Cano did her best to maintain her sanity as she was shuttled through the night in the backseat of an old pickup truck. She was stuffed into the corner of the backseat, pinned back by both Rs and the gear they'd both brought along.

The truck's driver, a middle aged man who spoke with a heavy Georgian accent, was blasting a loud and fast paced rap song in his native tongue, which he merrily sang along to as the truck tore through the night. He took curves at speed that caused her to be compressed further into the corner as the weight of Rs and their stuff threatened to crush her, and the truck's ancient suspension had Cano floating in air every time they went over any bump or pothole. With only the faded yellow high beams illuminating their path forward, the ride felt less like a peaceful commute and more like a rollercoaster blasting into an abyss.

Rs, despite it all, was asleep. Her head rested on Cano's lap with her mouth slightly open, breathing shallowly and occasionally shifting a little. How she could rest at all under the circumstances was beyond Cano's understanding -She would've thought humans would struggle to sleep under these conditions- yet Rs was snoozing peacefully. Cano had to suffer her discomfort in silence.

It didn't help that Rs hadn't told Cano where they were headed, or what for. Dead reckoning told her they were headed north along the highway towards Chernivtsi, but whether that was their destination or not she had no idea.

"Where are we going?" she tried to shout over the music.

"Eh?" the driver replied, taking his eyes fully off the road to look back at her as they tore down the highway. Much to her horror.

"Where are we going?! And eyes on the road!"

"Ha!" the old man barked a laugh, turning his head back to the road, "You'll see!"

"Urgh, How much longer!?"

"Not long, not long!" he waved back to her.

Rs stirred, "eh, we there yet…?" she mumbled without opening her eyes.

"I don't think so," Cano gently ran her hand through Rs' hair a few times, trying to coax her back to sleep.

Rs' chest rose and fell gently, and a peaceful look returned to her face as sleep took her again. Cano caught herself watching her for a while, watching the human's face twitch every now and then, watching her gently fidget as if in a dream. It was captivating for some reason.

Time passed unnaturally fast, minutes ticking past in what felt like seconds.

Soon enough, a distant glow caught Cano's attention. Rising up in the distance, a dark gray shadow loomed, wreathed in glimmering starlike spotlights much the way up its towering length. The quarantine wall, stretching out into the dark, lighting up the night with its marker lights and standing vigil over the countryside.

The truck rolled up to the entrance, the driver waving to a tired looking guard sitting in his booth by the gate. They didn't really stop as one normally should at such a checkpoint, just slowing a little as the gate was raised just ahead of them. The soldier waved to them as they went past.

Cano furrowed her brow, "What's up with that?"

The driver didn't seem to hear her, or care, instead going right back to singing along to his music. After passing beneath the behemoth wall, they emerged back out into the night and resumed their journey as if nothing had happened.

The dark rolling hills returned outside her window, formless shapes zipping past in the night. Now though, a few houses joined them, and occasionally a light or two would be shining from within. What were those humans doing up so late? Were they up all night, or had they just gotten up? What were their lives like?

Rs squirmed again in her lap, and Cano, unthinking, placed a hand on her friend's head again. Her hair was soft.

Looking up out the window, the stars began to disappear into the night as the lights of the city grew visible through the trees ahead. Apparently this was not her first visit to Chernivtsi, Rs had told her all about their visit to the city, and everything they did. She wondered if she'd get to meet some of the people from that story.

Minutes later, the lights of the city were all around them, and the driver at last slowed down to a reasonable speed. A few drunken humans wandered the streets, but otherwise the streets were empty.

The truck pulled into an alleyway, rumbling along the narrow passage before finding a small lot behind a tall red brick building. The driver shut off his engine, and stretched his arms up.

"Okay ladies, we're here," he announced.

"Rs," Cano said, nudging the slumbering woman awake.

"Eh, ah," Rs murmured, eyes still bleary as she took in the surroundings.

Cano dragged her out of the cab, and nudged her through the door the driver was holding open for them while Cano took all their bags and kit.

They were greeted by a pair of suit clad men, who took Cano and Rs' bags off of her and set them aside, before ushering them into the next room. Rs became noticeably more excited as they shuffled into the next room, the weariness and lingering fatigue falling off her as she stepped into what was revealed to be a bar.

It was quiet, devoid of patrons, with a long wooden bar and a few tables scattered throughout. At the bar sat a bald man with tanned skin, a tattoo creeping up from his suit's collar. He looked like a snake; Cano half expected fangs to appear as a wide grin formed on his lips.

"Ah! Old friend, so good to see you!" He greeted Rs, the pair meeting halfway in a quick, friendly hug.

This must be Tepes, Rs' criminal friend. Cano had heard from Rs about him, she'd described him in glowing terms, but Cano never quite understood why she was so positive towards him. From what she'd heard, the man was a criminal leader, one who pays off Police and Statesec, one who trades in illicit goods, and he was the one who's men had taken Rs and herself all those months ago. Though she supposed without him, she and Rs would never have met.

Rs and Tepes shuffled back over to the bar, while Tepes' men dispersed out of the room, save for a man wearing headphones by the door. She was left standing awkwardly by the rear entrance while Tepes and Rs caught up over small talk and several glasses of red liquor.

So, Cano began to wander, investigating the little bar curiously. She looked under tables, finding troves of stuck gum, checked out the windows and briefly considered going through the bottles behind the bar. She tried catching the doorman's eye, leaning over into his field of view, but he seemed to actively avoid looking at her, instead looking down at his little stand.

