Chapter XCI: Siege of Limansk Part 3: Baptism by Fire

 Smoke rose from the gastronom of Limansk, drifting above the smokestacks and roofs of long-lost apartment blocks and administrative buildings. Sanyok breathed out nervously. He had barely learned to know his two companions, Boris and Dima, over the course of the last few weeks, and now he had been placed in the command of a Redemption task force. Every second that he nervously waited for the moment to move out, the memory of his earlier failure stroke at his heart like an ice pick. The never-ending barrages of self-doubt gnawed at him like ravenous rats. His hand shook slightly, and he could not stop the tapping of his feet.

• Sanyok. Breathe in. Calm your breathing. We'll manage, bratukha, a voice full of compassion came from his side, prompting the ex-merc to face the source of it.

• Oh, Vityukha. I still don't understand why I'm given command of this operation and you're not. You know these men so much better, they trust you like their brother. I'm a greenhorn, all I've done so far is to follow Boris and Dima around, Sanyok let loose his thoughts.

• Calm down. I may know these men better, but I'm no leader. I'm a healer, a fighter, a damn good-looking charmer, but I'm not a commander. You are, I can see it. You've done this before, and you can still do it. Forget about your failures and fight to redeem yourself, the Redeemed lieutenant spoke with a warm voice.

• Damn. Boris was right. You do have a way with words. Okay, guess you're right. I can do this.

• That's the spirit, let's get to work then. We can't let Boris and Dimuha have all the fun, they'd never let me hear the end of it.

Sanyok chuckled and drew his AK-5 out, prompting the small squad to straighten up and listen. It consisted of Vityukha, Stepukha Dynamite, Oleg Zakarov, Edik Armorer and Mihas Killer. Stepukha had served in the Redemption for a long time, being one of the early recruits, although his youngful mannerisms and look made Sanyok forget this from time to time. Oleg had been tempered in the battles with Redemption, and what had once been a somewhat anxious scientist had now turned into a proper warrior. Edik and Mihas had been rookies when Redemption started off, both former renegades, but had proven themselves during the Day of the Crimson Mist and after.

• Okay then, you all know the mission by now. We'll attack the Sin backlines behind the Barrier anomaly, they've got a machine gun set up there. We break it and then help Boris & co on their operations against the river outpost and construction site. Questions?, Sanyok asked finally, gaining confidence as the men looked at him expectantly. Perhaps he could do this after all, he thought.

None of his squadmates had anything on their minds, and thus they set off when a Duty squad came to take their positions. Tensions between Redemption and Duty were still high, but compared to the strained ceasefire between Freedom and Duty around Limansk, their relations seemed even cordial. Most Duty forces were yet to arrive, similar to Freedom, but some nearby squads had answered the call. The Duty leader grunted passive-aggressively when Sanyok wished them luck.

• Fighting the biggest threat in the Zone together and still they behave like that, Oleg sighed.

• Well, we weren't exactly civil with Voronin either, Sanyok said with a grin, prompting Oleg to nod slightly.

• Guess so. At least I won't go back to exchanging bullets with them once this is over.

• Who knows? They may think you have been tainted by our criminal influence and will soon join dangerous mutants, anarchists and bandits to stop Duty's triumphant march towards...

• Shut the fuck up, I hear that blaring around the camp so often, the fucking Dutyers are now invading my dreams, Edik cried in frustration, causing rest of the squad to laugh.

They continued on, passing the gate to Dead City and continuing along a side alley towards the apartment block housing the zealot. The street was deserted, bar the ever-present rats which scurried along the cobblestone looking for any scraps amidst the snow. Sanyok avoided a rather big specimen as it barreled towards him, letting the creature go on its way, accepting the fact that it could come back to bite him in the ass in a very literal sense. Edik had taken lead, and now scanned the pavement intently, as if alerted by something.

• Edik? What is it?, Vityukha asked quietly.

• Traps. See that there? A tripwire. More of them ahead as well. I think I see a claymore near that care too. It's a proper deadzone. I'm no demolitioner, but even I know it'd take days to get through here, Edik said, shaking his head.

• Don't you worry. You know what I did before coming here? I used to work as a defuser in Myanmar, top notch pay especially for us contractors. Now, keep those windows ahead in your sights while I get to work. And none of you clumsy bastards get in my way, Sanyok growled and begun disarming the traps.

Despite the large amount of experience he had with these things, it was never easy to fly so close to the flame like this. Each tripwire he cleared further increased the streams of sweat drifting downwards his spine, each IED he managed to defuse added another grey hair to his collection. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, he moved on, until the final hidden killer was removed. The area now safe, he took off his gasmask to swipe his brow, drenched in sweat.

• Goddamn, that was impressive. Slow and steady, but impressive!, Zakarov gushed.

