Zombie Apocalypse Whiteout - 21
EP21 120 Kilometers (6)
Sniff sniff…!
The sheriff wrinkled his nose and asked,
“Do you smell that?”
“Oh, now that you mention it…”
Jin-woo finally noticed it too and gave a small nod. It was faint, but there was a distinct smell of cigarette smoke drifting in from the direction of the Han River.
Whoooosh
A moment later, the wind shifted and blew directly toward them, intensifying the smoky scent. It was far stronger than when Min-gu had lit up a cigarette inside the Jabeolle building earlier. This wasn’t just a single lit cigarette, this was a thick, persistent smoke pouring out from somewhere. Which meant…
“Ah…!”
Jin-woo’s mouth fell open, a mix of relief and realization washing over him.
Now it all made sense, why there hadn’t been more zombies blocking their path, why the subway had felt so eerily empty.
“…Yu-bin did something.”
***
When Jin-woo had first opened fire inside the Jabeolle building, Yu-bin had been furiously pedaling an inflatable duck boat down the Han River.
Next to him sat a steel trash can, a standard military backpack, and a huge pile of cigarette cartons, dozens of them, looted from a convenience store without a second thought.
Creeeak! Creak! Creak! Splash!
The sounds were dramatic, but the boat itself was maddeningly slow. No matter how hard he pumped the pedals, that distant dock with the motorboats just didn’t seem to get any closer.
It was only about 200 meters away, but at this pace it felt like a kilometer. Anyone more impatient might’ve just jumped into the water and swum for it.
But what good would getting there a little faster do without the cigarettes? He needed them for what he had planned.
“Shit, don’t tell me… I picked a busted one?”
Dripping with sweat, Yu-bin bit his lip. The thing was moving so sluggishly, he couldn’t help but wonder if he’d grabbed a defective boat. But deep down, he knew that wasn’t the case, this wasn’t built for speed to begin with.
The one saving grace was that his destination was downstream. The river’s current, stronger than his aching legs, was at least helping him float in the right direction.
“Am I even going the right way?”
He looked over his shoulder, worry written all over his face. The floating café behind him was now a good distance away, a sign of just how hard he’d been pedaling.
And then…
Bang bang bang! Bang! Bang bang! Bang bang!
Gunfire rang out from the Jabeolle building. Yu-bin’s face went pale.
Graaaah! Gaaaah! GRAAAH!
The zombies that had been wandering the plaza near the building went berserk and started charging. They’d reacted to the gunshots, just like he feared.
“Don’t go! Don’t go, you bastards!”
Panicking, Yu-bin screamed at the 120-kilometer-per-hour zombies swarming toward the building. He slapped at the pile of cigarettes beside him.
“There’s a shit-ton of your favorite stuff over here! Come and get it!”
All the while, he never stopped pedaling. His legs kept moving, his thighs burning with effort.
Creeeak! Creak! Squeak! Splash! Creak!
The boat was still painfully slow. The zombies, meanwhile, were stampeding toward the building like a swarm of ants. Just watching them scramble up the stairs made Yu-bin feel like his soul was leaving his body.
Jin-woo might be a terrifying marksman, but there was no way he could handle that many. They’d run out of bullets long before that. And once they got bitten, it’d be over, no time for Terra’s serum, no time for anything. Something had to be done. Now.
Bang! Bang bang bang! Bang bang! Bang bang bang! Rattatatatat! Rat-tat! Rattattattat!
More gunfire erupted from inside the building. Automatic fire. That meant they were already surrounded.
“Ah, fuck! I said get over here, you assholes!”
Yu-bin shouted, then lit the steel trash can on fire.
Whoosh!
The gasoline-soaked can instantly erupted in flames, spewing thick gray smoke. More than ten cartons of cigarettes were packed inside, burning filter and packaging and all.
That should do it…
Just as Yu-bin stretched his arm toward the shore to wave the smoke over, the wind suddenly changed direction, blowing all the smoke and ash right back into his face.
“Uuueeerrgh! Cough! Cough!”
He doubled over, gagging, tears and snot streaming down his face. The smoke was so strong it felt like his lungs were being shredded.
“God, who pays to smoke this crap? Cough! Cough!”
He wiped at his eyes with his prosthetic hand, but his feet never stopped. He knew full well, if he slowed down now, his friends were done for.
