Chapter XLII: Lost in the Mist

 In the light of the campfire, Boris could see multiple things happen quickly. The small light provided just enough visibility inside the outpost for that. Vityukha collapsed to the ground, his body limp and conciousness far gone. From the fog arrived three beasts unlike anything Boris had encountered yet. They were like a cross between a boar and a pseudodog, large wolf-like creatures, massive and covered in shaggy dark brown fur. Unlike the pseudodogs, these things had a much more wolf-like face, and their teeth were sharp as razors. Saliva dripped from between the impressive arsenal of fangs.

Boris raised his Remington as the beast rushed towards them, and to his great surprise, the few rounds of buckshot seemed to only annoy them. They seemed intelligent too, ignoring Vityukha's limp body completely and attacking Boris who they seemed to deem the biggest threat. Dima retreated inside the house, one of the wolf-like creatures behind him, while Hip tried to help Boris. Boris was dodging their leaps and charges, barely getting out of the way of these dangerous predators. Further away, Vityukha let out a small whimper.

One of the things attacked Boris with such fury that his shotgun flew out of his hands. He quickly pulled out the ever faithful kukri and slammed it into the monstrosity, which thankfully ended its life. Inside the outpost, Dima's shotgun echoed, followed a cry from one of the creatures. Dima emerged out of the door, his SEVA torn from the leg but his KS-23 ready to decimate the last one. Hip's Bizon sent two dart rounds deep into the beasts insides while Boris slashed it with his kukri as it charged him. The wolf-thing slid across the floor, wounded, and Dima ran to it. With a quick movement, he pulled out his FNP-45 and placed a shot at its head.

With the mutants dealt with, they checked on Vityukha, who thankfully was still breathing. Boris checked his wounds and saw that they were not fatal, it was most likely bloodloss and exhaustion that had made him faint. He splashed some water at Vityukha's face, waking him up. Vityukha still seemed to be pretty dizzy, but his pupils seemed a bit sharper now.

• What happened? Oh shit, volks. Good thing you guys managed to deal with them, he mumbled, looking at the carcasses lying about.

• What's going on here? Why are you out here alone?, Boris asked, hoping that Vityukha was himself enough to be able to answer.

• A runner called Mark Garlic came from the Rookie Village, he works there with Fanatic so we let him in, and he said the village is under siege by monsters. Mutants everywhere. The rookies were barely holding on, and even if they did not trust us Redemption guys, they needed any help they could get. Dimuha and I weren't really sure what to do since you told us to stay in Meadow but we decided that if we helped the loners now, it'd be only a good thing. We took the best trained and experienced Redeemed with us, six guys plus me and Dimuha, Vityukha suddenly stopped and groaned, holding his wounded arm. Boris waited patiently for him to catch his breath, and he continued.

• Things went to shit quickly. We have been fighting here for days now, all sorts of horrors keep on coming. Snorks, cats, dogs and pseudodogs, bloodsuckers, boars and fleshes. Dimuha took three guys to guard the bridge outpost, two of our guys are at the farm helping Xenotech and Clear Sky defend it, I and Stepukha Dynamite were supposed to control the outpost since we knew you were coming. But then these things appeared. I killed two of them, but in the skirmish I lost sight of Stepukha and got wounded. I was about to go looking for him when another one tore me to shreds before I killed it, and I was just finished bandaging myself when you appeared.

• So Stepukha might still be alive?, Dima asked, and Vityukha nodded, worry in his eyes. Boris ordered Vityukha and Dima to stay here and guard the entrance, while he and Hip would look for Stepukha. Throughout the mist, gunfire and screams echoed in the distance. Cordon was truly under siege.

Boris and Hip waded through the mist, weapons ready and trained on the slightest movement ahead. They saw a dim light of a campfire ahead and practically ran there, finding a lone soldier leaned against the wall, his rifle in the dirt and his chest clawed open. Boris crouched next to him and was surprised he was still alive. The soldier opened his eyes and for a second was startled by Boris.

• You can't hurt me anymore, merc. I'm already almost dead, the soldier muttered, blood spilling from his wounded mouth.

• I'm not here to hurt you. Have you seen a bandit uniformed man anywhere here? Answer me truthfully and I will end your suffering, Boris responded, lacing his voice with compassion. He could see the young soldier was in immense pain.

• Ye, I heard some gunfire not too long ago coming from the outpost, and when I tried to get there with my squad, we saw a bandit being followed by some wolf thing. My squadleader and I went after him but we lost him in the mist and the wolf attacked me when I got lost. I crawled here. Best I can tell you is that he might be near the farm.

• Thank you. Now, close your eyes and think of home. It is almost over. May God watch over you, son, Boris said and as the soldier closed his eyes, he shot the man in the heart. The soldier collapsed without a sound. Boris put his pistol back to its holster and sighed. Here in the Zone, even doing the good deed did not feel right. Hip nodded to him, her eyes telling that she was thinking the same thing. They started heading towards the farm, which was not an easy task in the fog. Every metre felt like hundreds of metres here when you did not see ahead, and every second was like an hour. It was as if the fog was trying to keep them out, make them vulnerable to the million different abominations stalking inside it.

However, even in the Zone, perseverance will take you far, and despite the thick mist they stumbled upon the farm. On the roof, a Clear Sky member almost shot at them, but when he realized they were humans he cheered. A few other stalkers in the blue and white uniforms of Clear Sky appeared from the mist, and among them was a bandit in a Sunrise suit, except that he wore the patch of the Redemption.

• Stepukha, I presume?, Boris asked him and the Redeemed nodded.

• Yessir, are you coming from the outpost? Is Vityukha alright? I was going to get back there when these guys killed that one wolf, but I kept loosing my way and coming back here.

• Aye, Vityukha is alright. Wounded but still alive, Dima is keeping a watch on him. Any news on Dimuha and the others?

• None, the guys sent to reinforce this place got separated. One of them, Valik Anti-Air, is this fellow here, Stepukha said and nodded to the man standing beside him in a mercenary CBRN suit.

• Okay. We'll have to check on them then. You guys stay here, I'll give orders to Dima to come here too. We need to abandon the northern outpost, it is far too secluded.

• I'll send a few of my guys to fetch them, Xenotech said. The loner technician had appeared from inside the farm, sporting a large AK-74M of the Beard variant. Boris told Hip to go with them, she had at least some idea on how to get there through the fog. Hip nodded and they faded into the fog once more, disappearing soon after. Just as they had left, the radio nearby crackled to life:

• To all nearby friendly units, this is Wolf speaking. The defences of Rookie Village are failing. We need all the help we can get. I repeat, we need help immediately.

The sheer desperation in the voice of Wolf surprised Boris. The old hunter had seen many things in his days, yet he sounded like the Rookie village was seconds from being overran. Things were starting to get far too heated for Boris. The day would be a long one.