Vladimir Makarov looked around for the first time, looking around at his surroundings. He found himself staring up at a blinding white light, which caused him to squint from how bright it was. He moved his arm in an attempt to try and shield himself, but he found it immovable. He looked over to see it handcuffed to a pole. He tried to move his other limbs, but they were all to the same result. The last thing he remembered was being chained to a bed, and now he had woken up to find himself in the same situation.

But not all was the same. Instead of seeing the faces of Carpathia and Vorshevsky, he was greeted by old friends, ones he recognized instantly.

Anatoly Butkovsky, with his optimistic character and worrisome attitude. Victor Rostov, and his quiet demeanor. Anya Kosov, with her easily recognizable burnt scarlet hair and burgundy eyes, and finally the final person, a young girl with gray hair and eyes, with a somewhat calm and boring expression, Elena Zakhaev.

It was all the same people he had last seen before he had disappeared, save the one detective. He didn't know what had happened or where he was, but these familiar faces in front of him had to have all the answers, at least the ones he needed.

"Anatoly?..." Makarov said, focusing his eyes. "Victor?..."

Anatoly face lit up with a grin. "It worked!"

Victor just rolled his eyes and sighed. "Told you..."

"I can't believe it!" Anatoly exclaimed, getting out of his chair. "They told me you were dead, but I didn't believe them, no sir, I-

"Anatoly!" Makarov shouted. "Get me the hell out of here!"

Makarov shook his arm, showing that he was still handcuffed to the metal bed post.

"I don't think those will be necessary anymore..." Elena said quietly.

"Oh, sorry." Anatoly said, rubbing his head. "I got it, don't worry."

Anatoly quickly produced a small key and quickly unlocked the handcuffs from Makarov's wrists and ankle. Makarov slowly brought himself to a sitting position on the bed, rubbing his arms and wrists. He felt sore all over, like he had just woken up after a long nap, his joints stiff. But he didn't feel one bit tired, he felt fine. He knew he had of been shot countless times, but yet it felt like to him like he hadn't even gone though it. There would be scars, but there seemed to be no permanent damage from the gunshots.

He knew what had happened to him. Now he just had to figure out what happened afterward.

"Where am I?" Makarov asked, rubbing his forehead. "What happened?"

He looked around to everyone, trying to see if they had an answer. Anatoly was the first one to speak.

"You have been missing for nearly a year..." Anatoly said quietly.

"A year?"

Anatoly nodded. "We didn't know what happened...We thought you were dead..."

Makarov sighed. "Over a year then..."

He mind suddenly flashed to Shepherd and his sister. "Where is she! What happened to her!"

"Calm down." Elena said, causing Makarov to look up in surprise. "You might want to take it slow."

Makarov straightened himself. "Calm down! How can I calm down when-

He stopped himself, realizing that Anatoly and Victor were still in the room. He hadn't told them about his sister, or what had happened to her. He would have no choice, they would want an explanation, and he would have to give one. There was no point in denying it any longer.

"I already told them." Elena said, answering Makarov's exact thoughts. "They know all about your sister."

Makarov looked up in surprise. He hadn't realized that they already knew. He didn't know what to say. Would they be willing to continue working with them if he was going to save his sister? He hadn't planned for this, but then again, he didn't plan on getting shot either.

"Listen Makarov..." Anatoly started. "You should have told us..."

"It would have help." Victor added quietly.

"I didn't know what you would do." Makarov explained quietly. "I was myself, and I was afraid. Afraid what would happen to her, and what would happen if I told you..."

"We're on your side, no matter what." Anatoly said, giving Makarov a small smile.

"It doesn't matter what your reasons are, were here to help." Victor added. "Just know that."

Makarov sighed, shaking his head. "But it doesn't matter now anyway..."

"What do you mean?" Anatoly asked.

"Nina is long gone..." Makarov said quietly. "Along with Shepherd's men..."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that..." Elana said, a small smile on her face.

Makarov looked over at her, a suspicious look on his face. "What do you mean?"

"Shepherd's men, Shadow Company, took your sister..."

