SURVIVE

CHAPTER SEVEN: THE RESCUE TRIP

Soyeon knew that Chan’s death hit them all and such, but there wasn’t time to mourn right now. As they all sat in the living room, helping the others prepare for their little trip as the sunlight poured through the room, Soyeon couldn’t help but feel uncertain, especially with the information that they learned about this pandemic in Chan’s letter.

Is she really steering everyone into safety, or just preparing them for their deaths?

Especially when the people who started this all cold still be alive, waiting for a chance to kill them all?

“Hey, you alright? You’re not the one who’s going into this mission, why are you looking like that?” Song Jin asked, as Soyeon made a face.

“I’m the one who should go in the first place, right? Minnie unnie’s too protective of me.” Soyeon said, as Song Jin laughed.

“It should be the three of us, with Soojin, but she’s too wounded to even get up. I have a feeling that Minnie also doesn’t want Miyeon to go, but she has no choice.” Song Jin said, as Soyeon chuckled.

“Please rescue Jaechan, Oppa. He and Sungwoo are in the precinct, barring themselves away from the undead, using the supplies there, but they are running out of time.” Soyeon said, Song Jin nodding and patting her head assuredly.

“We will get your boyfriend and his friend, Soyeon, don’t worry.”  Miyeon said, smiling, as Minnie pushed her towards the exit, Song Jin smiling and following the two as they went out, Soyeon sealing the door behind them.

“You idiot, you’re so insensitive.” Minnie said with a serious tone, as Miyeon scoffed at her.

“What? I wasn’t—”

“Just shut up, Cho Miyeon. Your noise might attract the undead. You two, Minnie, alright?” Song Jin said, as Miyeon sighed and nodded, glaring at Minnie as they continued to walk towards their destination.

“Why are we not using the cars again?”  Miyeon asked, as Minnie sighed at her.

“Because we need to conserve gas for the possible trip to the Paradise, and using it now might mean extra trips to get gas, which is dangerous for us.” Song Jin explained as Minnie pulled Miyeon aside, tapping her back as Miyeon raised her brows, confused.

“What the hell are you doing?”  Miyeon asked, as Minnie sighed.

“Climb onto my back if your feet are sore, Miyeon.” Minnie said, as Miyeon shoved her down the ground, scoffing at her.

“Don’t think that we’re close like before, Minnie. You still left me, and the wounds you gave me won’t heal in an instance.”  Miyeon said, as she kept a tight grip on her gun and proceeded to walk near Song Jin, leaving Minnie kneeling down the ground as she stood up, shaking the dust off her knees and walking forward, trailing behind Miyeon and Song Jin, keeping an emotionless and grim expression.

“What did you do now?” Song Jin whispered, as Miyeon raised a brow at him.

“I just told her that we still aren’t close, Oppa. There’s nothing wrong with that, besides I’m just spending time with her because Soyeon’s my best friend, otherwise I wouldn’t even talk to her or look at her at all.”  Miyeon said, as Song Jin sighed.

“I don’t know about it, but I’m sure Minnie had a reason, Miyeon. You just have to know that, and it will clear out the things on why she left.” Song Jin said, as Miyeon sighed, continuing to walk forward, Song Jin looking back at Minnie and nodding at her with a sad smile, as Minnie nodded and continued the walk silently, expressing her silent rage by letting her baseball bat collide on a few of the undead’s heads, sending them to hell immediately.

Song Jin sighed as he watched his two companions’ actions, Miyeon silently avoiding Minnie while the latter spent her time bashing the heads of the few undead who didn’t even bat an eye in their direction, as it continued until they reached the area near the precinct that Soyeon had told them of, and the sight rendered them speechless.

A loud song was playing from the precinct, attracting all the nearby undead within some few kilometers or so, the zombies all swarming the precinct, trying to get inside.

“What the hell are they doing?”  Miyeon asked, as Minnie chuckled for the first time since Miyeon told her off earlier, shaking her head.

“That man is a genius. Well, Soyeon is more genius than him, but that is a brilliant idea.” Minnie said, as Song Jin raised his brows, but soon got the idea after a few minutes.

“I don’t get it.”  Miyeon said, as Song Jin smiled at her patiently.

“They’re using the zombies as a barricade against the rebels that must have also come to this place as well, probably hearing about the news on Paradise. That way, the people would feel daunted on infiltrating the place because of the sheer amount of the undead that could kill them.” Song Jin said, as Miyeon raised a brow, finally getting the idea.

“But what if some of the undead are able to get inside?”  Miyeon asked, as Minnie chuckled at that.

“Even if I’m not a policeman like, I know that every police precinct has a reserve of weapons inside, and that must have been what they use to ward off the zombies that managed to come inside.” Minnie said, as he lifted her baseball bat up, tilting her head side to side, getting ready.

“Song Jin, I’ll bet you that I can kill a lot more zombies than you.” Minnie said, as Song Jin scoffed at that.