And so, choking on smoke, eyes burning, Yu-bin kept pedaling for dear life.
GRAAAAAH!
Some of the zombies on the shore turned their heads toward him, tilting slightly. It was that characteristic motion they made when briefly hesitating between two or more sources of prey. Yu-bin had seen that exact behavior before, when he was crossing the wire mesh fence with Jenny.
"Yes! That’s right! Over here! You guys love this stuff, don’t you?! There’s a whole bunch of it here!"
Finally getting a response from the zombies, Yu-bin lifted the trash can high and shouted at the top of his lungs.
Whoooosh!
Just then, the wind changed direction again, blowing inland with even more force. The thick cigarette smoke was carried swiftly by the harsh November river wind, spreading all the way to the zombies near the walking trail.
Graaagh! Kyaaah!
The ones who caught a whiff of the pungent, acrid smoke began howling and twisting their bodies grotesquely. Moments later, more and more zombies reacted to the smoke, like ripples spreading out over water.
Graaaah! Grrrrr! Kyaaaak!
Though the sound was horrifying, to Yu-bin at that moment it was like music to his ears. He waved the flaming trash can toward the zombies and screamed until his voice nearly tore apart.
"Over here, you bastards! Smell this! Don’t go that way, come here! This way!"
Afraid the flames might die down, Yu-bin tossed in another pack of cigarettes.
Fwoooosh!
With the new fuel, the fire blazed even hotter, and the smoke thickened noticeably. The heat and stench pouring out from the trash can stood out starkly in the otherwise cold surroundings of the Han River. Unable to resist any longer, the zombies charged toward the riverbank.
Graah! Splash! Splash! Thud!
In an instant, dozens of zombies hurled themselves into the river. The way they ran full speed and dove in showed not even a hint of hesitation. The only one getting cold feet was Yu-bin.
"…Hey! It’s too early, you bastards!"
Watching the zombies splash through the water with doggy paddles, Yu-bin frowned in frustration. His plan had been to lure the zombies with cigarette smoke and lead them to the motorboat dock, just like the Pied Piper of Hamelin. But these impatient bastards were already diving in before he even got there.
Splash! Splash!
The zombies flailed wildly, floating on the water’s surface as they closed the distance. They might be using a pathetic doggy paddle, but compared to the sluggish duck boat, they weren’t slow at all.
If they catch me, I’m screwed!
A short but crystal-clear warning flashed through Yu-bin’s mind. The boat’s open structure offered plenty of handholds for grabbing on, and it’d be hard to shake anything off.
It was already slow; if those heavy corpses grabbed on, it’d be impossible to move forward. And if too many clung to it at once, the whole thing could sink. That’s assuming they didn’t manage to climb aboard in the first place.
"Aaaaargh!"
Pale with fear, Yu-bin poured every ounce of strength into his thighs and pedaled for dear life.
Dudududuk! Dutututu! Tutututu!
The burst of gunfire from Jin-woo inside the Jabeolle building seemed to be yelling at him to hurry. As his boat neared the Cheongdam Bridge, he could feel the current pick up under the supports. The motorboat dock was just ahead!
Splash! Splash! Thud!
While Yu-bin was locked in a desperate race with the zombies in the water, more were still leaping into the Han River. The number of swimming zombies had grown to nearly a hundred, and the ones rushing down the embankment numbered at least six times that.
“Damn it… this is gonna be a problem when we try to escape…”
Yu-bin frowned with worry but tossed another fresh pack of cigarettes into the trash can to keep the fire going. He was afraid the smoke might die out, causing the zombies to lose interest. If he hesitated now, his friends would be in serious danger.
Chhhk!
A burst of static came through the earpiece he wore, followed by Jin-woo’s voice.
- Chhhk…! Don’t worry, Yu-bin! We’re… chhhk… heading toward the subway station! I’ll contact you again once things calm down!
"Be careful, and the cigarettes! Use the cigarettes! They’re in the backpack!"
Even though he wasn’t exactly safe himself, Yu-bin tried his best to keep his voice calm.
Chhhk!
Jin-woo didn’t respond. Instead, more gunfire echoed from within the Jabeolle building, letting him know his friend was still alive.
Dududududuk! Tututututu! Tutututututu!
