Operation Perseus (3)
Hoo…….
The Sheriff gave the side-by-side refrigerator a light shove, then rubbed his forehead in clear frustration.
“The weight itself isn’t that bad, but there’s nowhere decent to grab onto.”
He spread both arms wide and tried hugging the fridge from every angle, but no comfortable grip presented itself. Eventually he grumbled in exasperation.
“How the hell am I supposed to carry this? Why don’t these bastards put handles on things meant to be moved?”
Jinwoo had a pretty good idea why there were no handles. The appliance was simply too heavy for an average person to lift, so the manufacturer had deliberately left them off to prevent injuries from reckless attempts.
“Should we take the doors off? That’d make it way easier. We’d have something to hold, and it’d be lighter too.”
At Jinwoo’s suggestion, the Sheriff waved a dismissive hand.
“Nah. If we rip the doors off we’ll have to rewire everything later. That’s a massive time sink. Just tape them shut for now. A few scratches on the outside won’t matter anyway. But… where are we gonna find something strong enough to strap it down? It needs to be pretty wide……”
The packing straps stocked inside the Costco were too thin and weak for a job like this. While the Sheriff set down the cooler and backpack and wandered off to another aisle in search of a suitable substitute, Jinwoo headed to the stationery section, grabbed the widest roll of duct tape he could find, and began wrapping the refrigerator’s two doors tightly to the main body.
Riiip—! Crunch—! Crunch—!
He circled the fridge several times, pulling the tape taut, when the Sheriff returned carrying an armful of bed sheets.
“This should do the trick.”
The Sheriff tore open the thick plastic packaging and knotted the ends of the sheets together, fashioning them into long, wide straps. Once several sheets were connected, they were long enough to loop around the refrigerator multiple times horizontally.
“Hang this here……”
He tied a knot with the sheet at the top and bottom of the fridge, then twisted the center so the straps crossed tightly. From the front it looked like a pair of “11”s; from the back, it formed an “X” shape—like makeshift suspenders.
Thud—!
The Sheriff tilted the refrigerator and leaned it at an angle against the shelf, then crouched down and slipped both arms through the loops of the makeshift harness.
“Ughhh…!”
He frowned, gave his waist a sharp twist, and just like that the massive side-by-side refrigerator lifted off the ground as if it weighed nothing, settling with a heavy thump against his broad back.
“Huh? It’s… actually manageable? These straps are digging into my shoulders a bit, but… this is doable.”
He wrapped the fabric once around his wrist for extra tension, then slowly bent and straightened his knees to test the load.
“Hey, Sheriff. Have you gotten even stronger lately?”
Jinwoo blinked like he’d been hit by a truck. He knew the guy could carry a fridge, but he had never expected it to look this effortless.
“Dunno… maybe all the good food on Big Island lately? Anyway, let’s go. Lead the way!”
Still wearing the refrigerator like a backpack, the Sheriff jerked his chin toward the exit.
“No, no! Put it down first! Don’t waste your energy.”
Jinwoo pointed at a pallet jack. They still had to push everything out to the parking lot entrance, then haul it up multiple sloped ramps to the roof. There was no reason to exhaust himself before they even started.
“I could just carry it……”
The Sheriff shrugged with his eyebrows instead of his burdened shoulders and set the refrigerator down on the pallet jack.
Thump—!
Even the sound of it landing felt crushing.
“What the hell is this thing made of? How did he lift it so easily……”
Jinwoo grabbed the corner of the fridge and gave it a hard tug, then shook his head. He’d wondered if maybe it was deceptively light. It wasn’t. There was no way he could even dream of lifting something this heavy, bulky, and awkwardly shaped.
“Hurry up! It’s already noon! YB’s probably having a nervous breakdown by now.”
The Sheriff tapped his watch impatiently.
“I know, I know! Just wait a second!”
Jinwoo immediately went to the kitchenware display two aisles over and swept an armful of silicone ice trays into the cart. Since they planned to use the entire freezer, they’d need plenty of molds.
Rattle—!
The two men stepped back outside with Samsuk-i, double-checked that the shutter was securely locked, and headed for the parking lot entrance.
