"... Guys!... Guys, wake up!..."
"Nnghh..." The yells in the distance awakened Talulah. Despite the sleepiness still clinging to her eyes, she stood up from the ground and walked over to the fissure's entrance. She didn't go unnoticed though, as his boyfriend Will heard the sound of her steps and woke up as a result.
"*Yawn* Good morning, darling..." Upon laying his gaze on the draco, he noticed her standing right outside and with her hand resting on the sword's handle. A bit puzzled by this, he shook his sleepiness off and asked. "Tal, it's something the matter?"
"Shh, don't you hear it?"
The boy put his full attention and listened closely. For a moment there was only silence, but soon he began hearing the shouts as well... and it didn't take long before he realized who they belonged to.
"Blyat, that's Matt's voice!"
He jumped up and rushed to entrance, joining Talulah there. The two stood and attentively watched the woods ahead, tension building up in the air. Their pulsation became higher by the minute as the voice got closer and closer. Only a few meters remained... and then the painful wait came to an end. To their relief, they spotted Matt coming out from behind the trees, a bit tired but otherwise fine. The boy stopped in front of them and spoke.
"Will, Tal! Hah... I'm so glad I've found you." He said between pants as his legs came to a halt. "I starting to think I wouldn't make it back..."
"Leave that for another moment. What the hell happened to you?" Asked his friend in a worried tone.
"I- I don't know where to begin. Mostima and I went down to the river to fill our water bottles, a- and well..."
"Get straight to the point." Talulah intervened. "What did you find there?"
"A body, that's what we found! A bloody dead Russian!"
His yells were so loud that he inadvertently ended up waking everyone from their slumber. By the look on their faces, one could tell they weren't quite happy about their sleeping getting interrupted in such manner. Scratching her eyes a bit, Croissant stretched her arms and spoke.
"Dudes, why you all shouting like that? You've just ruined the wonderful dream I was having..."
"Do you mind to explain what's going on?" Asked a sleepy Texas.
Matt turned shifted his attention towards the rest of the team and began explaining.
"Long story short, there's a fuck*ng dead Russian officer floating at the river, and we don't have a single clue of why it's there in the first place!"
Croissant frowned a bit.
"A dead Russian you say? Why are you worried then? It's actually good for us, that guy could have found our campsite and revealed our position to the Army!"
"No, you aren't getting it." Said the boy. "I'm very worried because: a) Since it's clear that we aren't responsible for this, and unless I'm wrong, the Russians don't go around killing their own people, then it's safe to assume that there's a third party involved; and b), because not even a second after Mostima and I found the corpse we spotted that in the distance."
Everyone followed with their gaze to where Matt was pointing at... and there they saw the colossal column of smoke silhouetted against the morning sky.
"My God, the smoke's coming from the Russian positions at the North Pass..." As she said those words, Exusiai realized the absence of a key player in this. She threw a dead-serious glance at Matthews. "Matt, where's Mostima?"
He shrugged his shoulders.
"While I was running to warn you guys, she decided to explore the way ahead and scout the place where the smoke was coming from."
"Shit, she could be in danger now!" Exclaimed the Doctor. "Everyone, go and get ready to leave, we don't have time to lose!"
The Doctor's words did the trick, causing everyone to immediately pack their things, and once everyone was ready, they finally set off North.
/ /
An hour after their departure, Amiya her team had arrived at the vicinities of the mountain pass. The surrounding woods were enveloped in such silence that one could grasp it with his own hands. It was a very chilling sensation.
"How much do we have left till the Russian outpost?" Asked Sora as they trekked through the forest.
"I don't know for sure, but we're getting close." Answered Matt. "Proceed with caution."
No more were said as the team kept on advancing down the dirt path. With each step they took, the fears of a possible ambush grew among the operators, yet their surroundings were all calm and quiet. The lack of movement did not help to diminish the tension in the air though, instead exacerbating the sentiment even further.
The minutes passed without nothing happening at all... but just as everyone began to lower their guard a bit, they suddenly heard the cracking of a branch.
"On the left!"
