The hotel was still. There was about another hour before dawn would bring light to the shadowed halls and they used this to their advantage. No one seemed to be up but there was no way to be completely certain so they kept to the edges of the walls and paused in corners to scope the length of the corridor.

Stealing a code key from the basement office had been a huge challenge and John was still shivering with the after effects of the adrenaline rush as he slid the plastic card into the lock.

They slipped inside the room noiselessly and paused by the door, eyes adjusting to the darkness. And then the telephone rang.

Silently cursing whoever would call at such a stupid time, John had nowhere to hide and his heart was thumping in his ears as the single occupant in the large double bed stirred.

Alex grabbed the sleeve of John's jumper and tugged him back, her other hand reaching for the door handle. But there was no time. In a split second, the bedside light was switched on and the telephone answered.

John frowned in interest as he listened to the brief conversation and then braced himself for the inevitable.

The call answered and the man now awake, he rubbed his eyes wearily and gave a loud yawn. And then he suddenly realised the presence of the two intruders.

John was across the room in a heartbeat, knocking the phone from the man's hand and ordering him to be quiet. "(Please!)" He urged, grabbing his shoulders and giving him a rough shake. "(It's okay! Ustin, it's me – John. From Kazakhstan.)"

The scientist's pale face moved through a rapid series of expressions from fear to slight relief to recognition and then back to fear.

"(Remember?)" John urged.

Ustin nodded an affirmative and smiled but his face was full of terror.

"(I'm so glad you're alright.)" John continued, chancing that the man was no longer a panic risk and stepping back from him.

"(And you.)" Ustin offered a small smile and then glanced warily at Alex.

John followed his gaze and introduced his 'associate', quickly adding that her Russian was a little rusty and then explaining the same in English to Alex.

Alex smiled a greeting and offered what little she could recall, again wishing she had had time to prepare something a little more useful. "(Pleased, I be, to have you now.)" She stumbled.

Ustin chuckled and nodded in appreciation of the effort. He then looked back to John and settled back against the pillows with a sigh. "(She destroyed it all.)"

John frowned.

"(Mishka.)" Ustin expanded, "(After you left, she went crazy. Killed all the British soldiers and destroyed everything.)" He closed his eyes at the memory and then suddenly gasped. "(Oh no! John! Your craft, they have - )"

"(A virus. I know. I disabled it.)"

"(You did?)" Ustin urged, a mix of relief and disappointment lacing his voice.

"(Took some doing.)" John conceded with a smile.

Ustin grinned merrily and was then instantly apologetic. "(It was Mishka. She made me do it!)"

"(I know. I know. It's okay, Ustin.)"

Alex watched them anxiously, hearing a name she had grown to despise but not understanding much else.

"(Her and that crazy Asian guy. They plotted some horrible things.)"

John nodded.

"(And still are.)"

John froze.

"(Or were. But I haven't heard anything from them for a few weeks now.)"

"Mishka is dead." John submitted matter-of-factly, suddenly in English.

Alex watched him warily, trying to work out why he was now saying this for her to also understand.

"Dead?" Ustin repeated in a whisper.

John nodded, "I killed her."

Alex's heart sank. There was no emotion in his voice, no evidence of remorse or sadness. It seemed it was now simply a fact of his life. And, as much as she appreciated his attempt to try and convey to her that he was getting over it, she much preferred the odd breakdown to the sudden chill that ran through her.

Ustin watched John in uncertainty for a moment and then slowly nodded. "(I think I would do the same … if it was my family …)"

John seemed startled and glanced at Alex in alarm. She could only shrug, without a clue as to what Ustin had said.

"(It was obvious.)" Ustin smiled warmly, "(And I am a genius, after all.)"

Alex took a protective step closer to John and then saw him raise his hand in reassurance.

John saw his chance. "(I need your help to protect them again, Ustin.)"

Ustin nodded eagerly, "(Of course. Anything.)"

"(Where is Trangh Belagant?)"


Henry was poised behind the door, old habits too strong to resist. He had heard their voices and but had also heard another man, chatting away in Russian. He had taken out his gun and been ready for anything.

Alex opened the door and peered round, rolling her eyes in dismay. Seeing Henry shrug an apology, she stepped closer to give his shoulder a quick squeeze and then headed for the bed. With a heavy sigh she threw herself on top of the covers and closed her eyes.