• Man, if I ever run into a minefield I'm calling you, Vityukha commented as well, slapping his hand on Sanyok's shoulder.

• I may be a Redeemed now, but I'll still take a merc fee for that, Sanyok replied with grin.

Vityukha gave it a hearty chuckle and grabbed the defused explosives into his backpack, no knowing if they'd come in handy. The street now clear, the squad moved on. Sanyok observed each window as if paranoid, and could see the others do the same. The cheery spirits had disappeared as soon as the silence fell on them. Although silence might not be the right word. Just at the edge of their hearing threshold, eerie whispering echoed, so quietly that it made each of them question if it was real or not. Sanyok could see Mihas and Edik tighten their grips on their weapons. Sanyok gave them a calming gesture of hand, but had to admit that he himself was also tensing up. The city was unnatural, not in the cosmic horror way rest of the Zone felt like, but in a more paranormal way. Shadows were there for a second, gone another.

Just as their nerves were about to reach the boiling point, the large Soviet-era Brezhnevka came to sight. Sanyok waved for everyone to get low and move in the cover of the houses. It had started to snow, and the downward drifting flakes provided some visual cover for the small squad of stalkers. Sanyok could see a Sin guardsman scan the area ahead. Boris would make his attack soon, those guns needed silencing. The last fifteen metres were the most dangerous. They'd have to cross an opening, although it was partially hidden by the angle of the house and the frost-covered trees. Sanyok and Vityukha took positions at the corner of the house, aiming straight at the machine gun nest. Rest of the squad ran across the yard, huddled as low as they could.

Vityukha crossed through as well, and once he had made it Sanyok rushed behind. While waiting for his beating heart to calm down, he listened to the small trickle of conversation coming from the zealot's hideout. They had not been spotted, it seemed. While in relatively safe situation, Sanyok and Vityukha prepared a plan of attack. One group would take the left entrance, while the other would attack the other side. They'd need to move quickly, or the river outpost would catch them in the open. Sanyok ordered everyone to utilize the "liberated" explosives in storming the outpost. He and Zakarov would take the right side post. Everyone nodded in agreement and the squad split up, making a break for the doors.

Once inside, Sanyok thanked his luck. The river outpost was manned, but apparently the long days of siege had taken their toll on the Sinners as well as they had not been spotted. Rising up the staircase, nightvisions humming and guns trained at each turn, he and Zakarov moved swiftly but silently. A Sin guard was watching the hallway behind the outpost. The fanatic made a crucial mistake, turning around to say something to his comrades. A gloved hand silenced him while a Fairbarn-Sykes fighting knife struck deep into his flesh. Sanyok dragged the man out of the doorway, and once the way was clear, a bomb cobbled together quickly by Zakarov was thrown inside.

The entire building shook following the deafening explosion, concrete dust filling the air. Cries of pain, screams of agony and coughing could be heard from the room, and at these sounds Sanyok and Zakarov stormed the room. A dazed Sinner, bleeding out, reached for a weapon. A loud gunshot, loud enough to be heard over the tinnitus caused by the explosion, echoed in the room, the cultist slumping over his rifle. Another fanatic was whimpering on the floor, his legs blown off. Sanyok fired his AK once, and the cries stopped. Muffled shots coming from the other room followed by Vityukha's orders confirmed the other squad had succeeded as well.

• Damn, can't see shit in the smoke and dust cloud! Man, I hate concrete dust, Zakarov complained loudly.

• Ye, same, it's rough and coarse and so on... Let's get to the HMG emplacement, maybe we can see something there, Sanyok proposed, and the pair moved through the corpse- and rubble-filled room to the opening in the wall.

The view ahead was partially still under the smoke, but once Sanyok identified Boris' squad he did not care. A furious firefight was going on at the yard, but it seemed like Redemption was winning. The large Sin trooper had collapsed. And then it came, a flash of an explosion, covering Boris' Nosorog-clad frame in its deadly embrace. Shouts and screaming filled the air, a Redemption medic rushing to help his commander. Sanyok felt his heart sunk, but movement at the corner of his vision stopped him from wondering too long. A Sin patrol was moving in, frighteningly fast, and Sanyok could see that the racket going on at the gastronom meant they'd get too close before being noticed. The Redemption sergeant lunged for the Dshk machine gun, and instincts took over. The world soon turned into red mist, repeated muzzle flashes and scolding bullet casings, the Dushka barrel going from black and grey into crimson. Only the clicking of the Dushka brought Sanyok back to reality. The belt had run dry, the fanatic patrol turned into gibs and puddles of blood. Through his sights, Sanyok could see Micha and Rogue drag Boris into cover. Victory, Sanyok thought to himself, for now.