"Yes..." Makarov said, still trying to figure out where she was going,

"Do you ever wonder what happened to them? Or who is leading them now?" Elena asked.

Makarov took a moment to think. He didn't know what happened to Shadow Company. Shepherd had told them they had fled, taking his sister along with them. After that, he didn't know what happened to them. He would have assumed they would have disbanded or regrouped with other units. But this was Shepherd's personal unit, one that wasn't even supposed to even exist.

Makarov leaned in close, listening carefully. "Elena, where are you going with this? What happened to Shadow Company, and who is their leader?"


Sedusky cleared his throat and stood before the many people present at his presentation of the day's recent attack. He wasn't one for giving presentations, but he felt it was best if he was the one who did, seeing as he was of the few actually present at the scene. He pressed another button on the small remote, revealing the first slide in his presentation to the members of the Investigation Bureau and the Moscow Police Force.

"At approximately 11:27 AM, four gunmen entered and the GUM supermarket complex." Sedusky said. "They were seen carrying what has been identified as some sort of gas canister, the weapon used in the recent attack."

He pressed the button on the remote again, revealing another slide. "The gunmen have been linked to an American radical group called the United Sovereign States of America, or the USSA for short. A terrorist group currently operating in Moscow." Sedusky continued. "So far, the gunmen are still at large, and an investigation into their whereabouts is currently underway."

An officer sitting in the front watching the presentation raised his hand. "What is the current number of members of this group?" He asked.

"As of this time, we cannot give an accurate number, but based on the level of planning and coordination, reasonable estimates would be close to nearly a thousand members." Sedusky replied.

He turned back to the projector screen and continued on his presentation. "The USSA is led by a single unknown individual, known only as the Patriot..."


"His age is unknown..." Clay continued to list off.

"Birthplace unknown..." Webb said. "But most likely American..."

"Of course." Clay replied in a sarcastic tone.

"He's calm, organized, and above all, determined." Webb finished, continuing to add more things to his list of traits of the Patriot, beginning to build somewhat of a rough profile.

Clay leaned back on his back and sighed, looking back up at the clouds. "Right, so whats first?"


"Four names were picked up on the security feeds during the attack." Sedusky said, continuing his presentation. "Miller, Beckett, Webb and Williams. If these names are indeed the real names of the attackers, then it only confirms that this was most likely an attack from the USSA."

Sedusky clicked to a shot from the camera of the four gunmen carrying the gas canister during the attack. It showed two of then carrying the canister, and the other two out in front.

"We can see two shooters out front, while two are carrying the cylinder." Sedusky explained. "Based on the orders given after reviewing the tapes, it would seem that its Miller and Beckett leading the way, while Webb and Williams are carrying the canister."

"Also, it is safe to assume that the leader of the group is Miller." Sedusky added, zooming in on the individual giving orders. "This man may be are only link to the Patriot..."


"Nathaniel Miller..." Clay said to himself, looking up at the clouds.

"What about him?" Webb asked, pouring over his notes he and Clay had taken.

"You think he might know anything? Clay asked.

"Oh, I'm sure he does Clay. In fact, why don't you go and ask him." Webb said, putting as much sarcasm as he could into each word. "I'm sure he would be happy to tell you everything you want to know."

"Who said we should ask him?" Clay asked, a small smirk on his face.

Webb narrowed his eyes. "Your not thinking what I hope your not thinking..."

"We got to get somewhere." Clay said, standing up. "And old Nate seems like our best ticket to getting started."

Webb quickly got up, putting his hand on Clay's shoulder and stopping him his tracks.

"Let's just think about this from a rational standpoint." Webb started, raising his finger.

A small smirk appeared across Clay's face as he crossed his arms, waiting to listen.

"Okay..." Clay said, still smiling to himself.

"Nathaniel Miller is a cold blooded killer." Webb said. "And not only that, he is really suspicious. Of everyone."

"Okay..." Clay repeated, still not showing any real signs of taking Webb's words seriously.

"Of everyone..." Webb repeated, this time much slower.

Clay just shrugged. "Nothing I haven't heard before."

