Chapter 13
“Since you mentioned the research facility, I need to verify the information about it.”
Ahyeon wanted to get information about the research facility, the one where her brother might currently be. This wasn’t just out of suspicion that Shin Hae-jun knew the location that Ahyeon had been unable to find for over a decade, but also to confirm if the information Shin Hae-jun had provided was actually true.
“I think I need to see that to decide for sure whether I will go with you, General.”
Before Ahyeon could finish her sentence, Shin Hae-jun’s face crumpled.
“Lieutenant Min.”
“I’ve told you multiple times, it’s Min Ahyeon.”
“…Right. Ahyeon-ah.”
Shin Hae-jun spoke in an unusually gentle tone. Still, there was an undercurrent of suppressed anger, indicating that the emotions he had been holding back were now beginning to surface.
“Asking to see the investigation records of the research facility seems like you think the information I have might deceive you.”
Shin Hae-jun approached Ahyeon and placed his hands on the armrests of her chair, drawing her closer to him. Their gazes became intertwined, one slightly down and the other slightly up.
“You…”
Shin Hae-jun gritted his teeth as he asked,
“Don’t you trust me?”
The tips of Ahyeon’s long eyelashes quivered. She wasn’t sure of Shin Hae-jun’s intention behind his question. In fact, she was surprised that she had even thought she trusted Shin Hae-jun in the first place. Ahyeon nodded her head.
“Yes. I don’t trust you.”
Shin Hae-jun laughed without a hint of hesitation at her straightforward response. Don’t trust me? Why? What have I done wrong? And you… Muttering these thoughts, Shin Hae-jun leaned his forehead against Ahyeon’s and exhaled a long breath. The sharp scent of cigarettes mingled with the fresh smell of laundry, tickling Ahyeon’s nose.
“Min Ahyeon.”
Lifting his forehead, Shin Hae-jun gazed down at Ahyeon intently. Their faces were close enough for their breaths to intermingle, just a few finger-widths apart.
“Do you think you’re worth demanding information from me?”
“If I’m not worth it, you wouldn’t have come to see me.”
“You’re just a subordinate who happens to shoot well. That’s all.”
“There’s no one better than me at knocking down infected heads. And…”
In an instant, Ahyeon grabbed Shin Hae-jun’s collar and pulled him, making him sit in the chair she had occupied.
“I’m no longer your subordinate, Brigadier General.”
Shin Hae-jun, caught off guard by the sudden role reversal, gritted his teeth and glared at Ahyeon.
“Want to go to the stockade?”
“Is there a spot left?”
“No. It’s full.”
They burst into a wry laugh, as if they had never fought and bickered like this before. This cycle of clashing, forgetting, and clashing again had always been a part of their relationship, even now that they were no longer in a superior-subordinate dynamic.
Shin Hae-jun, still chuckling, was the first to steer the conversation back to the main topic.
“The records are at headquarters, so let’s move to—”
Beeeep—!
But his words were cut off by the sudden blaring of an alarm. Shin Hae-jun and Ahyeon locked eyes with each other.
[Infected cluster detected in Shelter Area A! Small-scale wave estimated! Snipers, proceed urgently to the barricade. Infected cluster was detected in Shelter Area A! A small-scale wave was estimated! Snipers, proceed urgently to the barricade!]
Without a word, they both hurriedly dashed out of the room.
🕂
As they reached the top of the barricade, what greeted them was a multitude of infected creatures. Wondering if she was mistaking the time, Ahyeon glanced up at the sky, but it was still night—the red sunset had not yet fully faded. Why were they already swarming like this? The question lingered, but there was no time to dwell on it. This was no ordinary infected wave.
“Everyone, stay focused. This infected wave is just stronger than expected, but nothing else has changed. Understood?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Take your designated sniper positions. Open fire when the infected are within 500 meters. Lieutenant, you’re in charge of giving the orders. Got it?”
“Understood, sir!”
“And, Lieutenant Min.”
Shin Hae-jun pointed at Ahyeon with a cold, emotionless gaze.
“You’re coming with me. Follow me.”
Knowing better than to protest that she was no longer a Lieutenant, Ahyeon quietly followed behind Shin Hae-jun. He handed her a K2 rifle with a telescopic sight, and she in turn double-checked the revolver holstered at her waist before inspecting the K2’s magazine.
“Take it because it’s not enough.”