She noticed stairs towards the side of the room, and thought about going up them for a moment before Tepes and Rs' conversation turned away from their bantering.

"So. Tell me. What is the purpose of this visit?" Tepes asked.

"Ah, we're searching for someone. A doll, again," Rs replied, finishing off a glass of liquor.

Cano raised a brow, and quietly made her way back over towards them. She'd had her suspicions, especially with the timing of all this. Part of her wondered why she wanted to do this alone, surely Griffin could help in some way right? Why the secrecy, why slip out in the dead of night with barely a word to anybody?

"I see. In the city again? I can tell you that I certainly won't have a doll you'll be interested in here tonight."

The statement made Cano glower. Did that mean he had dolls here, but one's he considered below the standard of the Ar-team? What would she find if she were to ascend those stairs?

Rs shook her head, "Probably not. Actually I have no idea where she may have gone, just a starting point north of Vinnytsia."

"Oh. Is that all?"

Rs shrugged, "I've worked with less."

"Perhaps, but does this doll of yours want to be found?"

Rs made a noncommittal gesture, "Dunno."

Tepes groaned disapprovingly, "You are aware, if one wanted, one could get nearly anywhere in this country from that city, yes? It's become the main thoroughfare from Odessa to Kyiv, lots of cargo traffic which can easily be stowed away on."

Cano wondered just how he knew that, what that man may want to stow away on such a train, and why? He was the one in charge of the men who'd taken her all those months ago the night she met Rs, and she'd seen the ripped apart dolls in that place. She supposed those parts had to go somewhere.

She shuddered to think she was nearly one of them.

"It sounds as if you have not thought this out very far."

"Can you help?"

Tepes crossed his arms, "Somewhat. If I hear anything of this doll in town, I will let you know. Otherwise however, you will need specialist help."

"You have someone in mind?"

"I do. A small team I've worked with before once or twice, in fact you've already met one of their colleagues last we were all here. They're a group of mercenaries, dolls if you can believe, and they can probably help you find where your doll may have gone."

Cano realized with a start who he was talking about: 404. Rumored Griffin breakaways who could turn invisible and disappear into thin air. Had Rs not mentioned that they'd previously met their mechanic Dier, Cano would've considered them to be nothing but the rumors, no more real than Baba Yaga or the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

"I see. You could put us in contact?"

Tepes smiled, "Of course my friend, but I'm afraid their rates are… not what one could afford on a PMC salary."

"Ah. so, what's the catch then?"

"Nothing too difficult for you. I would merely like you to make a delivery for me."

"Delivery huh? To whom?"

Tepes called for one of his men, instructing the one who appeared to 'go get the captain's gift'. With that, the man scurried out from the room with haste.

"A friend of mine, a captain in the reserve army unit stationed just north of this city. I would like you to deliver him a letter containing important information for his eyes only."

The man tepes had sent away returned a moment later, holding a rather thick white envelope, and strangely, a rose. Both were handed to Rs, who regarded them with mild confusion, before looking back up at Tepes.

"Tepes? Is this a love letter?"

"Haha," Tepes chuckled. "Not that kind of friend. The rose is a marker, one we use often for drops such as this. I'd like you to hide the letter in the good captain's desk, and mark the spot with the rose so he has no illusions on the sender."

"I take it his desk is not in some low security office building in town, is it?"

"I'm afraid not."

Rs rolled her eyes, "Fine. But I ain't doing this for free. How does this help me with 404?"

"Of course of course. If you manage this, I will be happy to pay for a week of their going rate. If you manage not to be detected dropping this off I'll add a little more on top."

Rs pursed her lips, "Two weeks, plus a third for not being found out. And I'll need intel on the captain's 'workplace environment'. This is no cake walk."

Tepes raised a brow, "One and a half, the bonus brings you up to two. For your discretion in this sensitive matter as well."

Rs exhaled, "This is that important? What is it?"

"I believe so, but I apologize as I cannot tell you. Please understand that it isn't that I don't trust you, but quite the opposite."

Rs nodded, and chewed at her lip as she considered. Cano had no idea what could be running through her head, or what half of what they were saying even meant. However, on eyeing Tepes with a thin glare, she could see he believed he had already won Rs over. Part of her wanted to tell him to go to hell and drag Rs out of there at that moment.

"Fine." Rs beat her to the punch, "Week and a half, half a week bonus, and my discretion."

She handed both the letter and rose to Cano, and extended a hand to Tepes who eagerly met it. With a single firm shake, the deal was struck.

"My man here," he indicated the man who'd previously gotten the letter and rose, "will help you with the information. If you please."

Rs moved to follow the man as he led her upstairs, leaving Cano and Tepes in the bar in silence. She narrowly eyed the man, who for the first time that night seemed to notice her.

"I would ask you to also be discreet on this matter. I consider our friend and you to be a package in business."

"Sure." Cano said bluntly, not really sure just what he was on about. She slipped the rose and letter into her jacket.

Tepes nodded, and went to take a sip of his drink before pausing, and looking back up at her excitedly as if he'd just remembered something, "Ah! Right, I made a promise to look into that other matter involving the two of you. While our friend is getting the intelligence she needs, shall we review our findings?"

Cano perked up. Tepes was almost certainly referring to how Rs and herself had come to be in one of his chop-shops, where they'd first met each other. Rs had mentioned that they'd discussed this last time they'd come here. Cano had been curious if anything would ever come of it. Suspicious, but equally curious, she followed his lead out of the bar, though she made sure to stay a few paces behind just in case.