“Damn it, I tied this stupid thing in two layers for nothing.”
The Sheriff grumbled as he cut through the brand-new cable ties he’d fastened earlier.
“If you don’t want to waste effort, you need to plan properly before you move.”
They parked the pallet jack and cart right before the steep ramp leading to the second-floor parking area. Jinwoo continued,
“We only need to lift it over the speed bumps. So first, you and I push this together……”
He was explaining the plan while gripping the side of the refrigerator on the jack when the Sheriff simply gave it a light shove.
“Looks like we’re gonna sweat either way, so what’s the point of a plan… Just hold the top steady.”
“Whoa!”
Jinwoo hurriedly grabbed the tilting top of the fridge.
“Hnnngh…!”
With his arms through the straps again, the Sheriff hoisted the refrigerator even more easily than before.
“Up we go! Up we go!”
He gripped the straps tight, gave his shoulders a light shrug to center the load, then jerked his chin toward Jinwoo’s cart.
“It’s better to just carry it the whole way instead of setting it down and picking it up again. You go first, push the cart, and keep the flashlight on. Make sure Samsuk-i doesn’t come near me.”
“Wouldn’t it be better if I supported it from behind a little?”
“Aigo, just go! I don’t want to worry about you getting crushed.”
As usual, the Sheriff’s tone was a perfect mix of bravado and consideration. Jinwoo knew that arguing would only make the guy suffer longer, so he stopped protesting and started pushing the cart up the ramp.
Rattle, rattle, clatter—!
Once they cleared the speed bump and gave it another strong push, the cart—loaded with dozens of liters of bottled water, miscellaneous supplies, a hammer, a new cooler, the old cooler full of ice water, and the Sheriff’s backpack—shot forward with a surprisingly light rattle.
“Keep your eyes forward! Just in case! Hoo……!”
After calling out the warning, the Sheriff breathed deeply like a weightlifter and took each step with care. Jinwoo glanced back, worried, but the man’s stable posture put his mind at ease. When it came to using his body, the Sheriff was someone you could trust completely.
“This is fucking endless.”
By the time they had carried the refrigerator around the bend, across the parking lot, and all the way to the third floor, the Sheriff was grinding his teeth. Two more floors remained before they reached the roof, and his legs were already starting to burn.
“Want to set it down and rest?”
When Jinwoo asked with concern, the Sheriff gave a small shake of his head.
“No. If I put it down now I don’t think I’ll be able to get it back on my shoulders. Let’s just push through.”
“You look like you’re about to drop… You’re sweating buckets. What should we—… Ah!”
Jinwoo suddenly shouted and dashed between the parked cars.
“Over here! Come this way and rest the fridge across these two cars, Sheriff!”
He spread his arms and patted the roofs of the sedans on either side.
“Kgh! That actually works! Heh heh… Shit, I shouldn’t laugh. If I lose tension in my core I’ll collapse.”
The Sheriff, who had been chuckling, suddenly went dead serious again. He exhaled through his mouth and turned toward where Jinwoo was standing.
Thud—! Creeeaaak!
When the Sheriff stopped between the two cars and rested the refrigerator across their roofs, the metal panels groaned and dented under the weight. It meant that much load had been taken off his shoulders.
“Haa…… What a nice little trick. Whew……!”
The Sheriff smiled, still amused even on second thought. Setting a refrigerator on the roofs of a Grandeur and a Sonata to catch his breath… It was the kind of break you could only enjoy in a zombie apocalypse.
“Here, drink this!”
Jinwoo handed him one of the red ginseng drinks he’d grabbed from the health section and gulped down one himself.
“Ooooh! The saponin power is surging! Alright, let’s move!”
The Sheriff drained the bottle in one go, rested a little longer, then lifted the refrigerator again with renewed determination. He took each step with passion. Just two more floors… and they could complete today’s objective and head back.
One step. Another step……
Every time he took a heavy, painful stride, thick drops of sweat rolled down from the Sheriff’s chin. Still, he never gave up, nor did he rush recklessly. He knew that if he slipped and dropped the fridge on the slope, every ounce of effort he’d poured out so far would be wasted.
