The White Porter and the Wizard's Gun (2)
“No way!”
Sheriff declared with absolute confidence.
“They even gave us the warehouse coordinates. Why would that be a lie? They said there were well over a hundred thousand rounds and told us to take as many as we wanted.”
“Earlier on the Myeonmok Station rooftop, when I lent him my MP5 for a bit, he was burning through ammo like a billionaire on a spending spree. He didn’t seem worried about resupply at all.”
Jinwoo agreed with Sheriff. Yubin wiped the corner of his mouth and nodded.
“True. When I radioed and told him to put out fifty thousand rounds, he didn’t even try to haggle. Just that ‘What’s fifty thousand?’ kind of attitude.”
It wasn’t as if he was bluffing because he had no intention of handing them over anyway.
“Looks like they really do have the ammo. Still, a secret ammo cache hidden among ordinary houses… It’s not like it’s an elephant graveyard or anything. Strange, isn’t it?”
Yubin muttered in wonder. They had gone through so much hardship and risked their lives multiple times just to secure a hundred thousand rounds by selling Terra’s blood, yet a warehouse like this existed. And not even far from the Costco…
“Of course, it could just be bluster. Maybe there’s only one warehouse nearby and they exaggerated to make it sound like there are tons of them everywhere.”
As Jinwoo shrugged with a cautious stance, another burst of gunfire erupted from the south.
Tatatata—! Tatatata—! Tatata—!
“Ugh!”
Yubin reflexively ducked, then straightened and tapped Jinwoo’s shoulder.
“Perfect timing. Let’s move while it’s noisy. Over there!”
He raised his prosthetic hand and pointed at the zombies shambling along the road in front of Gunja Bridge.
“Let’s do it.”
Though the order came without warning, Jinwoo mechanically raised his rifle and pulled the trigger.
Bang—! Bang-bang—! Bang—! Baaang—! Bang—!
Six shots rang out with unbelievable speed. Six zombies wandering between the stalled cars dropped one after another.
Tututu—! Tututututu—!
Even after Jinwoo finished and lifted his finger from the trigger guard, the south still echoed with overlapping gunfire from multiple shooters. They clearly hadn’t noticed the six shots fired from this location.
“Where does he want to meet?”
Sheriff asked, standing at the eastern end of Gunja Bridge and staring north. The distance from Jangpyeong Bridge—where Cho Cheol-woong had been ordered to come—was roughly one kilometer. The sky had grown quite dark, but the location was still visible without needing binoculars.
“Tell him to come all the way over here. The farther we set the meeting point, the more of a headache it’ll be moving the ammo later.”
Yubin carefully studied the road layout connecting to the Eastern Arterial Road while scanning the surrounding buildings. They needed a place where they could wait safely and quietly, yet one that was also easy for the special forces members arriving by rubber boat to approach.
If they chose a spot too far from the Jungnang Stream and the special forces got swarmed by zombies, Jinwoo would have to provide covering fire, and the sound would reach the enemies hiding in Children’s Grand Park.
“Let’s go to the closest one.”
Yubin pointed at the four-story building right next to the gas station. Though its windows were all shattered and it looked grotesque, its extreme proximity was a huge advantage. From there, they could reach a boat in five minutes. Plus… if it was right beside a gas station, the other side wouldn’t dare open fire if things went south.
“Hey, isn’t that way too close? Our hiding spot would be right on top of them—practically nose-to-nose if they fall over.”
Sheriff frowned, clearly uneasy. Yubin wasn’t particularly worried.
“We’re leaving for somewhere else tomorrow morning anyway. Besides, what would he gain by capturing us? As long as the deal goes smoothly and we set up another meeting, there won’t be any problems. Even if things go wrong, it’s better for them to search this area than wait right in front of the Costco.”
The other side had laid all their cards on the table by even handing over a radio to Jinwoo. They knew there was a world-class marksman on this side, yet they still chose to come down the Jungnang Stream. That alone told Yubin they were a trustworthy negotiating partner with considerable goodwill toward them.
“If we’re going with this spot, let’s move fast. Those things are pouring in over there.”
Jinwoo jerked his chin toward the west side of Gunja Bridge. Nearly a thousand zombies were slowly advancing from the direction of Janganpyeong beyond the bridge. They still seemed far away, but in ten minutes they would be close enough to see faces.
“Right. Let’s go.”
Sheriff, headlamp on and hammer gripped tight, took the lead. As expected, the inside of the building was empty. It wasn’t the kind of place that would have drawn large crowds, and after turning into zombies they had likely broken the windows and jumped down.
“The door’s over there, so we’ll wait in this direction. Tell them to put their guns down before opening the rooftop door and coming in.”
After climbing to the rooftop, Yubin looked around and mapped out their movements and plan. Positioning themselves behind the direction the door opened would block any surprise attack at the source. Of course, he didn’t think the other side would act so recklessly, but Yubin fulfilled his duty as a worrier.
“Let’s tell them that. Ow, my legs… That thing from earlier is finally catching up with me.”
Sheriff sat against the railing and rubbed his thigh with a slight grimace.
