Chapter CXXX: Mud and Blood

 Rain flogged the Zaton region, turning its many hillsides and creeks into muddy, almost impassable terrain. The road leading uphill from Skadovsk was soon drenched as well, and the sand became soft and slippery under the feets of Redemption stalkers. The downpour was deafening, and the droplets sliding down the visors of their helmets made seeing forward a tough ordeal. Still they pressed on, up the hill, for they had no choice. Boris was determined to reach Jupiter and take control of his men, whatever foe awaited them there. Unbeknowst to them, the very same foe was already here however.

• We need to cross Preobrazhensky Bridge, I don't think we can get down or up the hills with how muddy this shithole already is!, Dima shouted over the rain.

• Agreed!, Boris roared back.

But as they passed Ranger station, a series of gunshots captured their attention. Boris immediately took cover behind the garage building, Sanyok following suit. The old station was surrounded by tall walls and consisted of two large garages or depot buildings, with long storage buildings and administrative building enveloping them. The place was largely empty most of the time, save for the occasional bandit or free stalker passing by. However, it attracted zombified stalkers like every place in Zaton and was thus avoided by most stalkers. Now however, automatic gunfire echoed inside the skeletons of the buildings, and somebody barked orders in English.

• English? What the hell?, Sanyok whispered.

• No idea who's there, but if it's hostile, you kill it, Boris muttered back and stepped inside the fence, moving quickly over the yard, his companions in tow.

They took cover by the main door, Sanyok leaving as overwatch while Dima and Boris slipped in. Flashlights could be seen waving in the dark hall ahead, with the sound of boots striking into the concrete following suit. A man in an uniform of white, red and black emerged from behind a large machine, his matte-black M40 gasmask turning to face Boris and Dima. Boris was about to wave at him to hold fire when the man shouted something in English and raised his weapon. Dima was faster, and his Val struck the man into the jaw, breaking it in half and sending the soldier to the floor dead.

• I do believe they're hostile!, Dima shouted as a swarm of bullets struck the walls around them.

• Really, I thought those were friendship bracelets they were tossing at us. Stop quipping and shoot back, urod!, Boris growled and opened fire with his M16.

Dima did as ordered and his Val picked off another enemy hiding behind the machines. Boris managed to pin down another one with suppressing fire. On the corner of his eye, he could see Sanyok slowly crouching towards the door behind the enemy squad, hoping to catch them off guard. Then, out of nowhere, a man in a helmetless Skat suit emerged behind the attackers. He was wielding an Abakan assault rifle and let loose, smashing apart any cohesive defence the unknown squad had. Sanyok joined in and opened fire on the last surviving enemy, killing him on the spot. With the action dying down, Boris closed in on the mysterious man who had just joined the battle. Before he could comprehend what happened, the three Redemption leaders were surrounded by a squad of Speznaz, suited in dark-blue Skat armours.

• Idi nahui, who the fuck are you?, Dima cursed.

• Squad, at ease. I see you're Redeemed then? I've been watching your emergence with interest... Lower your weapons, now, and we can talk, the helmetless man said.

Boris did as ordered while observing the man. He was in his late 20s, early 30s, but had the rank of a colonel. His brown hair was longer than that of a typical soldier, albeit still orderly and short. His piercing eyes met Boris', and he realized the man was none other than Colonel Alexander Degtyarev, the SSU's most famous operative in the Zone.

• Ah, you seem to have recognized me. Judging by the armour, you're Boris Unforgiven, right? And these two are Dima Lord and Sanyok Grad, yes? Colonel Degtyarev of the Ukrainian Security Service, Zone Security Department, at your service, Degtyarev spoke.

• Well met, Colonel, albeit I'd like it more if you too lowered your guns. What are you doing here? Or is that an execution-worthy question?, Boris asked.

• Well, my understanding is that you and the other factions managed to stop an esoteric cult not too long ago here. However, as the massive emission decimated our military forces around the Zone, it seems some foreign agents managed to slip through. These infiltrators claim to be part of International Scientific Group, but they're as much scientist as you and me. They've been ambushing our squads for the past months, and it was time we struck back.

• I see. Definitely aren't scientists, that's for certain. But why did you keep us alive? We're not exactly friends with the military.

• I am aware. But I'm not a friend of Kutznesov either. Besides, Military presence is... Regrettably small here in the north, and thus I will need my own allies here. You have proven that your faction cares for the security of the Zone, which is why you're getting a chance to choose. You can help us deal with these infiltrators, or see the Zone turn into an international playground for corporations and "peacekeepers", Degtyarev offered, steel in his voice.