"You seem to be attached to her hip, eh?" Tepes remarked as he led her into a back room of the bar, a small storage room with a dozen filing cabinets and a desk in the middle. A thin layer of dust hung on most of the surfaces, with a few cobwebs hanging in an upper corner of the room.

Cano managed an anxious chuckle, "Aha, yes. I've been assigned to help her blend in back home."

"Ah, smart. Yes I was curious about how you all were keeping her hidden from the reds. Pretending to be a doll? It's cute, bold."

"Yes. Our commander came up with the idea."

"Interesting. I should meet this man you two speak so much about. I feel he may be an interesting fellow. Tell me though, did you know her prior to that incident at my warehouse? Or was that your first time meeting?"

Cano gave the man a curious look, "First time. I had no idea who she was, she wouldn't tell me her name for a while even afterwards."

Tepes nodded, "I see. And you do not have any memory of the events prior to… coming into my subordinates' care?"

Cano shook her head, "Only from the day prior, which doesn't really tell me anything."

Tepes nodded, more slowly, "I see, so neither of you remember anything. That is distressing."

"Why is that?"

"Come," Tepes beckoned her over to the desk, where he produced a small manila folder that he then handed to her, "See, this is all the information I have on the circumstances by which we found the two of you."

Cano flipped open the folder, and was greeted by a series of images of herself and Rs, both laid down in a garbage pit of some kind. She noticed that there were other dolls present in the pile, many of which twisted beyond recognition.

"This is…"

"My men found the both of you in a common dumping spot. Often derelict dolls are dropped here when the owners no longer wish to maintain them. Typically we only find scraps of low end dolls, but sometimes we find more valuable treasures. My boys believed they had simply gotten very lucky on finding you, so you can understand why they would not bother ensuring the two of you were not Griffin associated, or a doll at all."

"I see… so we were found together then. When?"

"The same night the pair of you broke out. Apparently you two had been in our care for less than an hour before you made your escape."

Cano studied the photos again. She noticed that Rs was nowhere near as gaunt as she'd been when they first met. In fact she looked quite normal, like she always did. She was wearing the clothing Cano remembered her in, but was lacking any sort of equipment, as was Cano herself.

"Weird," she muttered.

"Indeed. Normally we try to avoid military or mercenary dolls, often you come with GPS locators that threaten our security, but my boys had no way to know your nature. We've only ever found civilian dolls in this location other than you two."

"Did they find any gear? Weapons?"

Tepes shook his head. "Nothing related to either of you."

"I see… Did you find any clues how we got there?"

"Well, the two of you were both unresponsive, but not physically damaged from what my boys could find. Sadly, the trail past this point is cold; there are no cameras in the area, and 'donations' are frequent. I don't think we'll ever find more information on how you two came to be there."

Cano pursed her lips. She had memories from a little under a day from when she would've been found in this image. What'd happened in those hours? Where was her gear? Rs's? Why were they both there?

"Any ideas?" Tepes asked her, hopeful, but anxious.

She shook her head, "I- I have no idea what to make of this. Where was this dump site?"

"Just outside the city, near a landfill. There isn't much in the area, and it is about an hour from here by car."

"Right. Okay. I should show this to Rs."

A sudden, panicked look came over Tepes. Not so much like one fearing for his life, but like a parent watching their child about to do something very stupid. "I- would ask that you do not."

Cano turned a glare towards him, suspicion and distrust welling back up inside her, "And why is that?'

Tepes sighed, "Because I know her well enough to know that this-" he pointed to the folder, "-will only stir up trouble. There is certainly more to this story, but I sincerely doubt even she would ever find the rest of it. We can only speculate how you two came to be here, and as you perhaps know, her imagination can be quite vivid. She looks to be happy with you people, happy working for your company; I fear the worry this will cause her could threaten that."

Cano was surprised, Tepes didn't strike her as the type to care about others in this way. For a moment, she didn't see the gangster, but a friend. Perhaps that's how Rs saw him. Perhaps that's how he wanted her to see him.

"What was she like back in the day? Really?" she asked, the thought striking her.

Tepes paused for a moment to think, placing his hands on his hips. "I would say she was much the same. As she is now, it reminds me more of who she was when we first met."

"Really, she's not changed at all?"

"Hmmm, We met towards the start of everything, and everyone was saying it was going to be over soon. The war, I mean. She was optimistic, liked a drink and a smoke, and got along with almost everyone. "

"That does sound like her. How did you guys meet?"

"Ah, friend of a friend of a friend I suppose. I was… a freedom fighter you could say. Of course I knew people and could connect her with them, and in exchange she could get me tools and weapons."

"I see…"

"Ah, good times."

"Wasn't the war hell?"

"Ah," he shrugged, "I suppose. I never saw the worst of it, was only shelled twice or so. She had it much worse. I tell you, comparing who she was at the start to the person she was at the end… very different."

"So she did change then… Do you know what happened? What was she like?"

"She was increasingly quiet, distant. It was the worst after… well, has she talked about Weiss at all?"

That description sounded familiar too, though the name was not. Cano furrowed her brow, "Who?"

Tepes nodded, "I see. Weiss was her best friend, inseparable, perhaps like you two are now. She died, a little over a year before the end of the war."

