After the patch. Part 3

In the contaminated building only one person survived. Professional gamer who claims to be stuck in the game. Is he telling the truth, or is this bloodthirsty monster hidden under this guise? The hunter following on his trail has little time left to answer this question.

Viii

A sharp blow - the side of the boat collided with the pier. The armored passenger door falls to the ground with a crash. Fresh sea air rushes into the stifling room. Kayne with a gun in his hands first jumps out. He quickly looks around - there is not the slightest movement anywhere.

The detachment tramples along the mooring boards and reaches the shore. The black tower rises ahead of a small cliff. It seems that it is within reach, but this proximity is deceptive. Cain checks with a virtual map - at least a kilometer from the technical tunnel to the tower. The whole island is permeated with underground communications. One of the entrances to this system should be near here.

Kayn and Bill search the beach in search of a hatch. Sarah all this time still stands aside, as if falling into a trance, and looks at the tower. After a brief search, Bill finally found a locked hatch. His master key works flawlessly.

A minute later, the detachment walks in the dark through a narrow tunnel. Thick cables are drawn along the walls. Bulbs on the ceiling do not work. It seems that all the electronics on the island is disabled. Recognized by John's handwriting.

“Bill, get the light,” Kayn commands.

He sneaks a glance at Sarah coming from behind. Her frown is focused and unemotional. Here, in the twilight, where harsh shadows distort all the objects, the girl’s appearance evokes an unaccountable fear, even in a battered hunter. For a moment it seems to him that huge black wings shuddered behind her. Looking back, Kayn realizes that this is just an optical illusion.

The deathly silence of the tunnel is broken only by the sound of footsteps. A thick layer of dust covers the floor. It seems that no one has looked in this place for a long time. Due to the disconnected ventilation system, the air became stale and stale. Kayne with a gun at the ready goes ahead. Light bulbs flash one above the other. For the hunter should Bill, buried in his device. All his attention is absorbed by the support of the light. Closes the procession of Sarah. She is now bothering Kain more than anyone else.

Tunnel zapetlyal and finally joined the broad underground passage with a semicircular ceiling. He reminds Kayna city sewer. But here it is dry and relatively clean. From somewhere far away there is an obscure mechanical hum. It seems that something there is a huge iron body wakes up from a long hibernation. Maybe it was on his awakening that all the energy on the island was gone? The nature of the sounds is gradually changing, now clang and gnash prevail among them.

Suddenly, in this cacophony, Cain distinguishes the rustling of approaching steps. He raises his fist, giving a sign to stop. The girl and the technician obediently freeze. The hunter clearly distinguishes the disturbing sounds: here someone is quickly approaching. Sarah also sensed danger. Her flexible body tightened like a steel string. Only now Kayn noticed that she was completely unarmed.

The rustle is growing. In it we already distinguish the rattle of a multitude of claws on concrete. Kain looks around uneasily. He can not determine the direction from which danger is coming. A single bulb is lit from the ceiling, supported by Bill’s efforts.

The tunnel is completely empty. The next second, from the barely perceptible branches, an impetuous stream gushes into the crowd. The first person enters the circle of light, and Cain immediately realizes that these are not people. The creatures have sand forms of the island’s guards, but instead of faces there are rat faces. Hairy paws with long clawed fingers squeeze rubber batons. The long bald tails of creatures rustle on the ground like snakes.

All these observations took a split second. The hunter unmistakably recognized these infected monsters. Bah! The body of the first victim flies back into darkness. But for a moment and the crowd just overwhelm a small detachment. Kain only thinks of taking as many enemies with him as possible. He is firing madly, smashing monsters right and left. A rubber bludgeon cuts into his belly - the hunter folds in half from the pain. That's all - now it will just tear to pieces.

A shadow passes overhead. It seems that a little black tornado burst into the tunnel. The dark whirlwind unfolds directly above the lying hunter and scatters the infected ones to the sides. Looking closer, Kayn realizes that this is Sarah. Moving at inconceivable speed, she strikes opponents with her hands and feet, literally flying over the crowd.

Rising hard Kayne helps get up Bill. The technician's face pours blood. It seems that he was also well crushed.

- forward! Kayn screams in his ear.

