The Secret City/4

The first thing to come to Alexei's mind was fear. I am not ready to die. Not yet. Not now. I just returned. Next came the anger. ''Bastard. You think I am that easy to kill? Well, think again.''

It was no more then a blink of an eye. The finger could move only so fast. And the door was so close. His backpack was upon Alexei's shoulders and if the bullet hit that it could be stopped. The doctor was not important now.

Without waiting Alexei turned and jumped through the door. He did not think. He merely acted. The leap would take him away, but he would still be in harms way. So as his torso passed the door frame he gripped it with both hands. The momentum would swing him to the side and out of the open.

Once he was safe, he would have time to see if something could be done about the doctor. If he was safe.

--Kerensky

Another blast echoed from behind as Alexei pivoted around the corner. A shard of plaster exploded from the wall directly across the hallway from the door. It was right where the soldier�s head was not a half second prior. The gunfire only very briefly stopped as the traitor inside mobilized.

They were trained the same way, by the same military. It was clear what the next move would be. The officer was likely backed up against the wall and will step aside only far enough to take aim and fire. He had seconds, but it was enough to draw a weapon and mobilize himself.

No sound came from the Doctor inside.

--Laveaux 09:55, 9 December 2005 (CST)

The gun came of Alexei's shoulder as soon as he regained his senses. Which was mere fraction of a second after he hit the floor. He was already on his feet and rolled further down the hall and crouched close to the wall.

His gun was raised and pointed in the direction of the door the officer was in. The man would have to take a full step outside into the open. And then he would be mowed down by the automatic rifle.

Alexei had already thought about spraying a burst through the wall, but decided not to. Apart from possibly hitting the doctor, there was a chance that he would miss the enemy completely. He did not really think about the doctor now. Whether Lyubov lived or died did not matter. Alexei was the important one now.

The ex-soldier stood silently and waited. He dared not speak and risk revealing his position to the traitor inside. His hand was poised on the trigger and the gun was pointed slightly downward. He expected the man to come out low, but was prepared to whip the barrel up if he was proven wrong.

--Kerensky

As expected, the enemy stepped out to take a shot, but Alexei was not yet in position. Pistol blasts echoed in the hallway. Fortunately, the soldier was quicker than the enemy expected and his shots were futile, he took aim just as Alexei let his rifle loose.

The traitor fell back into the room and the sound of his gun reloading spat into the hall.

"You are fighting a soldier for the Red Army, traitor!" The man barked, "Surrender yourself and save your honor!"

--Laveaux 09:55, 9 December 2005 (CST)

Alexei just stood in the hall and waited for the man to appear once more. And then his words came. A slight shake of his head was all Alexei did in an answer at first. Still he tries to trick me. Who does he think I am? An idiot?

"Traitor? Me? My loyalty is good enough for KGB and you call me a traitor? I say, drop your weapon and come out with your hands up, and I may spare your life."

As soon as he was finished talking Alexei shifted his position slightly to the right to deny the man an opportunity to hit him by shooting blindly at the spot where Alexei was a moment ago.

All the time the plan began to formulate in his mind. If he does not come out in the next few seconds, I'll just have to go in and take care of it myself. He must be right next to the door. If I rush with my knife and get him off guard it would work out nicely.

--Kerensky

Alexei was underestimated. The enemy threw himself from inside the room and unleashed at the spot he'd just left. It was reckless and it cost him everything. The soldier could not miss. Letting loose his rifle, four rounds pounded the enemy, straffing up his torso. He fell backward unloading as he did so and collapsed, gasping onto the floor.

Heavy breathing pushed out from his panicked mouth, but the wounds were fatal.

Just before Alexei could reassess the situation, gunfire sounded from outside. Several rounds cascaded through the square below. A battle had started.

--Laveaux 09:55, 9 December 2005 (CST)

Once more Alexei felt nothing as the man died. No remorse. No regret. Nothing. In the war, he killed men, but a few times he felt sadness after the battle. He thought about their families. About their friends. About the reasons they joined the army. Not this time.

But, his caution did not left him. Before he jumped over the dying man he kicked the pistol away from his hands then the gun shots came form the outside. This was a trap. Let us see if they planned for this.

With that he ran into the room and went straight to the window. He cast only a cursory glance towards the doctor to see if he was okay. Either way, the man was not important. Pyotr was.

