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

Nooria still prefers not to say anything. However, with Sultan pushing and no way to escape, her resolve to keep her secret begins to crumble.

“Is that story true, Margarita? Do you know or have heard something about it?”

“It is not true,” Nooria eventually says with a sigh. “Not entirely.”

“No surprise. Everything that my partner says should be taken with a grain of salt. What did he lie about this time?”

“I did not kill her with my blade.”

“You’re telling me it wasn’t you, or that you didn’t use that metallurgic masterpiece?”

“I used a nail file.”

“A nail file?” Sultan gives her again one of his bellowing, jovial laughs. He is again relaxed, just like before he started squeezing her. “Then your name should be Nikita, not Margarita!”

“Nikita?”

“Never mind.”

Sultan lights up another Sobranie. Seeing that Nooria wrinkles her nose, he lets his window slide down a hand’s width.

“Sorry Margarita but I love smoking. One cigarette gives me a hundred ideas. Must be the relaxing effect the smoke has on my nerves.” He takes a deep draw on his cigarette. He tells something to Knuckles in Ukrainian and turns back to Nooria.

“You told me the truth about you—some of it, as it appears—and in exchange, I’ll share part of my story with you too. See, I don’t particularly like my partner. Not long ago, one of his associates screwed up a business venture that could have been very profitable for me. Baistryuk Degtyarev! Kurva yoho mama!” Sultan switches to Russian to hiss a nasty curse. “Tak i khotilosya b zlamaty yomu shyyu… Sorry little one, but thinking of it still makes me mad. This incident has forced me to move part of my activities to the New Zone. Logistics are more expensive, which means less profit, at least until I’ll have enough associates working for me there. But that’s none of your concern.”

Nooria keeps looking at her knees but this time to hide the surprise on her face. The name Sultan had mentioned sounds more than familiar to her. She has often heard Tarasov talking about his former comrade.

“Anyway, the price on your head is pretty high. Luckily for you, it’s more tempting to retaliate for the troubles my partner’s associate had caused me. Tit for tat. So, coming back to square one—it is the Zone where you want to go, yes?”

Nooria nods.

“I don’t know why a tiny little thing like you would want to go there, but I’ll bring you to the Zone. Zaton area, to be more specific. Bringing you there safe and sound will be my part of our deal. Your part will be twofold. First, you will entertain me.”

Nooria frowns. “How am I supposed to entertain you?” she asks with a hint of fear in her voice. Again, Sultan laughs.

“See? You are entertaining me already. Keep it up! Sweet little Margarita, for that kind of entertainment I have enough girls who still have their whole faces pretty. No offense. You’ll entertain me by just being as you are. I find you kind of funny, you see? Now—the second part on your side of the deal will be entertaining for you as well, I assure you.”

“And what would that be?”

“Don’t worry, it should be barely challenging for someone with your abilities, Margarita,” Sultan says with a charming smile. “Or should I call you—but no. Until you’re with me your name will be Margarita. It’s just one part of keeping you away from my partner and his bloodhounds. Besides, who knows—maybe you’re looking for your Master in the Zone, yes?”

“I don’t understand.”

“Of course you don’t. Never mind, Margarita, never mind!” Sultan laughs so much that he has to wipe a tear from his eye. “So—I’ll help you with getting into the Exclusion Zone, whatever you are up to there. In exchange, once you’re finished with your own business or just had enough of crawling in radioactive mud, you will travel to the New Zone and whack someone.”

Nooria gives Sultan a puzzled look.

“Whack? What?”

“Kill. Him.”

“You are wrong about me. I am not a killer. I only hurt bad people and only when I have to.”

“How entertaining you are, my innocent little Margarita,” Sultan says, smiling even wider.

“Why kill? Did he do something bad to you?”

“Listen up, docha. I can’t get to the person who screwed my Skadovsk scheme because that would upset his boss. There’s nothing good in losing a valuable partner, whether I like him or not. But I, or more specifically you can deal that bastard a sting where it will hurt a lot. An eye for an eye, a friend for a friend, and I lost more than one friend to that bastard’s hands. Luckily, even bastards have some emotions left and that’s his weak spot where your blade comes in—literally. It’s all tit for tat, you see?”

“If I agree, how will I get to New Zone?”

“You’ll need to talk to a friend of mine called Jack once you’re ready to go. You will find him in the Container Warehouse south of Yanov Station. Once in the New Zone, you will kill the troublemaker. However, in case you think about trying to disappear without coming up with your part of the deal—see, I could threaten to hunt you down, delivering you to the people looking for you or just kill you myself but come on, we’re friends, no? I have my honor and you seem to be an honorable person as well. Aren’t you?”

“I—I don’t know—I mean yes, I do have honor.”

“Good. I give you my word of honor to bring you to the Zone and you will entertain me and perform that little task. Do you give me your word of honor?”

Nooria hesitates.

“Poor little girl, you look wasted,” Sultan says. “After all you must’ve had hell of a bad day. So, once more—do I have your word of honor that you’ll whack that man, in exchange for me letting Knuckles just drive by that grey building instead of stopping and delivering you to the SBU?”

The Hummer suddenly slows down, almost coming to a halt in front of the building from where she had escaped a few hours before. It appears now like an ants’ nest stirred up — a cohort of heavily armed commandos is lined up in front of it, while plainclothes agents hurry in and out. Two ambulance cars are standing next to the entrance with their flashing blue lights on. Paramedics are about to put a stretcher with a body inside one of them. One commando, apparently becoming aware of the sinister Hummer, waves to two others. Together, they start walking towards Sultan’s car.

Frightened, Nooria quickly pulls the hood over her face.

“Do we have a deal, little one?”

Sultan doesn’t sound jovial now. Realizing that she is trapped, both in the net of the slick gangster’s words and his car that holds her like a mobile prison cell, Nooria heaves a resigned sigh. Sadly, she bows her head to Sultan.

“You have my word of honor,” she quietly says with submission in her voice. “How will I find troublemaker?”

“That’s my little Margarita!”

Sultan rubs his hands in satisfaction and puts his charming smile back on. The Humvee accelerates and quickly drives away. In a minute, they turn off from Volodymyrska Street but Nooria still doesn’t dare looking outside.

“Relax, Margarita. Tomorrow evening you will be in the Zone. Sultan always keeps his word and I trust you will keep yours as well. Once you make it to the New Zone with Jack’s help, start asking around in Bagram. You could also do a little research while you’re in the Exclusion Zone. Just in case, you know.”

“Does this man have a name?”

“He’s probably not using his old call sign anymore,” Sultan replies lighting up another cigarette. “But his real name should also ring a bell in some heads. It’s Tarasov. Mikhailo Tarasov. Yes, Margarita! Once Degtyarev learns about his old buddy’s death he will look as devastated as you do now. Boo-hoo, the bastard might even cry—hey, but you don’t have to! Take this napkin, here. Come on, pull yourself together! We’ve almost arrived!”