"Alright, This's the last of it!" Ted announced as he emerged from the inner section of the scav base.
The man held a large wooden craft in both hands, trailed by Hunter doing much the same. The pair made their way over towards the rest of their group, and set the last two crates down in the back of a pickup truck tailgate.
The truck was a large black and gray beast that could easily seat five while hauling several tons of materials in its bed. It had been parked in the outer area of the base, apparently repaired by the gang to working order. The key had been on one of the corpses.
The bed and most of the cab was filled with dozens of stacked crates, carefully secured with whatever straps 16, Ivan and Justin could scrounge. Ted and Hunter set the last two crates in the bed, atop several others, and moved to allow 16 and Justin to secure them in place.
"So what's the plan now?" Justin asked as he strapped one of the crates down.
Ted fished into his pocket for the keys, and then tossed them to Justin. The man nearly fumbled the catch, bouncing the keys twice in the air from his attempts to catch them. Once he finally had them in hand, he looked confused at Ted.
"You're taking this home," he said, "drive slowly and carefully, keep the lights off and try not to rev the engine too much."
"Just me?" he asked, confused.
"Just you, only room for one in there."
He was right. Even the passenger seat was playing host to a few crates that intruded into the driver's side as well. There was just enough room to fit, but it would not be a comfortable ride.
"Okay… what about you guys?"
"We'll walk the rest of the way back. When you arrive, try and unload as much as you can. We may need a pickup if something happens."
Justin nodded, and hopped out of the truck bed and made his way into the cab.
After a few moments, the truck's engine squealed to life. The noise pierced the air momentarily, before settling to a low thrum. As it settled however, all heads turned northwards. There was something else mixed into the night's sounds, a distant noise growing closer. The sound of engines, several engines, revving and thrumming in the middle distance.
"Shit," Ted cursed, "GO!"
The man smacked the truck's side, and like a horse startled to motion, Justin put the truck into gear and took off as the rest of them quickly jumped out of the way. The truck tore out of the parking lot, slowing to turn out onto the main street before roaring back to life as it began moving quickly away. As it did, gunshots barked, coming from the south.
The four of them followed behind, quickly running from the scav base across to where Justin had been hidden earlier. From there they got a better view of the situation, and it put scowls on all their faces.
There was movement all around in the darkness. Up the street to the north 16 could see headlights piercing the night as a convoy of trucks rumbled down the street, led by an armored police vehicle with a mounted gun on its roof. To their south, in the direction of their exit, a swarm of armed men were pouring from the side streets onto the main road. Many were firing after Justin's distant truck as it roared down the road.
"We're cut off," Ted spat.
"Footmobiles, west side," Hunter barked.
16 shot a glance in the direction indicated. Sure enough another group was now marching along the road from the east side of the scav base. They'd come from the direction of the apartment complex she'd hidden in earlier.
"This is too well coordinated," she remarked, "all sides, all at once?"
Ted nodded, " I agree. I imagine they only struck now because of the truck."
She nodded. It made sense, the fact that they'd made themselves known all at the same time, and were coming from all directions, was certainly no coincidence. She figured they'd been moving to surround them for a while, perhaps a scav in the base had sent the alarm, or perhaps the shots had alerted someone.
"They don't know where we are," Hunter said, "could let them pass."
"They'll search here eventually," Ted replied, "We need to move, clear the area."
The trucks at the end of the road rolled to a stop, men jumping out and forming a road block while a few began to group up and head into the scav base they'd only just left. Likewise the men on the other axises were moving to do much the same. All sides were starting to pen them in.
"How about there?" Ivan said, pointing to the far side of the main road where a long line of apartments and stores stood quiet and dark, "None come from there yet."
Ted considered for a moment, before nodding, "Good idea. If nothing else there's more places to hide and maneuver."
The group made their way to the side of the building they were in, creeping along carefully as the groups of scavs neared. One patrol passed by, their flashlights not finding the group as them as the scavs pressed towards the base.
Once the patrol had passed, Ted opened a door leading into the street, and after carefully scanning in all directions, began to quickly jog out into the open night.
They followed him closely, leaping over small fences and obstacles, weaving between broken down cars, trains, and bodies, heading for a distant open door.
Shots popped, rounds whizzing over their heads. Furious distant shouts echoed, and more attention was drawn to them. A round skipped off the asphalt near her feet, another passed near her ear, but none found her.
They didn't dare stop, they just kept running.
Ted crashed into an open door and disappeared from sight. 16 followed shortly after, stumbling into the doors of an old pharmacy. The others were hot on her heels, both men ducking as bullets began to pepper the store front.
The four quickly retreated further in, finding a rear door that led out of the pharmacy, revealing a long hall of doors, and what seemed to be a hotel or apartment lobby. More rounds pinged on walls, dull thuds from external impacts and the shattering of glass.
Ted led them out, finding an exit that led away from the scavs. They stepped out into a large courtyard, with overgrown grass and tall brick buildings in all directions. Here, they took a moment to catch their breath.
Basmach had a headache. The gangster pinched the bridge of his nose, and squeezed his eyes tightly as he tried to will away the dull, throbbing pain. Beside him in the truck's cab, the driver wordlessly offered him a cigarette, but he waved it away.
"All good?" the driver asked.
"We'll see," he muttered back.
He kicked the door open, stepping out into the cool night air and waving towards one of the milling gang members nearby. The men, dressed in a wide range of equipment ranging from proper military arms and armor to bicycle helmets and Crocs, were all focussed in the direction of the factory district.
"Well?" he asked on getting close enough.
"Ah, boss. They're definitely inside. We thought we saw one poking his head out for a moment, but nothing else."
Basmach's eye twitched, "That's all?"
"Ehhh, ya boss," the gangster said.
"Tch, The big man's pissed, you know that? Wants blood. We better provide."
"Right, but boss… we can't go in there…"
The man's eyes, even in the night gloom, were visibly frightened at the prospect. Basmach knew all too well why, and he knew better than to press the issue.
"Of fucking course we can't," He growled, smackign the man ont he head, "That's why we're surrounding them. Fucking idiot."