The plan was simple. If any of the men shooting at Pyotr were visible from the window they would die. After that or if there were no targets, he would run to join his colleague. But, this time he would try to circle the building the other was and come at them from the back.

--Kerensky

The doctor, although scared, was certainly alive. He cowered with flenching fear, trembling at the explosive sights around him. Covering his eyes and crawling into the corner, he was out of Alexei's way.

The soldier took position at the window, once again. The enemy was in formation. A platoon of fifteen, hugging the outskirts of the square and in solid cover from Pyotr. He could be seen across the square, behind a stone wall, peeking up and taking shots. Pyotr was the prey, though, and his shots were futile.

Alexei's rifle knocked down two men that were in his line of sight. One took a blast to his back and the other, his abdomen. The rest were not reachable, however gunfire suddenly exploded into his room after he fired. There were still others he could not see.

Taking cover from the onslaught, Alexei managed to get out of the building. His plan was a good one. By coming around the opposite side of the building, his targets were in front of him. There were five that had position behind the corners of two adjacent buildings. A single straffe took them out. Dead or dying, Alexei could safely approach them and advance on the battle ahead.

--Laveaux 09:55, 9 December 2005 (CST)

This was something Alexei could do. Something he knew how to do. He did not know that there were so many of the soldiers. He should have known better. To kill an entire town they would need much more people. But, it was too late now. Pyotr was in danger.

The two men he saw from the window were easy prey. But, he was away from the window long before the first bullets came. He knew he had to change position. There was just a moment glance he gave the doctor before he was off.

Luckily the snow was covering the ground outside so there were no slippery spots where he could fall. He did not rush. There was no need to die. If he died Pyotr was dead also. But, if Pyotr died, Alexei could still get away with his life.

So he advanced carefully, taking what cover was offered by the building and vehicles left in the streets. He was rewarded with a sight of five enemy soldiers. Another easy target. But, now the things would get rough.

Pausing to catch his breath, Alexei discarded the clip already in the rifle and put in a fresh one. He did not count the bullets, but knew that it was near it's end. Then he took a deep breath and remembered Berlin. This was so much like it. Only the enemy were not the Germans, but his countrymen.

With a quick dash he was at the next corner and there was a quick peek around it. He hoped to catch the enemy from the back and to get them in a cross-fire with Pyotr. That should be enough for them to defeat them.

The rifle was set to burst mode, but he would fire it in a two or three bullet bursts trying to keep his aim steady.

--Kerensky

His new position did indeed put his targets in a cross fire between himself and Pyotr. Across the courtyard, he could spot his comrade taking shelter behind the wall. He was hiding like an animal, wildly throwing out shots whenever there was a pause in gunfire. This situation would not last much longer.

A quick round of math would suggest there should only be about ten left, but their position was broad. Only two were in Alexei's line of sight and he would have to come around the corner toward the front of the lab to get to the others. It would mean advancing his position to cover under the front doorway. The problem, of course, is that if more soldiers were in that building, it would be that doorway they'd come out of.

His bursts were well aimed, but the targets were skilled. One man got a spray in his calf an reeled around as he fell. An untrained man would have recoiled in pain and pled for help, but this man, simply reaimed his own rifle and returned fire. His companion also turned back to aid his comrade, but Pyotr took the shot and blasted him in his upper shoulder. He fell to the ground helpless to defend himself.

--Laveaux 09:55, 9 December 2005 (CST)

As soon as the other man fell Alexei's hand went to his belt. During the war there was always a grenade there. But, not now. This was not the war. The only thing he had was this automatic rifle. So much different from the Tokarev he used most of the war.

But, he had to end this quickly. He hoped the man he shot was gullible. So Alexei, decided to test that. Rhythm was the death in war. And he knew that. So three times in quick succession he took a few shots at the wounded man. All three times he stood and appeared high. Then he repeated it twice.

Then the change came. Alexei jumped low and took a prone position right after the jump. He waited for a second to calm his body and then took a careful aim at the man. The plan was for him to make the opponent expect the high shot and then to do it other wise.

If the plan worked he would go towards the lab entrance, but would make sure that the building was empty before he focused his attention on the man outside.