Rs had never mentioned someone named Weiss, though she never talked much about the war to begin with. What she had talked of had been limited, very little about the fighting itself and more to do with day to day life outside combat. Funny anecdotes or campfire type stories predominantly.

Now that she thought about it, she couldn't recall Rs ever using the names of anyone from her old unit.

"She must've taken it hard."

"Mmm, yes. I only saw her once after that, briefly. She didn't hang around to drink or smoke like she normally would, she barely spoke. I had to ask their lieutenant what'd happened."

"You never saw her after that?"

"Correct. They were shipping out to Prague as the lines were collapsing. I went underground soon after as a result of that. Not many of their unit got out from what I heard, for a long time I thought she had been among those that didn't."

There was a melancholy to Tepes' voice as he spoke, again something she'd not been expecting from him. Quietly she wondered if this was all a manipulation, perhaps the man was trying to get her to like him more for whatever purpose. Still, she was using him too, she wanted to know more.

"I see. But you said she is more like how she used to be now?"

"Yes. It was actually… a bit off putting at first. It is like she has forgotten the war."

She wished now that she remembered that first meeting. She chided herself internally for not saving the memory to a lifeboat, or dying in the first place. What had Rs' and Tepes' reunion been like? Had he really been surprised to see her? Was he put off by her at first?

Cano furrowed her brow, and stared down at the images still tucked in the manila envelope, "Well, she definitely hasn't, but she doesn't remember much of what happened after."

Tepes nodded, "It wouldn't be the first time, though certainly the most extreme instance I know of. I actually had to reintroduce myself to her the second time we met, as she'd lost the memory of the first occasion." the man laughed warmly, weathered lines running across his face, "I never let her live it down."

"Do you know why?"

Tepes tapped his temple, white teeth still forming a thin grin, "The brain can be rebuilt, but the memories are not so simple, apparently."

Cano nodded, then shut the envelope "Then maybe you are right. I like to think she is happy with us. She's talked about being worried about the gaps in her memory, what she was up to these last years, perhaps it is best not to feed those."

Tepes nodded, "Perhaps share this with your commander, but for her sake, I think Klein is better off not knowing too much."

Cano clenched her jaw. She didn't love the idea of keeping this from Rs, but she got Tepes' point, even though she was loath to admit it. This intel would probably only fuel worries she'd already expressed, rather than soothe them, and the full truth would probably never arise. Cano thought back to just a few hours prior, thinking of Rs' words on M4, her reasons for not telling her about Ar-15, and found herself understanding them better.

"I'll do that," she concluded, taking the folder and tucking it away into her coat. "Thank you."

She wasn't actually sure yet, but she needed more time to decide what to do. Hopefully this expedition they were on wouldn't go for too long, a few weeks based on how Rs and Tepes were negotiating. She would decide before then what to do.

A little under an hour after they'd arrived at Chernivtsi, Tepes' truck dropped Rs and Cano off about half a mile from the Reserve army base's perimeter, just far enough for them to walk without guards spotting the truck. Rs heart began beating a little quicker in her chest as through the trees, the lights of the base filtered through the night. They had only a little time before dawn, they needed to be quick about this. Already distant pink rays were beginning to mix into the dark blue sky.

The base, based upon Tepes' intel, was about four square kilometers in area with a series of fences and walls on the perimeter. It was home to a motor rifle brigade, albeit a weakened one as it only had around 800 members at a given time. This was good, it meant that their security forces were likely understrength, and many of the guards may be regular infantry or support personnel co-opted for the role.

She and Cano wove through the thick forest between them and the base, going for the section of the perimeter nearest the edge of the forest. Thick, wet mud clung to their boots, squelching with each step. Ukraine's winter was truly over, and now the spring rains had truly come in force. They were each fitted with long, ghostly thermal cloaks which covered most of their bodies, and Rs had brought her sidearm and a couple other odds and ends as contingencies, but otherwise they'd left most of their stuff back at Tepes'.

"Ugh, these were new boots," Cano sighed, looking at the shoes which were completely caked in the mud.

"Shouldn't have worn them then," Rs chided her.

"I didn't know we'd be hiking…"

"I'll hose you off when we get back."

Eventually, after a long and slow going slog, they did make it to the fence perimeter. The pair hunkered down in a bush just a few feet from the tall chain link fence and quietly listened for anything on the far side. Cano linked her vision to Rs, and from that, the world filled with distant specs of blue and red lights. Helpfully Cano listed out most of what she believed the contacts to be, with a mix of military dolls and regular foot soldiers roving in small patrols.

"Looks clear to me," Rs whispered.

"Si," Cano nodded.

She tapped her friend once on the shoulder, and they both slithered out from the bush and scurried over to the fence. From there, much as they had done months prior, Rs clambered up the fence and began to carefully create a path through the barbed wire at the top. This time though, she laid a heavy rubber blanket atop the wire rather than cut through it.

Once it was secured, Rs then slipped over the fence with a gentle rattle of the chains before she dropped down to the ground below. Cano followed shortly after, and snagged the blanket on the way down.

"Now what?" Cano hissed as they both scurried into the nearest bush.

Rs glanced around the area. The terrain on this side was different from before, with rolling hills marked with only a few trees or bushes. Well worn vehicle roads, laced with tread marks, crisscrossed the area, and a few distant glowing flashlights wandered around the dark.

"Keep a lookout for motion detectors and patrols, I know the way in."

With a nod from Cano, Rs exited their bush and began to lead her through the dark.

