Kat shivered as she walked quickly beside her new 'friend', trying to keep up as he fast-walked down the streets of Moscow. The second they were out of immediate danger, he led her along a row of apartments, snatching two hoodies from two different washing lines. He passed one to her, and she quickly covered herself with the too-big garment as he pulled on his.
She wondered if he'd chosen hers on purpose, because it hung past her thighs and effectively covered the hospital gown, although it made it look like she wasn't wearing underneath. He pulled both their hoods on swiftly, making Kat start, but he didn't even flinch as he quickly and silently led the way down another street.
An ambulance drove by, sirens wailing, drawing everyone's attention and her companion stole a pair of shoes from first one and then another street vendor while they weren't looking. He slipped his boots on quickly before nudging them down an alley and letting her slide into the ankle-boots he'd picked up for her. They were slightly too big, but Kat knew it would have to do.
Before she'd even straightened up, her companion was moving again, walking swiftly back down another street and Kat hurried to follow him. They passed a café, and as an old man got up to go and get his coffee, her companion swiped the cellphone lying on the table. Kat glanced around uneasily, wondering how he was doing all of this without attracting attention, before she glanced back to him as he spoke for the first time.
"Set 20. Agent A2 delta echo, requesting immediate evac. Rendezvous Alpha 1-1-3."
Kat stared at him, before she jumped as he threw the phone into a sewage pipe opening. She almost glanced back but he pulled her along, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and leaning his head in to hers as they passed a few people in the street.
"Just pretend to look comfortable." He murmured and she immediately tensed.
"Yeah, the opposite of what you just did." He pointed out and she whispered back to him: "I'm not exactly used to this."
"I know." He replied.
There was a pause before he added softly: "I'm sorry."
She shook her head slightly and they lapsed into silence once more. As her companion led her down another street, Kat asked: "Where are we going?"
"We're stalling." He answered quietly, pressing his mouth against her hair to ensure no-one would hear him. "Until it's time for the rendezvous."
Kat quieted again as they walked passed another giggling couple, and as the couple disappeared and her companion led her around a corner, Kat asked softly: "Can I ask your name?"
He seemed to pause, and Kat could tell he was deliberating her question although his countenance and posture didn't change at all.
"If you tell me yours." He answered at length and Kat nodded.
"Katelyn Taylor." She told him and he almost smiled.
"Ethan Hunt." He answered and she nodded again.
"I'd say it was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Hunt, but..." She joked half-heartedly and he chuckled a little.
"I'd say the same, Miss Taylor." He answered as he led her down another shadowy alley, the pair slipping into the darkness as the sun began to set.
'I'm hungry.' Kat thought with a small sigh. 'And cold. And tired.'
They'd been walking for hours, never stopping for more than a minute at most. Kat hadn't eaten since brunch that morning, and even that hadn't been much considering she'd gotten sick of watching her friends flirt with the waiter and quickly gotten them to leave with their food half-finished. Did she regret that decision now.
The flimsy hoodie wasn't helping either, as Kat tried not to shiver every time the cold Russian wind bit into her bare legs and whipped up under the hoodie to send shivers up her spine. Ethan didn't seem to notice, although she doubted that was actually the case. His eyes kept flitting around, resting on her briefly every minute or so, as he continuously scanned their surroundings and watched her condition.
But there wasn't much he could do, other than steal a pair of pants for her, but Kat had prevented him from doing that, to his surprise. But as she had told him seriously, she would deal with a little cold rather than feel bad about stealing yet another item. Especially since it looked like they were stealing from people who didn't look like they could afford to lose a pair of pants.
Although, Kat had to admit that as it got darker and the wind got all the colder, she really hoped their rendezvous time would be soon. She wasn't sure if she could keep her teeth from chattering any longer. They were just passing a bar when Ethan paused for the first time that day. He turned to look inside, and Kat also peered over to see the TV inside playing the news.
They watched and Kat's face fell as the news clipping showed a happy couple smiling for the camera when suddenly the ground shook beneath them and they and the camera turned to watch as the Kremlin came crashing down.
"Oh God…" Kat whispered, and Ethan wrapped his arm around her shoulders again.
