The door opened to reveal a polished, white-metal corridor. Gray metal doors lined the sides of the corridors, but no one was visible at the moment.
I'm in, Ethan whispered. Close door.
Closing door, Jack replied calmly. The entrance door slid closed again.
Proceeding to package, Ethan said. According to his scanner, Taretchnakov, the red dot on his scanner, was no more than 50 meters away from Ethan's current location. This close, however, and there would be many guards. Ethan picked up his pistol and abandoned the mop and wheeled pail.
Come out, come out, wherever you are, Ethan muttered silently as he slowly walked down the corridor. The red dot grew ever closer, but Ethan had still not arrived at Vladimir's cell.
And suddenly the corridor ended. The red dot was still at least ten meters away, but there was no door. Ethan didn't know what to do.
Ethan said, about to ask for the map.
I see it, Jack said. You passed the door you want. Turn around. It is the third door on your right.
Thanks Jack, Ethan said. Any chance of me seeing that map?
Too big to transmit, Jack said. Just listen to me. Have I ever steered you wrong?
I'm not gonna think about that one, Ethan joked, trying the door Jack had specified. It opened easily, and Ethan stepped in, hiding his gun as well as possible.
Hey there, a guard said in Russian. What are you doing in here?
Wrong door? Ethan asked, closing the door behind him. I wonder if you would look at this. Ethan hoped he wasn't butchering the question in the translation, but the guard, still skeptical, came closer.
You see, Ethan continued, I found this out in the hallway. Ethan pulled out his gun in one swift motion and shot the guard before he could react. Almost immediately an alarm started blaring.
Security cameras, Ethan muttered. Damn. Jack!
Find him and get out of there! Jack called over the radio.
Ethan searched the guard and found a key card on him. He lifted the card and ran around the corner in the small security post. Before him was a corridor with cells on wither side. Ethan ran down the metallic corridor, checking his scanner for the package.
Here you are, Ethan said, turning to one cell on the left. He swiped the card through a small reader, and the opaque door slid open immediately. Within the dark cell, lounging on a hard bench, was Taretchnakov. He appeared to be asleep as Ethan ran into the cell.
Just what I need, Ethan muttered, trying to rouse the defector. A sleeping Soviet. Wake up!
At last, the somewhat heavy, balding man awoke. He muttered a few curses about the alarm before realizing what was happening.
Why is a janitor in here? he asked no one in particular.
I am not a janitor, Ethan said in English. I am here to rescue you.
Taretchnakov asked, now in heavily accented English.
I am an American, from the CIA, Ethan explained. Let's get going.
Ethan led Vladimir out of the cell and back to the security post where the fallen Russian guard lay, powerless now to stop the fleeing fugitives. Cautiously stepping back into the main hallway, they soon continued on toward the main entrance to the detention wing. Ethan had his silenced 9mm pistol ready all the while.
Open door, Ethan instructed Jack, holding the scanner very close to his mouth.
Opening door, jack replied, a hint of nervousness creeping into his usually serene voice. The front entrance is not an option. Plan beta.
You are gonna have to lead me then, Ethan replied, stepping through the slowly opening outer door. Taretchnakov followed dumbly after.
What ees plan beta? he asked, now running down the carpeted corridor of the main part of the KGB HQ.
Our contingency escape plan, Ethan said. We figured that the main entrance would be blocked if an alarm went off.
So what ees plan beta? he asked again.
Fire escape from the roof, Ethan explained, turning the corridor. Two guards were off in the distance, but two carefully aimed shots left the hallway clear.
Thees ees dangerous! Taretchnakov said with sudden realization.
Not so loud, Vladimir, Ethan said. Where to, Hacker Jack?
Right at the next junction, he explained, play-by-play. Now a left keep straight watch out! Guards there. Now take a left, and there is an elevator. Take it to the seventh floor.
Ethan and Vladimir stepped into the waiting elevator, which was blessedly empty, and pressed the appropriate button.
What ees your name? Vladimir asked, catching his breath.
Ethan replied. Ethan Hunt. We are getting you outta here.
I gathered that, Taretchnakov replied as the door opened to the seventh floor. The two ran out of the elevator, as Jack immediately began again to give instruction. Soon they had reached a service ladder in a closet that went onto the roof. Within a minute, both Ethan and Vladimir were on the curiously spongy roof. The night air was crisp and cold, a relief from the air inside the building which Ethan now realized had been rather stuffy.
Ethan ran to a guard hut or room of some kind on the roof. A satellite dish was mounted on top of it. Within, Jack sat with his laptop hooked up by several wires to the control for the dish. He was rapidly pulling wires from the wall and wrapping them. The alarm, although muffled, could still be heard.
Let's go, Ethan said when Jack was finished. The three walked out of the room, jack narrowly missing a whizzing bullet. They dove back behind the cover of the satellite room.
So close, Jack said. Ethan leaned around the cover to fire a shot, then pulled back.
And yet so far, he commented.