The detachment is moving rapidly through the tunnel. First, sweeping away the ranks of those infected as hurricane plywood houses, Sarah rushes. The hunter and the technician barely keep up with her. Turning around on the move, Kayn shoots down too fast pursuers. His ammunition is rapidly melting. Finally, the tunnel rests on a large armored door. The clank of the iron monster is so loud here that it drowns out all other sounds.

- Open the door soon! - Yelling Kayn ear technology.

He leans over the console, hanging near the door, connects the master key and begins to break the lock. Kayn looks up at the tunnel to where the eerie crowd is coming from. Before him unfolds a picture of cruel battle. The girl rushing like a shadow among the hairy bodies. You can hear how broken bones crack under the blows of her heavy shoes. Each lunge of a graceful hand ends with a broken neck or rib. A wild howl of an infected person and his limb torn out of the shoulder joint fly away to the side. Sarah’s brutality and composure is astounding.

Several creatures manage to avoid the meat grinder, arranged by the girl. They quickly squeeze along the walls and rush at Kaina. The hunter, carefully aiming, shoots them one by one. Cartridges left quite a bit, they should be protected.

Finally, a pneumatic tire began to noise behind her, and the door creaked open. At the same time, the clang of an unknown mechanism ends abruptly. Like a wild beast broke the chain.

- Move away! - commanded by Kayn.

The detachment retreats inside, and the door closes behind them. Like a mousetrap, the hunter thought. Around pitch darkness. Kain awkwardly fumbles with his hands and stumbles across a rough concrete wall. Apparently, they are already in the underground tiers of the tower.

“Turn on the light,” he says to Bill.

But no answer. The hunter carefully walks forward until he stumbles upon a wall. He gropes along it. Six steps - turn. Six more steps and turn again. Another six steps ... This is some kind of small locked room. But where is Bill and Sarah then?

Suddenly a bright electric light flashes. He blinds his eyes, and for the first few seconds, Cain squints. Gradually he gets used to and looks at the room in surprise. This is a prison cell. Along the walls there are two iron beds, bolted to the floor, between them is a white table. On one of the beds sits a thin man, putting his legs under him. His head buried in his knees. He is dressed in a prisoner robe of coarse gray fabric.

“This is all unreal,” whispers the stranger, as if in oblivion, “I'm stuck in the game.” You just have to find a way out. Now I am sitting at home, and not in prison infested with rats.

This is Dave! Cain immediately recognizes his voice. He looks dumbfounded at the guy, but quickly comes to his senses. The hunter grabs his belt holster, but she's not there. He glances down - he has exactly the same robe and heavy shoes on his feet. Where did his coat and gun go?

“He makes us believe that we are infected too,” the guy continues quietly, “As if we are all prisoners of the Stronghold.” But this is not true!

From these words, Kayna takes a breath. His worst fears come true. Memory loss, unclear, disturbing visions, abrupt changes in location are all signs of infection. He remembers them from the course, but so far he lacked the courage to admit the obvious. John still got him in that building. But if so, then Bill, too ...

Suddenly Dave sharply raises his face. Kayna gazes at the muffled face of an infected with glowing green eyes. His mouth silently opens, revealing an even row of pointed small teeth. Kayn screams and rolls away from the monster. At that moment the light goes out again.

The hunter feels a strong pain in her chest, where the infected girl put a knife a few days ago. He quickly retreats, arms outstretched to the sides. His back bumps into cold concrete walls. Legs bend, the hunter slowly slips to the floor. Every breath, like a blade, cuts through his chest. Kain is choking.

Suddenly, a light on the ceiling dimly lights up, flashes and starts to shine in full force. Bill runs up to him:

- What happened?

“I feel bad,” Kayn grunts.

Bill rips a backpack from his shoulders and rummages through it.

“Here is a stimulant,” he draws a familiar syringe with a medical mixture.

Kain grinds his dose. Chest pain gradually subsides. The hunter sits, frantically trying to catch his breath. Was it just what he saw was a hallucination, or did this reality actually break through the veil of delirium?

- Bill, how are you feeling? - he asks.

- Why do you ask? - the technician was guarded.

- Symptoms, tell me the symptoms! - Cayne interrupts nervously.

- It seems that something is happening around, but I do not catch the essence. I do not remember many things ...

- We are infected!

Bill's face distorts a grimace of horror. He gasps for air and cannot say a word.