"Right…"
He began walking back to the truck, warming his hands in his pockets, "I'm gonna go report back. You call if you see or hear ANYTHING. Okay?"
"Ya boss," the man called back.
Basmach clambered back into his truck, shutting the door behind him and now extending a hand to the driver. A cigarette was shortly procured, and lit after a couple tries with his lighter.
As he smoked, he stared at the long dark row of buildings forming the outer edge of the factory district. His eyes bounced from window to window, looking for shapes or shadows. He figured the Mercs were probably watching, hoping they'd go away so they in turn could leave. Probably wondering why they weren't being chased.
Basmach really didn't care though. The mercs were done, one way or another. Either they make a break for it and get shot, or daybreak comes and then they can move in and sweep the mercs out. So long as they had bodies to lay at the big man's feet, all was well
Or…
His eyes narrowed. For a second, just the briefest of seconds, he could've sworn he saw something move on the upper floor window of an apartment. Just a little shadow, ducking out of sight. It was probably just his eyes being tricky, he knew, but it still made the hair on the back of his neck prick up.
"Let's get the fuck out of here."
The driver keyed the ignition, and the truck rumbled to life once more.
"They're not following," Ted reported, stepping back out into the courtyard they found themselves in, "But they aren't leaving either."
M16 glanced around the area. They were in an industrial block of sorts, centered on a large factory surrounded by tall residential and commercial buildings. There were dozens of sightlines, dozens of hiding places. She strained her thermals as she scanned for anyone watching them.
"We should head out," Hunter began, pointing to their left. Along that path was a small alleyway that led back out into the city center, joining.
"That's the way they came from, I'll bet they've set up a blocking force there," Ted replied.
"So we go out another way."
Ted nodded, "Let's head along the courtyard, follow the wall until we find an exit."
16, checking her weapon again, rose to her feet as Ted led their group deeper into the inner area. They formed a ghostly column of shapes, blending in with the night such that an un-aided eye would never know they were there.
The area was a factory district of some kind, dominated by a towering central structure and surrounded by some commercial or residential buildings in a tight ring. Chain Link fences crisscrossed the area while hundreds of windows peered down upon them from all angles.
Sticking to the outer edge of the ring, they quickly found another exit. It was another small arch, this time pointing towards the south. From it, 16 could just make out the distant metro line they'd followed to get here.
She could see more than that though. Things were moving in the dark. Shapes of men, weapons, moving around to place themselves along their path.
"They're surrounding us," she grunted, "looks like there's a lot out there too."
"How many?"
"Dozens, and they have a couple technicals too."
"Do they look like they're going to push us?"
16 shook her head, "looks more like they're setting up a blocking force."
"Okay, let's try another direction."
The group circled the area further, finding and investigating several possible exits that lead out onto different streets or alleyways. The results were always the same, at each turn they found men in or in the process of setting up roadblocks. Technicals, machine guns, and armored men in a mix of riot gear and makeshift kit.
There were at least a hundred of them, set up in each direction. Too many to fight off.
"What now?" Hunter asked, looking at Ted.
The man grimaced, visibly thinking it over. She could imagine the stress he was under now. Rats trapped in a maze, guns waiting at every exit. It was pretty obvious that without a miracle, they weren't leaving. At least, not above ground.
16 cleared her throat, "there may be another way out."
All eyes turned to her. A little flicker of hope reigniting in their eyes.
"A few weeks ago, I got caught in a building collapse in another part of the city. I wound up in a small tunnel system that seemed to lead all over the city."
"You think there may be a tunnel here?" Ted asked.
"Well, there was an entrance to the Polikhim Factory, if you're familiar," she pointed to the factory building central to the little area they were in, "I'd say there's better than average odds another is in that one."
"That seems… like a stretch," Ivan muttered in russian.
"It's better than nothing," Ted concluded, "Any idea what to look for?"
16 shrugged, "Door, hatch. Could be anything."
Ted nodded, "Then let's get searching."
They swept into the factory, moving with a hastened pace as they stared on the long, wide lower floor. The place was decrepit, with moss and mold growing on the walls conveyor system tha trna along the center of the room. Strange little tufts of light hung in the air, glowing in night vision as they passed through.
Every door they found, they searched. Some doors opened easily, revealing picked over offices and work rooms. Others were locked or stubborn to open, though a few swift kicks usually forced them to give way in either case. However, no sign of a tunnel entrance was revealed on the lower floor.
So they went up, hoping for a change in luck despite worsening odds. They advanced up creaking metal stairs and resumed the process anew. Here they found an observation floor looking down on the main factory floor, and a long hallway of offices with even more of the floating lights. Extensive searching revealed little, though peering through the windows of some offices did give 16 more ideas on possible areas to search.
The hallway split about a third down its length. Teeing off towards one side in a sky bridge that led to another tall building. As they crept across, 16 cast a casual glance out of one of the windows along it for just a moment.
Her brow furrowed. In the distance, amongst the gloom, she could've sworn she saw movement. She held her gaze for a while longer, flicking between sensors, checking thermals, IR, even just plain vision, but could not find anything more.
"Door," she heard muttered from ahead.
Suspicious, but shoving the feeling aside for now, she moved to rejoin the group. If there was something out there, it'd have a hard time getting the jump on them if it decided to pursue them into the factory. Between the rotting floor boards, old metal stairs and the otherwise quiet night, they'd hear anybody moving in the factory far before they made contact.
"See something?" Ivan asked in russian.
"No," she shook her head, "it's nothing."
Ted and Hunter were inspecting yet another door, evidently locked. It was an old wooden thing, with rot growing at its edges. They checked the outer edges and the keyway for possible traps, before Ted took a step back and slammed his heel into its frame.
The door shook, but held. He hit it again, and again, and again. Finally, on the fifth hit the frame cracked, wood splintering as it gave way reluctantly.
Ted poked in, scanning by IR light before his light froze on a strange structure in the center of the small room. 16's brow raised as she saw what looked like a little shrine made of stones and rebar. It was set in a small circle with strange lightning bolt symbols drawn all around.
"What the," she gasped.