The cool early morning air was laced with the faint scent of gasoline and rain, scent's which felt nostalgic as she wandered through the dark. The mud caking her shoes, the sense of excitement and anxiety, it all felt just right for some reason. Familiar.

Soon, another structure loomed in the distance. A long white wall, with brilliant yellow spotlights shining out towards them from its top, now blocked their path. A little ways away a small gatehouse sat shining in the night.

Rs lead them away from the gatehouse, instead bringing Cano over to a nearby section of wall where the lights atop weren't illuminating the surrounding area as well. Here there was a small patch of darkness that led right up to the wall, which they cautiously followed right up to.

Once at the base of the wall, Cano cradled the Rs' foot in her interlocked hands before tossing her upwards. Her hands barely managed to grip the top as she scrambled upwards before coming to rest at the wall's thin apex. She carefully balanced on the three centimeters or so of wall she had to rest on, wobbling a little before finding stability..

After a quick scan of their surroundings for any patrols, Rs then twisted around, letting her legs dangle from the far side, and lowered a hand to Cano. The doll leapt up and took her hand. Immediately the doll's weight on her hand caused her body to be crushed against the top of the thin wall. Concrete bit at her ribs as she hefted Cano upwards, making her wince as her skin was scratched and bruised in the effort.

The section of wall they'd scaled was nearby a barracks, a tall four story tower of brick and concrete which kept them out of sight from the rest of the base. Sliding down the wall, the pair landed in a small grassy passage between the wall and barracks, overlooked only by a few small, dark windows. Together they crept along the passage, brushing through knee high weeds until they came upon a path to the base proper.

The inner area of the base, where much of the personnel worked and resided, was made up of several rows of buildings. Some, like the barracks they were hiding in the shadow of, were tall and established, however most were temporary buildings that were small and wide. Near the front gate was a large parking lot with dozens of cars, and to the opposite end was a motorpool with the regiment's vehicles.

Standing in the shadow of the barracks building and its neighbor, the next obstacle before them was one of the main roads winding through the base interior. The path was wide enough for two tanks to pass side by side along it, and well lit with dangling lamps set every few meters along its length. There were also visible patrols wandering about, and a few guards at the doors of or just within many of the nearby buildings on the far side of the road.

"Follow me," Rs said.

With a single decisive step, Rs moved out into the light of the base proper, and subtly nodded to Cano. The doll took a moment to process before complying, nervously stepping into the open to an awaiting Rs.

"Should we…" She hissed, glancing back towards another gap between the buildings ahead of them.

"Just act like you belong," Rs cut her off, taking her by the arm and leading her along the main road. They simply didn't have the time to be overly cautious in their approach now, some risks needed to be made. The base was almost dead quiet for now, but they were likely nearing morning wakeup for most of the soldiers, and she wanted to be long gone before then.

Wearing a vaguely bored, yet professional look that Cano only somewhat able to mimic, Rs lead them right past a few of these patrols without issue. Most of the time, they were barely spared a glance, though a few did let their gazes linger for a moment longer than Rs liked.

However, as she expected, these reservist soldiers were letting them pass. A combination of low pay, youthful inexperience, and early morning exhaustion all undoubtedly helping. It probably did also help that she and Cano both had vaguely military-esque outfits on, between the bundled thermal clocks and camo fatigues beneath, they didn't look too out of place.

Still, each patrol and guardpost they passed was a gamble, and it only took one guard to have his wits still about him and confront them, so when they neared their destination they became a little more evasive. They ducked between buildings and avoided patrols more often, especially when they seemed a little more put together than the average.

They were making good time, only a few more rows of temporary barracks and they'd be at their destination. Rs lead them between another pair of buildings, creeping along the narrow passage.

"Hey! Stop there."

A voice, a young man's filled with forced authority that shocked Rs' blood cold. Without turning back, She met Cano's wide eyes with her own.

"What do we do?"

Rs squeezed her eyes shut. She willed her heart to slow, her breath to smooth. Stay calm, stay cool. She'd planned for this possibility. With a long exhale, she opened them back up slowly.

Stay cool.

Rs looked back. Sure enough it was a young man, probably barely twenty, holding a rifle in a low ready. He was clearly a bit on edge, but not hostile just yet. A guard, probably from a static post they'd walked past, from his age he wasn't quite jaded enough not to do more than the bare minimum.

"Ah, good evening soldier," she grumbled, trying to inject some boredom in her voice to hide the anxiety.

The man paused, confused. He needed a moment to collect himself. "Who are you? Are you supposed to be here?"

Rs raised an eyebrow, " You don't need to know my name. As for the latter, no, and yes. Which means I'll be needing your name, rank and unit please."

With a slightly shaky hand, Rs slowly reached into her breast pocket and retrieved a small notepad she'd brought along for something like this. She slipped the pen clipped into it out, and clicked the end before flipping open to a random page.

"Ex-excuse me?" The soldier was not expecting that response, and she noted with a small measure of relief that he was becoming increasingly fearful of her. She poured it on.

"No need to worry. You are the first to actually ask the correct question since I arrived. Personally I'd prefer you be a little more forceful about it, but it's better than nothing I suppose."

"I-, uh… what? What is this, who are you?"

Rs pursed her lips, "Soldier, perhaps you should use your brain and think. What does this look like?"

The man stared bug-eyed at her, and his rifle notably drooped. Good. Cano was staring at her with a similar expression just to her side, definitely just as shocked, but Rs was hoping that the poor soldier was far to focussed on her to care.

"Are you new here?"