--Kerensky

The wounded man was clever, after his initial round of fire, he held his shots until Alexei showed again. The soldier's rounds crackled nearby the wounded man, but his rounds were far closer. A corner of the wall exploded next to Alexei as he recoiled to prepare for another shot.

On his second blast, the return fire was just off his shoulder, very nearly hitting him while Alexei's blast missed the target completely. The third round went similarly, gunfire echoing in the soldier's midst.

The final strike worked exactly as Alexei suspected. His foe assumed him to be an ameteur fighter, having missed so much. He never would have suspected such a clever move. The low fire, with the help of aim, strike him with several bursts in the chest. The immediate threat was over.

Alexei rounded up and spun into the doorway. The lab seemed empty, however he could hear shots coming from above. Just then, he saw Pyotr make a terrible mistake. He reeled upward from behind his wall to take aim at high snipers, but was shot from below. The officer fell backward behind the wall out of sight.

--Laveaux 09:55, 9 December 2005 (CST)

Alexei smiled as his shots hit. The soldier was good, but he made one mistake. He undeestimated the veteran of the Great War. He won't get another chance. It was always like that.

One day I will make such a mistake. And then I will die too. But, not yet. Not now. Although this day is still not over. It might be today. He ran to the lab and barged in ready to shoot. He turned to check his back and it was then thatt he saw Pyotr make his mistake. No, you fool. Don't do that. You just had to keep them busy. You were not supposed to die.

Clutching his gun he decided that the lab was the safest place for him to be in. They would never look for him there. With a nasty smile he decided that it was time for him to pay those snipers a visit. Pulling his kife out he scouted the entrance for the way to the stairs so he could climb and see if he could handle those men silently. Then he just had to waits for soldiers to return and clear them out with a burst. Or a grenade if any of the snipers had one.

--Kerensky

Before he could locate the stairs taking him up to the snipers, Alexei heard the distinct sounds of American voices talking from down the hallway. He stood in the lobby of the unlight building facing a large hallway that extended the length of the building. A quick look would suggest there were about a dozen rooms on either side of the linolium hall and the large lab at the end, with doubledoors. Electric light poured from behind those doors and it was clear that's where the Americans were.

There was a round of silence and just then he spotted the stairs behind a closed door across the hall.

--Laveaux 09:58, 9 December 2005 (CST)

For a split of a second Alexei pondered whether he should try and overcome the Americans he heard, but decided that it was time to be careful now. He could do nothing to help Pyotr now and could just hope he was not dead but merely wounded and that the enemy will bring him here for interogation.

With a quick glance at the hall where the voices came from Alexei made his way towards the stairs. He paused at the door that led to the room with the Americans and tried to judge if he could make his way over to the stairs without getting spotted. Secrecy and silence were nice, but if there was a risk he would not hesitate to shoot.

So he stood at the door trying to breathe as silently as he could and to judge where the enemy soldiers were and how many were there. His rifle held closely to his chest the ex-soldier wanted to curse loudly, but kept his mouth shut. He knew that if he fired they would know he was here. For now he was safe, but soon the others will return, so he could not remain here.

Then an idea formed in his mind. Hostages. I could take them prisoner and bargain. These must be their commanders. Americans are like that. They let the soldiers fight while the officers sit and wait. When they should be leading their troop by example.

After about five seconds whether or not Alexei heard the Americans again, he stepped into the doorway with his rifle pointed towards anyone inside. He stood crouched a little so he could roll out of the danger. The x-soldiers finger twitched fast over the trigger as he was eager to avenge all those dead people, but he knew his best chance would be to take these men prisoner. Yet, he would not hesitate to fire it they tried to resist.

"Hands up!"

Alexei yelled the only two word he knew in english. How they would comunicate after that, he did not know, for now it would have to do.

--Kerensky

It was an office, full to the hilt with filing cabinets and poorly tended to desks. Three Americans were inside, only one of them a soldier. Two aged civilians with nice suits and spectacles were standing over the desk looking at a bound notebook. The soldier was wearing an American uniform. From the looks it could have been Navy, but Alexei couldn't be certain. In any case, they were not fatigues and he was ill-equipped for combat.

Both civilians tumbled backward in shock with their hands up, but the soldier reached for his sidearm. Realizing the move would be suicide, he hesitated and put his hands up as well.