“Your legs? Did you get hurt fighting that special forces major earlier?”
Yubin asked with concern. Sheriff waved his hands dismissively.
“Hurt? No way! It’s just… I carried the fridge up to the rooftop and now I’m a bit tired. That thing was seriously heavy.”
“You carried something that heavy all the way up by yourself? Why?”
Yubin’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“There’s a minivan on the rooftop. We could’ve just loaded it in there.”
Of course he remembered. And apparently he had assumed Sheriff and Jinwoo would remember too, which was why he hadn’t given any special instructions.
“Ah, come on…! There was a reason, you bastard! It’s complicated to explain! The battery wasn’t sitting right next to it either…”
Sheriff started with a half-hearted excuse. It was too embarrassing to admit he had forgotten they parked the car and had huffed and puffed carrying the heavy fridge up to the rooftop himself.
“So if that major brings the fifty thousand rounds like he promised, what’s the plan going forward?”
Jinwoo, who had been occasionally scanning the front with his scope, changed the subject with an important question. And it really was important. If they received fifty thousand rounds here, they couldn’t drag all of it back to the Costco. That meant they couldn’t load it onto Grandpa Paul’s helicopter either, and couldn’t take it to Chungju.
“Well… We’ll split some of the fifty thousand and hide it around here, then exchange the rest for Terra’s blood at tomorrow’s meeting.”
Yubin scratched his forehead as he answered. This was his first time doing this kind of deal, and it had happened so suddenly that even he felt disoriented.
“Where are we doing the trade tomorrow?”
“Myeonmok Station should work. We’re packing up tonight and heading farther north as soon as it gets light anyway.”
Yubin’s decision took the hidden forces near Children’s Grand Park into account. Even if it wasn’t a large-scale search party, the fact that enemy troops had approached within 1.5 kilometers in a single day was something that couldn’t be ignored.
“North? Then we can just take the fifty thousand rounds with us when we go. Uh… Do we need carts?”
Yubin shook his head at Sheriff’s bold statement.
“No, that’s too heavy. We can’t do that.”
They had to move quickly and wouldn’t be able to shoot freely. Adding heavy luggage on top of that would take forever, which wasn’t what Yubin wanted.
“Let’s take a few thousand rounds and split the rest to hide around here. We’ll probably come back someday anyway.”
Even this time alone, the five hundred rounds they had hidden last summer had proven extremely useful. Squirreling away supplies definitely paid off in emergencies.
“When you say north, roughly where are we talking? I don’t want to take that woman all the way to the Costco.”
Jinwoo made his wariness clear. Yubin agreed one hundred percent.
“Of course we’re not taking her to the Costco. We’ll go along the subway tracks to Sangbong Station, then ride the outdoor central line tracks two more stops east. That’ll put enough distance from here and also keep us well away from the light rail station where the special forces are stationed.”
“Hmm, so… We find a place to hide over there at dawn tomorrow, clean it up and settle in, then Sheriff and I head back to the Costco, grab the icebox, move to Myeonmok Station to meet the major, bring the new fifty thousand rounds to the Costco, and finally return to the new hideout… Wow, why are there so many things to do? Just saying it out loud is already making my head spin.”
Jinwoo shook his head in confusion after checking the route on his fingers. It was different from the journey from Gangwon-do to Seoul. Back then, they only had to focus on taking one step at a time and surviving. Now there were far too many small details to worry about, and the order couldn’t be mixed up. Yubin patted his shoulder.
“It’s fine, Jinwoo. Tomorrow will be much simpler and easier than today.”
“Hey! About that secret warehouse…”
Sheriff narrowed his eyes like he had come up with a clever idea.
“Do you think there’s one near Chungju too?”
Jinwoo shrugged.
“No idea. The major said most big cities have them, but is Chungju considered a big city?”
“Would be nice if there was one. Then we could just say we’re taking ninety-five thousand rounds from there and only grab five thousand today. That way we don’t have to work as hard and the Chungju people get a clean deal too.”
“It would be convenient, but no credit. It has to be an exchange on the spot.”
Yubin drove the point home firmly. Just as he had told Cho Cheol-woong, since this deal was off the books, it had to be cash upfront and simultaneous exchange—no exceptions. From everything he had heard so far, the special forces major didn’t seem like the type to pull a cheap scam, but he still had no intention of gambling with precious blood. He was a worrier, after all.
Grraaaah—!
The moans of the approaching zombies from the Janganpyeong direction grew louder. The group immediately shut their mouths and lowered themselves as much as possible to avoid eye contact. The darkness deepened, and time passed.
“They’re here.”
When six o’clock—the promised time—drew near, Jinwoo, scope pressed to his eye, announced their arrival. Moments later, Yubin could also make out the special forces members approaching on two rubber boats with his naked eye. Ten people. Five more than the number he had requested, but in a zombie world that was an acceptable margin for movement. They could adjust the numbers when the boats landed.
“Any tricks…? Doesn’t look like it.”
Yubin widened his eyes as much as possible and scanned the area around Jangpyeong Bridge. Though everything was dim, the only moving things were the two rubber boats.