Hunter and Ivan poked their heads in for a better view, pushing her out of the way and back into the hall outside. She noticed Ted looking extremely concerned, the man visibly distressed even beneath his NODs. he turned her way, looking at her for a moment as if he wanted to speak.
Instead, his face warped in surprise and he took a step back in shock.
Something jabbed into her back, slicing into synth tissue and sending a sharp jolt of pain up her back. 16 whirled around, swinging a backhanded fist on instinct, but caught nothing but air.
However, the motion also now meant she was face to face with a masked figure. He was short, about her size, wearing a long beaked mask. He held a silenced pistol in one hand, and a strange, curved blade in the other.
16's face twisted with anger, and she lunged for him. The masked man took another swipe at her with the blade, the knife catching her on the chest and sinking in an inch, but was stopped on her internal armor. She paid it no mind, and instead snatched him by both wrists.
She attempted to disarm him, twisting his arms in unnatural angles, but the man stubbornly clung to his weapons and betrayed no pain. Not one sound emanated from him, even as she moved to snap his wrists.
Her attacker fought back though, driving a knee into her midsection that stuck with a hammer blow. Her body reeled from the force, not expecting a human to generate such force, and he took advantage. The man managed to wrench his pistol hand from her grip, something no human should have been able to do, and began to try and level it on her.
16 fought viciously, driving blows of her own into the man as they grappled. Both sides tried to overpower the other and seemingly both were surprised that they could match each other's strength.
The pistol's barrel danced between them, coming dangerously close and firing more than once as they tangled. 16 was vaguely aware of more fighting behind her now, gunshots tapping and wood splintering.
The blade jabbed her again, catching armor again. 16 head butted the man in return, crushing his mask and much of the flesh beneath. He stumbled, disoriented, but still very much matching her. However, just as he began to recover, he jerked violently as blood sprayed out one side of him.
The man crumpled like a rag, and she turned to see Ivan holding a smoking barrel at the man.
Nearby, along a staircase she'd not seen before that led into the hall outside the door, were several more bodies of similarly masked men.
"RUN!" she heard shouted, though who said it she wasn't sure.
Her body reacted, taking off at a sprint down the hall they'd come from. Her companions were not far behind. She entered the T shaped hall, and found herself staring at a barrel near its end.
16 leapt away, entering an office to one side as rounds ripped into where she'd just been. She whirled around to face the entrance, her SKS bared. Nearby more fire was being exchanged, sharp rifle reports mixed with the shouts from her companions at the far side of the hall.
A figure loomed in the door. She was stunned to see him appear, having heard no sign of his approach. She put three rounds into him before he even saw her.
For a moment she paused, waiting for more to appear.
A small object bounced off the doorframe and clattered into her room. She stared in shock at the small, green object lazily rolling across the floor.
"SHIT!" she yelped, bouncing to her feet.
Right behind her was a window. Without thinking she smashed it with her fist and pulled herself up and through the frame. 16 tumbled in freefall to the hard ground below, colliding hard with the earth just as the grenade in the office went off in a deafening explosion.
Glass and wood rained all around, the smell of burnt gunpowder singing her nose.
She scrambled to her feet, body sore from the three story fall, but still fit to run.
And run she did. She charged across the courtyard towards the southern exit to the district, pumping her legs to get her to the little archway. It wasn't until she reached it that her better sense kicked in. Ahead she spied little heads waiting for her, a forest of rifles and bodies waiting for anything to emerge.
She slammed on the brakes, and stumbled into cover behind a broken down car near the arch to catch her breath.
Behind her, the gunfire abruptly stopped.
"Ted? Hunter? Ivan? Are you alive?" She asked on comms, hoping they'd finished the fight without her.
All she got in reply was a small crackle on the radio. Someone hitting their push-to-talk, but saying nothing. It had to be deliberate, but what it meant she wasn't sure.
Her heart sank as she saw two figures emerge from the gloom, leaving the area of the factory and heading her way. Each wore beaked masks, and strutted with confidence in the night without making a sound. She glanced around. She was trapped between the men and the scavs outside, however there was a nearby doorway beside the arch. She wasn't sure where it'd take her, probably nowhere, but it'd at least give her some cover.
It was better than nothing.
The two warriors stalked through the quiet night, trailing their prey as it tried to flee. They knew however, that it had no escape. The local gangs were still surrounding this place, watchful for any motion out from the area.
It seemed their prey knew this as well. It had fled into a building on the outer edge of their territory, holed up in an older dentist office. The warriors knew the place well, as they did with every room and building in their territory, and they knew there was no escape from that place.
The pair confidently followed, watching the windows and doors just in case their prey decided to try and fight. After all, a cornered animal is a dangerous foe.
Yet, no response came. Perhaps their prey had yet to discover that it was cornered, or perhaps it hoped to hide until they moved on.
Together, the two warriors entered the office, carefully inspecting every nook and cranny of the office. They moved silently as they'd been trained, opening doors and cabinets without a sound, always ready to take down their prey.
They moved further in, entering the front office, clearing it with a flashbang and rifle's, before then moving into the operation room. They quickly cleared it with their weapons, and entered a few steps further to begin searching in more detail.
They made only one fatal error: they failed to clear the space just above the entry door to the room.
Ivan, alongside Hunter and Ted, had been captured. The enemy had been overwhelming and vicious, and though they'd cut down a few, it hadn't been long before they were cornered and at gunpoint. There was no surviving it then. Ted had managed to surrender, tossing his weapon down, and Ivan and Hunter had followed his lead. Their foes seemed eager to accept the surrender at least.
Now they were bound, gagged, and being led through the factory by at least a dozen of their enemies. These unknown men, who moved almost silently and were all armed and armored to the teeth.
Anna had gotten away apparently, calling on their radio a minute after they were taken. The most he could do to reply was nudge his headset's Push-To-Talk with his shoulder.
The three of them were brought into the main production room of the factory, and placed against a long glass wall. There the armed men were joined by even more, and they all stood around the three in a semi-circle, staring in silence.
Ivan's knees were kicked out from under him, forcing him down onto them. Ted and Hunter beside him were given a similar treatment. Their knees slamming into the rotten wood and concrete flooring of the old factory.
