Chapter 31

The Golf Course

The members of 2nd Platoon stared blankly at the remains of the golf course clubhouse, which had been completely demolished by just three shells from the K9.

Even assuming the artillery had already been prepared to fire.

They were surprised once because the first shot had taken only about thirty seconds, let alone a full minute. They were surprised a second time by the extraordinary precision of the bombardment.

And they were surprised a third time because the artillery had destroyed not only the North Korean soldiers assembled in the parking lot, but also the neighboring building without even being asked.

"Fuck. That's incredible···."

"That was fucking accurate."

"Was that the K9 or whatever it's called that just fired?"

"Dunno. Probably? Gi-tae, any movement at the observation deck?"

"Uh, just a moment."

Hwang Gi-tae turned his gaze away from the clubhouse, which was still smoking, and aimed his observation scope toward the observation deck.

The small observation deck stood on the mountain behind the golf course. From a distance, it looked like a little wooden toy.

Hwang Gi-tae held his breath and increased the magnification. Beside him, Bong-tae held his hand out low, signaling the soldiers not to move. The soldiers, who had been excited by the spectacular bombardment moments earlier, fell silent.

Hwang Gi-tae shook his head slightly.

"Nothing. No movement. I can't even see anyone's shadow."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. At least there's nobody within the visible area."

Bong-tae raised himself slightly. There was still no movement near the parking lot.

Had they all been killed in a single strike? There was no way to know right now. Bong-tae decided that simply waiting for the smoke to clear wouldn't be wise.

"Good. Then let's circle around and clear the observation deck first. After that, we'll search the clubhouse. I'd like to split our forces, but it's too dangerous. Let's all move together."

"Yes, Sergeant Kim."

"First Platoon, up. We'll circle around in the same formation as before. Don't go out onto the golf course under any circumstances."

"Yes, sir."

The soldiers answered quietly and began rising one by one. A small fire had broken out in the shelled clubhouse. A single column of black smoke rose straight up over Mount Baekbong.

Bong-tae wanted to search the clubhouse first and find any North Korean soldiers who might still be alive, but checking the observation deck took priority. If North Korean troops were up there, they would be exposing their backs to the enemy.

"That was pretty loud, wasn't it···?"

"Yes. It probably echoed throughout Namyangju."

"The weather's good today, so it might even have carried all the way to Seoul."

"Let's hurry."

"Yes, sir."

Bong-tae moved a little faster than he had on the way up. However, he didn't run or walk noisily in haste. The common sense Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je had spoken of was firmly embedded in his mind.

Never step out into an open area, remain quiet no matter what, and move along routes with plenty of trees and rocks.

"Watch your footing. Don't step on fallen leaves. Keep your spacing."

"···Yes, Sergeant Kim."

The members of 2nd Platoon, now fully awake and feeling their adrenaline rise, were keeping up with Bong-tae's brisk pace without difficulty.

They had been breathing heavily when they first climbed up here, but now they seemed to have found their own rhythm, and even their breathing had grown quieter.

Perhaps it was because they had just watched a building being destroyed by an enormous bombardment right before their eyes.

The survival instincts that had gone dormant during their few hours of rest had switched back on.

"Huff···. Huff···."

"Hiss···. Hah···."

After twenty minutes of circling around the golf course and climbing the mountain again, a small wooden structure appeared between the trees ahead. It was the Mount Baekbong observation deck.

Seeing it up close, calling it an observation deck seemed rather generous. Bong-tae had secretly expected a large, impressive concrete structure resembling a lighthouse. But the Mount Baekbong observation deck was a modest structure made from a few wooden pillars and glass railings.

There was nowhere to hide, and anyone standing on the observation deck would have more than half their body exposed.

Second Platoon thoroughly searched the area around the observation deck for any traces of North Korean soldiers who might be hiding there. But nobody was there.

Only then did the soldiers allow themselves to breathe heavily. Bong-tae tapped one of the observation deck's pillars and spoke.

"It's shabbier than I expected."

"Still, I bet you can see everything below from up there."

"The view's good. You can see the whole area."

"But I don't think defending this place would be a good idea."

"Yeah. Definitely not."