"I'll get you home." He promised quietly, and Kat glanced at him.
"Do you think…" She began before she trailed off. He examined her, waiting and Kat whispered: "Do you think anyone who was near us made it out?"
He immediately caught what she meant. Ethan recalled seeing her turn to two other young women, roughly her age, at the Kremlin when the explosion began. He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly as he answered: "We made it out, and they had a head start on you. They'll be fine."
Kat nodded slowly, not really believing him but knowing that there was nothing she could do at the moment. She would just have to wait until she was safely back in the US before trying to call them and find out if they were okay.
Ethan turned, leading her off again and Kat almost sighed, when he suddenly tilted off and into the shadows of an alleyway. Kat glanced at him in surprise as he headed off in a completely different direction from before, heading for the river, which he had actively been avoiding until now. For good reason.
Kat tensed as police cars sped passed them on the street, but Ethan kept her going as he walked at a casual pace, not drawing attention to them. Kat tried to keep her feet from shuffling, the exhaustion and the ill-fitting shoes starting to really take their toll. Ethan headed down another alley, passing under bridge just as a car pulled up alongside the tunnel opening.
Kat tensed, but Ethan simply walked up to the car so she followed. The door slid open before they arrived and Ethan popped his head in before he gestured at Kat.
"Come on." He helped her slip inside, and Kat glanced uneasily at the two men sitting across from her as she slid across the seats to let Ethan in.
He climbed in after her, greeting the elderly gentleman sitting across from him: "Mr. Secretary."
Kat glanced at the man, and then the younger, blond-haired man sitting with a laptop beside the Secretary. He looked maybe ten years older than her at most, handsome, and appeared to be the Secretary's assistant of sorts from the smart way he was dressed. He'd cast her a curious glance as well before his eyes shifted back to Ethan as the latter shut the door, saying to the Secretary with some small surprise: "Wasn't aware you were in Russia."
"I'm not." The Secretary answered bluntly. "Not since a bomb blew up the Kremlin."
His eyes shifted over to Kat as she huddled into the corner of her seat, curling in against the car window as the car smoothly rolled out.
"Who is this?" The Secretary asked, and Kat glanced over uneasily as Ethan answered: "Civilian."
Both the Secretary and the man beside him raised their brows in surprise, while Ethan introduced: "Katelyn Taylor, meet my boss, Mr. Secretary."
"Hello…" Kat said uneasily as the Secretary examined her once more before turning back to Ethan as the agent explained: "She was caught in the explosion with me, and now the Russian police suspect her of being my accomplice in the bombing."
Kat swallowed, shifting uncomfortably as the men glanced back at her. The Secretary seemed contemplative while the younger man gave her an almost pitying look that rubbed Kat the wrong way. She didn't like her situation, but she also didn't like feeling like she was being treated as an unfortunate creature. Even if it was somewhat true.
"We will get you home safe, and ensure you are cleared, young lady." The Secretary told her kindly and Kat blinked, startled.
"Oh." She murmured, glancing down at her hands as she tried not to look too uncomfortable. "That would be… nice. Thank you, sir."
Kat internally cringed, knowing she'd sounded as awkward as she felt. The blond man had given her another pitying look, and she stared down at her hands to avoid seeing any more. She really didn't want to be pitied at the moment. Truth be told, all she wanted was to be on a plane home, and maybe with a nice warm blanket. And a cup of hot chocolate.
The Secretary, meanwhile, had turned back to Ethan as he explained grimly: "Yesterday I flew in to accept the order of friendship from Russian Prime Minister. Now I'm headed back to Washington, to hand the President my resignation."
Kat looked over uncertainly, just in time to see Ethan's gaze flit momentarily to the younger man sitting across from Kat. The man immediately averted his gaze, turning to look back down at his laptop, while the Secretary answered Ethan's silent question: "My chief analyst. William Brandt."
The man looked up again at his name and extended his hand towards Ethan in a handshake.
"Pen?" Ethan asked abruptly as he began to wipe his right hand on his hoodie, and both Kat and Brandt looked at him blankly.
"Pardon?" Brandt asked, and Ethan said, louder and impatiently: "Pen."