As they were, yet another figure entered. This man was a bit different from the rest though, not armored like the others, but rather dressed in a simple long, black robe. He bore no weapons, not that Ivan could see at least, but seemed somehow to be the most dangerous. The armed men moved out of his path, and treating him with reverence. None met his eyes, all bowing their heads as he passed.
One of the warriors handed him a knife, which the hooded man took and held up to the light.
"You say it already tasted one of their number?" he spoke. His voice was soft and low, gentle almost.
"Yes," a warrior beside him said softly, "A girl. We are hunting her currently."
"Very well. Bring me the body when it is found."
The warrior stepped away, bowing a little deeper.
The hooded man approached the three of them, stopping a few paces away and looking down on them.
"Hello brothers. I hear you fought admirably."
Ivan glared at him, but said nothing.
"Who are you?" Ted spat in broken russian.
"I am brother superior Dimitri. I am what you may call, a priest, of our order. I bring the truth."
"You don't seem very christian," Ivan growled.
"Oh, no, not that kind of priest brother. I am a servant of a higher power, I bring the truth of the blue flame and it's coming."
Ivan furrowed his brow. This man was clearly crazy, the others were likely just as crazy. No sense in reasoning he figured. The blue flame confused him though, he felt as if he should know what that meant.
"I am here to extend and offer, though only on one condition. If you have borne witness to the flame's first coming, you may join our order as a warrior. We have lost a number today, so you would be most welcome to fill their places for we always have need of strong warriors in these times."
"What blue flame?" Hunter asked.
The priest looked down upon him, his eyes narrowed. With a flash, his knife lashed out in the night, the blade slicing through the air and lashing at Hunter's upper arm. The American yelped in surprise and toppled over onto the ground, a line of blood visible through his cut fatigues.
"You would know if you had seen it," the priest growled.
"The emp…" he heard Ted say under his breath.
The word connected the right neurons in Ivan's head. The sight of a vast blue cloud lighting up the night visible in his memory.
"Yes, brother. You have seen it," The priest said with a growing smile.
Ivan glanced at Hunter. The man's body began to jerk violently, his eyes lolling what spittle foaming around his mouth while long black tendrils spread from the wound on his arm. Ivan's eyes wandered back to the blade that'd cut him.
"What did you do to him?" He asked.
The priest balanced the knife in his hand, "I offered him mercy. His soul is already damned, I simply gave him the chance to lessen his sentence."
Ivna stared at the priest with bug eyes.
"So, brothers. Will you join us, or shall I usher you unto the next life so you may pay your penance there?"
The knife glinted in the pale light of the cultists lights, still dripping with Hunter's blood. Beside them, the man let out a small, pained whimper as he curled into a tight ball on the ground, his movements becoming weaker and more erratic with each passing moment.
"No," Ted said in heavily accented russian.
With a soft breath, Ivan then gave his own reply, "Same."
A look of disappointment overcame the priest, who sighed and rose to his feet, "I see. Shame."
He took a step away, and handed his blade back to the warrior who'd provided it before.
Ivan and Ted watched helplessly as the warrior took a slow, confident step towards him as the others all around were all silent as a grave, almost motionless. The only sound Ivan could hear was his own heart trying to pound its way out of his chest.
The man pressed the blade to Ivan's neck, and held it for a moment. The cold metal raising goose bumps on his arms.
Glass exploded out from behind Ivan, sending biting shards slicing through the air and cutting at his clothes and exposed skin. The knife wielder was sent flying, body caught by some large blue and white mass that looked like a car door.
A second later, a small cylindrical object tumbled to the ground between Ivan and Ted.
Blinding white light and a sudden burst of thunder forced him to shut his eyes and made his ears ring. He felt something land on the floor beside him, a rush of air, a slight touch against him, before whatever it was moved further inward.
Deafening shots rang out, Ivan's body reacting to force him to the ground despite his blindness and near deafness. Bullets zipped every which way, shots ringing from every direction.
Slowly his vision began to clear, enough to show a fuzzy image of a figure running like mad around the room, some kind of large rectangular shield in its hand and a long weapon spouting fire as it chased away the shadow like cultists. Several of the monsters fell to the ground silently, while the rest retreated from the room while firing back at the aggressor.
His eyes wandered dumbly, finding Ted nearby looking equally blind but with hands working feverishly against a glass shard. The American snapped his binders on the glass, and noticed Ivan now presenting his own. With a single slash of the glass Ivan was now also freed, and with his vision clearing further and ears still ringing, he began searching the room with more intent.
Their savior had left, chasing their foes out beyond the room. Ted and Ivan used the respite to scramble for their weapons and gear still stashed across the room.
As Ivan strapped on his plate carrier, Ted gripped his shoulder in one hand and turned him to face the American. He tried to speak, but must've found his own ears as dead as Ivan's as he stopped shortly after. Instead Ted pressed a small, round case into Ivan's hands, and pointed to Hunter lying in a heap across the room.
Understanding, Ivan quickly rushed to him while Ted, now armed, covered him.
On reaching Hunter, Ivan ripped the Stim case open and jabbed Hunter with a Perfotoran and Green stim. The cocktail was a well known pairing for dealing with poisons and toxins -the Perfotoran neutralizing a wide range of agents while the green stim repaired damage already done.
Not even twenty seconds later, Hunter's eyes snapped open wide with panic. He gripped Ivan's shoulder, trying to sit up and speak, but like the rest of them likely found himself deaf to his own words.
An explosion shook the ground beneath them, shaking loose rust and dirt from the ceiling above and causing it to snow down on them. Ivan could still feel the sensations of combat, could still hear the dull thumps of shots that sounded like they were kilometers away, but which he knew were probably one door over.
Gripping Hunter's arm, he hauled the man to his feet and all but shoved him towards Ted across the room. From there Ivan watched the door their savior had run through minutes prior while Ted helped Hunter gear back up.
He waited, finger resting gently on his AKS' trigger, and stared at the dark doorless frame.
Another explosion, this one sounding and feeling louder. His hearing was improving, and he swore he could almost hear fast moving footsteps over the ringing. They seemed to come from ahead.
