The task force headed into the mountains. On rocky trails through forests each soldier wound their way over crests into valleys numerous times. Mountain streams supplied replenishment of both body and spirit. Despite the discipline and strain, Anya and Dimitri held fast, keeping pace with the other troops, much to their own surprise. Dimitri was thankful that this time he had a cooperative horse. Anya adjusted quicker than him to a soldier's life. "It's like being back with Comrade Phlegmenkoff again, only outdoors, and clothes that fit," she explained. For a week and a half, the group trekked deeper into the mountains. Then came the night they all waited for. It was evening. The sun did not yet set, but one would think so because of the mountains. The main group waited on a ridge over looking a clearing. Down below was a hunter's cabin. There the rendezvous would occur. Soldiers began to set up a protective perimeter, and stoke the fire in the cabin. Two went off to meet the prince's escort. Oliver sat with Anya and Dimitri, explaining what's to come.
"Our scouts will come back with Alexei to the shack. Maj. Rossmount will enter and confirm it's him. Then he'll signal to me for you to come down to meet him. Your wait is almost over, your grace," Oliver reassures. He goes back to looking through his binoculars. Anya just nods with a nervous grin. She holds her tin cup of coffee tight, occasionally sipping. Trembling ever so slightly from both excitement and nerves, Anya runs multiple scenarios through he head of what's about to happen. Her thoughts range from 'will he remember me' to 'is he really Alyosha?' Dimitri can see how apprehensive Anya is, and wraps his arm around her to reassure her and calm her.
"Hey, hey, don't be so nervous. You acting like its the Paris opera house all over again. It's going to be fine." His says this for both of them. He too is apprehensive, worrying whether or not the love of his life is going to have her heart broken if this person claiming to be Alexei turns out to be a fraud. Dimitri hopes his apprehensiveness isn't visible. He doesn't want to add to Anya's.
"Dima, you don't know that. I don't know that. It's just…," Anya searches for the words, "I have a chance of getting one more part of my family back. I just hope, that this works." She leans into Dimitri, who allows it.
"They're coming back," Oliver reports. With that Anya leaps up and runs to Oliver's side and looks early to where Oliver faces. "There, through the pine," he points, handing the binoculars to Anya, who grabs them eagerly. She peers through the lens and sees five people on horseback. One of which looked younger than the rest.
"Please be my brother," Anya whispers. Dimitri takes the binoculars to look.
"Ok, they've gone inside with the major. I can't believe this is happening. Are you almost ready… Anya!" Dimitri drops the binoculars as he grabs Anya. In her excitement she forgot to breath and started to faint.
"Oh no, not now," says Oliver, "here." He hands Dimitri his canteen to give Anya water and to sprinkle water on her to bring her back. Two soldiers come to help. Oliver goes back to watching the cabin.
"Come on Anya, now's not the time to take a nap," Dimitri quips as he fans her with his hat.
"Oh don't worry about me, I was just testing your reflexes, you've passed," Anya quips back. Nice to see their repore survived. She takes a few sips of water and a few deep breaths.
"Major Rossmount signaled me, it's time." Oliver turns to the couple. "Are you ready?" Anya and Dimitri nod.
"Yes, just help me get up, and make sure I don't stumble. The last thing I want to get is a bloody nose."
"Don't worry your grace, I usually fill that quota," Dimitri replies, hoping to cut the tension with a wisecrack. The trio makes their way to the cabin with their escort. Anya mentally prepares herself for what's about to occur, be it Alyosha or not. And the questions he'll ask. Then it hits her; her brother doesn't know the sad truth of their family. How was Anya going to handle answering those questions? What was Alexei's reaction going to be? Can she handle this? 'No, now's not the time for doubt, gotta think positive,' she muses, 'I'll tell him the truth when we get home to Paris, with Grandmamma. We're about to be a family again. We're about to be a family again,' she repeats over and over in her mind. The soldiers at the door stand attention as they arrive. Oliver opens the door. The cabin is small and sparsely decorated. Standing around two soldiers who are in conversation with the Major and young stranger seated at the table, whose back is to the door. The conversations stops when Anya walks in. The Major stands, giving the young man a reassuring pat the on the shoulder. He stands up and turns. He is on the thin side, pale, with a crop of familiar auburn hair on his head. And he had the same familiar pair of stark blue eyes, a trademark of the Romanov family. Those eyes go wide once they recognize the woman in the room. The young man utters a word he has not said in a long time and one that Anya hadn't heard in a long time.
"Nastya." His voice grows louder once he fully realizes who's standing in front of him. "Nastya!" He comes running forward and embraces his sister. "Oh thank God above, you're here, you're here! You're alive! You're alive!" He can't stop himself from uncontrollably sobbing. Neither can Anya. Once she saw him, she knew. Deep down in her bones, her heart, in every fiber of her being, she knew it was her brother, her sweet Alyosha. Her memories of their times together back in the palace come flooding back in a warm wave Anya thought she would never feel again.
"Alyosha, oh, my dear Alyosha," she managed to say between sobs. They stand there hugging each other for a few moments. There wasn't a dry eye in the room. Even Dimitri shed tears of joy at seeing at seeing his wife so happy. Oliver took out his handkerchief to dry his eyes and then offers it to Dimitri. "It's so wonderful to see you again Alyosha," Anya says through the tears.
