
Of course, if he had been an office worker, he might have just thrown on his usual clothes without thinking. But this man was no ordinary civilian. His speech, his expressions, and especially the ruthless way he swung his blades against zombies all pointed to someone hardened by real combat. On top of that, he was the Jack the Ripper who had brutally slaughtered the Shadow Shield leader from the Yongsan headquarters.
Was there some kind of message behind the outfit? Or was it camouflage to hide his military background?
The Witch chewed her nails anxiously, but no answers came easily. This bizarre team was full of mysteries and oddities. Even the short one-armed man on the rooftop was strange enough.
Judging by how skillfully he moved, he had been wearing that bionic hand for quite some time. What kind of military unit kept a soldier with a prosthetic on active duty instead of discharging him?
Is he the only non-soldier? Maybe he's some smooth-talking merchant that General Kim sent as a front to strengthen the disguise… No, that doesn't make sense.
The Witch shook her head, dismissing her own theory. From her four months of close dealings with soldiers, she knew better. Soldiers—especially older generals—rarely trusted civilians. They would never send a civilian, let alone such a young one, to handle an important negotiation instead of their own staff.
…Could he be General Kim's son?
She immediately realized that theory was equally ridiculous. No matter how capable his subordinates were, a father would never send his own child into zombie-overrun Seoul with such a small escort. At the very least, a couple of helicopters should have been providing security nearby.
…And if he really were General Kim's son, this Reaper guy wouldn't be speaking to him so casually.
The Witch glanced sideways at Mingu and muttered inwardly.
Then what the hell is going on?
The question circled back to the beginning. It was clearly General Kim who had taken Terra from the Taeyang Group headquarters in Yongsan. So why were these people—who showed zero signs of military discipline—running around selling her blood? If they were soldiers, why was only one of them using a gun as their main weapon while the others fought zombies with strange weapons? And why was this guy the only one wearing a suit?
But… is that blood really from a Final Level Evolution immune person?
Her gaze naturally drifted to the icebox sitting right next to Mingu. There had already been two transactions, yet she had never heard any rumors of anyone actually using the precious serum they had obtained with such difficulty.
Considering the prices and quantities these people had offered, the previous two warlords must have paid over a hundred thousand rounds of ammunition just for three or four packs of blood. In times like these, that was an absurdly high price. And there was no guarantee they could buy more. So experimenting with it would have been impossible…
Then maybe…
The suspicion that the blood might be completely fake crossed her mind. If no one ever used it, they could sell obvious counterfeits without getting caught.
But if they're not affiliated with General Kim, then who are they? How can they travel between Busan and Seoul so quickly and set up a deal like this? And how did they even learn about the existence of a Final Level Evolution immune person and decide to sell their blood? That kind of idea would be impossible without some kind of lead.
Even as she quickly refuted her own logic, the Witch's eyes remained fixed on the icebox in question.
“Hey.”
Mingu, who had noticed her staring, spoke coldly.
“You'd better not touch that.”
Ah! When did he start watching me?
The Witch quickly lowered her head and tightened the blanket wrapped around her legs. Just knowing that his cruel-looking eyes had been on her made her skin crawl.
He was definitely imagining my body, wasn't he? Disgusting, seriously…!
She shuddered and furtively looked up to gauge Mingu's reaction. He was staring at her with his usual emotionless gaze. The faint smile on his lips, so at odds with his menacing eyes, only made her more uneasy. It felt like he could slice her skin open with his blade at any moment, as if it were nothing.
“Um… I-I heard the others call you Mingu. Do you… have any hobbies you used to enjoy? Or something on your bucket list you really wanted to try? I mean, before the whole world went apocalyptic like this.”
Gathering what little courage she had, the Witch forced a smile and asked in a trembling voice. Trying to talk with hostage-takers was important. It could reveal weaknesses or build enough human connection to prevent abuse.
“Ah, I've seen your type before.”
Mingu smirked. The Witch flinched but forced herself to stay engaged.
“Huh? What do you mean, ‘your type'?”
“The stupid ones who hope that if they get friendly, they won't get killed even if things go wrong.”
“Ha…!”
The Witch let out a groan and shut her mouth. This was the second time she had met someone who could make the word “kill” sound so visceral. Her father, Chairman Hwang, and now this man.
Damn it, how did he see right through me? And so quickly? With that kind of psychological skill, is he a North Korean operative or from the NIS?
The Witch lowered her head even further to avoid Mingu's gaze. This man wouldn't be easy to manipulate.
How am I going to get through this night? No, will I even survive until the hostage negotiation is over?