He readied himself.
A figure burst through the door, facing partially away with shield and SKS bared back the way she'd come. It was Anna.
The instant she cleared his line of fire, Ivan let loose in a solid stream of lead into the darkness until his weapon clicked empt. His body reacted on instinct to swap the magazine and reload, then unleashing yet another barrage of rounds into the darkness. As he did, Anna managed to recover and resume her firing into the void as well, the woman using her shield as a brace for the SKS in her hands.
Her 'shield' was really a strange door, one which looked like it'd been ripped off a refrigerator that had been reinforced with a pair of SAPI plates strapped and duct taped to its face. She wielded it expertly, moving the shield, which must weigh at least 20 kilos, around like it were a mere toy. Her weapon clicked empty, the sound now audible over the tinnitus, and she shot him a glance.
Ivan ripped a grenade off his rig, yanked the pin, and sent it sailing into the void. They were taking no chances. The explosion rang his ears yet again, and sent dust and smoke billowing from the room beyond.
Ted got his attention with a wave. Hunter was set to go.
Anna noticed as well. She tapped his shoulder, and then took off across the room. She made her way towards the staircase, and gestured to them frantically to follow. There was no time to question, the three of them followed her up the creaking stairs, rifles never leaving the door on the far side uncovered for more than a moment.
They quickly passed through the gangway above, and then followed their trail back to where they'd first been jumped. This time though, rather than entering the marked room, Anna led them downwards.
At the base of the stairs, they found a strange door. It was plain and unlocked, but led straight down below the earth. Anna went to open it, but just as her hand reached out, her head snapped around with a look of barely constrained fury, looking just beyond Ivan.
Ivan dumbly wheeled around, his focus having been drawn by the strange door for just a moment too long, and he found a sight of horror. A pair of cultists stood at the top of the flight of stairs, brandishing a silenced G36 with a drum mag.
Anna, in a stunning feat of athleticism, managed to press and leap her way over and through them, suddenly placing herself and her shield between Ivan and the attackers.
Rounds tore through the air, pinging off the concrete walls and showering them all in shrapnel and dust. Anna's shield seemed to hold out, but only for a moment, as after what must've been two dozen impacts she suddenly yelped and her shield angled slightly to one side.
Ivan, fighting his instincts to cower from the withering fire, raised his rifle and fired through the newly opened gap.
The rounds struck home, and the cultists collapsed.
He dared not to move his rifle away again, but Ivan did spare a quick glance towards Anna. She was gripping her upper arm, and he noticed that her shield had a few new holes in it and the plates on its face were shattered, punctured wrecks. Her SKS lay on the ground beside her, a gash running along its length that would render the weapon useless. Still, Anna didn't seem too upset, a grim, but not despondent look on her face as she dusted herself off.
Anna gently set her shield down, covered by Ivan's weapon, and scampered up the stairs to the dead cultists. She snagged the G36 and quickly undid the man's rig, hefting both over her shoulder before returning and stepping through their group to lead them through the door.
No one said a word as they followed her down into the darkness beyond it, into what their weapon mounted flashlights revealed a moment later to be some kind of old tunnel leading off to who knows where. Ted, Hunter, and Ivan exchanged only brief looks of confusion and concern before carrying on.
It seemed Anna had been right after all.
A few meters in, she stopped in place and unslung her bag. She then proceeded to distribute a couple bricks of explosives to each of them, pointing to corners of the tunnel.
Under the cover of Ivan's rifle, Ted and Hunter placed the explosives with Anna setup detonators for each, unspooling a long length of wire. Once the bombs were in place, she placed the detonators in each brick, and then they all quickly began moving away from the bombs.
They went dozens of meters, going until they found a bend in the tunnel. Here, Anna beckoned them to cover their ears, open their mouths, and take cover as she held the trigger in hand.
The shockwave slapped Ivan square across his body, but besides a bit of disorientation and yet more ringing in his ears, he and his companions were fine. Peaking around the bend revealed the tunnel had collapsed a fair ways along from the bombs, enough to block any pursuers they may have had.
Anna, having inspected their work, nodded with approval and beckoned them to follow her once more. The three of them made no protest in doing so.
M16 was exhausted. Her body ached, grime caked her face and hair, the wound to her arm sore to the touch, but hurt if she let it dangle. Her power was growing low too, low enough that she was starting to shut down non-critical systems just to stem the bleeding.
Right now she needed only a few: IR to see, her ability to move, and her navigational equipment, but even that would leave her dead in the water well before they reached safety. The battle had cost her quite a lot of power, necessary at the time as it was. Her batteries were still in very poor condition from accumulating damage and lack of proper maintenance, so full combat power was a very draining condition.
The tunnels were leading on and on, and she wasn't sure where they would bring them to, but with her Gyros active she could at least lead them roughly back in the direction they needed to go through the twisting and forking pathways.
Behind her, the three men marched along quietly. Ivan at the rear constantly looked back with his flashlight, while Ted helped the still wounded Hunter along.
16 was aware that the men pursuing them were likely to know how to navigate these tunnels, after all she'd only found the entry to them this time as she figured that they must've come from them. It was why she'd blown the tunnel behind them, but she knew that'd only slow them. There were other entrances, other tunnels.
Still, she could at least rely on seeing them first. Her eye was several generations ahead in night vision and thermal imaging than anything they could have. Combined with Ivan's watchful guard over their rear, it was unlikely they would be jumped. However a firefight in tunnels as narrow as these was still not likely to end well for them.
Kilometers went past, blurring together as the monotony of the tunnel was only occasionally broken up by a door or fork in the path. Sometimes she'd hear scuttling in the distance, or feel a gush of air rush past, but even those instances were few and far between.
She kept true to her course, following her navigational gyro's heading. By her reckoning, they were nearing a place she was hoping would be their exit.
Soon, another fork appeared. One way led on further and further, its path obscured in murk beyond her night vision's range, while the other ended not far down its length in a small service door.
16 led their group towards the door, inspecting the wheel on its center face that locked it in place. She placed hands on it, and strained as the stubborn, rusted thing slowly began to move. She had to throw her whole body's strength into the effort, but she did manage to overcome the mechanism. The bolt jerked free of its housing, and the door creaked open.
