Zombie Apocalypse Whiteout - 30
EP30 Shoot Out (4)
“Five minutes…”
Jin-woo repeated Yu-bin’s words quietly and checked the information again.
“The zombies are coming from the east, right?”
“Yeah, from the fountain square.”
Yu-bin nodded while running calculations in his head. Assuming the witch was right and there were only five helicopters in total, the enemy could only deploy about a dozen or so soldiers.
The negotiators who came with the witch, the black-uniformed soldiers who killed the negotiation team, and the squad Jin-woo took out, those men were already transported away by about three helicopters.
Of course, there was a chance more helicopters had followed with reinforcements, but it seemed unlikely. The enemy must have been confident in their firepower advantage and didn’t feel the need to bring extra backup. And from what Yu-bin had seen, most of these soldiers weren’t particularly meticulous.
“So where did the other helicopters go?”
Yu-bin cast a worried glance south toward the Han River. Just thinking that three helicopters were probably landed somewhere nearby, saving fuel and waiting, sent a chill down his spine. The longer this standoff dragged on, the heavier and more intense their stress would become.
“Stress… alright, let’s give them some stress too… smoke grenades!”
Yu-bin, inspired by his sense of urgency, opened his bag and pulled out two red smoke grenades.
“Kinda funny, since these are usually signals for safety…”
As he tore the paper casing and set down his icebox and backpack, ready to move, the sheriff grabbed his shoulder.
“Where are you planning to throw those?”
“On both subway staircases, one on each side.”
“Why there? You planning to use the smoke as cover to run? That’s risky as hell if it goes wrong!”
The sheriff looked incredulous, but Yu-bin just smiled faintly.
“I wish they thought the same.”
“Oh, you mean a fake-out? Like a feint before striking?”
Only then did the sheriff nod in understanding. This guy figured things faster when it was framed as a fight.
“After that, we head inside. Take out your masks.”
Yu-bin pointed toward the pedestrian tunnel entrance beneath the northern end of the Cheongdam Bridge, a black, cave-like passage. Three days ago, it had suddenly spewed out a horde of zombies that harassed them. Now, hundreds of zombie corpses were stacked neatly against one wall there.
If red smoke billowed from the outside subway stairs connected to the cecropia building, obstructing vision, the guys in the helicopters would definitely be on edge. Naturally, their watch over the tunnel leading to Jayang-dong would slacken.
Unlike open subway stairs or the station itself, the tunnel was a sniper’s nightmare from a helicopter. Thick concrete walls surrounded it on all sides except the entrances, and the bridge and buildings made helicopter access difficult.
Another advantage for them: the enemy was still obsessed with the serum. If the enemy’s goal was just to wipe them out, they would have tossed dozens of grenades by now. That tiny weakness could turn into a huge game-changer.
“Arf!”
Sam-suk, staying close to Jin-woo, barked lowly toward the southeast, the warning she gave whenever she sensed humans smelling of gunpowder. Jin-woo calmed her with a gentle stroke and relayed the message.
“Ground troops have arrived nearby.”
For Sam-suk to smell it amid flying bullets, they had to be within 500 meters, maybe even past the floating café already.
“…Really?”
Yu-bin pulled a pack of cigarettes and a Zippo lighter from his backpack and set them down, as if lost in thought.
“You, take that side… sheriff and that woman go with you.”
Jin-woo split their group behind two pillars. Five people and the dog could hide behind those thick columns without trouble, but once the ground troops started shooting from both sides, things would get complicated.
“They’ll probably fire first from that direction.”
Jin-woo pointed toward the pool fence on the east side. The classic tactic: fire from behind the pool structure to distract them, while troops circle around along the walkway to catch them off guard from behind. Old-school but effective. But Jin-woo, trained daily with veteran Delta team soldiers, wasn’t about to be fooled.
“They can clearly see the zombie horde coming from above, yet they’re letting the soldiers keep coming? You’d think they’d order a retreat…”
Yu-bin scoffed while moving behind the bike rental shop, where he was waiting. Less than four minutes remained before the zombies reached the fountain. That meant the infantry down here had no escape route.
“The South Korean army…”
Jin-woo slid his finger into the trigger guard of his K-2 and replied.
“Doesn’t care much about its soldiers.”
Tatatatatata! Tatatatatata!
Just as if on cue, after a few support fire bursts from above, gunfire poured in from the east, just as Jin-woo predicted.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat! Rat-a-tat-tat-tat! Rat-a-tat-tat! Pop-pop-pop-bang!