The thought brought tears to her eyes, and she bit her lip hard. Hwang Nayeon of the Taeyang Group. With just those eight letters, she had once made everyone kneel. How had she ended up like this? Having her fate decided by these low-class, ignorant barbarians was a truly miserable story.
I can get through this… I'm an incredibly wise, beautiful, and strong woman… I can definitely get through this. Just like the directors always praised, I'm a born leader.
Hwang Nayeon adjusted the blanket to cover her bare skin and tried to comfort herself. In her mind, she outlined the stages of disaster and how to handle them.
Stage one was… the most ideal but also the most unrealistic option: sweet-talk these men into letting her return safely to the South Area without suffering any physical humiliation. If she could figure out what they wanted through conversation and promise to reward them… then she could protect herself until the negotiation ended. Of course, the chances were slim.
Stage two was… find the real leader among them and seduce him. Tell him she liked him but didn't want to deal with the others, and ask him to protect her… The Witch thought this was the most likely option.
This way, she could minimize physical and mental damage while preventing the group from becoming unnecessarily violent due to mob mentality. If she fully utilized her charm and carefully stroked his masculine pride, he would melt completely. Men were creatures who often made illogical decisions because of their egos.
And stage three was… the scenario she really didn't want to imagine, but if all her efforts failed, she would ultimately be violated by them one by one or all at once.
What she must never forget in such an extreme situation was… that excessive resistance could lead to irreversible physical injury. The Witch engraved this into her mind. She absolutely had to prevent any tragedy involving damage to her eyes, nose, or fingers…
“Ugh!”
The thoughts racing through her mind were so dark and horrifying that Hwang Nayeon covered her face with her hands. My god… gang rape! She had always believed only lowly women at the bottom of society suffered such things… Now she had to prepare countermeasures for even worse scenarios. How could this be so miserable?
Why did it come to this? I thought it would all end simply if I just completed the negotiation and went back… Why?! It wasn't even supposed to get this complicated!
Hwang Nayeon squeezed her eyes shut and screamed inwardly. A perfect immune person surpassing Mr. Bae. She had wanted to secure that serum sample, deliver it to the lab to create a vaccine, and earn recognition from her father. She thought that would make him officially acknowledge her as his successor…
That was why she had worked so hard to convince Lieutenant General Park to hand over negotiation rights, promising half the serum and countless other privileges. She had believed that if she completed this deal successfully, a bright future would unfold before her. She had been so excited and thrilled right up until she left that morning… And now look at her.
She hated the low-class men in front of her and their companions, but what was even more serious was the fact that there was an enemy within the group. If this scarred man hadn't recognized her today and the deal had simply ended, she would probably be lying dead in some corner of Ttukseom Park right now, riddled with bullets like her bodyguards.
Another problem was… whether her father would even accept the hostage-takers' demands. In her opinion, Chairman Hwang was not the kind of man who would release all his precious test subjects just to save his daughter. If it were his son, maybe.
Her father would probably try to drag out the negotiations while looking for loopholes. And during that time, her body and mind would be thoroughly destroyed by these ruthless men and their companions to the point of no return.
I can't see a way out… How am I supposed to escape this crisis?
Just as Hwang Nayeon was anxiously lost in thought—
Bang-! Tatatatat-! Tatatang-! Tatatata-!
Gunfire echoed from a distance. The powerful reverberations were so sharp and clear that they could be felt even inside the fourteenth floor with no windows.
What is that?
Startled, the Witch widened her eyes and stared at the door leading to the stairs.
Tatatang-! Tatang-! Tatatang-!
The gunfire continued, and now she could faintly hear the sound of a car engine as well.
Vroooom-! Vroooom-! Screeech-!
The sudden sound of a car in the zombie-infested streets of Seoul was so unfamiliar and unexpected that the Witch couldn't immediately grasp the situation and felt confused.
Could it be… a rescue team? Did they send a rescue team to save me?
For a brief moment, the Witch felt a flicker of hope, but she immediately scolded herself.
No, what am I thinking? A rescue team? My father doesn't even know I'm being held hostage by these people. How could he send a rescue team? If someone did come, it's far more likely they're an assassination squad sent to kill me! Get a grip!
An elite assassination squad dispatched for the kill! Just thinking about it made her hands and feet tremble. The Witch asked Mingu in a voice full of fear.
“Um… From the shooting sounds, it seems like there's some trouble outside. Aren't you going to check? It could be killers sent to kill us.”
That last part was a genuine warning. She didn't want to be assassinated, so she had to rely on these men.
“Hahaha.”
