Chapter LXXVII: Under the Radar

 In the crisp early winter air, the PDA message alert sound ringed clearly. Dimuha went through his pockets, finding the device finally. The call to action was here. His usually cheery face darkened for once, and he glanced over to the men standing nearby. Stepukha, Vityukha, Gleb Hawk, Valik Anti-Air, Seryoga Stunt, Micha Bustard and Leva Voyager. All Redemption members, all now veterans of the Zone. Lukash had sent them the location of a Freedom squad already performing recon of the area too, hopefully the guys would still be alive.

• If Boris kicked out the Monolith from here, why is this place still crawling with them?, Seryoga complained, as per usual.

• Freedom tried to hold on to the Scorcher facility, but couldn't. Loners have held it for the time being, alongside a squad of mercs, but I have a bad feeling they've all been wiped out by now, Vityukha explained.

• Aye, Monolith still raids this road but the facility has held on, until now. But enough chatter, Boris sent me the go-ahead. Let's move, Dimuha commanded, racking the bolt of his ever-reliable SVDS.

The group followed behind the exoskeleton-clad Redemption lieutenant. Their contacts were located in the forest, and thus the group stayed away from the dangerous road ahead. A few Zombified stragglers met their end from concentrated fire. The white forest returned to its usual quietness. Only the sound of boots passing through the thin layer of snow could be heard, and the stalkers made sure not to make too much of even that. This was one of the most hostile places in the Zone, many a stalker having disappeared without a trace. It was best to take every precaution ever now, the time for being loud was ahead.

They passed through slowly waving trees, avoiding the low-hanging Burnt Fuzz-anomalies. There were some mutants scattered around here and there, but they avoided a group their size out of simple self-preservation instinct. Dimuha wasn't sure if this was auspicious or suspicious, and a quick glance at his long-time friend Vityukha revealed that he was pondering the very same question. Dimuha caught a glimpse of the helicopter wreck they were heading towards between the trees. Not long left anymore.

Soon they arrived to the chopper, covered in withered vines and patches of snow. Small trickling of snowflakes had begun, which Dimuha found to be useful. They needed to remain hidden for as long as possible, and a small snowfall could help with that. Three anxious Freedomers were resting by the side of the helicopter, their smokes glimmering in the dark forest like embers. Dimuha coffed slightly, prompting the Freedomers to jump up, startled straight as nails.

• Bit too much ganja today then, brothers?, Dimuha quipped, amused by the Freedomers. The rest of his group chuckled.

• Good, you're here, finally. We're about done with this recon mission, so perhaps we should get going?, Freedom leader, Arthur Heathen replied, dodging Dimuha's jests.

• I see, seems like you've been busy. Any idea what the opposition will be like?, Vityukha asked.

• Around three to four patrols of basic Monolith grunts going down the road. Maybe they're heading for Barrier, maybe they're about to help Sin, either way we need to deal with them.

• I agree. We'll need to take them by surprise. Guys with suppressors, take the lead, Dimuha ordered and the Redemption-Freedom assault unit begun their operation properly.

Micha, Seryoga and Gleb took the lead, the trio using a VSK-94, suppressed UMP-45 and M4 Commando respectively. The small gap in the fence Boris had informed them of was now visible, and beyond it a group of Monolith troops were preparing to enter the forest. Arthur raised his fist to signal the group to stop, and they observed the Monolith advance. Three men, X-18 suits, western weaponry. Nothing too major. But Arthur had also noticed another threat closing in, and he wanted to utilize it as a diversion. A psy-dog was closing on the fanatics.

The group watched in the shadows as the dog created a dozen replies of itself. Throughout this process, Dimuha kept a keen eye of the original beast, hard as it was, his rifle trained on the psi-mutant. The Monolithians spotted the dog far too late, the apparitions tearing them apart when they opened fire. Ghost after another vanished, banished to the warp by a bullet, but this did not stem the tide. Last fanatic survivor tried to run back to the road, only to be torn to pieces by the seemingly real monsters. With the death of the last brainwashed, Dimuha pressed the trigger once. The original psy-dog had remained behind, and this mistake was its last.

Before the dog's corpse had hit the ground, the group was on the move, sprinting to the gap in mere seconds. They streamed through it, and on the other side the three silent rifle troopers let loose a barrage of somewhat quiet projectiles. Some Monolith soldiers had remained guarding the road, taking position atop a derelict truck. They never knew what hit them, the backs of their skulls broken by subsonic bullets.

• Two patrols down, one or two more to go, good job everyone, Dimuha said in a hushed voice. The unit had done well so far, but this was barely the antechamber of this hellhole.

Barely had the words left his mouth when all hell broke loose around them. The last Monolith squad had been travelling down the main road, and now begun firing. Someone got hit, Dimuha took cover and saw the others do the same. The large concrete slabs nearby provided ideal position to hide behind, and he found Vityukha in the same shelter.

• You and your big mouth again, have you not learned to keep it shut even now?, Vityukha scolded him teasingly.

• Not in the mood for banter now, I think someone got hit, Dimuha replied, his usual cheery mood vanished.

• Well, I'll patch them up, hopefully , but first let's deal with the Monos. On three, like in the old times?

• On three. One, two... three!, Dimuha yelled and the two ex-bandits leaned from their cover, letting loose with their weapons.

Stepukha joined the fire from behind a powerline tower, his Ppsh putting 12 new airholes into one fanatic's armour. Vityukha managed to hit one of the warriors as well, but suffered a malfunction and leaned back to fix it. The surviving warrior charged Dimuha, only to be cut down by Micha's VSK. Dimuha stepped over the panting fanatic, seeing that he was still alive, just mortally wounded. The zealot smiled arrogantly, his white teeth covered in the streams of blood, and he begun to choke. Dimuha ended his suffering swiftly with a single bullet.

• Rest well, brother, for you have found peace at last, Dimuha muttered.

• Didn't know you were religious, Micha said, stepping next to the Redemption leader.

• Oh, I'm not. Just something I picked up from Boris and Vityukha, he replied before turning to the group and shouting:

• Who got hit? Any casualities?

One of the Freedomers limped forward. He had a nasty-looking wound in his right thigh, which was bleeding heavily.

• I'm sorry, I got caught out of position, I should've..., he stammered. Dimuha closed in on him and placed his hand on the man's shoulder.

• Do not apologize, for you have given more to this fight than any of us right now. Vityukha, stop standing there like a snowman and patch the man up. Arthur, if you want to return to Army Warehouses, I won't hold it against you, he said.

• I'll stay and help you guys, but Stepa will get Tima back to base. I'll send a message to Lukash to send someone to help them, Arthur replied and Dimuha nodded to him, giving him a thankful smile.

Just as they prepared to keep going towards the base, a single Hind helicopter passed overhead, its weapon mounts shining in the midday sun. On its side was painted the symbol of Monolith. It passed over the cliffs and disappeared out of the view. Seconds later, the sound of rocket and autocannon fire begun booming over the hills.

• I have a bad feeling about this, Seryoga hissed.

• Well no shit Sherlock, this is bad. But we need to get to the Scorcher, otherwise we'll all be dead meat and so will most of the north too. Let's go, we have a meeting with Death!, Dimuha shouted and begun sprinting up the hill. The Redemption members glanced at each other, and followed. Battle for the Scorcher had begun.