The dried ivy vines clinging to the pillars of Cheongdam Bridge were shredded to pieces, scattering into the sky. The pavement cracked, and the windows of cars carelessly parked in the lot nearby were riddled with holes.
“Dammit! Dammit! We’re dead! I can’t see Hope! Holy shit!”
The witch yelled out in frustration. The sheriff pressed firmly on her head to stop her from suddenly bolting off.
“...Four of them. Yeah, that side’s just for intimidation.”
Jin-woo, pressed close to a pillar while gauging enemy fire, nodded. That was a level he could handle alone while covering Yu-bin.
“Don’t move yet, Yu-bin! I’ll signal when to go!”
Jin-woo motioned to Yu-bin, who was hiding behind the bike rental stand, then immediately started firing back.
Bang! Tat-tat! Tatatatat! Bang! Tatang!
“Haah...!”
Just hearing Jin-woo’s gunfire gave Yu-bin a little comfort. While the enemy fired wildly, this side had a specialist sniper with arguably the best accuracy in the army’s history. Not that he actually held any records, but Yu-bin was certain of it. He would even bet his last wrist on it.
Pip-ping! Ping! Pi-pi-ping!
Cement chips flew off the pool’s structure where the enemy was hiding. The exposed shooters barely dared to lift their heads, firing blindly with just their barrels sticking out. Compared to the helicopter’s heavy barrage, their shots were barely a threat.
Whoooosh whooosh whooosh!
Though hidden behind Cheongdam Bridge and out of sight, the sound of helicopters passing overhead echoed. That meant the enemy was planning another move.
“...Two minutes left.”
Yu-bin checked his watch and held up two fingers. Jin-woo nodded.
“Now…”
Pulling the trigger, Jin-woo’s covering fire was his signal to move.
Tatatatang! Tatatatatat! Tatatatang! Tatang! Tatatata!
As the gunfire echoed like thunder beneath the bridge, Yu-bin crouched low and sprinted toward the right subway staircase.
Fweeew!
A strong river breeze blew from behind, cooling the cold sweat on the back of his neck. The narrow tunnel funneled the wind, increasing the headwind he ran into, perfect conditions to spread the smoke quickly.
Fwoom!
Yu-bin pulled the safety pin from a smoke grenade and swung his arm hard, throwing it toward the upper part of the outside stairs.
Thud! Thud-thump! Thud!
The grenade bounced a few times off the wall and rolled down the stairs, releasing red smoke and gas almost immediately.
Pssht! Psh-sh-shht! Piiit!
The wind pushed the smoke upward, quickly filling the whole stairwell with thick red clouds. After finishing the right side, Yu-bin dashed to the left and threw the second smoke grenade the same way.
Whoooosh!
The left stairwell filled with thick red smoke as well, rich, billowing clouds spreading beautifully.
Whooosh whooosh whooosh whooosh! Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!
Startled by the rising smoke, the helicopters quickly changed direction and began firing into the smoke-covered stairs.
Whooosh whooosh whooosh whooosh!
Another helicopter swiftly turned toward the opposite right staircase. With both staircases engulfed in smoke, they had to split their firepower, leaving the tunnel crossing completely exposed.
Pi-pi-ping! Pip-ping!
Watching plastic shards bounce off from bullets, Yu-bin smiled in satisfaction and turned to run.
‘Good! Hit them hard!’
Finally landing a hit on those arrogant bastards who’d been cocky just because of their helicopters and numbers made his chest swell with pride.
“Go!”
Before Yu-bin could even signal, the sheriff shouted like a cannon and dragged the witch, running toward the unguarded tunnel. Min-gu switched his shield to his right hand and kept pace, running ahead of the pair. Both fighters knew perfectly well when a fake-out worked and when the enemy showed a weakness. Their movements matched so perfectly it was like they didn’t even need to communicate.
“Jin-woo, let’s move too...!”
Yu-bin slung the icebox strap back over his shoulder, ready to call out to Jin-woo, when something suddenly shot up with a thoom! from the Han River’s west-side walkway.
Psssh-sh-shshh!
Tear gas grenades fired from enemy launchers landed beneath the bridge pillars, releasing a thick cloud of burning smoke. Yu-bin finally realized the enemy’s plan: to lure them out from under the bridge with the tear gas, then pick them off or capture them one by one from the helicopters. Of course, that plan was shattered by the smoke grenade fake-out inside the tunnel…
Whoooosh!