RATATATATAA! – A rain of bullets and arrows was unleashed upon whatever was hiding behind the bushes. The boys and Reunion riflemen kept on firing at the spot until their firearms ran out of ammo, practically decimating the surrounding area. However, when the smoke cleared, they were shocked to see that behind the now-gone bushes was... nothing.
One of the Reunion fighters let out a curse.
"Dammit, I'm sure there was someone hiding there! Where the hell it is now?!"
Matt scanned the surroundings with his gaze. At first glance there wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but then he caught a small glimpse of a shadow jumping between branches above their heads.
"Guys, on the trees!" He yelled.
"Get that little bastard!"
The entire team began firing in every direction imaginable. Bullets, fireballs, Arts beams... they threw everything they had in an attempt to take down the stalker, but it was for naught. The shadow skillfully dodged all the incoming fire like if it was nothing, making ample leaps from tree to tree. In a last dich-effort, Redblade took an originium grenade from his belt and threw it upwards, causing it to explode in mid-air.
The shockwave was so powerful that it managed to hit the shadow and cause it to come crashing to the ground, but it also distanced it from the team. Before they could get to them, the stalker had gotten back to their feet and vanished from their sight.
The whole ordeal had taken place with such speed that a whole minute passed before anyone felt confident enough to speak.
"Well... can someone explain what was that we've just seen?" Asked Exusiai with a dumfounded expression.
"I have no idea, but sitting her isn't doing us any good!" Will glared at his partners. "The stalker knows our location, and unless we do something about it, they'll give away our location to the Russian Army! Follow me, we'll give the stalker chase until...!"
Will reloaded his AK-14 and prepared to go deep into the forest, but Matt stopped him right in his tracks.
"Will, don't even think about it. It's too dangerous, as far as we know the stalker could be trying to lead you right into a trap."
"Matt is right." Said Talulah, placing her gentle hand over his shoulder. "We don't know what dangers could be lurking inside these woods, it's not worth it."
The boy looked at them for what felt like an eternity, but eventually he gave in to their pleas.
*sigh* "Okay, I'll stay..."
The rest let out a sigh of relief. With the matter now settled, it seemed like everything had returned to calm... but just when anyone least expected, a very loud horn resonated throughout the forest.
PEEEE! PEEEEPEEEE!
Everyone turned their gazes to the side. They were quite shocked to spot a Ural-4320 truck coming at them through the dirt path, and mere instants later it was already in front of them. The driver pulled the brake, and making an audible squeal the vehicle came to a halt. At first the air was very tense, yet before anything could happen the side window opened and revealed a familiar face.
"Hi guys!" Mostima greeted them from the cockpit. "Did you miss me?"
"Mostima!" Croissant ran to her friend, and with an irritated expression she said. "You had us very worried, you know?"
The blue-haired sankta shrugged her shoulders.
"Sorry for leaving so all of a sudden, but it was an emergency."
*sigh* "You're a lost cause..."
As they chatted, Matt shot a glance at the parked vehicle.
"Mostima, where the hell did you get the truck?"
She just smirked.
"Well, let's say I borrowed it from the Russians."
"The Russians?!" Asked Redblade in disbelief. "You stole it from them? But how?! When I checked there was an entire platoon worth of soldiers!"
"Yeah, about that..." Mostima's tone became a bit odd. "Tracking the smoke, I came across the Russian outpost, and well... everyone was dead."
"Wait a minute, the entire garrison?!" Matt couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Yup, all of them." She replied. "It's the same as with the dude we found at the river, a single stab to the chest, precise and quick."
"Shit, this is becoming worse by the moment." Muttered the Doctor to himself.
"I know, but there are more pressing matters at hand. At this point the Russian Army must have realize one of their garrisons has gone silent, and very probably reinforcements are on their way. It would be wise to leave as fast as possible."
Well aware that the Fallen Sankta was right, Matt and the rest didn't wait and hoped inside the truck's back. Once everyone had got on, Mostima looked over her shoulder and said.
"Alright, we have for the next 60 miles. From there we'll complete the rest of the way on foot."
"I get it, now please start the goddam engine!" Exclaimed Redblade.