Shin Hae-jun tossed Ahyeon a magazine, which she slung over her shoulder. As she did so, she glanced down at her palm and noticed it was damp with sweat. Why? Had she unconsciously become tense? Normally, when dealing with the infected, she didn’t get this worked up…. Was she instinctively feeling fear without realizing it? Wiping her palm on her jacket, she steeled her nerves. Tension, fear, or any other emotion didn’t matter now. She only needed to focus on the infected in front of her.
———!
Thousands of infected were rushing towards the barricade as if racing towards the finish line. Unable to feel the strain in their muscles or the panting breaths, they resembled optimized organisms for running. Some even moved on two, or rather, four legs, doing everything they could to reach and climb over the barricade. However, the barricade’s slanted incline prevented them from easily scaling it.
————!
Staring at the infected opening their grotesque maws and screeching, Shin Hae-jun asked.
“Remember the battle in South America?”
Ahyeon nodded.
“Do it like that.”
“Understood.”
“Good luck.”
Shin Hae-jun removed his coat, unbuttoned his cuffs, and rolled up his sleeves, revealing the prominent blue veins on his scarred arms. He loosened his tie, tucking the end into his front pocket, then gripped a pistol in one hand and an assault rifle in the other.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The artillery barrage began. Countless shells rained down on the infected, exploding one after another. Their bodies were torn apart, blood and guts splattering as the ground turned crimson. But this was just the beginning. The infected were not weak enough to give up their primal instincts with such attacks.
———!
Limbs severed, they still crawled and dragged themselves towards the perimeter wall. Ahyeon descended the angled barrier, which was constructed like the diagonal face of a pyramid, with intermittent stair-like spaces where a single person could stand. This was the snipers’ position—where they had to finish off any infected that survived the artillery assault. Closer to the infected, this was a place of pure terror.
Yet, Ahyeon,
Bang!
Had always stood her ground here.
No matter how many infected there were, they were still just infected—beings consumed by the virus, driven only by the primal need to devour humans. There was no need to be afraid.
Peering through the scope, she took a deep breath. One, two, three. And she pulled the trigger. In this sequence of actions, she had never once faltered or missed.
But…
“…Huh?”
For a moment, she was stunned, unable to believe what her own eyes were seeing. Quickly, she brought out her binoculars, and what she had seen with the naked eye was correct—it was not a mistake.
“The infected… are hiding?”
As the infected, who had been charging forward, lost their heads to her gunshots, the ones chasing behind rolled their bodies and took cover behind obstacles. This is absurd. The infected were supposed to be driven solely by the primal urge to devour the humans before them, mindlessly charging forward. Yet here they were, choosing to hide for survival? Did they possess that level of intelligence? Or was this a new instinct?
Curious, Ahyeon pulled the trigger again. Bang! Rang! Bang! Her shots, as always, flew straight towards their heads. But the infected did not go down. Instead, they seemed to be purposefully shielding their heads, using their arms to cover their faces or tucking their bodies to deflect the bullets.
“He missed every shot. He kept shooting but those zombie bastards just kept charging. Not a single one went down!”
Was this what the informants had been referring to?
“What the hell is wrong with those bastards! Fucking shoot them, damn it!”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Other snipers joined in, unleashing dozens of rounds, but only a few infected fell.
“Aaaargh!”
Yes, they had thoroughly guarded their weaknesses and were charging towards us. Fear. Fear was overwhelming her. She could no longer hold her position as the predator, and felt herself tumbling down to become the prey. It felt as if her neck was on the dining table. No, no. She can’t let that happen. Struggling to catch her breath, Ahyeon tried to pull the trigger again, but her shaking hands kept throwing off her aim.
Ahyeon wasn’t afraid of being bitten by the infected. After all, her body couldn’t be infected. But she didn’t want to feel the agony of being torn apart alive again. Ahyeon was terrified. Now she realized her claim of not being afraid was simply arrogance. She was truly terrified now. She couldn’t breathe properly. At this rate, the infected would breach the perimeter wall and climb up…
“You all still haven’t snapped out of it? Want to die?”
Shin Hae-jun’s shout tore through the infected’s screeches.
“Focus on cracking the heads of the ones trying to climb up first. Got it?”
“B-but, General! They keep coming up from below! If we leave them, they’ll swarm all at once!”
“Fucking hell.”
Gripping his guns tightly in both hands, Shin Hae-jun looked down, then suddenly leaped over the perimeter wall, plunging into the midst of the infected.
“General!!”
🕂
Thank you for reading! ♡