They responded in English, but looked to each other to assist in the language. In very broken Russian, one of the civilians said, "You KGB?"

--Laveaux 09:58, 9 December 2005 (CST)

Alexei was pleased that he did not face more foes. And the soldier seemed sensible enough. He understood that he stood no chance. And although Alexei would have no trouble shooting him, he did not wish to kill a man. God only knew he had killed enough for two lifetimes.

Fro now their question will have to wait. The ex-soldier kept his rifle pointed at the navy man's chest with his right hand and motioned with his left that the man should throw away his gun. He showed that he was to take it with two fingers and throw it into corner. His left hand quickly griped the rifle once more.

One that was done he motioned for the Americans, for they had to be Americans to gather in one corner and only then did he chance a look at the door. If possible he would shut the door with his foot before he answered their question.

"Yes, I am KGB. Do you speak Russian?" He switched to German and although it was heavily accented, it was passable. "Or maybe German?"

--Kerensky

They heeded his command, although the Navy man was somewhat reluctant. Herded into the corner, it was now safe for Alexei to close the door and latch it behind him. Instinct suggested he had a few minutes before the others begin looking for the now missing enemy.

One of the Americans in a suit meekly turned up at the sound of German.

"I speak German. We do business in Germany. I was one of the few Americans the Reich allowed to stay after the war started. Of course they came and got me after Pearl Harbor."

He looked at his companions who were obviously very interested in knowing what he just said.

"Can I translate? I mean . . . as we go? We mean you no harm and we have clearance. KGB clearance, you understand?"

--Laveaux 09:58, 9 December 2005 (CST)

Alexei watched the three men move away with caution. Special attention was paid to the Navy officer. He was the only one who bore arms and if anyone tried anything stupid it would be him. As the door clicked shut ex-soldier spread his legs a little and placed the sole of his boot next to the door. If anyone tried to open it might appear locked.

For now he stood and a brief satisfaction passed through him as the man spoke to him in German. And as the man finished, Alexei did not answer immediately. Wait for it. Let him sweat a bit. Let him feel who is in power. Who is holding the gun. A good ten seconds passed before he spoke.

"Sure. Translate all you wish. I understand your words and I understand what you are trying to say. Yet, it smells of a lie to me. If you mean me no harm why are all the people dead in that hole outside of town? And I find it hard to believe that you have KGB clearance to be in the secret government facility. Bearing weapons even. We are not friends and don't try to fool me. Also, don't try to intimidate me. I know you outnumber me at the moment, but you three will die before I do if you try anything funny. Am I understood?" he did not wait for an answer. "State your purpose, your names and your rank if you hold any. Also, I want to see that clearance you mention. Just wave it so I can see it. I'll decide if I need to take a closer look. Translate that and then start answering. And don't try to delay me and wait for your comrades to come back."

--Kerensky

"It is no lie," he attempted, "I'm a business man. Your government hired me, I swear it."

He began translating, but as he did so the Navy man did as Alexei suspected: something stupid. As if in the American Old West, he dropped his hand and fast drew his sidearm.

The draw was no match for Alexei's response. He was taking a gamble, perhaps believing the soldier was a foul shot, or didn't have the confidence. Misjudging Alexei, however, was a growing strength of the soldier and capatilistic arrogance a vice of his enemy.

The man who spoke German did not expect the move and spat out an American "No!" at the Navy man, but it was too late, the gun was drawn and in the next instant a shot would be fired.

--Laveaux 01:52, 6 February 2006 (CST)

Alexei did not hesitate a second. I warned you. Your death is your own fault. And calmly his own rifle came to his shoulder. A slight press of the trigger and a short burst of no more then four bullets flew out, aimed in the direction of the officer's head. Alexei lost count how many men he killed years ago. And it might seem terrible that someone could murder a man with so little emotions, but war does that to people. Besides, this time it was either him or Alexei.

As soon as the man fell, The gun muzzle was turned towards the civilians. For a second the soldier hesitated and the decided to give them a few more seconds of life. And he spoke in German once more. "Now, I am just waiting for a reason to shoot you as well. Now, your soldiers know where I am, so I see no reason not to shoot you on the spot and move on. You have thirty seconds to give me a reason to let you live. Starting NOW." And he was quite ready to carry out the threat.

