Zombie Apocalypse Whiteout - 23
EP23 Negotiation (1)
“It actually worked out better this way… Yu-bin said to hole up somewhere else until the zombies clear out.”
Jin-woo turned to the sheriff and Min-gu after finishing his radio call. The sheriff, who had been watching the situation outside through the window, gave a small nod.
“Yeah, well… even if he begged us to come over, there’s no way we’d make it through that mess. There’s way too many of them out there…”
The cigarette smoke spreading from the motorboat dock had attracted thousands of zombies, not just around the dock, but all the way across the riverside path and the plaza. It looked like that situation wasn’t going to change anytime soon.
In that case, it made more sense to stay out of the way while the zombies were all going nuts over the cigarette smell. The subway station they were hiding in was too open to be considered safe anyway. The sheriff quickly understood and asked Jin-woo,
“He didn’t say anything else?”
“He just said not to go too far. He wants to make sure the radio stays in range…”
Jin-woo trailed off, a bit downcast. As the team’s firepower, he felt guilty for putting too much pressure on Yu-bin, making him take on more than his share. Not that Yu-bin would ever complain or show it.
“Then let’s go with that building. Looks like a good height.”
The sheriff pointed at a six-story building just to the right of the station. In an area surrounded mostly by tall apartment complexes, it seemed like the best option for temporary refuge. It wasn’t too far either, they could get there quickly.
“Before we head out, see if you can crack that open.”
Min-gu gestured toward the sheriff’s hammer, then pointed at a nearby vending machine. There were three people but only two backpacks, and the water from one of them had already been shared. They didn’t know how long they’d need to hide in that building, so it was better to stock up now.
“Hey, if you want a drink, why don’t you break it open yourself? Why are you always bossing me around, huh? You think I work for you or something?”
The sheriff grumbled in annoyance but still stepped up to the vending machine with the hammer. He agreed they needed the drinks, after all.
“If we run into a mutant with a thick hide, I’ll take care of it for you.”
Min-gu replied casually, pulling a pack of cigarettes from the sheriff’s backpack and opening it like it was nothing.
“Well, look at you. Lighting up already? Can’t you wait until we’re inside the building?”
The sheriff scolded him as Min-gu placed the cigarette in his mouth. Min-gu just scoffed and struck the lighter.
“You really think one more cigarette’s gonna make a difference right now?”
“Huh?”
The sheriff paused at the unexpected response. He had a point. The air around them was already thick and smoky, like a summer night with mosquito coils burning. Who knew how many cartons Yu-bin had lit all at once, but the entire area reeked of tobacco. Even the zombies from the subway had been drawn out to the dock because of it.
“Well… fair enough. Smoke away.”
The sheriff shook his head and hefted the hammer.
KWAANG!
He brought it down hard and clean on the vending machine’s lock. With a metallic clunk, the latch gave way easily.
Creeeak clatter! Clunk clunk!
As he pulled the door open, a few cans and bottles that had been knocked loose rolled out onto the ground.
“Not bad,” Min-gu said with a grin.
The sheriff shrugged like it was nothing.
“There’s a sweet spot, once you figure it out, it opens easy. You’ll get the hang of it. Here!”
He tossed an ion drink can to both Min-gu and Jin-woo, then cracked one open for himself and drank deeply. With the power out since the zombie outbreak, the vending machine was still stocked with a decent supply.
“Here, Sam-suk. Drink up.”
Jin-woo poured some of the drink into his palm and offered it to Sam-suk.
Slurp slurp!
The large tongue lapped twice, and the drink was gone, leaving nothing but spit in Jin-woo’s hand. He repeated this a few more times before drinking what was left.
“They must’ve skipped this area.”
Min-gu muttered under his breath, reminded of the kids they’d met in the subway last summer. Then again, those kids had strictly stuck to underground routes, so they probably never ventured far enough above ground to reach this part of town.
“What are you even mumbling about, old man? If you’re done drinking, here, catch.”
The sheriff tossed him a few drinks with screw-on caps.
Thump thump!
Min-gu caught them with quick reflexes and packed them into the sheriff’s backpack. Jin-woo added five bottles to his own. He had removed some ammo magazines earlier, so there was plenty of room.
“That should be enough. It’s not like we’ll be stuck there for days.”
Satisfied, the sheriff slung his pack over his shoulder and started to head out, only for Jin-woo to grab him by the arm.
