Balázs Pataki - S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Northern Passage

“Holy Jesus, what the fuck was that?” Pete asks. His voice is trembling.

“The top of the Zone food chain,” Tarasov says and exchanges a worried glance with Che. “We’re trapped here!”

“Nika! You still in one piece?”

“Think so,” the fighter replies as he gets to his feet. “That beam fell right on my shoulder, goddammit!”

“It saved your wretched life,” Tarasov observes.

“For the moment only!”

As if in reply to Nika’s panicked words, the growl is back. Heavy steps circle around the hut, as if the chimera were looking for the best angle to attack.

“Jesus, one body was not enough?” Pete sighs.

“Appetite comes with eating,” the Top replies eyeing the hole in the roof and holding his AK ready to shoot.

“We either wait until it tears down the whole hut or we do something!” Tarasov turns to the Freedom commander.

“Bozhe moi, he got Kolya,” Nika moans. “He will get us all!”

“Stop whining,” Che commands.

With another jump, the chimera lands on the roof once more, now hacking its claws into another beam and tearing it off. The Top looks up and fires his weapon. For a second, his headlamp illuminates a head like that of a tiger, only that this has no fur and the open mouth reveals a cruel, teeth-flashing grin. However, this is not what makes even the hardened warrior scream, neither is it the sight of the predator’s massive hulk that appears for a second in the light when the mutant jumps off the roof.

“It has two heads! Two freaking heads!”

“That damn beast is teasing us,” Tarasov says. “We’re sitting ducks here!”

“I’m the only one wearing armor that gives me a chance,” Che says after a moment of quick thinking. He draws his combat knife. “I’ll take it on outside.”

“No!”

All eyes are suddenly fixed on Nooria. “I am quicker and my blade is better,” she says.

“No way!” her three male companions shout back at once.

“But—”

“No, woman!” Tarasov shouts. “Stay in cover!”

“Now that’s what I call resolve.” Che grins but Tarasov can see his lips trembling with fear. “I’ll step out. It can’t pounce at me between the hut and the bus wreck, the place is too limited for it to leap. I’ll try to stab its face. As soon as it gets close to me, I’ll try to lure it in front of the door. Fire all that you have. Will you have my back?”

Tarasov nods. “We won’t let you down.”

He switches from the silenced rifle to the AK that is still slung over his shoulder and reloads it with a full magazine. “Change your mags now. Wait for my fire. Top, you fire second. Pete, then you. Nika, can you hold your weapon? Good. You fire last. We don’t want to be reloading at the same time.” The men nod. Magazines click in the breach as they all prepare their weapons. “All ready? Then— Svoboda vperyod, Che!”

Che takes his helmet from the ground, wipes the dirt off and dons it. The growls accompanying it make them all feel as if the mutant outside were savoring the moment, knowing that its prey has no chance to escape.

“Damn thing is playing cat and mouse with us,” the Top breathes.

Che peeks out into the twilight and the dark forest around. He listens to the hulking steps.

“I’m counting on you, people,” he whispers and steps out of the half-collapsed log hut.

A second of silence follows, as if the chimera itself were surprised over the willingness of its prey to die.

“Hey! Chuda pryrody! ” Che shouts. “What's the good of having two heads if you only got one dick?”

The mutant doesn’t need to be taunted. The impact of its massive body makes the rusty metal shriek as it jumps onto the bus wreck. It growls once more and looks at the Freedomer, as if hesitating between its hunger and instinct that might warn it of a trap. However, compared to its hulk, the human standing there appears utterly weak even in his heavy armor.

Then it jumps, landing in front of Che and slashes at him. Swiftly, the fighter takes a step to the side to dodge the attack and recoils. The chimera follows him, directly to the spot where Tarasov and the others don’t even need to aim in order to hit it in the side.

Four automatic assault rifles start barking, unleashing a hail of bullets into the mutant. The chimera roars, with its attention now divided between the closest prey and the others. Its right head growls at the shooters while the teeth in the mouth of the left snap after Che. For a second it appears to hesitate where to push with the attack—it has two heads but only four legs, the fangs can’t reach the shooters and it needs the claws on both front legs to slash the man in front of him. With good reflexes, Che uses its confusion to dodge another attack. A moment later, when the chimera instinctively turns both heads to its right where the pain from the impacting bullets must be horrendous even for a mutant of its size, he takes the knife in both hands and slams it into one of the distorted heads with all force.

The chimera gives its loudest howl. It sounds painful but the mutant’s strength is not wasted yet. Shaking its wounded head it tears the knife from Che’s hand, then raises its paw to strike at him. The fighter is now too close to dodge the claws and falls with a scream.

“Reloading!”

Tarasov quickly switches magazines but before he can recommence firing, a shadow darts out from the hut and hurls itself at the mutant.

“Cease fire, cease fire!”

Tarasov’s shout comes more from his instincts than realizing it is Nooria putting herself into harm’s, and their bullets’, way. By the time he moves to jump after her, she is already facing the mutant that crawls towards them. She ducks and dodges a blow, slices the mutant’s neck below the still intact head and jumps back, then prepares to slash the mutant once more.

Covered with blood all over, the chimera still keeps crawling closer.

Tarasov grabs Nooria at the shoulder and pulls her behind himself. He raises his rifle, aiming at the mutant’s head that still growls and bares its teeth, but it is the sound of death the chimera now emits. The growl weakens and then stops, and with a last jerk of the muscles, the mutant collapses.

After a few heartbeats of silence, a far away blind dog begins to howl again. Then a whole pack joins in.

“I never ever imagined how happy that howl would make one,” Nika says. Tarasov doesn’t need to see his face to know that an ear-to-ear grin appears on the Freedomer’s face.

All emit sighs of relief—except Nooria who is already kneeling at Che’s body. The fighter cusses as he tries to get on his feet, holding on to Nooria’s arm. Then the Top and Nika help him up.

“For a moment I thought I was done for,” Che moans when they carry him into the log hut.

“Are you hurt, commander?” Nika asks as they gently lay him down inside. Tarasov quickly takes off the Freedomer’s helmet with the integrated gas mask.

“Nah, I’m fine,” Che replies battling for air. “It’s just that my armor’s busted.”

“That red stain doesn’t look like the exo’s hydraulics leaking,” says Tarasov worriedly.

Che looks at his chest where the chimera’s claws have ripped into the armor. His face, pale already, becomes even whiter as he watches his blood seep trough the fissures.

“Ai blyad,” he groans.

“Nooria, get me a bandage,” Tarasov says opening the exoskeleton. “Quickly! Nika, help me get him out of the exo. You know this Freedom shit better than me!”

“Will do.”

Releasing the clips fastening it to the metal body frame, the Freedomer removes the Kevlar-padded breast plate to let Nooria get to the wound.