Mingu, who had maintained his relaxed demeanor, laughed as if the idea was absurd. The gunfire and tire screeches were clearly coming from Jinwoo and that gorilla guy. If it weren't them, the lookout on the rooftop would have already reported it. He stared at the Witch and replied briefly.
“How would killers know to come here?”
“Ah…”
Only then did the Witch realize once again that she was trapped in a closed, anonymous space, and she sighed weakly. That's right. This was a darkened theater. It was just one of many buildings in the area, more than three kilometers away in a straight line from Ttukseom, the meeting place.
Even if killers or a rescue team started searching, reaching this place would require combing through thousands of buildings within a three-kilometer radius. In terms of time, it would take at least a month.
“But… the other members are outside. I guess, for their safety at least, you should try contacting them…”
After thinking for a moment, the Witch made another suggestion. But the blade-wielding man didn't even twitch the scar across his face.
“I can barely understand what you're saying.”
Mingu continued with a relaxed expression.
“But if you're worried about those kids getting hurt, don't be. They're strong.”
＊＊＊
Vroooooom-!
The Sheriff gripped the steering wheel tightly and pressed the accelerator. They were about two hundred meters from the section completely blocked by cars. The faces of zombies wandering around the area were gradually becoming clearer.
Beep-! Honk-! Beep-! Honk-!
The wipers worked hard up and down to clear the raindrops that had started falling a little while ago. Jinwoo, aiming the K2's muzzle out the passenger window while staring at the rain-streaked windshield, pointed to the end of the open road.
“Get as close as you can. Be careful, it's slippery because of the rain.”
“Okay! That's no problem.”
The Sheriff nodded confidently and shifted gears. Moments later, he quickly turned the wheel all the way to the left.
Screeeeech-!
The tires screamed as they scraped against the asphalt, but the Sheriff didn't panic at all. He alternated between the brake and accelerator, spinning the car around.
Thud-!
When he finally pulled the parking brake, the Genesis Coupe came to a stop after making a sharp 120-degree turn, rocking heavily. The distance between it and the cars blocking the road was less than a meter.
“After practicing a few times, you're parking pretty precisely.”
The Sheriff puffed up with pride at Jinwoo's compliment.
“Of course. Where do you think my athletic reflexes went? If I try a couple more times, I could park within ten centimeters.”
“That's impossible… What are you, a stuntman? Pfft.”
Jinwoo chuckled as he unbuckled his seatbelt.
Grrr-! Grr-!
The nearby zombies were starting to react. Even in this cold rain with winter approaching, they had sensed the heat coming from the car engine. Now it was time for the secondary, more powerful lure.
“Yeah. This way. Look over here, you bastards.”
Jinwoo rolled down the passenger window completely, put two cigarettes in his mouth, and lit them.
“Cough! Cough! Ugh…!”
The smoke sucked into his lungs was so acrid that he immediately started coughing. Frowning, Jinwoo positioned the two cigarettes in front of the passenger-side vent.
Whoosh-!
A strong blast of air from the vent, now facing outward, scattered the harsh cigarette smoke and heater warmth in all directions. Although the rain made it difficult for the air to spread widely, Jinwoo judged that this combined bait would be more than enough.
♪ You can't touch this. You can't touch this. ♬ Oh- Oh!♪ When the Sheriff turned the volume to maximum, MC Hammer's old song blasted through the speakers at ear-splitting volume.
“Don't you have anything else?”
Jinwoo shouted over the music. The Sheriff asked back.
“Want to listen to the Bumblebee Medley?”
Though the beat was a bit slow, it was the loudest, most pounding track among the CDs in the car. And less than ten seconds later, simultaneous roars erupted from all directions.
Graaaaaah-! Kwaaaak-! Graaaah-!
The zombies wandering between the cars let out loud howls and charged toward the vehicle carrying the two friends.
“Not yet… not yet…”
Jinwoo, leaning out the window and looking behind them, spoke. They had excited quite a few zombies, but the ones loitering in front of the theater still hadn't reacted. If possible, they needed to lure those ones out too so they wouldn't have to repeat the same process two or three times.
Kwaaaaaak-! Kwaaaah-!
The closest zombies had already approached within twenty meters. Just as it seemed too dangerous to wait any longer, Jinwoo spotted the zombies guarding the front of the theater turning their heads toward them and howling.
“Go! Go! Go!”
As Jinwoo shouted, the Sheriff shifted gears and slammed the accelerator to the floor. The Genesis Coupe's engine and muffler, now under a wild new owner, let out an even fiercer and sharper roar than the zombies.
Vroooooom-!