Chapter 88: |
00088 <-- #Night by the Lakeside -->
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#Night by the Lakeside (7), Santa Margarita Lake
There was no time to waste, even just three minutes. Gyeoul gathered the officers and interrogated the old man. The more information they had about Captain Harris, the better – details about the size of his troops, their conditions, and their armaments. If they knew the situation and attempted communication, they might be able to avoid a battle.
Of course, the probability was low. Nevertheless, trying was a young man's way.
The old man didn't sound very sure, saying, "I think there might be around sixty troops."
"That's not accurate."
"I apologize. We've been chased since early morning... We ran into the mountains and the forests, so we couldn't confirm how many were following us."
"Then how did you estimate that number?"
"Well..."
Gyeoul's voice trailed off. Battle wasn't just simple addition and subtraction. In clashes between groups, the difference in combat power is squared by the difference in troops.
'It was probably an accidental engagement, so there were many variables, but it's hard to be sure. We should expect the worst. That way, we won't be very disappointed.'
The old man didn't know much. After all, he was just an ordinary civilian. He probably couldn't assess the military's armament or capabilities. Hence, much had to be deduced. But the old man had given one useful piece of information. He claimed they had fought in five battles to evade the pursuers. In truth, it hardly qualified a battle. It's just various situations where they couldn't see each other well, so they just shot recklessly.
The policewoman was a very brave individual. Just as Gyeoul had seen today, she sometimes guided people like the old man, stayed behind on her own, and misled the pursuers in the wrong direction.
"It's time. Let's go inside for now," Gyeoul said, tapping his wristwatch. The troops moved through the bushes beside the road. They didn't know where the enemy might be, and it could be a situation where they had to deal with both the U.S. Army and the mutant group simultaneously.
On their radio, Gyeoul's voice mixed with noise was still being transmitted. The intensity was weak, indicating a considerable distance. However, the Tricksters might intentionally lower the strength of jamming signals.
The survivors were hiding in the public affairs office. This place was so remote that they might not have been able to find another shelter from the elements.
'The problem is that we can't easily find Captain Harris here...'
Avoiding any contact would be the best option, but it was becoming increasingly unlikely. The enemy might have already guessed why U.S. forces, in the middle of winter, would come to a place like this. There's really nothing around here except for the dam.
The door was open. Inside, the police officer was waiting, her face still showing signs of unease. However, it was better than earlier. It seemed that she had developed some trust since Gyeoul had released her from her restraints. But Gyeoul remained vigilant. After all, they didn't know about the other civilians.
About ten meters away, they freed the old man from his restraints. After instructing him to enter first, Gyeoul said to the soldiers in a low voice, which only they could hear.
"Be careful with the civilians. They may not trust the military, and they might try to seize our weapons."
It was a gentle way to describe weapon seizure. He used words that considered the soldiers' psychology, rather than calling it an attack.
"Still, we can't show that you're being cautious. Be careful not to arouse suspicion. I understand. Don't worry too much." Jeffrey replied.
Jeffrey and three other squads were responsible for the external perimeter. One squad and the rest entered the public affairs office with Gyeoul. There, people who looked more nervous than fearful were visible. It seemed that the cold was more of an issue than fear. The officer seemed to be in the worst condition but was slightly better than before. There was no sign of anyone armed, and it seemed like they only had two rifles.
The people were huddled together to share body heat. Even after the soldiers entered, they didn't get more nervous. It was probably because it was so cold. In the midst of all this, two people were separated from the group. A pregnant woman and her husband.
The medic groaned. "Oh my God. A pregnant woman... How did you manage to escape?"
The officer answered, "I have a horse. It's tied up a little way off."
The medic examined the pregnant woman and his complexion turned pale.
"We need something to burn... hurry!"
There were traces of an attempt to light a fire. It looked like they tried to ignite paper collected in an iron cabinet with a wooden stick. The soldiers hastily knocked around the furniture in the office. Due to the loud noises, Jeffrey, who had been guarding outside, subtly glanced inside. When he saw the pregnant woman, he panicked.