Brandt blinked at him before withdrawing his hand, instead pulling out the pen in his suit jacket pocket and handing it over. Kat glanced at him curiously as Ethan began to draw on his right palm, while the Secretary asked sternly: "Ethan, what happened in the Kremlin?"
Ethan glanced up from his drawing, looking at Brandt as he asked: "Chief analyst you said?"
Kat peered slightly at Ethan's drawing as Brandt frowned, saying slowly: "If you're implying that I made a bad call-"
"European male," Ethan interrupted as he finished up his drawing, "fifties," Brandt's frown deepened in confusion as did Kat's, "about 6 foot, 180 pounds," he showed Brandt the drawing he'd made on his hand, "blue eyes. Who is he?"
The Secretary also turned to Brandt, waiting while Kat glanced around a little uneasily. Brandt glanced at Ethan's hand briefly before he answered slowly: "Crude drawing, but by your description," he looked back at Ethan, "that could be Kurt Hendricks."
Ethan lowered his hand, his gaze sharp as he listened to Brandt attentively as the latter listed: "190 IQ, served in Swedish Special Forces, Professor of Physics, Stockholm University. Specialist in nuclear and game theory. Asked to resign…"
He paused, glancing at the Secretary and then back at Ethan as he shrugged: "Well, because he's crazy."
'Wonderful.' Kat thought gloomily, before glancing at Ethan as he murmured: "Cobalt."
His eyes were unfocused, staring into space. They slowly came back into focus as he murmured to the Secretary: "You have to alert the Kremlin that one of their strategists has a nuclear launch device."
Kat's face blanched while the Secretary and Brandt's faces became grim, the pair listening intently as Ethan continued seriously: "And what if his operatives have the codes activated?"
"What makes you say that?" Brandt questioned, his brows furrowed thoughtfully, and Ethan turned to him.
"I saw him." He replied flatly. "Leaving the executive armory, bag in hand."
Ethan turned back to the Secretary as he urged: "He set off that explosion to cover his tracks." Kat's mouth fell open, but no-one noticed or cared. "It could be weeks before the Russians know it's missing. Unless we tell them."
"They won't listen to us." The Secretary replied with a small sigh, while Kat continued to gape at the group. "As far as the Russians are concerned, we just bombed the Kremlin."
Ethan sat up straighter, his gaze focused solely on the Secretary as the man continued: "The tension between the United States and Russia hasn't been this high since the Cuban Missile Crisis. And the blame, right or wrong, points to IMF."
Kat frowned, the acronym not familiar to her, but it obviously meant a lot to Ethan. His face changed, his head lowering slightly in deep thought and Kat glanced at him uneasily as she wondered if maybe it meant his spy organization. Like CIA, or something.
Brandt had been watching Ethan as well, but his eyes flitted over to Kat as the Secretary told Ethan grimly: "The President has initiated 'Ghost Protocol'. The entire IMF has been disavowed."
Kat had no idea what that meant exactly, but it didn't take a genius to figure it out. The way the Secretary said the words and Ethan's dark glare said it all. Kat bit her lip, suddenly worried for her new acquaintance and quite frankly savior (even if it could be argued that he was the reason she was in trouble in the first place).
"So what happens now?" Ethan asked in a deadly calm voice, and it almost made shivers go up Kat's spine. It was the tone of someone keeping forcibly calm, but held the promise of a deadly storm brewing below, and it was only then that it really hit Kat that Ethan Hunt was a spy, and most likely a very good one.
"Now," the Secretary replied, "I've been ordered to take you back to Washington, where D.O.D. will label you as a rogue extremist-"
"What?" Kat asked sharply and involuntarily, and almost regretted. Brandt's sharp gaze landed on her, his expression clearly telling her to keep quiet if she knew what was good for her.
Ethan's eyes had flickered over to her before he glanced at Brandt, carefully weighing his situation as the Secretary continued, as though Kat hadn't interrupted: "-And hang the Kremlin bombing on you and your team."
Ethan's eyes had flitted across to the gun holstered to the car door, right by Brandt's side. Brandt saw the look and tensed, his eyes watching Ethan like a hawk as Ethan glanced again quickly at Kat. Kat was also glancing around warily; she hadn't caught all the subtle glances but she could tell Ethan wouldn't just be taken down without a fight. He'd tensed slightly beside her and she had seen Brandt tense just slightly in return.