"Okay, I'm doing it now."
The blue-haired sankta turned the key, and with great resolve she stepped on the accelerator and drove away into the distance...
/ /
With the team now gone, peace returned to the forest. The only sounds were the whistle of the wind and the singing of birds... but the place wasn't deserted as it seemed. A cloaked figure could be seen standing right in the middle of the dirt path, with two wolf ears sticking out from her head.
Keeping their gaze fixed on the direction the truck had taken, the figure kneeled a bit and sniffed the air.
*Sniff* *Sniff*... Their eyes suddenly illuminated. "Hmm, the scent of a wolf... but it's not a true one. I can smell the others as well, I must follow them."
And with that said, the figure ran back to the forest and disappeared.
X-X
Things on the other side of the mountain weren't nearly as calm. The Russian outpost was engulfed in tension, soldiers moving frantically from one place to another. All this movement was centered around the command post, where an interesting exchange was taking place...
"You're telling me what?! Lazaev's entire squad, all dead?!" Inside the tent, a very corpulent Russian Major walked in circles as he held the phone against his ear. He looked extremely angry. "How the f*ck did this happen?!"
A deep sigh came from the other end of the line.
"I don't know, sir. The only thing we know is that the Northern garrison stopped sending messages around 6 AM. A recon team was dispatched to check on them, and what they found could be only described as a slaughter. No survivors were reported."
"сука блять, if that's true, then it means those mother*ckers have escaped!" He shifted his attention towards the rest of the staff and ordered. "You all, go and assemble a strike force to hunt them! I want it to be dispatched in five minutes...!"
"I believe that won't be necessary, major."
The confused man turned to face the voice's owner, and there he saw two people standing at the tent's entrance, a man and a woman.
The man had average height, and not too robust either. His hair was dark and with some curls at the back of his head. His eyes were brown, and he had a short beard and a well-kept moustache. Apart from that, his face was sharp featured, with the cheeks full of freckles and a small scar under his chin. The attire he wore consisted of a black raincoat, underneath which was an immaculate white shirt with suspenders.
As for the woman, she was quite pretty. Her long auburn hair was tied up in a ponytail, and her sky-blue eyes had a cold look on them. Her face was rounded and of delicate features, and the rosiness on her cheeks exacerbated her beauty even more. She was clad in a dark, blue blouse and shorts of the same color, accompanied with a pair of pantyhose that snugged her creamy thighs nicely.
The officer glanced at them with evident suspicion.
"Who the f*ck are you two?"
The woman took her badge out and showed it to him.
"Valentina Polyakova and Anatoli Ulianov, agents from the GRU."
"Oh, I see..." Muttered the major. "What brings the secret services to such remote place?"
"It has reached to us that a Reunion force led by Talulah herself was spotted recently on Vyely Dvor and its surroundings." Replied the woman's mate. "As such, High Command has ordered us to look into the matter."
"отличныa! My forces are fully assembled. We'll depart immediately and search the entire mountain until...!"
"That's enough, major." Anatoli silenced him. "We'll be taking charge of the matter, there won't be need for any further actions from you part. You and your men may return to base."
"B- but Mr. Ulianov! This Reunion force has just murdered an entire platoon not far from here! You can't be really thinking about letting them go just like that!"
"Yes, I understand your motives, and I assure that all the responsible for this will be caught and punished accordingly. But now, I ask you to tell your people to grab their stuff and leave."
The officer was going to outright reject the agent's order, but after giving it some thought he saw the futility of his action and backed down. With a dejected expression, he gave his farewells and left the scene. Now that they were alone, Anatoli could finally drop the performance.
*Sigh* "What an insufferable man... Why do militarymen have to be always so proud and pig-headed? A small lesson of humility wouldn't hurt them, to be honest."
"I know, but at least he didn't argue too much, unlike the commander of the 13th Airborne Division." Said Valentina. "Alexei Volkov was about to start a manhunt of colossal scale across the entirety of Ursus to find the Reunion forces, lucky us that I was able to quell down his rage."
