Chapter LXXIV: The Dark Crusade

 Limansk was a warzone. The central park, usually occupied by mercs and bandits, was full of corpses. Fire rose from the derelict houses, and smoke filled the otherwise bright sky. Wherever one went, gunfire could be heard, small bursts echoing among the old streets. The crusade had begun and the mercs paid the price. Some small pockets still held on, others tried a fighting retreat towards Dead City or the stalker lines near the tunnel to Red Forest. Few made it, however.

The zealots of Sin ran amok, executing wounded, chanting their battle hyms and relishing in the bloodshed. The blood of infidels flowed, and this was the will of Vyraj. Their day of reckoning grew nearer. The fanatical cult members could not break the loners defending the tunnel however, but they were in the process of giving it a damn good try when Boris and Dima entered the closed city. Rogue was leading his group of stalkers, firing his custom PKM like the rounds were on sale. The two travellers joined the fray, Boris taking the direct approach and Dima moving to provide cover from behind a large tree.

Boris' RPD was made for this kind of fighting, the large magazine easily decimating a squad of Sin members. They had moved up to the crashed UAZ jeep on the road, but the hail of bullets sent them back as one of their numbers met their end. Each of them had only a reinforced trenchcoat for protection, and the large-calibre machine gun made short work of those. In the midst of the fighting, Rogue joined Boris' side as they pushed the dark stalkers back, their machine guns firing in unison. There were three Sinners left, and despite their zeal, they had had enough, falling back towards the gastronom.

Dima sprinted after them, but Boris yelled for him to stop. It was no use, they'd run straight into an ambush. Dima hesitated before giving up, returning to Boris and Rogue. Rogue looked tired but relieved as well. He spoke to his two friends in a weary tone:

• I can't thank you enough for showing up, and you know I don't throw my thanks around. Those bastards have been keeping us occupied, I've barely slept for days.

• They've been at it the whole time?, Dima exclaimed, and Rogue nodded.

• First warning came when the river outpost fell. I only arrived to witness the house overlooking it also crumble, and then we fought like cornered rats at the barrier and gastronom area. But it was hopeless. Mercs still hold some of the basements there, yet I am not sure if any are still alive. The Sinners are using grenades and some of their numbers also do drugged up berserker attacks on the mercs.

• Jesus... Any chance we could push them back and find out if any mercs survived?, Boris asked.

• Well, we do have you two now, so a strong maybe? But if this line fails, the only thing holding Sin from taking over all of Limansk and locking it down is lost. I simply can't spare the men, Rogue said apologetically.

• I completely understand. Dima and I will do it ourself then.

• We will? I don't remember volunteering to fight a million different drugged up fanatics, Dima protested.

• Well, you're part of Redemption now, and we need to show to the mercs that we're the biggest, baddest motherfuckers in the Zone, Boris replied, tinge of amusement in his voice.

• And dumbest, Rogue added.

• Shut it, loner, Boris said with a chuckle.

• Alright then, let's go get ourselves killed for no reason.

• That's the spirit!, the Redemption leader yelled, prompting the stalkers to laugh out loud despite their exhaustion.

The two Redeemed set off, travelling through the winding street. The gunfire further ahead had died down, which was not a good sign. The smoke pillars still rose in the horizon, and at times small flames appeared over the roofs of the forgotten houses, indicating that the siege was still very much on-going. Boris kept his RPD ready, the cartridges shining in the light of the fires, and Dima followed him, keeping his trusty Val leveled at eye level. The black and red uniforms of the pair were surprisingly hard to spot amidst the smoke, and they got quite close to the gastronom outpost before the Sinners noticed them. Boris managed to get the first salvo, a swarm of projectiles killing a warrior on the building stair, his blood splattering on the wall.

The two other Sinners yelled warnings, and one of them launched a flare to warn their comrades. Dima pulled his trigger, and sent a large bullet towards the other Sin member, caving his head in with a sickening thump. His companion screamed in rage and cursed the two Redeemed, firing his shotgun at Boris. The pellets dug into the heavy plating but only managed to dent it. Boris' response punched straight through the zealot's lungs, emptying them of air and filling them with blood. He choked horribly for air, and died gurgling in a way that made Boris sick.

Such was the nature of war however, and there was no time to question which side was right and which wrong. Only the Redemption members remained, and they continued on towards the source of further gunfire. It did not take long, just around the corner a squad of Sinners tried to ambush them. However, they opened fire a little too early, and Boris managed to duck into cover, almost crashing into Dima.

• Hey big man, watch where you're going, not everyone wears a tank here. My feet is still hurting from the time you stepped on it, Dima complained.

• Shut up and shoot, you monkey, Boris quipped back and pulled a pin out of his thermal grenade before yelling:

• Here's a bit of purgatorial fire for you filthy Sinners!

The grenade spun across the air and landed amongst the squad, and the most perceptive of the fanatics managed to leap for cover. Two of them were a bit too slow, and the fire enveloped them, burning their skin to a crisp and vaporizing the water in their bodies. The other Sin members were enraged and begun a furious attack against Boris and Dima, striking at them like the crusaders of yore. Boris took cover behind the pillar of the gastronom, but a scream from his left told him that Dima had been hit. The thought distracted Boris in a critical way, and another Sinner managed to fire a bunch of 5.45 mm rounds at Boris' helmet.

Thankfully, they did not penetrate, but the sheer impact disoriented the large warrior heavily. The world spun around him, and his vision was blurry. He could see a figure close in, and in sheer desperation he slashed out with his kukri. Blood and screams. The Sinner was hurt bad, but he seemed to be so heavily drugged and full of adrenaline that he just kept coming and sticked his dagger into Boris' shoulder. Pain seared across his mind, and he slashed again, the lunatic now slumping against him. The numb pain caused by bullets striking his armour was felt again, another Sinner was firing at him as well.

Boris fell to his knees, his head was feeling like it was being pounded with mallets and the knife was still stuck in his shoulder. He could not lift his machine gun. He could feel his heart race, his blood leave his body, his wounds pulsate. But most of all, he hoped that Dima had survived. Then, a series of gunshots rang out, and his vision stabilized just enough that Boris saw the last Sinner drop his gun and stare in horror as blood trickled from his chest. A mercenary in Berill suit stepped into the view, his eyes wild and hard, his rifle smoking and his suit in shreds. He looked Boris in the eyes and said:

• You saved my life, and I am forever in your debt. Now, let me save yours.