That was enough. Jin-woo wasn’t someone who would go down easily. Yu-bin put his trust in his friend and focused on what he had to do. Right now, his mission was to reach the dock as fast as possible and light up the large stock of cigarettes waiting there.
Thunk!
Just as his duck boat was about to reach the motorboat dock, the boat suddenly tilted backward under a strong force.
Graaaah!
One of the zombies had caught up and was now clawing at the right rear seat, trying to pull itself aboard. Just five meters away, more zombies were swimming toward him.
“Haaah… haaah…”
Yu-bin panted heavily, forcing his mind to work as fast as it could. What could he do, right here, right now, to save both himself and his friends?
There was a loaded Glock pistol and two spare magazines in the front pocket of his backpack, but shooting those zombies would cost him precious time.
Yu-bin’s right arm was still holding the trash can outside the boat, and there was no way he could handle everything with just one hand.
Grragh! Kraaaagh!
The zombie clinging to the back seat wasn't about to wait for him to make a decision. It was already crawling further into the boat with disturbing eagerness.
“You want this?! Eat it, you bastard!”
Yu-bin turned the boat so that the right rear side slammed into the dock and pedaled with everything he had.
Thud!
The back of the duck boat collided with the dock, and the old tire attached for cushioning struck the zombie in the ribs. But the creature still didn’t give up on climbing aboard.
Screeeeech! Crackle!
Its ribs grated against the rubber with a grating, sickening sound. Yu-bin didn’t care, he just kept pedaling with everything he had.
Crunch!
Finally, unable to withstand the strain, the zombie’s elbow bent in the wrong direction and snapped, sending its body plunging back into the water.
Snap!
With one more powerful push on the pedal, the tire squeezed against the zombie’s neck, twisting it at an unnatural angle. The creature sank for good.
Yu-bin hurled the flaming metal trash can onto the dock and brought the boat in as close as possible.
Clang!
The can hit the ground and rolled, scattering hot ashes. Yu-bin quickly hooked the mooring rope to the dock rail. It was agonizingly slow work, but without the boat, there would be no way to retreat.
Click!
He gave the rope a tug to make sure it was secure, then started tossing the rest of the cigarettes piled up beside him onto the dock. After grabbing his backpack and the can of gasoline, he leapt out of the duck boat.
Gwaaaaagh! Graaaaah!
Over a hundred zombies were charging from the square and the trail. The sheer visual of it was enough to make his guts twist, but Yu-bin forced himself to stay calm. He poured gasoline over the cigarettes and struck his lighter. A hundred wasn’t enough. He needed a much bigger fire, one big enough to lure over a thousand of them and buy his friends a real chance to escape.
Fwoooosh!
The gasoline caught instantly, sending flames shooting skyward. Soon, the fire spread to over twenty cartons of cigarettes. The smoke now billowed thicker and darker than what had come from the trash can, riding the wind far and wide.
Grrrrrgh! Raaagh!
Zombies still lingering around the giant insect sculpture finally reacted, turning their milky white eyes toward the dock.
Yu-bin moved quickly, dumping every remaining carton of cigarettes from the boat into the fire.
Woooosh!
The already fierce blaze roared even higher, its smoke chokingly dense. Even though he was standing upwind, the acrid air made it hard to breathe.
GROAAAAAAAAGH!
At last, nearly two thousand zombies packed into the plaza around the sculpture let out a unified, thunderous howl and began stampeding toward the dock.
Yu-bin exhaled with relief as he watched them charge through the heat haze shimmering above the flames.
“Good.”
He tossed one last carton of cigarettes into the smoldering trash can, then smashed a window and placed it inside the dock building. That way, even if the zombies eventually knocked it over or kicked it into the water in their frenzy, the smoldering cigarettes would hold their attention a little longer.
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE!
Even as Yu-bin worked, thousands more zombies were flooding in from the land, the sound of their stampede like some insane, apocalyptic festival.
“Ahhh!”
Seeing the front ranks already clearing the trail, Yu-bin recoiled in shock. In about ten seconds, they’d reach the dock.
“...Time to bounce!”
He sprinted to the boat, unhooked the mooring rope, and shoved one leg into the vessel…
Thud!
A rotting arm shot out from the water and clamped down on his calf.