"Unless." The whole group tensed further, but the Secretary was focused solely on Ethan as the latter glanced back at him, and the Secretary said quickly and quietly: "You were to escape," Ethan's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, listening silently, while Brandt frowned and Kat chewed her lip, "somewhere between here and the airport, having assaulted Mr. Brandt and me-"
"Sir?" Brandt asked, turning to look at the Secretary in confused disbelief.
Ethan was watching the Secretary with dark eyes as the man continued, his gaze also not moving off Ethan as he continued: "-Leaving the young lady to call for help. You would then illegally scrounge whatever material you could from the backup supply cache that I've overlooked," Kat frowned while Brandt's jaw tightened in clear disagreement, "the same cache where your team," the Secretary pointed at Ethan, "are awaiting for further orders."
"Sir, you may want to rethi-" Brandt began, but the Secretary simply held up a hand to silence him. Kat watched as Brandt did exactly that, although his face was clearly unhappy, while the Secretary continued to Ethan: "You will then disappear. And this conversation never having taken place, your intentions would unclear."
Ethan cocked his head thoughtfully while Brandt glanced at Kat, and then Ethan.
Ethan's eyes flitted over to Brandt before returning to the Secretary as the man warned: "But if anyone of your team is caught, or killed, they will be branded terrorists out to incite a global nuclear war."
Kat's eyes widened and she swallowed as she glanced at Ethan worriedly. Brandt's face was set in an unhappy frown, glaring into space, but he glanced back as the Secretary quickly pulled open a small bag, removing a USB drive and holding it up before Ethan.
"Your mission. Should you choose to accept it."
Kat watched, chewing her lip worriedly as Ethan took the USB, his face impassive. She started violently as something was held out in front of her, and she looked over sharply to see Brandt silently handing her his phone.
"You'll need this." He muttered and Kat swallowed before she took the cell with shaky hands.
Ethan had glanced over at the brief exchange, but he looked back at the Secretary as the man sighed deeply, his face filled with regret as he said to Ethan sadly: "Ethan, you were my best man."
Kat glanced over uneasily, not knowing what she should do as she continued to chew her lip while Ethan watched the Secretary impassively as the man continued sincerely: "And I'm sorry it's come to this, after all the sacrifices you've made."
There was something in the way he said the words that had Kat glance at the man and then Ethan. Ethan's face had a flicker of emotion, something that passed too quickly for Kat to tell what it was before he bowed his head, swallowing hard. As though fighting some strong emotion.
Kat glanced at Brandt, not knowing where else to look as the Secretary finished: "If we don't meet again, I just want you to know: I've always considered you a friend-"
There was a loud crash and Kat was suddenly thrown first into the window, banging her head hard against the glass as the windows on the other side shattered, before she was thrown to the other side, landing on Ethan as the car swerved sharply.
"Stay down!" Ethan yelled at the group, grabbing Kat and dragging her under him as he covered her while he yelled at the driver: "Drive! Drive, drive!"
Ethan ducked, shielding Kat as Brandt grabbed the Secretary and pulled him down as best as he could just as bullets came firing into the car, breaking through the rear window. Kat huddled down when suddenly a bullet hit the front windshield and ricocheted off with a sharp crack. Kat glanced up at the sound before she screamed as the bullet went right through the Secretary's forehead, the force whipping his head back as blood and brain matter splattered out the back of his head.
His head then lolled forehead, his eyes open and glazed and Kat screamed. Brandt, seeing what had happened, let go of the Secretary and instead grabbed Kat, hauling her down as bullets continued to rain down. She clutched at him, unable to stop the whimpers as she tried to make sense of the chaos and the horror around her. The car suddenly swerved, losing control and Kat realized the bullets must have hit the driver as well. She didn't know what to do, particularly when the car skid right over the edge of the road and towards the river below.
Kat screamed as she was lifted off the car floor as the car went into free fall, clinging onto Brandt and feeling him move to shield her as they hit the water. Kat gasped at the impact, unable to help it and immediately regretted it as water entered her mouth. She choked, trying to breath and hold her breath at once as panic sank in, when suddenly Brandt was hauling her up as the car hit the bottom of the river.