“Hold up, dumbass. Let’s come up with a plan before we move.”
After today’s incident, Jin-woo clearly realized something. He, the sheriff, and Min-gu had all grown far too used to struggling through on their own, making them extremely weak when it came to teamwork and dividing roles.
Just as Yu-bin had pointed out, even if they’d left one person outside as a lookout… they could have easily avoided all the tough situations they faced today. On top of that, they wouldn’t have wasted about 200 precious bullets.
“All right, when we go outside, I’ll sprint to the building first. You, brother, cover me from the stairs.”
Min-gu, who had just flicked his cigarette butt into a bottle, spoke up. Jin-woo nodded, thinking that was at least a somewhat cautious approach.
“If anything feels off, retreat immediately, okay, bro?”
“Got it.”
Min-gu readily agreed, gripping his machete tightly as he dashed down the alley.
Tatatatat-tak!
His quick, light footsteps carried no hint of fear. Jin-woo pressed his eye to the K-2’s scope, sweeping the muzzle left and right, prepared for any zombie that might leap out from somewhere. But...
“Nothing here.”
Min-gu arrived at the building far too easily and signaled Jin-woo to come over with a casual wave. It was a relief, but somehow it felt anticlimactic, and Jin-woo let out a soft sigh.
“Damn.”
When they were careful, nothing showed up. But the moment they let their guard down, thousands would swarm. It felt like the zombies were playing with humans. Not that they seemed to have any real intelligence, of course.
- Did you evacuate, Jin-woo? Are you at a high point?
Yu-bin asked over the radio. Jin-woo answered while walking alongside the sheriff and Sam-suk down the empty alley.
“I’m on my way. We picked a safe spot, so be careful too, Yu-bin!”
Thanks.
That last word was muttered quietly inside his mind. Yu-bin would definitely understand without needing to say more.
***
Jin-woo and his group didn’t return to the floating café until that evening. Until then, Yu-bin had been observing the changed movement patterns and timing of the zombies. Only when he was certain it was safe did he radio Jin-woo.
They went back to the makeshift shelter to retrieve polycarbonate shields and made a bulletproof table. They changed the zombie movement cycles by grouping the zombies near the negotiation area with other hordes. Tables and radios were set up at Ttukseom Square, and Jin-woo finished prepping the sniper position he would use. Then...
To hide their movements and positions, they dragged the bodies of the zombies they’d killed over the past four days to less obvious spots. Those three days of preparation for the negotiation flew by in the blink of an eye.
Though nothing as urgent had happened as when they were trapped by 120 kilometers of zombies at the shelter, not a single day had been easy. Anyone would expect hardships in a world covered by zombies. If living as an outsider was safe, that’d be the real surprise.
Finally, negotiation day dawned.
“Hah… Once this is over, I can go home.”
The sheriff stretched deeply, looking up at the early winter morning sky by the river, still faintly touched by sunlight. The word “home” felt a bit strange coming from him, and Yu-bin glanced at the sheriff with a thoughtful look.
Well… The big mansion on Big Island was where the sheriff lived with his loved ones, eating, sleeping, and laughing together. But Yu-bin himself had always vaguely thought of the place where he once lived with his grandmother as “home.” Maybe it was time to change that mindset.
- Click! Yu-bin, set up another target.
Jin-woo’s voice came through the radio from the sniper’s hiding spot at the Ttukseom cruise ship dock. Even though they’d practiced four times already, Jin-woo didn’t feel they were quite perfect yet.
“Got it, hold on.”
Yu-bin placed two PET bottles on the bulletproof table.
- Firing. Don’t walk behind, and signal when you’re ready.
Jin-woo said. Once everyone was in position, Yu-bin raised his hand.
Bang! Bang!
The two PET bottles shattered almost simultaneously, flying backward. Gunshots followed immediately.
Taaang! Taaang!
“Impressive, that guy. His skill with this...”
The sheriff picked up the PET bottles with holes in the center and tossed them into the trash, looking amazed. Hitting targets over 500 meters away with that speed and precision was incredible, no matter how many times he’d seen it. Especially with a K-2 rifle, not even a sniper rifle...
“Hit confirmed. I think that’s enough now, Jin-woo. Check again if the area behind you is safe.”