The acrid smell carried on the wind stung Yu-bin’s eyes and nose unbearably, even through his mask. Squinting, he shouted,
“Don’t breathe, Jin-woo! Just move!”
Then he lit a cigarette bundle with his Zippo lighter. If they were going to use tear gas, they’d answer with cigarette smoke. Their smoke would probably cause a far more terrifying and overwhelming effect.
Tat-tat-tang! Tatatata! Tat-tat-tang! Tatang! Tatatata-ta!
Jin-woo, having swapped magazines, fired sharp suppression shots east and west, keeping the enemy’s heads down, then immediately sprinted toward the tunnel entrance. While hidden inside the tear gas cloud, the enemy couldn’t take precise shots anyway.
“Take this!”
Yu-bin tossed the lit cigarette bundle into the tear gas smoke and turned to run.
Tututututu-! Tutututu-!
All the while, helicopters hovered relentlessly overhead, circling and peppering the subway stairs shrouded in red smoke with bursts of gunfire. Like a warning that escape this way was impossible.
Tak-tak-tak-tak-tak!
As Yu-bin sprinted across the crosswalk at full speed, Jin-woo provided covering fire from the tunnel’s entrance, alternating hits between left and right.
Bang! Tat-tat! Bang! Tatatatata! Tata!
Min-gu gripped his shield tightly, standing beside Jin-woo.
“We’re in!”
Yu-bin dove into the shadowed tunnel, shouting as he landed. The three pressed themselves close against the wall, scanning outside. Sam-suk waited calmly, standing still near Jin-woo. Despite the gunfire all around, the mix of smoke and tear gas, he remained composed and loyal, never leaving Jin-woo’s side.
“Ugh!”
Inside the tunnel, the witch, now accustomed to the dim red smoke, stared wide-eyed at the mountain of zombie corpses stacked dozens high. It was terrifying to witness such a sight through the faint crimson haze. But there was no time to show fear.
“Quiet! You’ll give us away, you little bitch!”
The sheriff covered the witch’s mouth with his hand and roughly dragged her behind the zombie pile.
Tututututu-! Tutututu-!
Urgent gunfire erupted from the east, mixed with screams.
“Arrgh! Aaaah!”
Here they came, the 3,000 zombies, drawn to their prey.
“...I know. It’s hell.”
Yu-bin muttered under his breath as he leaned against the wall and peered outside.
Whooooooong! Tututututu-! Tutututut-!
At least one helicopter had a shred of conscience, turning toward the pool area to provide support fire for the ground troops. But Yu-bin knew well there was no way to stop the massive zombie horde with that.
Three hundred zombies might be manageable. But the total number they faced was over three thousand. Even if their skill and ammo were unlimited, by the time they took down this many, another four thousand would be approaching from the west. The ground forces were effectively wiped out.
“All right. Let’s move deeper inside and hide.”
Yu-bin led Jin-woo and Min-gu behind the piled corpses. None of them had expected the hundreds of zombie bodies stacked neatly here would serve as cover, and even as a shield against bullets if needed.
Thud!
Jin-woo pushed over one of the taller corpse piles and took cover behind it, pointing back.
“You watch that way, Yu-bin. If anything comes, tell me.”
“Ugh! Ughk!”
The witch huddled trembling and vomiting between the bodies. Everywhere she looked were horribly mutilated zombies, severed heads, torn-open guts, smashed skulls... plus the overwhelming stench. Even Yu-bin felt a chill run down his spine at the gruesome sight.
“Hold it together. Think of something else.”
Yu-bin pulled an extra mask from his bag and handed it to her. With shaking hands, the witch unwrapped the mask, sniffling.
“The skin... the skin touched me! It’s still touching my leg! Dead bodies! Aaah! Ughk!”
“Somebody carried all these here and stacked them up. Quit whining! It’s still better than being dead!”
The sheriff raised an eyebrow and scolded her.
“Ughh! Ughhh!”
The witch shut her eyes tightly and clung to the sheriff, trying desperately not to touch the zombie bodies.
Tututututu-! Tutututu-! Aaaargh! Tutututu-! Graaaaah!
Outside, gunfire, screams, and zombie roars echoed nonstop. The loudest sound was the helicopter rotors.
“Huuuh... what now? How do we escape from here?”
The witch sobbed.
“Wait.”
Jin-woo, lying flat on the corpses with his gun aimed at the tunnel entrance, said quietly,
“Don’t even breathe. Stay silent and wait.”