The stalkers were the first to disappear. This did not cause much panic in Iskitim. Death is at every turn in the Zone, and the fate of stalkers is different. One is destined to return, and the other is not. It’s an everyday matter. Then the bandits controlling the “exo” traffic started having problems. Without exception, all groups suffered serious losses. And not only the “sixes” disappeared in the Zone without a trace, but also serious crime bosses began to disappear one after another. And then panic began. What is this? A settling of scores between people? Or is it the Zone itself that has decided to reap a bloody harvest? It is at this moment that the seasoned stalker Kotlyarov, nicknamed the Cat, finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. The bandits sentence him to death. Fleeing from reprisals, the Cat is looking for those who framed him. And he finds out that all the disappearances are just part of a chain of ominous events, the tip of the iceberg of Evil that is approaching the world from the depths of the Zone. The fate of humanity is in the hands of the stalker. He must make it before the killer’s bullets overtake him.