Leopard

It all starts at Cordon, in an old warehouse converted into a bar by stalkers. You stop in for a bite to eat and refill your ammo. The bar is bustling with activity, everyone discussing the foray to Jupiter.

You sit down at the table and take out a map to check your route. Suddenly he appears—tall, wearing a Gorka cloak, the hood pulled low. As he passes, he accidentally knocks over your mug of tea, and the map gets wet.

"Your mother!" you blurt out.

He turns around, meets your gaze, doesn't apologize, but puts his new card in front of you with markings that aren't on yours.

"Here you go. Now we're even," he says and leaves.

You look at the map. Where you feared the "Meat Grinder," he's marked a tiny dot—a hiding place. He's brazen, but not an enemy. His map is an invitation.

You decide not to repay the debt and head to the spot, noticing he's heading in the same direction but keeping his distance. The game begins: you leave him "gifts," he notices and responds over the radio:

— On Jupiter I would turn left, not right.

You realize he's watching you. The game of "Who will outplay whom" has begun.

The next day, you find your knife next to your backpack with a note: "You snore. Go to the Rostok plant, that's where we'll find what we're looking for."

You're shocked—he could have killed you, but he's just playing around. You head to the factory, not just for the artifacts, but after him. You move in parallel: you enter the workshop—he leaves, leaving a smoldering cigarette behind. You climb up to the roof—you see him on a nearby chimney, but he disappears in the smoke.