If they used this observation deck as a defensive position, they would have to endure gunfire from every direction without a single piece of cover. It might perform its function as an observation post admirably, but it was almost the worst possible place to fight.

Bong-tae assigned the soldiers to watch the surrounding area and climbed onto the observation deck. From the top, the entire city of Namyangju spread out before him.

The densely packed buildings downtown, the roads tangled between them like spiderwebs, and even the golf course they had just circled around looked much larger from above.

"Can you see anything, Sergeant Kim?"

"No. I can't see a single goddamn soul."

There were no tents in downtown Namyangju that looked like North Korean encampments. It was so deserted that not a single checkpoint or sentry was visible. It resembled a ghost town where every person living in the city had suddenly evaporated.

"···Hm?"

Bong-tae's gaze dropped to the floor of the observation deck. Several cigarette butts were scattered across the wooden boards. He bent down and picked one up.

"Did they make cigarettes like this···?"

The words 'Golden Rivers and Mountains' were printed in red on the golden filter. It was a brand name he had never seen at a PX or convenience store. Bong-tae leaned down from the observation deck and called to Lee Hwan.

"Hey, Lee Hwan."

"Yes, Sergeant Kim."

"Ever heard of a cigarette called Golden Rivers and Mountains?"

"Uh···. No? I've never heard that name before."

Lee Jin-gu, who had been listening nearby, quietly approached.

"Sergeant Kim, could you pass me that cigarette butt?"

"Here, catch."

Bong-tae dropped a cigarette butt from above. Lee Jin-gu picked it up, examined both sides, and nodded.

"Looks like a North Korean cigarette."

"That's what I thought too."

Bong-tae looked down at the floor again. There were more than five cigarette butts. He didn't know whether one person had been here or five, but one thing was certain: North Korean soldiers had occupied this observation deck.

Bong-tae's gaze slowly swept across the mountainside below. If they had been at the observation deck, they might have moved somewhere else after hearing the artillery fire, or they might still be hiding somewhere on the mountain at this very moment.

"Let's go down."

"Huh? Already? Aren't we going to defend this place?"

"Searching the clubhouse comes first."

Bong-tae led his platoon quickly down toward the clubhouse. While walking, he called Nam Gi-baek over and sent a radio message to Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je.

- We've secured the Mount Baekbong observation deck. We'll check the clubhouse for survivors.

- Acknowledged. We're also conducting search reconnaissance.

- It looks like North Korean soldiers were at the observation deck, but they're gone now. Just thought I should let you know.

- Acknowledged. Continue maintaining noise and light discipline.

- Yes. Understood.

Second Platoon arrived in front of the clubhouse. No, in front of what had once been the clubhouse. Gray smoke was still rising slowly into the sky from the half-collapsed building.

"Some of those bastards might have survived. Stay sharp and follow me."

"···Yes, sir."

Second Platoon naturally spread out its formation. Even without Bong-tae telling them to, the soldiers moved while checking places they considered dangerous. They couldn't rule out the possibility of North Korean soldiers hiding in windows, around corners, or among broken concrete.

Bong-tae entered the parking lot first. This was where the North Korean soldiers had been assembled.

"···Fuck."

Bong-tae stopped dead in his tracks. When the man at the front suddenly stopped, the other platoon members were startled and began looking around.

The parking lot was filled with corpses. Not one of the bodies from which life had already departed remained intact. Missing arms and legs were the least of it. Chunks of flesh whose original body parts could no longer be identified were scattered chaotically throughout the parking lot.

"U-urgh···."

Hwang Gi-tae began retching. The other soldiers also grimaced. Bong-tae spoke quietly to them.

"Get a grip. We're continuing the search. Don't lower your muzzles under any circumstances."

"···Yes, sir."

"Fuck···."

The members of 2nd Platoon re-formed their formation and slowly began entering the collapsed clubhouse. They climbed over broken concrete and thoroughly searched one room after another.

"First floor clear."

"There's no second floor left at all. The kitchen's gone too."

"Does the building have a basement?"

"There wasn't a basement."

Searching the clubhouse took about thirty minutes. They found no signs of North Korean soldiers. Just as Bong-tae was about to let out a sigh of relief, Staff Sergeant Kim Hong-je's urgent voice came through the radio attached to Nam Gi-baek's combat vest.