--Kerensky

The others were silenced after their man fell. He was the most brash and the first to die. Collpasing in a heap of futility, the others watched and stammered.

It was the business man who answered first.

"I can tell you where the bomb is. The nuclear weapon. Is created and finished, as part of the deal. We were given access to the oil lines here and in return we give you the bomb.

"This was arranged at the highest levels. I assure you. This came from the very top. I have your General Secretary's signature. Please, before you go too far, this is what your country wanted. We are traitors to our country not to yours. I swear it."

The silence was long lasting and in the distance the sound of infantry foot soldiers echoed in the hall.

--Laveaux 01:52, 6 February 2006 (CST)

It was the footsteps that held Alexei's attention. Slowly he moved away from the door and listened. THe words man before him spoke barely registered on his mind. But, they did. He was trapped and all he really wanted was to be outside. Not here. Not with them. But, he needed them. And he needed to be sure he could trust them. So the gun barrel came down slightly. Just enough so they could see if was not pointed at them. But, he would still be able to pull it up and shoot.

"Fine. A misunderstanding. Tell your men to stay out, though. Just till we work out the details. I promise I won't shoot you." And he waited a few seconds to see if the other man would call of the troops outside. He could not understand English, but he hoped he could read the meaning of his words on the man's face. In a few steps he crossed the room and placed himself so he could see both the door and the men in the room and leaned back against the wall.

"Look. Me and my partner were sent to make an inspection. We got suspicious. Now, before we walk out I need a few answers. First, I would like to know when was this arranged and by whom? I would need your names and occupation. I need to know who the man outside are. Or rather if they came with you or are Soviet soldiers. Also, I need to know if you were involved in the killing of the inhabitants of this city. I don't care if you were, I just need to know. And lastly I need to know if my partner is still alive. That you can ask the men outside. After you give me my answers I will take the location of the bomb and take my leave. Understood?"

He really did not very high hopes that he would get out of this alive. But, he had to try. And he still had the rifle. These two would die for sure, and perhaps a few more. But, he would fall in the end. So, he had to cling to that last straw of hope. And try to talk his way out of it.

--Kerensky 13:23, 10 February 2006 (GMT+1)

The business man sputtered and nodded. Hesitant at first, he nodded again and then opened the door behind Alexei. Shouting English into the hall there were some return shouts. They sounded more militant as if it were men taking orders. A couple more exchanges ended with the business man closing the door and then wiping sweat from his brow.

"I am Harvey Thompson a representative from North Industries. This is Bart Johnson, my assistant. Those soldiers are Soviets, they were dispatched by Moscow to secure the city. Your government ordered the execution of these people so that word would never get out about what we were doing. We needed the facilities and the workers knew why. This was all arranged in the Kremlin, orders were given by the First Chief Directorate Fyodotov and approved by the Politburo."

He paused.

"Your partner is dead. He was shot outside."

--Laveaux 11:42, 10 February 2006 (CST)

The gun was lowered as soon as the man returned. For a moment Alexei hesitated and then hung it on his shoulder. Searching his pockets he fished out a pack of cigarettes and light one to steady his nerves and then offered them to the Americans. Taking a long pull of the smoke he rubbed his temples and then just shook his head. "Bloody mess. Okay. Look, this is a terrible mix up. We were sent here for this, but they never mentioned that they would kill the entire city. I guess we should have guessed. Never mind. I think we can salvage this situation."

An idea was starting to form in his mind. He could still get out of this alive. ''Heck, I could even get out of this better off than I started. Just got to play it right. And I think I know what to do.'' Another pull of the cigarette and another sigh. "I am sorry about your man here. I did warn him, though. Fuckin' fool. As for my partner, I saw him fall. I though he was merely wounded. Oh, I guess I shall have to finish the mission by myself. Wait here. I need to talk to the men outside. I'll be right back."

He started to realize what the plan was. ''The Americans get the bomb in. All the people are dead. No traces. Me and Pyotr come in. Find the empty city and report it. They come and discover the bomb. Only the fools took too long to finish their part. And we ran into them. But, orders change. Let us see if they listen to me.'' He did wait for their approval before he stepped out into the hall.

With a flick of his fingers he tossed the cigarette aside and searched the hall with his eyes, trying to find someone who might be in command. He remembered the officer he shot from the window and the other one he got in the room. He just hoped he did not kill all the people who might have the authority to order the men.