She gasped as her head broke the water surface in the small air pocket at the car floor which was now at the top, Brandt breathing heavily beside her as they both coughed, trying to breath, stay afloat in the rising water, and calm their racing hearts. Ethan broke the surface behind her, making her shriek once in alarm.
"You okay?" He demanded and Brandt nodded in response while Kat shook like a leaf.
"Katelyn?" He demanded and she nodded.
"Yeah." She managed to get out, and he ordered them: "Take a deep breath."
Ethan demonstrated, sucking in a large lungful before diving back under the water. Brandt followed, Kat joining them soon after as they began to swim out from under the car. The salty water stung Kat's eyes but she tried to keep them open as she followed Brandt who was following Ethan, only to crash into him as he stopped abruptly. Ethan and Brandt backpedalled quickly as bullets started raining down on them, Brandt grabbing Kat and pushing her back under cover as he went.
The three broke the surface once more, gasping for breath and Kat choked slightly as she accidentally drank in water. The water was rising steadily, and the amount of air was depleting quickly with it.
"What do we do?" Brandt asked, trying to keep calm while Kat choked on another mouthful of water. Brandt noticed, and grabbed her, pulling her up and showing her how to hold onto the ceiling to keep her head afloat.
Ethan meanwhile had grabbed a floating flare and he ordered: "Wait here."
He disappeared beneath the water's surface once more, and Brandt answered dryly: "Where else am I going to go?"
Kat coughed, trying not to drink in water, and Brandt glanced at her.
"Here, tilt your head more." He instructed, reaching out to lift her chin for her. Kat tried, pushing her lips more than her head towards the ceiling and keeping it in the air as the rest of her head was swallowed by the water.
"Hey, calm down." Brandt ordered as he saw the slowly building panic in the girl's face.
"Calm down?!" Kat demanded, starting to really freak out, and Brandt ordered: "Yes! Calm down!"
Kat glanced at him, and he could see she was on the brink of losing it and screaming at him, probably something insulting too by the looks of it. But he was surprised when she closed her eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath before she looked at him once more and nodded her head in one short jerky movement.
"Just keep swimming." Kat muttered dryly, and Brandt snorted, although he couldn't quite mask his surprise at how she'd handled the situation.
They started as Ethan came back, motioning for them to move. They quickly took deep breaths before ducking back down and coming out of the car. Kat saw a body floating off down the river, the flare attached to its sleeve and drawing all the gunfire. Ethan quickly led them in the opposite direction, and Kat swam as quickly as she could after the other two men.
They broke the water's surface, hiding beneath the bridge pillars, out of sight from the gunmen as they continued to fire at the body floating down the river. Ethan motioned for them to be quiet before he led them quickly and silently away, heading up the river before he pulled himself out and onto land. Brandt followed, coughing as Ethan helped Kat out of the river, the latter also coughing up water.
He gave them three seconds to recover before leading them away, Brandt mostly recovered while Ethan had to haul Kat alongside him as she struggled to get her breathing back to normal.
Sidorov P.O.V.
Anatoly Sidorov, SVR agent, watched grimly as the remains of the car carrying his escaped Americans were pulled out of the water. It was empty but for one body that wasn't the one he was looking for, and the body his men had been firing stupidly at also came up negative.
Sidorov paused as his right-hand man came up to him and murmured: "Two prisoners escaped earlier today from the Moscow prison."
Sidorov's attention was caught immediately and he followed his man back to their car. His partner handed him a file, and Sidorov quickly opened it to reveal two men: one he didn't recognize, and the other, his missing American.
"Who is this?" He demanded as he pointed to the one he didn't know, a man named Bogdan. "What do we know about him?"
"I will find out." His partner answered and Sidorov nodded.
"And the girl?" He asked and his partner handed him the other file. Sidorov opened it, his eyes glancing quickly at the photo that showed the same young face he'd seen at the hospital, before he skimmed her file.
His brows shot up as his partner pointed out: "This… it is, perhaps, why she is useful to them."
Sidorov nodded, his jaw clenching as he pondered this new turn of events.