“Ah……!”
When they finally reached the sunlit rooftop, a joyful exclamation burst from his lips. The sense of accomplishment and competitive spirit gave the exhausted Sheriff the strength to carry the generator the final few meters.
“Haa, I’m dead! Uuuugh……!”
With Jinwoo’s help, he slowly lowered the refrigerator beside the generator and collapsed onto the floor with a heavy sigh. While the Sheriff unzipped his jacket and cooled off his sweat-soaked hoodie, Jinwoo bent over, wiping the sweat that had dripped down his own face.
“Seriously… haa… good work……!”
Even that short compliment was interrupted by several deep breaths. It was nothing compared to the Sheriff’s labor of carrying a side-by-side refrigerator all the way up, but Jinwoo had still exerted himself pushing the heavy cart up the ramps. He was tired. Yet there was still too much work left to lie down beside his friend.
“Haa…! Drink this and lie down a bit longer. Don’t get up……”
Jinwoo handed him a two-liter bottle of water, then refilled the generator with engine oil and fuel before starting it.
Vrrrrrr—! Rumble-rumble-rumble—!
The generator motor, back on duty after a long time, roared noisily but ran smoothly.
Riiip—! Rip—!
Jinwoo peeled away the tape he had wrapped around the doors, plugged in the power cord, and pressed the rapid-freeze button. He poured water into the silicone trays and lined them up. Only after stacking dozens of ice trays inside the freezer until it was completely full did he finally tear off the blue tape that had sealed the cooler for the past day and a half.
“Thank goodness. There’s still some ice left.”
Jinwoo opened the cooler lid, slipped his hand inside, and let out a sigh of relief. The blood bags containing Terra’s samples were intact, and the ice water was still quite cold. At this rate, they could transfer everything once the refrigerator had cooled sufficiently without fear of spoilage.
“Hey, Sheriff, get up. Lie on the long bench. You’ll get a crooked mouth lying on the cold floor like that.”
Once every task was finished, Jinwoo grabbed the Sheriff’s hand and pulled him up from the cold concrete.
“How long do you think it’ll take for all the ice to freeze?”
The Sheriff lay back on the beach lounge chair, wiping sweat from his face. Jinwoo, sitting on the chair beside him, shook his head.
“Not sure. I set the temperature as low as it’ll go, but it’ll probably still take an hour or so? Maybe longer.”
The refrigerator had only just started running, and every compartment was packed with water. Turning all of it into solid ice would clearly take considerable time.
“Really? Then since we’re stuck here anyway, let’s crack these open. …Hnnngh.”
With a groan, the Sheriff pushed himself up and walked over to the liquor cart they had left behind earlier. He grabbed two cans of beer.
“Whoa, it’s covered in dust.”
When he wiped the top of a can with his thumb, the contrast between the wiped and unwiped sections was stark after three months of exposure to wind and rain. Deciding it was too dirty to drink from directly, he poured bottled water over the top and rinsed it thoroughly.
“Krrgh……!”
Jinwoo took a big swig and wrinkled his nose in appreciation. Even though the cans had been left at room temperature, the lowered outdoor temperature made them cool enough.
“Here, snacks.”
The Sheriff found some neglected bags of nuts and beef jerky and set them on the armrests of the chairs.
Crunch—! Crunch—!
Jinwoo and the Sheriff drank beer while munching on peanuts and jerky. Samsuk-i chewed on dog biscuits right beside them, occasionally begging for a piece of jerky. It was a brief moment of satisfaction, abundance, and peace.
“Man… lying here like this brings back so many memories. It feels good!”
The Sheriff rested his head on one arm, beer can still in hand, and looked around with a nostalgic murmur.
“Yeah……”
Jinwoo replied softly. The tube pool that had once echoed with the laughter of beautiful girls was now deflated and wrinkled, filled with mossy stagnant water. Yet the happy memories still lived vividly in their hearts. The first time they had been led here, it had felt like stepping into a dream.
“I didn’t really notice back then, but looking at it now……”
Jinwoo pointed at the cart overflowing with liquor bottles.