Ix

With trembling fingers, Kain touches his head implant - does not turn off. Around is still shaky augmented reality.

- We are going? - Sarah's disgruntled voice is heard.

She, like a ghost, suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Just that it was not there, and now the girl is already towering over those who sit by the wall. They look surprised at Sarah.

“So she is also an illusion?” - whispers Bill asks.

Sarah comes in with a heavy boot on his foot. The technician howls in pain and grabs the pinned down seat.

- Do you think this is an illusion? She asks calmly.

Kain reluctantly rises and helps her partner get up. However, they have few options. To be precise, only one: find Dave and find out what is really going on here. For some reason, the hunter is sure - the guy knows the answer to this question.

The semi-dark corridor, after a short loop, leads them to the elevator shaft. On the wall next to the cabin door is a black square of a disabled control screen. Bill comes closer and examines him.

“Can you revive this thing?” Kayn asks.

The technician nods his head and sullenly takes on the case. His broken face looks dead tired. Sluggish hands guy slowly, as if reluctantly, messing with the device. The hunter opens his mouth to yell and hurry him, but at the last moment he holds back. Bill and so have a hard time - it is not prepared for all this.

While the technician fiddles with the console, Cain steps aside and tries to concentrate on what is happening. It is urgent to come up with any reasonable plan of action. Blindly wandering around the stronghold is deadly. Another hassle with its infected inhabitants will be the last. Sarah the hunter does not trust at all. She can disappear at any time - you should not expect any support from her. But what if everything that happens is just an obsession, and now he himself is sitting locked up in that tiny cell with Dave? The one he is looking for may be at arm's length, and Kain is not even able to realize this. This thought leads the hunter to despair. He turns to the elevator and sees a strange picture: Sarah leaned over Bill’s ear and whispered something to him quickly. The guy's frozen hands slightly quiver. It seems that he is shaking with fear.

- Hey, Sarah, - Kayne is in a hurry to interfere in their strange conversation, - Do you have any idea where Dave might be now?

The girl turns around and looks displeased at Kaynu in the eyes.

“Tenth floor,” she replies confidently.

“If it is a figment of my imagination, then the unconscious leads me somewhere. It wants me to go to the tenth. So be it! ”Kayn decides to himself.

Bill presses something on the control screen and the elevator comes to life. There is a buzz coming down the cabin. From the elevator shaft hear the rhythmic tapping. It seems that there is someone there. Kayne gestures the equipment behind his back and aims at the closed elevator door. Click - the cabin has arrived. The doors swing open and Kaynu beats into the eyes of a bright light from the inside. He covers his eyes with his palm and tries to see what is there. No sound, no movement - only silence and blinding light. Eyes are finally getting used to - in front of the hunter an empty shiny chrome cabin.

Bill and Sarah silently pass inside. Kain follows them. He suspects that these two, by agreement, are leading him somewhere purposefully. The elevator doors slam shut. The hunter tries to reach the remote and press a button. But suddenly he feels that his hands are tightly tied behind his back, as if a straitjacket is on him. Heart pounding in my chest. Has it started again? Sarah reaches out and presses the button number ten. A crooked smile flashes across her lips. A light push under your feet - the elevator began to move. Kain gradually calms down: he again feels freedom in his hands.

After a few seconds, the squad is on the tenth floor. Behind the elevator doors that open, an empty hall. In his silence, Cain's elastic steps and Bill's shuffling are resoundingly deafening. Sarah makes no sound. The hunter looks around: there is one single door in the long corridor. “The governor of the prison,” says an imposing gold plaque. Of course! Where, if not here, look for Dave?

All three of them stop at a heavy oak door to the office. Kain leans closer to her and listens - no sound comes from within. Sarah lightly slaps the hunter on the shoulder and with a nod of his head asks him to step aside. Taking a few steps back, she runs up and crashes down the door. Both of its leaflets swing open from the impact of monstrous power. Kayne rushes in first with a gun in his hand.

Dave is sitting at a huge table and calmly looking at those who have entered. He is dressed in the same way as in their first meeting in an infected building - torn jeans and a T-shirt. The hunter holds him on the cannon and cautiously approaches. Judging by the appearance, the guy is completely healthy. There are no signs of infection on his face.

- Dave? Kayn asks.

“John,” he answers.