On the far side was a small, twisting staircase leading a bit upwards. Following it, 16 found yet another door at the top, though this one opened without protest.
16 let out a small relieved breath. She'd been right.
Together, the four of them stepped out into a Metro station. It appeared clean and unused, save for a roof covered in occult like lightning bolt markings and a strange marked circle at the center of the building. 16 noted that the designs were the exact same as were found in the marked room prior.
Exhausted, she shut down almost every other system she had running, leaving basically just her motors and synth muscles powered. Her predicted range grew substantially, just enough to make it to the safehouse if she was careful.
"How did you…?" Hunter began, looking around the room.
"Lucky guess," she muttered, taking a moment to sit down against one of the support pillars holding up the ceiling.
The three men shared disbelieving glances amongst them, but said nothing more. She was sure that they had suspicions about her by now, but it didn't matter anymore. She'd saved them, and though it'd been her only real chance to live as well, she knew that doing so would mean something to these men.
"You doin good?" Hunter asked her, coming to kneel beside her, "Want me to check that out?" he asked, pointing to the injury on her arm.
16 shook her head, "Just tired, I'm fine."
"Right… What about that knife though? I'm surprised you're still on your feet at all after that. Should give you the antidote."
The man pulled a pair of 1 use syringes from his bag, a perfotoran and green stim.
Again she shook her head, "Save them. I'm fine."
Hunter didn't seem to believe her, "How can you be? It was the same knife that they got me with, that shit was hell."
"I said I'm fine," she growled. 16 clawed her way to her feet, "I just needed a breather."
16 brushed the man off, and unslung her new weapon. The G36 was a marked improvement over the SKS she'd left back at the factory, her estimated efficiency in its use up to about 60-70% of her nominal capacity. Checking the magazine she found black tipped ammunition inside the drum magazine.
"So, what now?" Ivan asked in Russian to her.
16 nodded down the metro tunnel, in the direction they'd come from hours prior, "Head back the way we came," she replied in english.
"We don't have masks," Hunter replied. Their masks and much of their gear was still back in their factory. The men had only had time to put on the bare essentials.
This was the same tunnel they'd come down to reach the stash hours prior. She doubted much had changed since that time, gas, bodies and all. Still, she had a pretty good map of this section now, she was confident she could get them through.
16 pursed her lips, "There was only one concentration that would be dangerous. We should be able to avoid it."
She didn't mention that running on the surface was much riskier for her now. Beyond just the increased risk of a firefight, the power costs to navigate through unknown territory, around any detours, and survive any encounters would be well past what she had in reserve.
All eyes turned again to Ted as the big man cleared his throat.
"The tunnels are safer, despite the gas. We know the path, we know the hazards."
Hunter groaned, "Alright, fine. We only have one Perf and green stim left though."
"We'll be careful."
16 made her way down to the tracks, but just as she went to hop down a large hand snagged her shoulder and held her back.
"You've done enough, Anna. Let me take this one," Ted said.
16 opened her mouth to protest, but couldn't bring herself to speak as the man jumped down into the track well ahead of her. Likewise Ivan and Hunter followed, leaving her staring for a moment before realizing she needed to follow as well.
No longer leading, 16 powered almost everything else down that she hadn't already. It rendered her near blind, deaf and quite slow, but it also meant she was likely to make it to the safe house with power to spare. She simply followed along after the blurry shape of Ivan ahead of her without much thought.
It was kind of nice, she decided. She didn't have to think, just follow. That's how dolls were supposed to be, she figured. She'd always hated the idea of that, especially once she'd left G . A part of her certainly still did, but right now she was too tired to fight it.
They did not get too far before encountering what she hoped would be their last major obstacle. The slump in the ground between the tracks where she'd previously found a pocket of Sarin gas trapped within. The group halted a few meters away, lighting it up with their flashlights.
16 restored a bit of power to her sensing equipment, and crept closer to the pit. She could see hesitation on all the human's faces as she did, no doubt fearing for themselves in the face of a potentially messy, painful demise.
The body was gone from the pit. That was the first thing she noticed on getting closer, the dead man was nowhere to be found. She doubted he'd gotten himself out, but could've removed him, or even been willing to do so, she had no idea.
Cautiously, her back to the men 16 stuck her tongue out and dipped her head a little lower.
A warning flashed in her vision. There was still a dangerous level of Sarin gas pooled within the pit. However, careful probing showed none above or around it.
16 beckoned the others.
Ted was the first to cross, balancing carefully on the rails as he teetered over the pit. The big man was not graceful, but he did clear the obstacle to reach the other side. Likewise Hunter crossed with little issue, taking slow, shaky, but measured steps across. He'd been the most at risk of falling due to the recent poisoning, but thankfully he managed to make it.
Then Ivan went.
The man made it two steps across, before the rail suddenly jerked. A pin sheared, and the metal bar he balanced on gave way a few inches. Enough to cut his balance and send him stumbling into the pit.
16 didn't wait a heartbeat. Her feet propelled her forward, arms reaching out and snagging the man before the others had even processed his fall. Together, they tumbled into the pit and hit the earth at the bottom.
Leveraging her own body, 16 managed to kick Ivan back up and out, sending him tumbling head over heels right back out.
The russian began to hack and cough even before he landed, writhing in tight, uncontrolled spasms. Hunter, acting instinctively, ripped two stims from his bag and jabbed them both into Ivan's neck.
16, still sore and exhausted with Gas warnings flashing in her vision, crawled her way from the pit. She managed to reach the flat ground beyond before rolling onto her back and staring up at the dark metro ceiling.
"Anna? Anna?!" she heard Ted frantically yelling. She saw from the corner of her eye the big man rush over to her.
"DON'T!" Hunter shouted, freezing Ted in place, " Do not touch her. We have no more stims."
"But-" Ted began.
"Listen to him Ted," She grumbled, more annoyed than anything, "You could die."