--Kerensky 18:53, 11 February 2006 (CST)

It took a few minutes, but Thompson spoke to the soldiers outside. Upon his return they opened the door and proceeded. The hall had good lighting and so Alexei could easily spot six soldiers in white fatigues approaching them.

It was certain which one was the leader. A blue-eyed older man, cigarette dangling from his mouth. He wore marks on his arm revealing that he was a Soviet Junior Sergeant, something Alexei could not have seen until they were up close like this. Fortunately for Alexei, he left the Red Army as a Starshina, two full grades higher.

The men were apprehensive. Toting rifles opening and glaring at Alexei and the Americans. They were wild animals hold only very briefly at bay.

"You have little time to make me believe you," the Junior Sergeant said in Russian.

--Laveaux 11:56, 12 February 2006 (CST)

Alexei's face was hard and he wore a scowl as he strode out. No matter the rank of the man before him, he was prepared, but the rank of a man before him was a good sign. ''He is confused and lost. I killed his CO and now he does not know what to do. He needs a leader. Well, I'll give him a leader.'' Reverting back to Russian, he stopped before the man.

"Starshina Alexei Sudarev, Junior Sergeant. I am KGB. First of all, watch your tongue. I will be blunt. You screwed up. You were given a mission. And you were supposed to be on schedule. You failed to meet that schedule. This city was supposed to be empty when me and my partner arrived. Instead we found several civilians and you. Deviation from the mission plan means problems. And this was a very sensitive mission. No fuck ups."

He was slowly settling into his role. Heck he was even starting to believe his own words. ''Keep it up. Make him even more scared. But, don't let him crack.'' "There was to be no witnesses. Yet, if my information is correct over forty civilians remain. And let us not forget you killed a KGB operative. See, when we came and saw troops here we assumed you were betrayed by the Americans. We never anticipated that you would be behind schedule." A brief pause as Alexei closed his eyes as if trying to clear his mind. "No matter. We can still salvage this. But, you will have to listen. Can you do that, Junior Sergeant?"

A sneer graced Alexei's face as he uttered the other man's rank. He waited for a nod before he continued. "You will take you men and the Americans and leave this city as if nothing happened. A few kilometers up the road you will find a jeep. Set up an ambush in that vicinity. I will gather the civilians and lead them towards you. No witnesses. But, please be careful not to shoot me. After the civilians are eliminated we can proceed as planned. Understood?" He gave orders before. But, this was different. This time his life directly depended on whether his troops found the orders acceptable.

--Kerensky 14:39, 12 February 2006 (CST)

The Junior Sergeant's confidence waned almost immediately. Fear spilled across his blue eyes and he looked at his comrades for some sort of support, which he did not receive. After Alexei was done submitting orders, the subordinate cleared his throat.

"We remained, comrade, to quell the civilian unrest. I hope our efforts will be recorded in your report. We did not know you to be KGB, we thought you were leading the civilians. Please accept my apology, comrade, I serve the Soviet Union."

Then back to the other men he barked, "You heard him, comrades. Go! Mobilize!"

"We will march to the jeep as you order," he said not able to keep eye contact.

--Laveaux 10:26, 19 February 2006 (CST)

Alexei turned to hide a smile and walked back into the room. He was much more relaxed now. As he saw it there were two ways out. He could follow up with the plan he just gave the Sergeant. Or he could gather the people and kill the soldiers. ''Now I only need to see which way I gain the most. Pyotr is dead. So, I can't question him about the mission. These people seem genuine. And I am working for the KGB now. Let us see this bomb of their and then they can go.''

Taking out a cigarette, Alexei lit it and smiled after he took a deep breath. "Relax. It is settled. You will leave the city with the soldiers and await me for a while. I will clean up the mess you made and make sure the mission is back on the track. You left too many witnesses. I will make sure they are dealt with. The Sergeant has his orders. I am mad like Hell because of this, but I think we will manage to sort it out."

The ex-soldier inclined his head and stretched his shoulders a bit to ease the tension there. "Now, only one thing remains. Take me to this bomb of yours so I can verify your story in full. And then you are free to go.We shall meet again and discuss it in more detail. Lead the way, gentlemen." And he waited for them to take him to this precious thing that was worth lives of a population of an entire city.