“We really went wild. How the hell did we drink that much alcohol……”
“Well, it was victory party season. There wasn’t much we had to do……”
“Those bottles must’ve been pretty heavy. How did you haul them all up here? Just filling that tube pool with water would’ve taken at least a couple hundred liters.”
“Ah, now that you mention it, YB nagged me about the same thing back then. Said it was too much work. But Samsik was the one who…… huh?”
The Sheriff, who had been muttering absentmindedly, suddenly slapped his own forehead and walked toward the minivan parked across from the tube pool.
“Oh right! We loaded it into this! There was a car this big here! If we’d just thrown the fridge on top and driven up, I wouldn’t have had to carry it like an idiot! God damn it! We never drove it outside, so I completely forgot!”
“Ah……!”
Jinwoo blinked as he watched the Sheriff hopping around in frustration. Now that he thought about it, he vaguely remembered. On his first day here, the Newbie had jumped inside and blasted the air conditioner……
Of course, that day had been filled with far more shocking and stimulating experiences—Jenny’s rash guard, the taste of Château whatever wine—so those minor details had been pushed to the back of his memory. Still, failing to account for the car and making the Sheriff carry the refrigerator was entirely his mistake.
“Hey, Sheriff……”
When Jinwoo tried to apologize, the Sheriff had already cooled off and shook his head.
“It’s fine. Tsk! I’ll just think of it as one hell of a weight training session today.”
But you already did one hell of a workout yesterday. You ran up fourteen floors carrying the Witch on your back. The day before that you dragged hundreds of zombie corpses inside the interchange.
As Jinwoo swallowed those words, the Sheriff laughed self-mockingly.
“Heh heh, still, it’s ridiculous. How could I forget there was a minivan here? I even slept inside it… and it’s only been a few months……”
Rattle—!
When the Sheriff slid open the minivan’s door, colorful men’s and women’s swimsuits hanging on every seat greeted them.
“These are my swim trunks… and that’s the bikini Jenny wore.”
The Sheriff stared at the unexpected items, his voice thick with nostalgia. They had probably hung them up to dry in the sun, planning to wear them again the next day. But then they had moved to Big Island, leaving only the swimsuits behind. Somehow they had survived the wind blowing through the open windows and remained in place……
“Ah, right. That red bikini.”
Jinwoo remembered it too. When Jenny wore it underneath her white rash guard… whew! The sexiness when it got wet was like setting off dynamite inside his heart.
“If I pick this up right now… would I look like a pervert?”
The Sheriff, who had been staring at Jenny’s bikini for a while, asked. Jinwoo shrugged as if the idea was ridiculous.
“It’s fine. Who cares? You’re just missing her because she’s pretty. And there’s no one around to see anyway. Go ahead.”
Having said that, Jinwoo casually took another sip of beer. The Sheriff narrowed his eyes at him.
“You little… you’re planning to tell Jenny and Terra about this……”
“Oh, you caught on quick? Heh heh heh! For such a big guy, you’re pretty sharp, huh?”
Jinwoo clapped his hands and laughed, caught red-handed. The Sheriff snorted and returned to the lounge chair.
“It’s not that I’m sharp. It’s that you’re a terrible liar, you idiot.”
Vrrrr—! Rumble-rumble-rumble—!
The generator ran smoothly, and the refrigerator hummed with a steady operating sound.
Graaaagh—! Graaaawr—!
From the road below came the roars of zombies marching past. They hadn’t gone to the railing to look, but the sheer volume of howls suggested there were easily thousands. Still, it didn’t matter. They had to stay here like the dead until the ice froze solid anyway.
“But honestly, I want to see Jenny wearing that again.”
The Sheriff muttered without a trace of shame. Jinwoo gave a small nod.
“Me too.”
No matter how luxurious and clean the rooftop pool on Big Island was, it could never fully replace the fluttering excitement they had felt squeezing together with Jenny and Hyeju inside that narrow tube pool.
Clink—!
After those words, the two friends sat quietly for a moment before reaching out to clink their beer cans together. It was a toast to this precious moment—being alive together and lost in fond memories.