Chapter LXXVI: The Watch Ends, the Struggle Begins

 The morning sun grazed Yantar, for once lifting the gloomy athmosphere of the valley. It was still a cold morning, a thin veil of snow had descended upon the mud and grass. A few stalkers patrolled the scientist bunker. Snorks had tried a breakthrough last night, accompanied by lurkers, and in the darkness the beast had met their end from flashes of gunfire. Now, their bodies were piled to the Black Water anomaly for disposal.

Boris watched them slowly decompose by the noxious gases, the stench keeping even the opportunistic fleshes out. It was three days now since Sanyok had joined their squad, and they had kept watch every day for the slightest Sin activity. Dima had perched up on top of the X-16 facility, occasionally insulting the ecologist guards from up there if they were about to fall asleep.

Sanyok had stayed with Boris in the bunker, making sure he recovered. Boris had shared with him everything he knew of the Zone, all the stories he had gathered and the principles of Redemption. Sanyok had proven to be a man of few words but of incredible conviction. He had absorbed all the things Boris told him.

While he was not the most talkative person, Boris did find that he liked the new Redemption member. There was something instinctively trustworthy about the ex-merc, similar to how Boris had felt with Dima. They had also ran into Oleg Zakarov, one of the three Darkscape survivors, who was now leading the X-16 defence detachment. The ecologist were gearing up, and Oleg's battle experience made him a valuable person for the faction.

It was good to have a new strong companion, these days the news only seemed darker by the day. Boris tried his hardest to hold onto his optimism, but it seemed that every day Dimuha, Vityukha or Toshka sent him a report of an Monolith or Sin ambush or unexpected mutant wave. Good men were dying, and he sat here, watching mutants rot in the morning sun. His wounds were getting better, but Boris could feel his body slowly becoming slower. Too much trauma in too short a time. If he kept this up, he wouldn't see Christmas.

Boris pushed the thought aside when sounds of gunfire bursted through the Yantar valley. Sanyok rushed up the ladder and looked questioningly at Boris. Boris nodded and turned the walkie-talkie on.

• Snorks, plenty of GP-5 wearing, far-jumping devils, Dima's voice echoed over the static.

• You guys need help? We'll be there in a heartbeat if you have issues with the bouncy lads, Boris replied.

• If you need some action. Just make sure you don't reopen those wounds, I don't want Stitch bitching at me again, sounded the crackling reply, backed by sounds of automatic shotgun fire.

• Affirmative, we're coming in.

Boris and Sanyok climbed down from the bunker roof and raced to a side entrance into the plant. It was a small alleyway, covered by forgotten crates and containers. Some of the snorks had decided to lurk in wait for possible reinforcements, a disturbingly sentient behaviour from the otherwise bestial creatures. They sprung their trap as the two Redemption members ran past them, but even in his weakened state Boris was ready to challenge them. His Fort made the small space echo, overcoming the horrible wheezing of the beasthumans. The weapon was soon joined by Sanyok's AK-5, and the cacophony of death soon died down. Only the gurgling of dying snorks remained.

The gunfire had died down on the other side of the wall, and soon Boris' walkie talkie crackled as Dima informed them that the snork wave had been dealt with. Boris opened up his canteen and splashed some water down his throat while Sanyok reloaded a fresh magazine to his rifle.

• Damn snorks, you wouldn't believe those things still keep popping up, have the eggheads figured out where they come from?, Sanyok asked, spitting at one of the corpses.

• Dunno, I'm as scientificically acute as a blind dog. You could ask Kruglov or Zakarov though, they're the biology eggheads, Boris answered.

Sanyok seemed about to answer, when further gunfire exploded. Boris glanced at Sanyok and they begun sprinting, jumping over the wall and landing right in front of a group of Zombified. The two stalkers seemed as confused as the husks did, but thankfully Boris and Sanyok still had their brains intact and reacted slightly faster. Boris charged the scorched, ripping them apart with his kukri, while Sanyok provided accurate fire support. The Zombified struggled to point their guns at Boris, unloading their double-barrels at the ground and plinking their pistol rounds off his mighty battle plate.

The last husk fell to the ground, Sanyok's 5.56 round having pierced its shoulder. It started convulsing, swiftly stopped by a slash from the kukri. Sanyok had already diverted his attention towards the gunfire, and charged towards the lab entrance. He was greeted by Dima standing over a dead Sin trooper, his pistol still smoking in the Redemption member's hand. There were a number of other corpses around, some ecologists and mercs alongside a plethora of Sinners. Boris joined his two companions, scanning the battlefield for threats.

• What the hell happened?, he asked quickly.

• They came out of nowhere. We had just finished off the snorks when they started shooting at our backs, a lot of the guards fell. I tried to keep Zakarov alive, since you know, his brother died at this very spot earlier, but I'm frankly not certain what happened to him, Dima answered, his voice heavy with exhaustion.

• Blyat, we'll worry about it later, although I do hope he is still alive. Did any of the Sinners get to the lab?

• I'm not sure, we only met this lot... but I fear the worst, Dima said.

Below them, a massive machine fired up, beginning to gather strength. The power generators of X-16 had been turned on once more. The chugging of their old machinery struggling to power up could be heard even through multiple metres of concrete and soil.

• Well, that answers that..., Sanyok commented with a serious face. Boris nodded.

• We'll have to go back in there once more. Go ahead, I need to send a message to Vityukha, he said to the other two Redeemed, grabbing his PDA.

The message was simple, three words. Protect the Scorcher. The race was on.