As the commander, Gyeoul had to stop them. There was no way to completely block the light. Even with the thick fog, they would be visible from several hundred meters away.
However, he didn't stop them. He pulled out matches from his pocket and threw them to the medic. They were matches from the MRE (Meal Ready-to-Eat) that were designed to be easy to ignite even in a humid environment.
The soldiers used military fuel as kindling, and the fire grew rapidly. The previously colorless interior of the room was now brightly lit. However, it was still not enough. To keep several people warm, they needed to make the fire much larger. Thus, they pile up pieces of wood, such as desks and chairs, on the flaming cabinet.
Gyeoul surveyed the office, and realized that there was nothing to cover the windows. However, there were pieces of papers that were intended for kindling. Gyeoul instructed the soldiers.
"Wet the paper and stick it to the windows."
If they had enough paper, they would have layered it to block the light as much as possible, but there was not enough. Windows facing the north were left alone, and concentrated on other directions.
Gyeoul asked the pregnant woman's husband.
"Your wife, when is she due to give birth?"
"Her water has already broken. I don't know when the labor will start."
The husband answered through clenched teeth. It was a face filled with a mixture of emotions.
The medic washed his face dry with both hands. It seemed like he was having a hard time handling the situation.
The atmosphere among the other survivors was grim. It seemed like the others didn't like the married couple. The officer and the old man looked at them with disapproval, and they stood in the middle, trying to deflect some of the attention away from the couple.
'It's a mess.'
It's easy to imagine the escape these people went through, day by day. It must have been uncomfortable to be considerate of the pregnant women. They must have considered the woman a burden.
'When life is heavy, people usually discard their conscience first. Because it's the heaviest.'
Even the soldiers who understood the situation also showed signs of impatience. The fragmented voice of Gyeoul, torn into several pieces, coming from the radio, put them to the test even more.
[Beep... Beep... Potential enemies if encountered with an unknown U.S. military force... Meerkat, Meerkat... All responsibility... Rules... I'll take care of it... It's okay to carry out a live fire... Charges of civilian massacre... Meerkat, Meerkat...]
Changing the frequency didn't help either. The chances of Captain Harris not hearing Gyeoul's warning were very low. Gyeoul recalled Atascadero. Their first encounter with the Tricksters. The radio operator had mumbled like this, and the monster's performance was excellent for such a monster.
"Promise me."
The words came out of the husband who was holding his wife. He looked at Gyeoul with bloodshot eyes.
"Promise me that you won't abandon my wife."
His voice was bitter. He seemed to be feverish himself. If examined closely, his eyes were bloodshot.
"Yes, I promise. But can you trust my promise?"
"You're Second Lieutenant Han, right?"
The man pronounced it as if "Lieutenant Han" was a kind of proper noun. After all, Gyeoul's promotion to First Lieutenant was to appease the public after the collapse of Camp Obispo. To the man, Gyeoul was still "Second Lieutenant," the hero of Santa Maria. He called him that even after seeing his rank.
Gyeoul put on a skillfully crafted kind smile.
"Thank you for trusting me."
This was were fame came in handy. The mab looked at the young lieutenant as if he were under a spell.
Under the medic's urging, the soldiers unpacked their field rations. It seemed like the survivors had barely managed to have one meal a day for the past few days, and they had difficulty providing themselves with a high-calorie diet. The soldiers heated water with heat packs to prepare the main menu. Taste was not a consideration. The pregnant woman was the first to be fed, and the rest followed.
During this time, Gyeoul briefly stepped outside. Jeffrey gestured towards him. He was lying in the bushes and getting soaked in the rain. He had spread out a waterproofed map, and traces of tactical consideration were evident.
"What are you going to do now?"
"First, we need to complete our mission. If we go just 500 meters further, we'll reach the pump house."
"What about after that? In my opinion, the best thing to do is to withdraw as quickly as possible."
"It's difficult to move because of the pregnant woman. I heard her water already broke. It seems we have to wait for her to give birth."
