Chapter XLIX: The Vengeful Bounty Hunter

 Micha Bustard woke up in the abandoned gas station of Darkscape, his whole body feeling like a pseudogiant had used him as a cushion. He got up and immediately vomited violently, which was not really something you want to happen inside an exoskeleton. Once he regained his bodily functions, Micha cursed long and passionately and tried to clean up most of his yesterday's lunch out of the suit.

Once the suit was in somewhat better condition, he stepped outside and witnessed the carnage that had happened there. Dozens of mutant carcasses, some small, some massive, rotted in the morning sun. There was also remains of humans scattered around, utterly butchered. As he looked at this scene, all the memories of yesterday came rushing in. Orders given to them by Sultan, to kill Boris Unforgiven since he was headed to Darkscape. The incomprehensible terror that had gripped Micha and his men, the mutant attack that had slayed his squad and lastly, the massive psi-wave that had knocked him out.

As he looked at the remains of his squad, his hardened bandit heart felt a tinge of remorse. Igyorek Boar, Ilyukha Hangman and Timuha Tour Guide, all dead, only he remained. So many successful missions behind for them, all the skirmishes with loners and Duty that they had survived, yet now here they lay, in pieces. Micha looked up to the sky and screamed loudly, cursing Sultan and his orders. Fuck Sultan, fuck the bandits, and most of all, fuck the Zone, Micha thought.

A bullet whizzed past his skull as he was pondering what to do next, his heart heavy with loss and his mind full of vengeful thoughts. This snapped him out of them, and he was about to raise his weapon when someone yelled at him:

• I wouldn't do that if I were you, bratan. I've got you zeroed. Keep that weapon holstered and those hands in sight and we'll have a little talk, a man in a bandit exoskeleton ordered, holding a SVDS rifle.

• Fine, fine, I'll be a good boy. What you want, urod?

• I remember you, you were that squad leader from earlier. What were you doing here? And what's your name?

• What's it to you? You'll just pump a bullet into me anyway by the looks of things, what you need my name for?, Micha responded aggressively.

• I'm part of the Redemption asshole, we don't shoot people unless we have a reason to, and I'm really starting to have one. But you still have a chance to not get blasted, so start talking, the man commanded, and Micha shrugged.

• Fine then. Name's Micha Bustard, and I was sent here to kill your boss by Sultan. But I don't feel like doing it anymore, for the record, look at what it did to my squad, Micha said, waving at the remains of his comrades.

• Interesting, very interesting. Well, since you were such a co-operative fellow, I'll let you go back to Dark Valley, but I'll take that rifle of yours, just to make sure you don't go after my bossman. Hand it over, the man commanded, and Micha shook his head.

• I'm not walking out of here without a weapon, and you know it too. Besides, I'm not going back to the Valley, I'm done with the fucking bandits.

• Is that so? I might have proposition for you then...

A while later Micha and the mystery man arrived at the sawmill. Micha entered it and was greeted by an unwelcoming sight, his target staring him down in a massive Nosorog suit. Boris looked at Dimuha who entered with him and asked:

• Who's this? I thought I told you to keep watch, not make friends.

• This right here is Micha Bustard, bounty hunter working on behalf of Sultan to kill you, or was, until he decided that Sultan got his squad killed with that particular mission, Dimuha answered with a smirk.

• Interesting. Well, Micha, well met, glad we meet like this and not with us shooting each other. I might have a mission for you if you want to get back at Sultan.

• I'm all ears, Micha replied.

• You might know that Sultan and I have had a rocky relationship ever since I created Redemption, and honestly, I'm getting tired of his butthurtness. Besides, he killed one of my own, and sent you after me, so he needs to go. I have a plan for that, but I need a man inside the bandit base I can trust.

• You want me to be a rat? Jesus, that's rich.

• Quite so, just yesterday you were hunting me. But I'll let you think about it. Either you serve the man who sent you on a suicide mission like a rat for the rest of your days, or you help me end that bastard. I can guarantee you, this is the best offer of becoming something more than just a pawn for Sultan to use.

• I'll think about it then, but I won't guarantee anything, Micha said, deep in thought.

• You can leave now, if you wish. Tell Sultan that the mission was a success, and I'm dead. I'll lay low for a few days, and let you know about the plan through a proxy if you choose to help me.

Micha nodded, still quite puzzled by all that had happened. He headed deep into the woods, trudging towards Dark Valley. Dimuha turned to Boris now that only the two of them remained at the sawmill and asked:

• Do you think he'll do it?

• Who knows? But if he tells Sultan the truth, Sultan will probably kill him out of paranoia, he has been quite anxious ever since Dima and Hip pulled that little sneaky operation on him. But we'll see. Come, let's go after the others already, they're probably in Meadow already. I for one don't want to miss out on the feast!

• Absolutely, let's get going, never in my life have I needed a bottle of Nemiroff this bad, Dimuha answered with a gleefull smile, to which Boris replied with a grin. The victory feast awaited in the Meadow, and for once, it seemed like it was finally time for a rest for Boris. They left practically ran from the sawmill to the tunnel to Cordon, stopping only temporarily to let a herd of boars pass them. The tunnel seemed to last forever, but eventually they emerged into the light once more.

Walking through Cordon, Dimuha and Boris shared stories as Boris calibrated the Svarog detector. Dimuha told Boris of the training exercises he and Vityukha had cooked up for the rookies in Meadow, while Boris told him of how Dima and him had met. They stopped only once in the camp overlooking the bridge, Dimuha took a leak while Boris chatted with a pair of rookie loners, swapping a box of cigarettes for a few bottles of Ukrainian beer. Cordon seemed different, less safe, and everywhere they went, mutants seemed plentiful. On the entrance to Meadow, a group of Zombified stalkers were resting, if one could call it that.

Dimuha thought of walking past them and sprinting away, but Boris could not leave the husks like that. As the light of the day was getting dimmer, he told Dimuha to give him some covering fire and started crawling towards the unfortunate former stalkers. They did not see it coming. One of them was going through a mantra of talking to his daughter back home, and Boris used this background noise to strike. He sneaked behind the talkative one and slid its throat. A sharp crack echoed around the valley when Dimuha's 7.62x54 bullet smacked the head of one of the walking dead. Before the last pitiful creature could react, Boris stabbed it to death.

• May you watch over your daughter now, bratan, Boris said as he closed the zombie's eyes.

Dimuha joined him and they entered the road to Meadow. Even if their good spirits were darkened by the encounter, they soon lifted when they entered Meadow. They were finally there, finally at home. A tempting and delicious scent of grilling meat reached their nostrils, and they could see smoke in the horizon, rising from the base. Truly, even in the Zone, one could feel alive sometimes.