Yu-bin pressed the radio button and spoke, then wiped the water off the table with a towel. Since Jin-woo’s trick depended on surprise, they had to keep anything involving water strictly secret.
“All right, if they come up there, we seat them here... I sit here, and you stands over there, right?”
The sheriff double-checked the movement route from the spiral staircase and the seating arrangement around the table. The sheriff would sit next to Yu-bin, Min-gu behind the opposing soldiers… that way, Jin-woo’s line of fire was covered, and if it came to a fight, they could fend off attacks from both front and back by flipping the table.
“There’s plenty of ice in the cooler…”
Yu-bin opened the cooler to check the blood bags and drinks.
“Your nose looks a bit…”
Min-gu glanced briefly at Yu-bin’s nose and then tilted his head in curiosity. The swollen bruise from when Yu-bin had bumped into the airboat still hadn’t fully gone down, and the discoloration remained. Min-gu knew well how important the work was that caused the injury, but with a face like that… well, somehow Yu-bin didn’t look like the tough negotiator he was supposed to be.
“I’m fine. Honestly… you and the sheriff are the ones who make the intimidating first impression anyway. No one’s really going to pay much attention to a nose like mine.”
Yu-bin waved off the concern casually and took a deep breath.
“Huuuu…!”
This was already the third time, but every time before a negotiation, he still got nervous and jittery. The opponents were armed soldiers. Even though Jin-woo was covering him, if a full-on shootout broke out, one of the three of them might end up dead.
Shooting zombies himself had only made it clearer, guns were terrifying weapons that destroyed people completely in an instant, without any big movements needed.
Of course, Yu-bin also knew the soldiers wouldn’t recklessly rush in for no reason. They desperately needed the blood of immunes, so they wouldn’t make a foolish move that could ruin the deal.
Tutututututu!
Just after 8:30, the distant sound of a helicopter came from the south. It wasn’t visible yet, but it meant the negotiation team was approaching.
“All good.”
Yu-bin checked his watch and nodded. They’d arrived a little earlier than planned, but better early than late. After all, in about an hour, over a thousand zombies would be passing nearby. They had to finish all negotiations before then to safely send the soldiers back.
“Let’s head downstairs, sheriff. You too, bro.”
Yu-bin gestured to the sheriff and Min-gu, motioning them to the restaurant on the second floor. The negotiation team couldn’t see them from the helicopter. Being the weaker side, they had to be as careful and discreet as possible.
“By the way… Chris said that even if you hide here, the Apaches can still see everything. They’ve got some kind of sensor cameras or something.”
As the three descended the stairs and concealed themselves in the shadows behind the restaurant’s fridge, looking out through the window, the sheriff spoke up.
“Yeah, I heard that too. Still, it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.”
Yu-bin pressed his face against the window and nodded. If their opponents were using the best equipment and doing their utmost, there was nothing they could do about it. But that didn’t mean they should start off careless. Besides… there was still a good chance the enemy wouldn’t bring Apaches along.
Tutututututu!
The propeller noise grew louder overhead, then a Black Hawk landed in the plaza beside the pool. As planned, only one helicopter touched down. The other three hovered nearby, waiting until the passengers disembarked safely. So far, everything was going according to the manual Yu-bin had laid out.
“…Good, good.”
Yu-bin muttered quietly, eyes fixed outside. Only after the Black Hawk carrying five soldiers disappeared from view did he press the transmit button on the negotiation radio.
“Is this you? Please respond! Is that you? Respond!”
They hadn’t been told who the negotiators would be. So Yu-bin had to ask vaguely.
- Screech! Yeah, this is Colonel Park! I came personally as promised and did everything you asked! Where are you? Hurry up with the deal! Screech!
The other side replied hastily.
Is it Gwak? Or Park?
Yu-bin shrugged and answered in a tone somewhere between the two names. With the radio’s sound quality, it probably didn’t make much difference.
“Colonel Park! If you turn around, you’ll see the floating café! The white building! Please come up to the third floor! Do you know where that is?”
- That’s the meeting place, right? Good, screech! Coming! Wait!
After a brief pause, the other side answered. They didn’t seem to be sending any orders over the radio, maybe they were holding a quick meeting.
“They’re coming. Let’s head up and get ready.”
Yu-bin slapped both his cheeks loudly, locking eyes with the sheriff and Min-gu one by one. If this negotiation went smoothly, their preparations for winter would finally be done.