Ted, probably wanting to continue to protest but recognizing they were right, froze in place. He continued to move his gaze between her and Ivan, who Hunter was now pouring the contents of his canteen over as the Russian continued to jerk uncontrollably.
"Ted, water," Hunter said, snapping his fingers.
Ted obeyed, tossing his own canteen to Hunter, who poured its remaining contents over Ivan as well, trying to clear the man of any lingering poisons on his skin and clothing.
16 was now in a bit of a bind. She should be dying by now, if she were human that is. She could pretend to, but doing so would probably result in her being left here. That meant not only had she gone through all this trouble for nothing, and indeed wouldn't even get back her gear she'd left back at the safehouse, but she'd also be in a very low power state without any help. Unless she got extremely lucky and found food or an outlet somewhere nearby, she may actually die.
16 rolled her eyes.
Slowly, she sat up and stretched out her arms, wincing as her injury flared a bit with pain. As she did, Ted and Hunter both stared incredulously at her.
"What the hell are you?" Hunter asked, stunned.
"Don't you have a patient to stabilize?" she reminded him, not wanting to answer that question right now.
Hunter blinked twice, processing, before looking back down at Ivan. The man had fallen quiet, still, but his chest still rose and fell. His clothing and hair were all drenched in water and sweat, but it seemed he was going to live.
Ted glanced between Ivan and her, "Are you good?" he asked her.
She nodded.
Ted returned the gesture in confirmation, and looked back to Hunter, "How do we get Ivan out?"
Hunter sighed, "We shouldn't touch him, even with the water he'll have residue on his clothes. We'll wanna hose him off," he paused and looked towards 16, "both of them, when we get back."
Ted looked back to her, "Can you carry him?"
16 pursed her lips, "I have it on me too." She gestured to her clothing.
The residue on her was a real issue, Sarin could easily kill by skin contact alone, and carrying an unconscious body was not the easiest thing to do, especially in her present condition. One idle touch of bare skin to her could kill the injured man.
Hunter pulled off his jacket, an olive green coat, which he then tossed to her, "Put that between you two, and try not to touch him."
16 caught the jacket and wrapped the slung it over one shoulder. She then knelt down beside Ivan, and gingerly took the man's arm by his sleeve, hefting him up and onto her same shoulder.
"Okay," she grunted, shifting slightly to better hold the limp man's weight, cautious not to let him touch any part of her that could have Sarin residue, "Just a heads up though, I'm not making it back like this."
Ted's brow furrowed, "Why?"
"Let's say the tanks are running low. "
"Can we do anything?"
"Got any food?"
Ted and Hunter looked at each other, both shaking their heads after a moment.
"Then no."
Ted stroked his chin, "Could call Justin with the truck."
"No radios," Hunter replied. Like their masks they had been left back in the factory in their haste to escape.
"I have mine," she replied, "that should work, we're not far from the next station. I can call him from there."
"Alright," Ted nodded, "I'll lead. Just be careful."
The journey to the station was thankfully uneventful. 16 knew they were getting close as bodies began appearing in the murk. First it was the two within the stopped train cab, and soon after mounds of dead fleeing from their destination.
The three of them carefully navigated around the dead, stepping over where necessary, but trying not to touch any. The stench was more intense now without her mask, but they still carried on. She could tell it was getting to the humans though, their faces turning a pale green as they took labored, staggered breaths of the foul air.
Soon, they made it to the station itself. The mountains of corpses were just as they were before. No signs of any recent activity, no signs of the cult or their markings. The group quickly made their way out, winding through the maze of death and decay before making it to the station exit.
They climbed off the stairs leading out, at last reaching the surface. Fresh air filled her with a sense of relief as they stepped back out onto the street. Ted and Hunter quickly began to clear the area, scanning as best they could in the darkness for threats.
16 set Ivan down near the entrance, gently laying him on his back and making sure the man was still breathing. He seemed to have largely recovered, but it was certainly taking a toll. Even through the layers of clothing she had been able to feel the rising heat off his body, evident now by the dots of sweat lacing his brow.
She sat down beside him, quietly calling Justin on internal comms while staring out across the dark street.
Ted came up to her, Hunter taking up a security position to watch the street behind him. The big man looked down at her for a moment, his face unreadable.
"Hanging in there?" Ted asked
"Well enough," she grumbled.
He nodded, "You're going to make it back?"
She shrugged, "Long as I don't have to walk or fight anymore, yeah."
"I see. Well, thanks for all you've done today."
She nodded, looking away. She didn't really know what to say, she wasn't too sure why she'd been trying so hard herself. Normally she'd only work this hard to protect M4, though, perhaps she was doing that in a way. After all, if she died, M4 would as well before too long.
In the distance, a little rumbling engine began to echo through the streets. It's whine growing slowly but steadily as it neared.
16 braced as ice cold water slammed into her body, squeezing her eye shut to ward off the frigid stream. The water moved top to bottom, soaking every inch of her as the residual toxins on her body and clothing were washed away.
Around her wounded left arm she'd affixed a tourniquet just above the injury, and had depowered the entire limb. It hung loose and numb off her shoulder, but as the water passed over her injury, no shorts were detected by her system.
Her other arm held up Ivan, propping the now conscious but very much delirious Russian as he swayed on his feet. The man squirmed beneath the hose's stream, but she kept him up right and in the line of fire.
"Okay, that should do," Hunter said, shutting off the hose, "I'll handle Ivan. Anna, once you're dry enough you can change in the restroom. I put some clothes and a trash bag in there. Put what you're wearing now in the bag, we'll need to dispose of the clothing."
She nodded, and began busily drying herself off with a towel Hunter had set aside for the purpose. As she did, Ivan was helped to remove his own contaminated clothing and washed down further by Hunter. She was surprised by the tenderness with which Hunter handled the russian, making sure not to rush the still delirious man as they went.
16 soon was dry enough to enter the villa. She kicked her boots off at the door and stepped inside. Quickly she made her way to the restroom, stripped off her clothing, placed each item into the black trash bag resting on the sink counter, and stepped into the showers.
After a quick rinse beneath the much warmer shower and drying off with another towel, she found a neatly stacked set of clothing waiting for her.