Kain does not believe his ears. How is this possible? Is this guy a hacker? If only…

- Where is Dave?

- He is stuck in the game.

- Who are you?

John taps his finger on the forehead:

- I'm Dave's virtual assistant. Experimental, improved version, one of a kind. When the guy updated his implant, I became his free bonus. But my abilities were unexpectedly great. Now Mindsoft wants to get to me.

John pauses and stares the hunter in the eye. Kain frantically tries to realize what he heard and fit it into a crazy kaleidoscope of recent events. Virtual Assistant, go on the run. This is incredible!

- If you are a victim, who infected that building? Kayn asks.

“She,” John’s finger points somewhere behind the hunter’s back.

He slowly turns around and suddenly realizes what the assistant means. Kain spins around on the spot and fires a bullet where Sarah was standing a moment ago. Her silhouette is smeared by the movement of incredible speed. A punch to the jaw - a technician who did not understand what killed him, flies off to the wall with a bag. Blurred shadow rushes through the entire office to the window. The second bullet fired by the hunter goes into the wall. The armored glass shatters into tiny fragments, and Sarah turns black in the eyes of a stunned Kayn. Slapping wings, she quickly moves away from the tower. That shadow in the tainted building — that was Sarah!

- Stop firing! - there is a cry of Nile.

His face appears on the glossy surface of the table right in front of Kain. The hunter looks at the boss in amazement and does not understand a single word:

- The situation is complicated. I heard everything. We need to discuss with the management of Mayndsoft what to do. Kain, pull yourself together. You are not crazy! Keep John on the gun and wait for instructions.

Neil turns off. Only two remained in the office. Kain with a steady hand aims John in the face. He calmly sits in a chair and does not react to what is happening. He seems to be waiting for something. Outside the window, an angry croak is heard - a sinister shadow cuts circles above the tower. It seems that this tense wait lasts forever. Incoming call - the face of Nil reappears on the table.

- This is Mindsoft's trap! - shouts the boss, - The guy can not be taken alive ...

Noise interference, and the connection is broken. Cain gently pulls the trigger - nothing happens. Identification indicator arrow on the gun lights up red.

“Looks like Sarah managed to flash your weapon,” John calmly remarks.

Kayn recalls a strange conversation with a girl technician. Bill looked very scared then. Could he give her the password from the gun? The hunter slowly lowers the useless weapon now.

“Listen, Kayn,” the virtual assistant continues, “Your guide set you up.” You are just loose change. They wanted to make sure that I was here before destroying the island.

- How do you know? Kine asks angrily.

Outside the tower is growing some chanting. The hunter turns to the window. Through the broken glass, he sees two helicopters appear on the horizon. They are rapidly approaching the island. On the black painted cars one can see the identification marks of the Nabla corporation. Finally, reinforcements arrived! But after a closer look, Kayn realizes that these are not at all cargo helicopters with a stripping group, but combat vehicles, bristling with rockets and machine guns. Hunter breaks through a cold sweat.

“But there is a solution,” says John.

He takes something out of his jeans pocket. On his palm is a red pill. The guy stretches it to Kaina:

“It will protect you from the magnetic bomb.”

Kain hesitantly takes a step and takes the pill from the guy. John pulls from the pocket exactly the same and swallows quickly.

The hunter looks out the window again - the helicopters are already quite close. He does not believe that the boss gave the command to destroy everyone on the island. Suddenly, a small black dot rushes across the helicopters. This is Sarah! Kain can't believe what is happening. She attacks the car. The raven pierces the first board through with its body, and it explodes with a fiery flower on the ultramarine sky background. Who does the bird save - John or the hunter? The second helicopter at this moment launches a rocket. A small point rushes to the tower, leaving behind a white trail. The raven, folding its wings behind its back, rushes after it. Tries to intercept her. But he did not have time!

Cain abruptly throws the pill into his mouth and swallows. The explosion of a magnetic bomb shakes the tower to the ground. The hunter feels how wild pain is growing in his head, as if red-hot metal is splashing in his skull box. Suddenly it all stops.

X

Kain sways and grabs the wall so as not to fall. He slowly wakes up and looks around. Under the feet are the steps of the dark staircase. The hunter breathes heavily. His head breaks from the pain of hell. Where is he? What happened to him?