"Oh, my lazy lord. Why do you always do things like this?"
Jeffrey grumbled strange things while knocking his head on the ground. He said if Gyeoul keep doing this, he would take refuge in the flying spaghetti monster. It was a strange nonsense. Maybe a joke that used to be popular.
Angrily, Jeffrey knocked his head a few more times and then spoke again.
"This is bad in more ways than one: we have uncertain intelligence on the enemy, a mutant group approaching, and we have to defend ourselves while we can't even move."
"Enough complaining. We have to divide the forces."
"Eh. You've got to be kidding, right?"
"We have to complete the mission, but we can't leave civilians even for a moment, and we can't take all these people with us. There are some who are showing signs of mild hypothermia. To them, 500 meters is by no means short. It could be a harsh distance where life and death are at stake."
"Are you suggesting we split up the forces?"
"We'll ride the horse. We'll be back soon."
"How many people will go there? At least one combat engineer must go, and should we attach one escort? Isn't that too risky? They might send down those damn offspring while you're gone."
"I'm going with them."
Jeffrey knocked his head on the ground again.
"You're insane."
"We need to prevent the dispersion of firepower. In my opinion, even though Captain Harris may have a large force, his ammunition will be scarce, and a firefight in the woods is a terrible waste of ammo, isn't it?"
"I also had that thought after hearing what the old man said. I don't like the officer for like anything else, but she's really good at that, isn't she? If I'd been a little younger, I'd have asked her to marry me, because I don’t like being older."
"Stop joking. We don't have time."
The young platoon commander gave Gyeoul a stern look. Gyeoul continued.
"Just in case, if a confrontation happens while I'm not here... make it into a battle of attrition. That alone will make it difficult for them to approach easily. We're at a disadvantage because we're immobile, but I think we can offset that by being defensive, and laying traps around us."
"I've already set up quite a few. The Claymore mines, specifically. I haven't used many because we might have to move, but in the end, we're defending this place. So there's no need to save the rest. I'll spread the rest of the explosives around while you're gone. If we lay a trip wire and set demolition charges, they won't be able to approach casually. The forest will be a battleground for the aggressor."
A tripwire is a wire attached to the trigger of landmines or explosive devices. It is usually installed at ankle height. If tripped accidentally, it immediately detonates the explosive. Detonators are a little different. It was a string of explosives.
Either way, it works well as a trap. In the pouring rain and darkness, among the dense shadows of the trees, it would be extremely difficult to discern cunning traps while walking.
"But, listen." Jeffrey said.
"If that guy actually shows up..."
Before he could finish speaking, he clenched his mouth.
"No, no."
It was very likely that they're going to fight against fellow American soldiers. It wouldn't be easy on their minds at all.
Long speeches are poison so Gyeoul just tapped Jeffrey's shoulder.
"I'll take care of it. Thank you for your hard work."
"Sure, please be quick."
Since they couldn't use the radio carelessly, the soldiers had to run to relay the situation. They were already exposed, but there was no need to advertise their situation in detail.
Gyeoul went back inside the office. The officer was still having her meal. She was a strong person, but she was quietly wiping away her tears. It must have been a long time since she had a warm meal. Gyeoul didn't want to disturb her, but they couldn't delay the mission.
He spoke up, "Officer, I'm sorry, but you’ll have to guide me to where the horse is.”
"What? Why?"
She immediately raised her guard. So, Gyeoul further explained.
"Don't be suspicious. I originally came here to prevent the collapse of the Salinas Dam. However, I can't abandon you, so I intend to go with one more person. Please cooperate."
"I didn’t mean to be suspicious… … Ha, sorry."
Gyeoul instructed the soldiers to hand over a gun and spare magazines to the officer.
"I believe in you."
The officer opened her eyes wide, then gave a slight nod to the young captain.
Among the three engineers, no one knew how to ride. In the end, Gyeoul took a deep breath and took the reins himself, which the engineer who volunteered to go with him found it fascinating.
"When did you learn horseback riding?"
"Right now."