"I wouldn't be surprised. His defeat at Talulah's hands has wounded his pride quite a bit. Believe me, if that draco were to cross paths with him again, she's good as dead. No one who dares to insult him in such way has ever lived to tell the tale."
"Maybe, but in my opinion picking a fight with Talulah is a really bad idea. He can be as strong and smart as much as he wants, but in the end he's still a human being."
"Bah, nonsense!" Let out Anatoli. "We both know Mr. Volkov has carried out some very insane operations, suicidal even, yet he somehow managed to return almost unscathed from every and each one of them. Hence the nickname he was given by our guys, Бессмертный."
"Say whatever you want, Anatoli, but my point still stands."
"Ok, I get it..." After that they fell silent. However, after a small while Valentina decided to speak.
"Changing the subject, have you heard the rumors circulating around HQ as of lately?"
"Of course I have heard them." Answered Anatoli. "At this point, one must be dumb to not realize that Rhodes Island and Reunion are involved in a joint effort to undermine our operations. High Command is well aware of that, but without any concrete evidence there's nothing we can do, unfortunately. Those guys at Rhodes know how to clear their tracks very well, the damned bastards..."
Suddenly, the two heard a voice coming from Anatoli's pocket.
"Hello? Valentina, Anatoli, is someone there?"
A bit surprised, the man reached for the pocket and took out a walkie-talkie. He then pressed the button and spoke.
"I hear you, Mijail. What do you have?"
"Well, the forensic team has just finished its preliminary inspection here at the crime scene." The person at the other end of the line had a very heavy Georgian accent. "We have 40 dead soldiers, all presenting knife wounds in both chest and throat."
"Hmm, quite odd considering they had a draco expert in fire Arts with them... but please, continue. Were there any other clues?"
"Unfortunately, that was all they've found so far... Ah, before I forget! Yesterday we received an updated report from our informant aboard Rhodes Island. They report that a couple of days ago an unauthorized expedition departed the landship in the middle of the night... and it seems that Amiya and the Doctor were among the ones who left."
Alarmed by the unexpected development, Valentina exchanged looks with her fellow agent and said in a worried tone.
"Two members of Rhodes's top brass and Reunion's leader all in the same team... The situation is far worse than we had initially thought."
"..." He looked to be immersed in deep thought. Some minutes passed until he spoke again. "Mijail, did the informant specify why did they leave in such hurry?"
"Their report doesn't shed much light into the matter. They mention having overheard some people of the Engineering Department talking about a strange transmission found within PRTS's system the day prior, but it doesn't seem to be related in any way..."
Upon hearing this, Valentina couldn't help but feel a bit confused.
"A team leaving without warning, a mysterious transmission... What could all of this mean...?" At that moment something clicked inside her mind. "Oh God, why I didn't realize until now?!"
"Valentina, what's wrong? Have you discovered something?" Asked Anatoli.
"Anatoli, do you remember Operation Blue Danube?"
"Of course, I do. Why do you mention it? I don't see how it could be related to the case, it was an operative aimed at... oh, now I get it."
"Exactly. On the same day they abandoned Rhodes, we were carrying a raid on Svietlapetrovsk, searching for one person: Priestess."
"Yeah, I remember it. Armored vehicles, road controls, and hundreds of agents deployed across the city. It should have been a round success, yet despite all of our best efforts she somehow managed to outsmart us and escaped right under our noses."
"I know, it was very unfortunate. However, before she vanished the signals team intercepted an encrypted transmission sent to an unknown address... Now that we know who the addressee is, it's pretty obvious that Rhodes is trying to rescue her."
"So it would seem..." He pressed the walkie's button to talk with his partner. "Mijail, do you hear me? Go and contact the HQ. I need a spec-ops team to go to Svietlapetrovsk and wait there for further instructions."
"Got it! I'll tell you when they arrive, Mijail out!" The transmission ended.
Valentina threw a curious glare at Anatoli and said.
"I've worked with you long enough to know what that look means... Do you have a plan already?"
"The outline of one." He calmly replied. "Those Rhodes Island bastards will be ours, of that I promise you. We just need to wait for the right moment to strike..."