He nodded nervously.

Rs snapped her finger, "That'll be why. Let me guess, you just finished your security forces training? Still trying to follow the book?"

"Y-yes Ma'am…"

Rs allowed herself a small grin, "Good, good. Too many of you reservists become lax. Young man, try to remember your training later in your career. Now, if I could have your name?"

"Private Yuri Konstantinov, Ma'am. 3rd company, 232nd." he popped a rigid salute, perhaps scared into instinct, perhaps trying to impress her.

The unit meant nothing to her other than it not being the same as her letter's recipient, which was good. It meant the captain was unlikely to ever hear of this event. Rs made a small show of writing it all down, and once done snapped the notebook shut and nodded.

"As you were soldier. Please don't mention this to your comrades. I want them to be given a fair chance as well."

"Ma'am," he dropped the salute, and scurried away.

Once he was out of earshot, Rs cracked a devious grin, "Heheh, Geil."

"How…?" That was all Cano could manage.

"I know how to scare privates. Would've been easier if I had an NCO uniform though…"

Cano continued staring at her like she was some alien creature, not moving to follow as Rs began resuming their infiltration as if nothing had happened.

"Do you plan for these things, or just make them up as you go?"

Rs shrugged, "bit of both."

She waved the notebook around over her shoulder to emphasize, and then slipped it back into its pocket. Cano hesitantly began following, and they slipped into the gap between two buildings just ahead.

The goal was the administration building for their target's unit, which Rs figured would be where the captain's desk was. Hopefully he had his own office, rather than a communal one, but they would have to cross that bridge when they arrived.

They dodged a few more patrols, slipping between buildings and hunkering down behind bushes or trees where they could to avoid being spotted. The soldiers patrolled in pairs or trios for the most part, with only occasional solo patrols, and encounters were infrequent enough to get away with most movements without risk.

At another point they were again confronted, this time by a pair of soldiers on patrol who were more curious than anything else in what the pair were doing. In fact they seemed almost excited by her presence, and were trying to come on to her for a moment before she whipped the notebook and a glare out.

"Oh please, do elaborate," she hissed in response to what the two men, who were certainly only a few months out of their teens, probably thought was a silky smooth proposition.

The poor young men wilted on the spot, the fear of god filling their eyes as she took down their names, ranks, and units. They could not physically run away fast enough once she released them.

Rs let out a satisfied huff as she watched them scramble away, and turned a smug look to Cano. The doll looked more confident this time, and offered a happy shrug in reply.

Their target building was not far from that point, only another row away and standing out from the surrounding 'temporary' structures in size and grandeur. This building had a working ac unit on top, a few satellite dishes to boot, and was roughly twice the size of the surrounding barracks and store buildings.

Rs carefully walked past the entrance, a glowing portal to the realm within. She spied a desk manned by a bored looking sentry. Sadly the man was awake, and there was no chance he'd miss her entering. She also really doubted he'd go for the notebook ruse, since it gave no reason for her to go past him into the building.

No good. She carried on, wandering the perimeter of the building, inspecting the different windows and side entrances while Cano kept a look out for roaming patrols. The side entrances looked like fire doors, so may or may not be alarmed, best not to try them. There were plenty of windows anyway.

The window panes were frosted and coated in a plastic film, so they couldn't be seen through from outside. However, she figured anyone using the room beyond the windows would probably have a light on at this time of the morning, so she used that as her measuring stick. In the space between the admin building and the barracks next door, she found one such dark window.

"Can you boost me?" she asked Cano.

The doll wove her fingers together and hefted Rs up a few extra feet to reach the window, holding her steady as Rs carefully tested the window. A gentle push yielded the frame sliding slightly, letting a little of the warmer air within to flow out and brush against her. Rs grinned.

She pushed the window open, and pulled herself into the office beyond.

It was a small space, featuring just a desk and two simple filing cabinets next to the solid metal door. Probably just an NCO's office.

Rs reached a hand down through the window to Cano, for the second time that night straining to heft the heavy doll up to the window. Cano then gripped the edges of the window frame and pulled herself through the rest of the way.

"Sheesh, you're heavy," Rs panted.

"Rude," Cano replied, "What now?"

"Close the window, and let's get looking for this guy's damn office."

"What if someone's in the hallway? They'll see us."

Rs pursed her lips, staring at the metal door between them and the hall in question. True, it meant no one could've seen them enter, but equally they could not clear the hall beyond. In her experience people found strange non-uniformed women emerging from a dark office rather suspicious.

Rs looked around briefly, then spied a small black camera in the corner of the office, watching the front door.

"Can you check the camera network? See if anyone's out there? And make sure to scrub us from the footage." she whispered.

Cano's brow furrowed for a brief moment, and then her eyes darted to the door. Rs froze, breathing as softly as she could while straining to listen. Faintly, she heard a couple soft footfalls from the far side.

They approached, paused, and then softly began to meander away. It wasn't until they were well out of earshot that Cano or Rs unfroze however, not willing to risk it.

"Clear?"

"Si, for now. What's the Captain's name?"

"Ehh, Druzhinin I believe."

Cano's eyes narrowed, "Found it, follow me."

The doll quietly swung open the office door, and led Rs into the bright hall beyond it. Buzzing fluorescent lights hung overhead, with stark off white walls pressing in from all sides that were broken up only by the dozens of other office doors.

"You're sure?"

Cano nodded.