Judging by the form, this is the entrance of some residential building. Here Kayn was definitely once before. Memories reluctantly emerge from the depths of memory. Light bulbs flashing nervously under the ceiling. Dead silence around. This is the same infected building that started it all!

Squeezed wheeze is heard from behind. Cain tensely stops. He squeezes the pistol grip. Sharply turns around - at the feet of the hunter beats in his death agony Bill. From the mouth of the technique, white foam flows down a thin stream on the steps. Kayn leans toward him and tries to grope for a pulse - to no avail. With a sigh, he covers his partner's eyes.

“He should not have come here. I knew from the very beginning that it would end that way. He knew, but did nothing to save him, ”Kayn thinks bitterly.

To get rid of his dark thoughts, he thoughtlessly searches Bill’s pockets. The hunter absently puts the master key in his pocket. Pain in the head does not let go. How did he find himself in this building? After all, he had just been in Tverdyny many kilometers away. Suddenly the lights go out.

“Light, light, light ...,” Kayne says to herself.

The solution is somewhere nearby, he is about to grab an elusive thought. Light and then immediately darkness. All this time, wherever the hunter was, the light was trembling. But for the first time, Cain saw the faulty bulbs here. What if he was constantly in this building? But how then is the meeting with John, his interrogation in the office of Nabla and a trip to the Stronghold? Could this all be just an illusion? Kayna shook - it could, if the virus did get to him. Only now the hunter managed to emerge from the depths of the madness of augmented reality. If everything is exactly like this, it is necessary to finish this task as soon as possible.

In the dark Kayn fumbles through the pockets of his coat and finds a small LED flashlight. He is screwed to the barrel of the gun. Now the hunter has the light. He thinks for a minute, trying to remember what happened to him in that crazy reality. Pistol! Kain just in case changes the password on his weapon and translates it into offline mode. Now no one can get access to it remotely.

Kain resolutely climbs the stairs, following a small circle of light from the flashlight. Here is a familiar tenth floor staircase. But this time there is not a soul. To the left is the door to Dave’s apartment.

Kicking - the door swings wide. Kayne walks into a dusty, empty hallway. An acute sense of impending danger, like a screech on glass, torments nerves. It was as if a monster had lurked in the darkness of the corridor and was about to pounce on the hunter. A ray of light scrolls through the walls and floors — there is no one there.

Kayne walks quickly down the hall to the room. With his free hand, he opens the door. It takes one moment to assess the situation. The light of the flashlight snatches Dave's figure crouched in a chair out of the dark. His eyes are closed, his breathing is even - he is sleeping. The flair tells Kayn that this guy and his virtual assistant are the main culprits of the infection. Without thinking, the hunter shoots Dave in the head. The chair rolls over and the body falls to the floor. Blood in a black pool quickly spreads over the old parquet.

- Do you know why you are still alive? - a calm voice is heard from the dark corner on the right.

Kayne turns around abruptly and scorches there twice. Flashes of shots flash a thin pale figure in a purple T-shirt. She does not fall! Hunter, retreats back, aiming hard at the unknown. Dave is looking at him from a corner.

Kayn glances at the floor. Eyes do not lie - on the floor is a dead guy, but his twin, as if nothing had happened, stands right in front of the hunter.

“You are my goal,” the double continues, “Mindsoft needs a loud scandal to finally sink Nablu.” Dave was just bigger fish bait.

- You are a liar! So this is a trap, ”says Kayn,“ you acted with Sarah together. ”

- Right. Sarah is a program. She is the virus that hit this building, and then you and Bill.

Kain carefully looks at the guy's face in the weak flashlight - this is not Dave. No doubt, John is standing before him. Virtual Assistant. But how is this possible if its carrier has just died?

- Why are you here? After all, Dave is dead.

- You're my new carrier. “In the red pill there was a patch with my program,” John replies.

Kain swayed, as if struck. The hunter feverishly decides what to do. He perfectly understands - a few more seconds and the program will prevail over his consciousness. First of all - give an alarm. Kain tries to send an emergency message to the boss, but there is no connection.

“It's too late,” says John. He goes straight to the hunter.

Kain touches the plate on his forehead, but the implant does not turn off. Then he remembers the master key Bill. He runs his hand into his pocket and pulls out the device. . . . , . . .

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