The outfit was a mismatch of items, jeans, a white and black tank top, old converse shoes, and a multicam jacket. All but the shoes were too big for her, but they did the job.
She emerged back into the main living area, now transformed due to the small mountain of stacked wooden crates choking much of the space. Nearby Ted and Justin were standing over one, the latter holding a crowbar. They were having a debate of some kind, though she missed the details on what exactly it was about.
"What's going on?" she asked, walking over towards them.
"Oh you're here," Ted said, having apparently not noticed her arrival until she'd spoken up, "We were just about to open it, but Justin mentioned the container had been trapped. I'm worried the crates might be too."
A reasonable concern, one she was a bit disappointed in herself for not recognizing.
16 nodded, "All right, let me see."
The two men stepped away from the crate as she knelt down beside it. She powered her sensor and EW suites once more, now back to a safe power level thanks to an MRE she'd eaten on arrival back to the villa.
No wireless or RFID was present in the crate.
"Can I see that?" she asked, extending a hand to Justin.
The man handed her the crowbar, and carefully she used it to pry open the crates lid a tiny bit. Once the gap was wide enough, she ducked down and visually inspected the interior. There was no sign of any wiring or explosives within, and given the tech level of the era, she doubted anything better hidden could be lurking inside.
Satisfied, she got back up, and ripped the lid off with the crowbar.
Each of the crates were abou ft in dimensions. When transferring them earlier she'd noticed some had rattled and shook, as if filled with small objects, while others made little to no noise as if packed tightly within by something large.
This one was of the former evidently, as within was a package of still boxed Eotech sights.
"Oh wow," Justin muttered, leaning down to snag one, "These are new."
"Probably pretty valuable to sell," Ted muttered.
"Yeah," 16 agreed, "let's check the others."
Now with growing excitement at the prospect of hitting it big, the trio went from crate to crate, opening each. Ted began to take a catalog of each crate's contents, writing them down on a paper notepad while Justin and 16 worked.
It was quite the list. Weapons, Ammo, grenades, rations, meds, armor, even some technical supplies like car parts and radio sets. One box even held a collection of high end NVGs.
"Quite the treasure trove," she remarked as they opened the final crates.
"Ya know, there's only one treasure here I'd really like to open up," Justin said, smirking at her.
16 grimaced, "ew."
Ted came up behind him and smacked Justin on the back of the head with his notepad, "She's married, quit it."
"Owwww, no shit?"
16 raised her ring finger, showing it off, "Not that I'd appreciate the offer even if I wasn't."
"Awwww, really? You sure?"
"Ted, smack him again," she sighed, looking back down at the loot now laid to bare. She couldn't help but smirk as she heard the sound of a notepad hitting a thick skull once more. She quietly made a list of what she wanted from the collection, accounting for what she could realistically carry home.
"Got an idea of what you want?" Ted asked.
"Yeah… getting it back home will be tough though."
"Still set on that?"
She nodded, looking towards the big man, "I have my own problems to attend to."
He nodded, and then glanced at Justin, "Would you go check on Ivan and Hunter?"
"Uh, okay," the man said, seeming confused by the request but complying all the same.
Ted and Her watched him scurry off up to where Hunter was caring for Ivan. Neither of them spoke until he was out of sight.
Once the door closed behind the man, 16 turned a questioning look towards Ted.
"So? What's this about?" she asked him
"What… are you? If you don't mind my asking." Ted's voice was hesitant, perhaps concerned he was broaching some kind of taboo subject.
16 sighed, and carefully unwrapped the covering to the injury on the arm. Beneath the plastic and gauze, wire and metal was revealed. Torn synthetic muscle and skin dangling loose over snipped wire and glinting metal endoskeleton. She held it up to him to see.
"The colloquial term is 'doll'. Where I'm from we are not a rare sight."
"So you're not… human?"
16 shook her head, "No. Fully synthetic."
The man's eyes showed he was a bit overwhelmed by the information, but he seemed to take it in stride. She could admire that.
"So, where are you from?"
16 pursed her lips, "It's complicated. Not from anywhere you'd know."
He nodded, "I see. So, why are you here?"
"That's also complicated."
She'd already said too much. She couldn't be sure what Ted may do with the information, but for some reason she'd felt compelled to tell him. Anything else gave him too much leverage, too much reason to act against her.
"Okay, fair enough. In any case I think it's fair to say we owe you. I don't really get what you are, but you saved our asses more than once. I think that's what's really important. You take whatever you want and need, We'll help you with the rest."
She nodded, her face softening a bit, "I appreciate that."
He extended a hand to her, "Perhaps we'll even have a chance to work together again. "
She looked at the hand for a moment, considering. Despite how beaten up they'd gotten, Ted and his men had managed to survive a situation that by all rights should have killed them all. They had saved her a few times too.
Perhaps it was best to not burn the bridge. It could be useful to have reliable backup one day.
She took his hand, meeting his gaze, "Perhaps."
Ted grinned, "Great. Pick out what you want and I'll see about taking you back to your home, wherever that is."
She nodded, and broke the handshake. As she turned to look back at the pile of loot, she noticed a small satisfied grin on her own face. One she didn't realize was there.
NOTES:
All righty, as promised heres a quicker update than normal, the conclusion to this little arc of the story. Sad to say that I'll be refocusing on my other main fic for a bit, but WIP will be getting some more love before the year is up.
As for this chapter, it's Cult time BABAY! This is 16's third time encountering these guys, and naturally it's the most dramatic thus far. This will not be their last appearance either, as she has now garnered their attention. Likewise, we will be seeing more from Kaban's boys and the PMCs as well as the story progresses. She's certainly making her way up in the world, for better or worse.
Now, as for her gear, she has upgraded to a G36 with M855a1 drum mags (the 60 rounder Magpulls to be exact). It's otherwise a pretty standard G36, with a QDC suppressor. Basic build for now, but she'll be tricking it out soon. I'll describe exactly what else she got next time, but suffice to say from the shoreline raid to the end of this chapter, she's gotten a few million Rubles worth of gear and loot. Some she'll keep, alot she'll exchange for other goods or services from Mechanic and Jaeger.
Till then o7