• Dima? Sanyok? Anything to give to the discussion here?, Boris asked his two companions to earn a second to decide.

• I'm not too great English-wise, I would rather keep the Zone's languages to minimum, Dima said with a grin.

• I like blueberry jarheads as much as ticks or fleas, but the colonel has a point. And he isn't an asshole like most of them, I've heard good things of him from Hatchet. So I say aye, Sanyok said quietly.

• It's decided then. Colonel, Redemption will assist you in these troubling times, albeit my men need my help in Jupiter soon enough, we were on our way there to help when these "scientists" attacked us, Boris explained.

• Yes, I won't keep you for long. However, we have confirmation that a second squad is heading here soon, and we need to intercept them.

• How big?, Dima asked.

• Six men, one officer in exoskeleton. Tough fight, but I see you've come prepared, the colonel replied, looking the the heavy gear the squad had.

Degtyarev's intel pointed at a hillside nearby, where a trail led downwards. The raindrops still covered the fields so thickly, that any visible confirmation of enemies was tough to make. Boris' MASKA helmet visor was constantly in need of wiping, as streams of rain fell down it. Dima and Sanyok with their scientific screen helmets were not much better. The men waited, SSU troops to the left of the bridge, Boris and his men to the right. Tense seconds inched slowly by, only the sound of torrential downpour to keep the men company. Then, amidst the rhytmic sound of rain, Dima heard a curse. One of the UNISG troops returning back had slipped and was now cursing the Zone, the hillside and his commanding officer in clever and unexpected ways. Hearing this, the three Redemption members went on high alert and scanned the water-filled creek for hostiles.

• There, right below the bridge. A dude in a Nosorog, Sanyok whispered, and the two others shifted their gaze towards the foot of the bridge.

There it was, a squad of seven. Most of them in LC-suits or suits that looked quite close to the mercenary Twilight suit. One had a scientific suit and their leader was in a Nosorog exoskeleton, wearing a heavy helmet similar to the Altyn helmet of Russian army. Degtyarev had spotted them as well, and Boris nodded to him to confirm that they were ready. Amidst the thundering rain, another roaring sound begun. The machine gunner of the SSU team opened fire, and Boris' squad immediately joined in. The rainstorm turned into a firestorm, where the international agents fruitlessly tried to scale the hill, only to meet sudden and expected death. After three minutes of pouring fire down the incline, the guns fell silent. Only the tapping of rain remained, and the grunts of pain from the wounded.

One of Degtyarev's men had died, shot through the throat by the captain of the enemy detachment. One single survivor remained down there, and Boris made his way to him. The trooper was barely alive, three large holes in his stomach streaming out blood. There would be no recovery from these wounds, and they both knew it. He looked up to the Redemption leader, defiance and fear in his eyes. The wounded man spoke in a hushed voice:

• Damn you lapdog, you think the Ukrainian army can keep this contained? You're madmen, fighting against the only chance of stopping this disease on the planet.

• I'm sorry friend, but your victory would mean the end of my kind. And I take the devil I know over the one I don't, Boris said, and in a single muzzle flash, he ended the man's pain.

But he did wonder. Were they right? Was this way too much for them to contain, was the Zone too unpredictable to control even for men as brave as those in his faction? Boris did not know, and as he holstered his weapon, he felt the burden of leadership heavy on his shoulders once more. As he rose from the ground next to the now dead soldier, he saw Degtyarev fiddling with the UNISG squadleader's PDA. The colonel struggled with the machine for a few seconds, then cursed and turned to Boris.

• It's encrypted, blyat. I'll have to take it to my contacts in Jupiter. I hope to see you there, Boris, I've got more missions for you. And remember, this isn't about you or your faction anymore. This is about the fate of the Zone, the colonel said, weighing his emphasis on the last words.

• When has it been about anything else during my travels, Boris sighed and shook the colonel's hand.

He got back up to his men and they watched the SSU operatives disappear into the rain. The storm was passing now, but the one inside Boris' mind was only gathering strength. So much questions, so little answers. Dima eventually demanded that they move on already, and they set off as well, crossing the partially collapsed bridge and marching into Jupiter using the dried canal routes and muddy pathways as their guide. As the crows landed to feast on the UNISG squad's corpses and the sun shined once more upon the wetlands, lieutenant Maus emerged from the attic of the Ranger station garage. As he passed the UNISG corpses, he spat on them before slowly making his way to the mercenary base nearby, determined to get himself a new suit and a weapon.