- Second Platoon Leader.

- Yes. I'm listening.

- Two vehicles have stopped at the entrance to Mount Baekbong. Troops are dismounting now.

"···What?"

"North Korean soldiers have come right below us?"

"Keep it down."

Bong-tae calmed the members of 2nd Platoon, who were starting to panic. But his own heart was beginning to beat faster.

- Approximately sixty personnel. Lightly armed. They're climbing from three directions.

Sixty men. The platoon members' expressions immediately hardened. Second Platoon currently had twelve men in total. They were outnumbered five to one.

"That's too many, fuck···."

"Aren't they coming to find us?"

"They're probably reconnoitering this area because of the artillery strike earlier."

The soldiers' voices gradually began growing louder.

- They're climbing rapidly. Is there anywhere you can hide?

"Sergeant Kim, let's head down."

"If we stay here, they'll surround us!"

Bong-tae didn't answer. He walked out of the ruined clubhouse and looked up toward the summit of Mount Baekbong.

He recalled the scenery he had seen earlier from the observation deck. Downtown Namyangju, the roads, and every approach route leading toward Seoul.

"This really is a great place for reconnaissance···."

"S-Sergeant Kim? What are you talking about all of a sudden?"

If they surrendered this place to the North Korean Army again, the 8th Division following behind them would have to move under enemy observation.

Armored units couldn't move around in hiding. Once their positions were exposed, vehicles stretched out in long columns along the roads became excellent targets.

Conversely, as long as they held this position, the enemy couldn't properly observe movements in eastern and northern Namyangju. Bong-tae nodded slightly and picked up the radio.

- Staff Sergeant Kim.

- I'm listening.

- What do you think about holding this position?

- The golf course?

- Yes.

The radio remained silent for a while. Kim Hong-je was probably unfolding his map again to check the location. A few seconds later, his calm voice came through.

- Do it if you can. We'll move over to support you. Estimated arrival time is twenty-five minutes.

Twenty-five minutes. Bong-tae calculated the time in his head. Sixty lightly armed infantrymen. And a ruined golf course. He felt it might be possible.

"Let's do it."

The soldiers all froze simultaneously.

"Huh? D-do what?"

"Sixty men. We can handle that. We've got self-propelled artillery too."

Lee Jin-gu began laughing in disbelief.

"Sergeant Kim, the summit didn't seem very good for defense. There wasn't anywhere suitable to hide."

"Yeah. The summit fucking sucks. I thought the observation deck would be something like a lighthouse, but you're completely exposed from every direction."

The platoon members' eyes widened at Bong-tae's straightforward answer. Then where exactly was he suggesting they defend? Everyone was desperate to hear what he would say next.

"Then where? This is a golf course. Where are we supposed to hide here? Even the buildings have been completely demolished···."

"And it's daytime, not night. You can clearly see even the farthest hole over there. I don't think it's a good idea."

Bong-tae grinned at the soldiers' worried remarks. Then he pointed toward a broken sign.

"No, I think we can use that place over there."

Everyone's head whipped around toward Bong-tae's finger. They read the words written on the sign, then began searching the golf course for the location it indicated.

"···Ah."

"If it's there···. Yeah, I think we really could hide and launch an ambush."

After making their own calculations, the soldiers gradually began nodding.

"If we run into them while heading down the mountain, we'll have to drop to the ground and fight right there. Rather than getting attacked from behind then, let's try fighting somewhere we have the advantage."

Hwang Gi-tae, who had been silent for a moment, chuckled.

"···Let's give it a try."

"Fuck, well, what's the worst that can happen? We die?"

"We're not dying. If things look fucked, we run immediately."

"Today's going to be another spectacular day, seriously."

Listening to the soldiers, Lee Jin-gu sighed and shook his head.

"Ah···. The Bong-tae virus is spreading much faster than I expected···."

"Shut up. It's a virus that keeps people alive. We're moving! Everyone, move!"

The members of 2nd Platoon headed toward the middle of the wide-open golf course. Then they slipped into a spot cleverly concealed between the hills.

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