“We should send a radio message soon too.”
When the rubber boats stopped beneath the railing of Jangpyeong Bridge, Yubin turned the special forces radio back on.
Click—! Beep-beep—!
After confirming the LED had stabilized, Yubin pressed the transmit button.
“Major, can you hear me? This is the one-armed guy you were supposed to meet today.”
—Chik! Yeah, I hear you. We’ve arrived. Chijijik…!
Cho Cheol-woong answered while looking around the bridge piers, perhaps checking for any signals. Yubin kept his voice as calm yet cheerful as possible.
“Pass two more bridges from there and we’ll be waiting. Dock the boat at Gunja Bridge and come up on the left side. But there are zombies passing through right now, so wait fifteen minutes before moving.”
Chijik…! Got it. Chik…!
Cho Cheol-woong answered curtly and cut the transmission. While Yubin had been talking on the radio, Jinwoo, who had been watching through the scope, let out a small sound of admiration.
“Look at that! Even though they know they’re completely exposed, none of them are trying to hide.”
When someone on the battlefield realized they were being watched, they usually hunched down or lowered their posture, but none of the special forces members on the two boats did so. It was clear proof of how much trust the major’s judgment commanded from his men. Jinwoo’s favorable impression of Cho Cheol-woong as a soldier grew slightly.
“They’ve got some backbone since they’ve got numbers. Their leader’s got a bit of a crazy streak too.”
Sheriff said. Yubin added one more thing.
“That’s true, but it also means that major trusts you, Jinwoo.”
While they talked, the two rubber boats carrying the special forces rapidly closed the distance.
Woof—!
When they came within six hundred meters, Samsuk-i let out a short, low growl while glaring at the special forces members. It was only natural for him to react to so many humans who smelled of gunpowder.
“It’s okay, Samsuk. We’re just going to talk with those people. Don’t get worked up. And you already saw the major earlier.”
Jinwoo stroked Samsuk-i’s head to calm him.
“Mingu hyung, we’re about to start the negotiation. I think it’ll go well.”
After contacting Mingu on his own radio, Yubin pressed the transmit button on the special forces radio Jinwoo had brought.
“Major! Come up on the left side—the building right next to the gas station. Only five of you! There are about ten zombies wandering around in front right now, so please wait a moment. We’ll take care of them when we get the chance.”
He had planned to have Jinwoo handle them when gunfire sounded from the Children’s Grand Park direction, but Cho Cheol-woong answered curtly.
—Chik! We’ll handle that much ourselves. Chijijik…!
“Understood. But when you open the rooftop door and come in, you have to put all your guns down.”
—Chijijik…! We will. Chik…!
After finishing the radio call, Cho Cheol-woong led five special forces members off the boat.
“This is getting serious.”
Sheriff muttered while looking down at their equipment and uniforms. Except for Master Sergeant Hong wearing a jungle hat, they all wore special forces helmets with night-vision goggles and flashlights attached.
Swish—!
The two men in the rear carried body bags on either side, while Cho Cheol-woong and two others in front cleared the path with their personal weapons. The shotgun wielder positioned at the tip of the triangle to lead everyone was exactly the same formation they had seen in Samcheok. The only difference was that this time the shotgun had a suppressor as long and thick as a forearm attached to the muzzle.
Crack—! Crack—!
Whenever zombies suddenly rushed from unexpected directions, subsonic birdshot from the shotgun sent them flying, and the remaining two MP5s finished off the fallen zombies. A safety-first approach.
Tatatak—! Tak-tak—! Tatatak—! Tak-tak—!
The effect of the suppressors and subsonic 9mm rounds was truly remarkable. Instead of loud gunshots, only short, dull hammering sounds echoed each time the trigger was pulled.
“They’re fast too.”
Yubin remarked as he watched the special forces members clear all the zombies and reach the building entrance in an instant. Their shooting wasn’t as mechanical as Jinwoo’s, but their movements were efficient and professional, with no wasted motion, hesitation, or fear. It was obvious they had accumulated countless real combat experiences. That meant this side had to be even more careful…
“We’re here! We’re coming in!”
Cho Cheol-woong shouted loudly in front of the rooftop door. Yubin, who had been waiting behind the open door at a ninety-degree angle, answered.
“Don’t forget to put your guns down.”
“This guy really… He doesn’t trust people at all. I thought we had a pretty friendly atmosphere by now…”
Cho Cheol-woong clicked his tongue in frustration but still placed his MP5 and pistol on the floor as requested before stepping inside.
“Just understand it as the instinct of the weaker side.”
After all five special forces members entered unarmed, Yubin extended his hand to Cho Cheol-woong for a handshake.
“Weaker? Hah!”
Cho Cheol-woong gave a bitter smile as he shook Yubin’s hand. Calling themselves weaker when that legendary marksman private and that monstrously strong fighter were standing right there… What kind of nonsense was that? He was a little surprised there were only three of them, though.
“Good to see you again, Major.”
After the greeting, Yubin immediately turned his gaze to the body bags and asked.
“By the way… that doesn’t look like fifty thousand rounds.”