“Oh, you’re on.” Song Jin said, Miyeon sighing at the two’s behavior, but following them as they rushed towards the collective group of zombies flocking the entrance of the precinct, some of the zombies already sensing their presence, turning to them, snarling.

 Miyeon fired onto the zombies’ heads with deadly precision, immediately killing of the first wave of the undead that came rushing to them, as she replaced her empty magazine, Song Jin leaping into action and firing onto the undead that tried to rush to  Miyeon as she reloaded, while Minnie was hitting every zombie that she could see, immediately sending them down, not moving up, the three repeating it as they soon finished every undead they could see on the area surrounding the precinct, as Minnie brought down her bat that was filled with blood and bits of flesh stuck onto the nails, wiping her sweat and some of the blood that splattered onto her face and her clothes.

Song Jin nodded at the two and knocked onto the door, the song slowly decreasing volume until silence filled the whole area.

“Who are you?” A voice said from the other side, as Song Jin cleared his throat and started to speak.

“I am Yoon Song Jin, Soyeon sent me here to rescue the two of you from there.” Song Jin said, as silence followed temporarily, Song Jin waiting for a few minutes before the door opened, revealing a man that had blood onto his hands, panting heavily as he seemed relieved, and tired as well.

“You guys just came in time… we ate the last of the supplies we had here, and were almost overwhelmed by those zombies if not for you all who came and killed them.” The man said, as Song Jin smiled and nodded at the two of them, as Minnie proceeded to disappear into the back room and came back, nodding at Song Jin as he already found a military radio.

“Now, let’s get out of this place. Did any of you guys get bitten why you are here?” Song Jin asked, as the two boys shook their heads, Song Jin nodding at that and letting them get out of the precinct, Miyeon nodding at them as Song Jin and Minnie soon got out, having a bag full of weapons and ammos on their back, as they started to walk back to the apartment.

“How did you guys arrive there?”  Miyeon asked, as the man, named Park Jaechan, smiled at her.

“Me and Sungwoo hyung went to bail out our bandmate secretly, because he was caught driving under the influence. But when we arrived there, our bandmate, Hanjin hyung had already turned into one of those things that bit one of the police before he was shot to death. In the end, we had to shoot everyone there because they were all bitten, and barricaded ourselves in by playing loud music in our phones because the radios said that some rebel groups were killing off people for fun.” Jaechan said, as his companion, named Choi Sungwoo nodded at that, as Miyeon nodded as well, acknowledging their story.

“My sister would be happy to see you again, Jaechan.” Minnie said, as Jaechan widened his eyes, now recognizing Minnie.

“Oh, Minnie! I didn’t recognize you earlier because of the lighting earlier!” Jaechan said, as Minnie smiled at him.

“We haven’t seen each other since high school graduation!” Jaechan said, overjoyed, as Minnie chuckled and patted his shoulder.

“And you’ll see her when we get home, Jaechan.” Minnie said, as they soon reached the apartment, Minnie knocking the door which was opened by Soyeon, whose eyes lightened up as she saw Jaechan, immediately rushing in and hugging him, pulling him inside and hugging him tight.

“I’m glad you’re alright, Jaechan Oppa!” Soyeon said, as Jaechan smiled and patted her head, kissing her forehead deeply, as the others smiled at the scene.

“Did any of you get infected or something while on the way here?” Yuqi asked, as she brought a basket full of medical supplies, now starting to tend on the two men’s small wounds and bruises.

“No, we didn’t… But it was supposed to be the three of us that are here, not two. Even four, but we…” Jaechan said, his tears welling up, as Sungwoo sighed and patted the man’s back, sighing as he turned to face the doctor, intent on telling their story.

“Our bandmate, Hanjin, was supposed to be with us, but he saved Jaechan from getting bit by the policeman that turned into one of those things. We don’t know but we think the other bandmate we have that was left in our dorms also turned, judging by the phone call we had with him.” Sungwoo said, as Yuqi nodded, bandaging Jaechan’s arms as Sungwoo sighed, waiting for his turn to be tended upon.

“But we don’t know that for sure. What if that bandmate of yours in your dorm is still alive?” Minnie said, as Jaechan shrugged, also not sure if their maknae is still alive.

“But that’s right in the middle of the city, our dorm. It would be an ambush, and we can’t… We can’t risk it.” Jaechan said, Sungwoo wanting to rescue their maknae as well, but his leader was right.

“It would be like suicide.” Sungwoo said, as Jaechan nodded.

“You two should get some rest upstairs. Song Jin Oppa, let them stay with Soojin unnie upstairs.” Yuqi said, finishing to tend on the small bruises of the two, as the former policeman nodded and guided the others upstairs, the others preparing food for their lunch, while Soyeon and Minnie stayed near the exit of the house, staring at the radio that is in Minnie’s hands.

“Well… time to find out where the Paradise is.”