--Kerensky 08:31, 27 February 2006 (CST)

Relief was the core attribute of the civilian's faces. The Sergeant having left they were now relaxed, at ease that it was sorted out and the KGB was once again in charge. Dabbing sweat from his brow, Thompson opened the door and headed out left followed by Johnson. The troops were already heading out of the building and a quick sideward glance would reveal stretchers being brought out for the dead and wounded. It could be assumed that Pyotr's body was being attended to outside.

Down the hall and deeper into the building, Thompson stopped at a locked door. Fumbling, he found the proper key and opened it. Another corridor was revealed, but this looked more like a clinic than a manufacturing area. White spotless tile and freshly painted walls were the prime decor. As they proceeded, they passed thick glass that allowed one to look into each of the corridor's rooms. There were some storage areas, some filing and recording, and then small-parts manufacturing.

Inside the corridor's last hall was a heart-stopping sight. A single nuclear warhead was assembled and secured into a green-metal box. The warhead was gray with a red tip and single red star on its side. The room was vacant but the lights on. Thompson opened the door and let the others inside. --Laveaux 14:40, 4 March 2006 (CST)

Alexei shielded his emotions. The veteran could feel the cold sweat gathering in the small of his back, but the danger was over for now. As the smoke filled his lings, he could feel the tension in his muscles ease. Only now did he realize how tensed his body was. It was over, and he was grateful. Death was not so imminent. Future did, hold a lot of danger, but he would cross that river when he got to it. For now, he could follow the civilians and find that bomb of theirs.

He needed some time to think. To decide what to do. ''Maybe Doctor Lyubov could explain a few things. Damn this. I need the fatcs. Clear orders. If I get out of this alive, I may just learn something new. That KGB is not for me.'' For now all he could do was wait. Two plans were forming in his mind. And according to each people would die. He dreaded the choice. He had to make it, but that did not mean he had to like it.

Flicking his unfinishes cigarette to the floor, Alexei shouldered his way into the room. The bomb looked like a bomb as far he was concerned. So it was genuine. With a nod he turned back towards Thomspon. "All right. We are settled then. If there is nothing more I need to know, you are to get ready and follow the Sergeant. If there are no problems we should be safe in a day or so. So, are you ready?"

--Kerensky 05:58, 27 March 2006 (CST)

Grunting in official obligation, the Westerners left the room with Kerensky. The building was already abandoned as soldiers mobilized and headed out from the new KGB man's order. They moved quickly, getting their gear set up for combat and loading ammunition onto half a dozen jeeps.

As he reentered the courtyard it became suddenly clear that Pyotr was not dead. In fact, he was being placed on a stretcher by the Red Army and was being brought into a medical facility just in from the courtyard. There was a wound in his abdomen, but he was conscious if a bit pale.

Upon seeing Alexei, the policeman said, "I hope you know what the hell is going on here . . ." and he coughed up a bit of blood.

--Laveaux 09:19, 7 April 2006 (CDT)

Appearing not to be interested, Alexei tried to count the soldiers as best as he could. He needed to know both sides of the story before he decided which side to take. This was about survival, but he still had a soul. ''I can't send fourty men and women to death, just to save me if there is a chance to save them. I won't risk my life to do it though. I need to see who I am dealing with. '' And then Pyotr came into his view. Alive. For a second Alexei stood his mouth falling open. Cigarette fell out from his lips and issed in the snow.

In several hops the veteran was at the policeman's side and gripped his hand. "Just relax. I have this under control." I think. "Go with them. I will follow soon. I need to take care of some unfinished business. Just keep quiet. And everything will be alright." The young man wished he truly felt that. But, it was far from his mind. So many things could go wrong. Turning to the soldiers carrying Pyotr, Alexei stopped them for a minute. "Take care of him. Anything happens to Pyotr and I will hold you personaly responsible." A sickeningly sweet smile spread across the soldier's lips emphasizing the threat.

All he could do now was wait for the soldiers to leave. He needed then to be safely out of the city before he could put his plan into motion. He did have a plan. Only it could go two ways. And until he saw Doctor Lyubov again he did not know which path he will take.

--Kerensky 18:47, 21 April 2006 (CDT)