The halls were a maze of twisting passages and muffled sounds in the middle distance. However, with guidance from the surveillance system she'd infiltrated Cano was able to lead Rs through. More than once they had to duck into an unoccupied office, or take a sudden turn down a side hall to avoid passersby.

One time they'd been close enough to a passing NCO that Rs could've reached out and snatched the hat off his head from their hiding place, but the man carried on down the hall without ever catching a whiff of them.

Soon enough, they found their destination. On seeing the Captain's name written on the placard beside the door, they both sprang forth down the remainder of the hall and flung open the door. They stumbled into the office, hastily shutting the door behind them and drawing the shade over the window looking back out into the hall. They'd made it.

The office wasn't too ornate, but was more accommodating than the NCO's had been. This one had two windows, and beneath the one near the door a small cabinet filled with books and a few framed photos of who she assumed was the Captain. On one wall was a framed commendation and a diploma from some university Rs wasn't familiar with. Central to the room was the captain's desk, a simple wooden rectangle with stubby legs and a few office supplies neatly arranged on top.

"Can I have the package?" Rs asked, holding out her hand to Cano.

"Are we… sure we want to do this?" Cano asked her, hand reaching into her jacket, but not retrieving the rose.

"What do you mean?"

"Get involved with this? I know Tepes is your friend but… this's really sketchy."

"Look, Cano, I get that, but this is really not the best time to debate it."

Cano removed her hand, empty, and crossed her arms, "No. I think we should. Is this what we're doing from now on? Working for a criminal? Sneaking around, scaring soldiers and acting like we're the good guys?"

"Look, we do what we gotta do. This is- this is really far from the first time I've done something like this, okay? I felt like you did the first time, but when you're trying to do good on a budget, you take what you can get."

Cano appraised her briefly, "and we're doing good?"

Rs sighed, "I hope so."

"And what is Tepes getting from this? Why have us do this, why not one of his lackeys?" Cano handed her the road and letter as she spoke, which Rs snatched away.

The desk was a simple, old wooden thing, with worn handles and a mess of scratch marks across its top. Rs selected a drawer on its right side, the top most one, and placed the letter within atop a small pile of papers. Then, above the drawer she placed the rose, careful to not have it draw too much attention should anyone other than the captain enter. She hoped it would appear as a decoration to anyone but him.

"Well, like he said, he trusts us. He knows I'm not going to snoop, and he knows we can get this done discreetly."

"Right… he did say that a lot. Why the rose then? Doesn't seem very discrete to me. Surely the Captain would find the letter without such a marker."

Rs looked at the flower in question, now resting atop the desk. It was a delicate thing, probably recently picked out from a florist's selection. A part of her did feel wrong wasting such a thing on this purpose.

"It's a message too. It's also why he wanted us to not be detected. He's shoring up the Captain's loyalty, letting him know that he is not out of reach, even here."

"That sounds like a threat."

Rs shrugged, "Ja, but a subtle one."

"Is it… okay to do this? I feel like we're criminals."

"I mean… Look, just remember, this captain is a guy Tepes could buy the loyalty of. They've probably done unsavory things for each other that are far worse than this. We're doing this to find our friend too, try to remember that."

"I guess… sorry."

Cano slumped on her feet, deflating before Rs like an ashamed balloon. Rs went and gave her a little hug, hoping to cheer her up.

"Don't be. I get where you're coming from, I do. Honestly I… I don't love doing this either. But it's what is needed this time, okay?"

"Okay." Cano returned the hug.

The doll was warm in her arms, a little warmer than herself, and a constant small vibration emanated from her chest as Rs embraced her. It was a little odd at first, a different sensation to what she was used to, but something Rs had grown to appreciate.

Cano jerked back suddenly, eyes locked on the door. Little noises were growing from beyond, more soft footfalls approaching.

"Someones coming," Cano hissed.

Rs broke away from her, dashing as quietly as she could manage to the office's window. She quickly unlatched it and slid it open, gesturing to Cano to follow her before leaping out into the cool air beyond.

She tumbled onto the ground outside, quickly pressing back up against the building's exterior wall as Cano followed her example. Rs then reached up to the window as Cano recovered, and began sliding it back when she saw the door handle turn.

Rs ducked down below the window just as it opened before she snagged Cano by the collar to drag her around the nearest corner.

"We should go," she panted, the exertion having drained her a little.

Cano nodded eagerly. Together, the pair began retracing their steps, dashing across the open road as the sky to the east began to glow. Orange hues began to mix with the purple and pinks, casting ever more light on the base.

They dashed in between a pair of barracks, narrowly avoiding another patrol's detection. Rs took a moment to catch her breath, resting against the old brick wall on one side of the narrow passage.

Then the quiet early morning split with the sound of a horn. A short, lonely rendition of an old soviet march blared over the speaker for about thirty seconds, and with it, the base came to life.

Rs' heart dropped as she watched doors to barracks fling open shortly after, with this year's batch of conscripts streaming out from them to the shouts of their seniors.

There were a lot of conscripts. Throngs of young men groggily stumbling in the now early morning gloom, seeking their formations as the horns sounded. They formed a sea of humanity, one that cut them off from their first point of entry.

Rs slumped to the ground, sinking into the soft dirt and staring at the hundreds of soldiers streaming past. If they tried to push against the crowds, they'd be spotted immediately. But if they stayed here, they'd be wasting the last of their darkness and make exfiltration undetected very difficult.

"Are we going to be okay?" Cano asked, similarly hunkered down against the opposite wall.