Webb sighed. "Everyone would include us Clay..."

"So what, you afraid of Miller?" Clay asked.

"I'm more afraid of what will happen if he catches us." Webb replied. "You do realize what would happen if he caught us snooping around in his office?"

"Again, 'if' he catches us." Clay pointed out.

"This is already getting way too dangerous..." Webb said, crossing his arms.. "I'm not doing it..."

"Matt, your the only one out the four of us that knows how to pick a lock."

Webb shook his head. "Then I guess your gonna have to find someone else."

"Come on." Clay pleaded. "Don't you want to find the Patriot?"

Webb closed his eyes and wasn't so much him finding the Patriot, rather, trying to talk Clay out of it. He couldn't see how much danger they would be getting into if they were going to be serious about this. He didn't realize how expendable they really were in the Patriot's eyes. If they were caught, then there would be no point in keeping them alive. They would just be disposed of, and that would be the end of that.

But he already knew Clay's 'if we get caught' reply, so there was no point in trying to argue and talk him out of it. But he couldn't let him just search on his own. He wanted to figure out who the Patriot was too, but unlike Clay, there was a limit to what he was willing to risk.

But he also wanted to know more about Nathaniel Miller. Webb was always watching his back when his was around him, always treading lightly when he was close by. Miller was someone that could easy deceive anyone, and stab them in the back when they weren't looking.

It was because of his distrust to the man was what motivated him to find out more, even if it meant breaking into his office and potentially risking life and limb. He didn't trust the man entirely, and he wanted to figure out more about him. More then what Miller was telling him.

"Well?" Clay asked, waiting anxiously for Webb's answer.

Webb sighed. "Fine." He reluctantly replied. "But only this once."

Clay grinned and celebrated to himself, causing Webb to shake his head and sigh.

"I really hope I don't regret this..."


"...Our first priority is finding the Patriot." Sedusky said. "He is responsible for numerous kidnappings, killings, and murders. He is considered highly dangerous and cannot be ignored."

A female officer near the back raised her hand in the back.

"Yes?" Sedusky asked.

"How do you expect to find him? The female asked. "We haven't necessary been given very many leads."

"There are no real leads as of now, but new ones might present themselves in the coming days." Sedusky replied. "But for now, we can focus on investigating the four names, as well as how all the victims died during the attack."

Sedusky took a deep breath and sighed. "I know it looks hard, but eventually, the Patriot will eventually slip up. And when he does, we'll be there to arrest him."


"The Patriot..." Makarov said to himself.

"That's right." Elena replied.

"And the rest of Shadow Company?" Makarov asked.

"All under his command."

Makarov closed his eyes to think. "If Shepherd is dead, who could it be? There was no one else, he acted alone. He didn't have an accomplice, did he...?"

"So he's in Moscow..." Makarov said.

"Yes."

"And he has my sister..."

"Most likely." Elena replied. "If not, then he would definitely know where she is.

"So if I find the Patriot..." Makarov started.

"Then you'll probably find Nina." Elena finished. "At least that makes the most since."

Makarov closed his eyes and sighed. Even after all this time, nothing really had changed. He was still on the run, still fighting against Carpathia and Vorshevsky, and now, fighting against the Americans. And now with this USSA radical group and their leader, the Patriot, it felt like he would be fighting Shepherd all over again, looking for his sister.

"So it seems like we start over." Makarov said, looking up at Elena and the others.

Elena nodded silently. "So it would seem..."

He wouldn't let anyone stop him. Not Vorshevsky. Not Carpathia. Not this Patriot. No one. He had a plan. He knew what he had to do.

Vladimir Makarov narrowed his eyes and tightly clenched his fists. "If I want to find Nina once and for all, I have to find 'him'..."


Henri Sedusky took a deep breath and sighed. "If I want to stop this and save people's lives, I have to find 'him'..."

Matthew Webb sat down and closed his eyes. "If I want to truly be safe and secure, I have to find 'him'..."


"I will find the Patriot." Makarov, Sedusky, and Webb promised to themselves together.