The soldier took the young captain's response as a joke. Gyeoul looked down at the officer as he headed north on his horse. She was peering into the darkness of the forest in a sharpshooter's stance.
"Come on, Officer."
"It's Kathleen Hayland. I'd prefer if you called me by my name."
Her voice was still so calm that it was difficult to recognize her true feelings, but her sharpness had diminished considerably compared to their first meeting. Gyeoul nodded.
"Alright, Kathleen. I'll be back soon."
Then he released the reins, and the beast responded gently.
----------------------------= Afterthoughts =----------------------------=
(This part is machine translated.)
# Silly Jokes
There was a diagnostic maker called "How long can you survive a zombie apocalypse?" The result I got was as follows:
- Tungguska's main weapon is a "Brain Attack," and he exterminated 110,000 zombies.
Survival period: 30 days
People saved: 4
Cause of death: Silly jokes
That's how it is. How does the author know that Tungguska is good at silly jokes...? I'll keep making silly jokes until the end of the world, so please support me.
# Q&A
Q: sa2002: @Are you having a cup of tea and going to heaven?
A: In the Dreamland where I live, there is no heaven.
Q: ZERO4: @Capture the love of Russia!
A: Nowadays, not many people know that movie... Nice to meet you.
Q: 마스터칼솔럼: @I was hungry, but I was too lazy to cook, so I put three triangular kimbaps in a bowl, crushed them, and ate them, and it tastes better than "combat rations." Shocking!
A: I think the last time the author ate a triangular kimbap was about seven years ago. I don't know what they taste like these days.
Q: Ghozt: @I want to get into Cthulhu, but is there a recommended Cthulhu introductory book for beginners? For reference, I can only read modern standard Korean.
A: It's a joke, and each of the domestic translated collections of Lovecraft is famous for having translation problems, so there isn't really a recommended introductory book. I would recommend reading the complete works, ignoring translation issues, or just looking it up on the wiki.
**Q. qoewh님 : @Gurang! You're... an old great one, do you know about "will" and "mercy"?**
A. Well... What is that?
**Q. Glory Spear님 : @They said that they fired Javelin missiles at three guerrilla infantrymen. Should we send a B-bomber now for the criminals?**
A. I think it would be better to sell the bomber and use the money for bribery. Maybe those guerrillas would listen and go into retirement on some remote island with the missile money. Haha. Just kidding.
**Q. NeoGGM님 : @Indeed, for the great old ones, radiation is nothing but a condiment. No, it was just a dietary supplement. Using a Javelin... from 1.6 km, they 'estimate' eliminating 3 people who are shooting with an AKM, a story you can't even dream about in Korea...**
A. No, it's possible in Korea too. It's a country that claims you have to spend 680 billion won (approximately $567 million) to improve military bases. The author lived in a barracks with crumbling walls...shivers...
**Q. 낼름이님 : @Listen well. If you really come three times a week, the author will... I will... lock you up without mercy. You'll write like a dog while eating chocolate with the support coupon you've shot! (I'm sending a support coupon hehe)**
A. Oh my, eating chocolate like a dog... You possess an extraordinary inner child. The author respects that. Nevertheless, the author won't give up on the thrice-a-week schedule. Hahaha. Dreamers have a future.
**Q. 건전한소환사님 : @Drinking black tea and growing an extra head while cultivating your inner child, and another one for writing a series...?! PROFIT!!**
A. Having heads like that doesn't seem normal...
**Q. RGZ95님 : @Always the civilian massacre by soldiers in post-apocalyptic stories, 8.8...**
A. It's something that can commonly happen when societal control breaks down. 8_8
**Q. 고구구마님 : @I'm enjoying it!! 작까님, would it be okay for Gyeoul, who's not involved in other games, to be seen in a side story? Racing or fantasy, modern or martial arts!**
A. Or BL... No, please don't mind that. That's the author's murmuring.
**Q. 후추를후추후추님 : @The author is addicted to radiation, please press "Recommend" to show your support**
A. Press "Recommend" to show Joy.