"I can say the same thing for you Nastya. Oh, I've missed you so much," Alexei replies. He turns to address the group. "Thank you, all of you. This is a most joyous, blessed occasion. All of you will become counts! Knights even, if father allows it." Anya winches at the mention of their father. "Oh Nastya, tell me everything! How are you? How did you escape the Bolsheviks? What's it like in exile?"
"Alyosha, as much as I love to answer your questions now, let's save them for when we're back in Paris. It's not safe here."
"She's right, we'd best be on our way," says the Major as he dons his hat and starts making preparations to leave.
"Of course, of course. We must return to the Allied Army so that the attack can begin, yes? Have other fronts been engaged yet, or are you waiting for me?" Alexei truly has no idea.
"You'll know once we get back," Oliver motions for the door as every ushers out. Anya and Alexei walk arm in arm, excitedly talking to each other.
"You did alright kid, sorry that I ever doubted you," says Dimitri, patting Oliver on the back.
"I appreciate it, but save the gratitude for when we're back in Paris, then-" Oliver is cut off by gunfire in the distance. Everyone freezes.
"What's that? Has the war begun?" Alexei asks, looking around.
"No, I think that's our perimeter guard greeting the Reds. Move!" Oliver shoves the royals forward towards cover.
"I guess I spoke too soon," says Dimitri, slipping into his classic sarcastic demeanor, "weren't we secured?"
"That's the key word, sir, we were," Oliver replies, unslinging his auto rifle. More gunshots are heard, but louder, as in closer. The four of them take cover behind a rock, with Oliver peeking out, leveling his auto rifle towards the distant crackles and pops of gunfire. "We can only hope that it's a standard Soviet patrol and not the whole force that's been sent after his highness."
"Curses, the red dogs have followed me. We must get out of here!" says Alexei as he begins to stand. Oliver notices and darts from his position to haul him back down to the ground.
"Not yet! We gotta make sure it's ok to move. Don't want a stray bullet to hit-" Oliver didn't finish his sentence as a stray bullet pinged off the rock roughly where Alexei's head just was. Then all hell broke loose. The Soviet force slammed into the clearing, sending agents flying and scrambling to fire.
"Spread out! Search for the royals! They're here!" shouted Comrade Major Karskov. Everyone was firing. Bullets whiz past, muzzle flashes amid the demising twilight as the last streaks of sun disappear. Men shout confused exclamations in Russian, French, and English. Oliver grabs his rifle and Alexei and runs to new cover. Dimitri and Anya look at each other and follow suit, running behind the first pair tree to tree among splinting branches and snow kicked up by bullets. Fear is clearly seen in their eyes as memories of a dark night long ago flood back into their minds when their lives changed forever. Anya puts her hands to her ears as Dimitri squeezes her to protect her.
"Now what?" he screams to Oliver. Oliver remains silent, eyes darting among the trees, trying to find allies and trying to think of what to do next.
"This isn't what the briefing said…" he whispers to no one. Just then he hears a familiar voice shout out.
"OLIVER, GET THEM OUT OF HERE! HEAD FOR THE HORSES AND THE RENDEVOUS!" Major Rossmount shouts above the scuffle. His group of soldiers are firing towards the Soviets as they made their way to the tired up horses. Oliver nods and plucks up courage.
"Come on, follow me!" Oliver again grabs Alexei and runs for the horses, firing his revolver towards the Reds without looking.
"Okay Anya? Ready? One, two three!" Dimitri yells as he and Anya make a run for it. The four of them make it among the wayward shots to the horses.
"Start untying their reins! Once you do, get out of here!" Oliver shouts. Soon, an explosion is heard, spooking the horses. One rears in front of Oliver, knocking him to the ground.
"Are you alright kind?" Dimitri asks.
"Yeah, they're firing mortars now, we gotta get outta here!" Now the fear was showing on Oliver's face. Eventually, Anya and Dimitri are able to mount a horse together and set off. Maj. Rossmount's group mounted and were setting off as well.
"No, wait! We have to wait for Alexei!" Anya screams, terrified. Oliver helps Alexei onto his horse and then mounts his own. The Soviets edge closer.
"YA!" he hells and spurs the horse forward. The four start galloping into the mountains. No sooner had they taken a few trots when another mortar shell explodes, injuring Alexei's horse, knocking both to the ground. Luckily he is not pinned under. "Wait!" Oliver screams. Only Anya and Dimitri notice. Oliver gallops back and picks up Alexei. He returns to Anya and Dimitri as they set to join the main group. Just then the snow explodes in front of them. "This way!" Oliver motions. They four of them gallop of in a different direction, away from gunfight. The four didn't care where they were going, as long as they were getting out of that hell. They ride deeper and deeper into the mountains, away from the danger.
After retreating away from the Russians, Maj Rossmout and what was left of the task force regroup in a rocky crag. It felt like an eternity since the last calm.
"Alright, we've given the Reds the slip. The hard part is over now. Leftenant, do a head count and munitions check." The Major dismounts to catch his breath and to drink from his canteen. 'Damn, that was rough,' he thinks, 'God, it felt like the Somme all over again.'
"Sir," the lieutenant reports, "11 are unaccounted for, including Oliver Cross and the Specials Persons." Rossmount spits out his water as his eyes go wide.
"Dear God," he hoarsely whispers. He looks towards the mountains. "They could be anywhere."
"They've retreated for now Comrades," boomed Majors Karskov to his assembled troops, "But we will find them! Split up and search for them! We will find the royals and bring them the justice they rightfully deserve!"