"Bit too early for you, love?" Henry chuckled.

Alex looked across to the window and pointed dramatically. "It's only just getting light!"

"You want us to leave you alone? Let you get some shut eye?"

"Nah." Alex pulled herself upright and yawned wearily. "It's okay. I'm awake now."

Henry then turned and watched John enter the room. He regarded his guest suspiciously and looked to John for an explanation.

"Henry," John began carefully. "Can I introduce Professor Ustin Andropov?"

Henry stepped forward and held out his hand. "Henry Shaw. (Pleased to meet you)."

"(Ah!)" Ustin shook his hand eagerly, "(You also know the mother tongue!)"

"(Indeed. Makes this all a lot easier.)" Henry smiled.

Alex looked between the three of them and groaned, flopping back onto the bed with a sigh. "Great. More crazy-ov unfathomable-ov, komrradds."

John laughed and perched on the bed beside her. "I'm sorry. You need me to translate?"

Alex lifted her head and shook it resolutely. "That's even more frustrating!" She then grinned, "But breakfast and a bubble bath would go down well."

XXXXX

John sipped at his coffee and leaned over the large scribbled map, watching in avid interest as Ustin drew new lines, added names where question marks stood and crossed out links that were incorrect.

Ustin sat back and examined his handiwork. "(I think this is correct now.)" He looked first at John and then Henry. "(And …)" He leaned back down and added a new branch, connecting it to the key players.

John peered closer to read Ustin's rough script. "(Red Dawn?)"

Ustin nodded sombrely. "(That's what I believe they are calling themselves.)"

"Great …" Henry sighed and gave John a pointed look. "Just as we thought. Take one psycho and add a large measure of international terrorist cell. Mix together and stand well back."

"Terrorist. Yes." Ustin urged, pointing at the new map entry. "Bad people."

John grabbed his laptop and called up one of the files. "(This man?)" He showed him the image of their Eastern European looking 'ghost'.

Ustin peered at the picture and then nodded. "(I have seen him but … I don't know his name.)"

"(Is he with Red Dawn?)"

"(I couldn't be sure.)"

"(And Red Dawn were behind the attack on the Thunderbirds in Washington?)" Henry surmised.

"(Yes.)" Ustin shrugged an apology.

John ran his hand through his hair and groaned softly. "(So … they've now got the technology that was in your lab?)"

Ustin nodded and shrugged another apology. "(I had no choice.)"

"Mirojnick?" Henry urged.

Ustin sighed, "(My brother's project. Russian Space Federation rocket. Terrible tragedy. God rest him.)"

John gasped, "(It was manned?)"

"(Yes.)"

John closed his eyes and murmured in dismay.

Henry frowned, "(We have always been under the impression that it was a computerised test flight.)"

"(No.)" Ustin frowned at the memory, "(There was a problem with the guidance system and the automated flight was abandoned but, afraid the government would pull the plug, my brother flew the test with his crew.)"

"Shit …"

John placed his hand on Ustin's arm. "(I'm so sorry.)"

Ustin nodded his appreciation.

"(So,)" Henry queried, "(Why change your name?)"

"(Because the people who destroyed the rocket came after everyone involved.)"

John raised his eyebrows in interest. ("It was sabotaged then?)"

"(Oh, yes! And I had evidence to prove it. Took it to my superiors and their superiors and the government. No one would listen. Then I had one warning too many and decided to go into hiding.)" He smiled thinly, "(That was how I met Mishka.)" He glanced at John, "(And by the time I realised the sort of person she was, I was in too deep.)"

The three men absorbed all this for a moment and looked back down at the map, which was starting to make more sense now.

"(And now?)" Henry asked, "(They have built another rocket?)"

Ustin nodded eagerly and smiled in pride. "(The Ventura. She is beautiful.)"

"(When is the test?)" John urged.

"(Tomorrow.)" Ustin shook his head sadly, ("She is a joint effort between all the founding nations of ISA and we created her together but … we ran out of money. ISA offered the build out to contract and somehow two companies have made two separate craft. One here and one in America. It became less collaboration and more like a competition. The American one was completed ahead of schedule but something went wrong and she exploded during the test.)"

"What?" Henry and John both gasped together.

"('Something' went wrong?)" John demanded.

Ustin turned to him and saw the realisation spread across his face. "(Red Dawn.)" He confirmed.

Tbc …