"Yeah, yeah probably. But our bonus might not be if I can't get us out of here quickly," Rs murmured, despondent, "I was kinda banking on having that."

"Ah," Cano replied, a sour look spreading across her face, "Not gonna do your notebook thingy again?"

Rs rolled her eyes, "It doesn't work so well on higher ups. Usually."

"Sneak out?"

"Patrols can see us now. We'll be spotted going over the wall."

"Act like call girls? Seduce our way out," Cano said with a playful smirk.

Rs hefted her thermal cloak while managing a weak chuckle, "haha, sorry, wrong outfits."

Cano scratched her chin, "Bribery?"

"Didn't bring that much cash."

"How much would it take?"

"Depends. Lots. Lotta people out and about."

"Hmmmm… hey, these barracks are gonna be empty soon right?"

"Eh, probably? Might be a couple guys still."

"Well… since we're in a criminal mood today. I have an idea."

"Ugh, I think I had a friend with this car in highschool," Rs commented with mild distaste as she slid into the driver side seat of a faded red Toyota.

The car may have legitimately been older than she was. The seats that were long faded from whatever their original color once was, and cracked as she pressed her weight down on them. The footwells were covered in little crumbs of various foods and dirt, and there was an empty can of something in the center console. As a little bow atop the mess: a small Kalashinkov shaped ornament hung from the rear view mirror.

"Oh, shush," Cano hushed her as she slid into the passenger seat. The doll tossed a black trash bag of bundled clothing and gear into the rear seat before sliding in as well.

They'd both ditched their original clothing, and were now donning the bespeckled service uniform of the Soviet Reserve troops. Both costumes recently 'liberated' from a laundry bin on the first floor of the barracks building they'd raided, the same building that the unfortunate owner of this car had foolishly left his keys unattended.

"We good on their surveillance?" Rs asked as she turned the ignition key, causing the old engine to thrum to life.

"Yup! Their network security is garbage," Cano said with a grin, "Now you just get us through the gate, and we're smooth sailing."

"Ah, I'll try."

Rs depressed the clutch, and winced as the car jerked suddenly before slipping into first gear. Not a great start, but the little Camry dutifully rolled out of the base parking lot and through the throngs of conscripts and their wranglers still choking the main thoroughfares of the base. Conscious that the car's owner may be among them, Rs did her best to not linger in one area for too long.

They wove their way out, only narrowly avoiding a few oblivious soldiers on more than one occasion, but were never stopped and no one seemed to care about what they were doing. Soon enough they were in queue for the exit, stuck behind a couple other cars as the drivers spoke with the guard manning the gate. Rs noticed that more than ids were being exchanged, a small white card was going with them.

"Hey, check the glove box, see if there is a leave pass or something," she urged Cano.

Cano hastily popped open the box, and began rummaging around inside while Rs began poking around the center console and backseat, looking for anything resembling the slips of paper. She was not sure what the leave system was, or if privates -like her uniform would suggest she was- could even go on leave during weekdays. IN any case though, finding one of those little cards couldn't hurt getting through here.

"Ehh, " Cano lightly gasped, "uhhhh, hey."

Rs looked back up, and saw with muted horror what Cano had found: contraband. The glove box, beneath all the random papers and empty cigarette cartons held a Makarov pistol and a half empty bottle of vodka.

"Ah, this is private dumbass' car. Fuck," she cursed, "Close it?"

Cano hurriedly slammed the door shut, "What do we do?"

"Well… " she nervously slipped a hand into her jacket pocket, feeling for her wallet, "We hope this guard isn't feeling like doing his job today."

With no leave pass found, and a really good reason not to get searched in the glove box, it was soon their turn at the gate. The car ahead pulled out, and the bar came back down as Rs brought the car to a stop and rolled the window down.

"Good Morning," she muttered, trying to sound cheerful, "Can you let us through?"

The guard looked bored, staring up at her from his kiosk with two tired eyes, "ID and pass please."

"Look…" she began. She produced her wallet, and began to fidget with it, "Can you just let me through? I really need to get to town, my mother is sick."

"ID and pass. Please." the man pursed his lips.

Rs' eye twitched. She was used to being in that booth, not being the dumbass private trying to sneak off. She noticed that the man had NCO stripes on his uniform too, he was probably filling in for some other private by being here. All bad things for her odds.

"Can you just bribe him?" Cano asked over comms.

She had around a quarter million roubles, which while not small, was money she wanted to spend on other things besides buying off one grouchy NCO. Plus that money was much of what she'd saved up to now, and it didn't even guarantee success if this guy was angry enough.

"Ehhhh… I'll try?"

She shot a quick glance back. There was another car weaving through the crowds, but it wasn't able to quickly see them yet, and no others were behind them. She needed to move now.

"Sir, please can you just…" she tried, but the man's glare cut her off.

"I will not repeat myself again, private."

Shit. She knew that tone all too well. Rs thought back, desperately trying to remember if any private had ever managed to slip through such a situation.

Something prodded against her leg, grabbing her attention. Looking over she saw Cano with a small, devious smile on her face and holding the glass bottle of vodka from the glovebox just below the NCO's sightline.

"Try this."

Rs grabbed the bottle, and after a quick check back, handed it over to the now surprised NCO. The man stared at her, glaring, but his expression softened a touch after he took a second look at the bottle. With a small bit of hesitation, the man took it from her and tucked it away.

With wide eyes, Rs watched the gate before them rise without another word from the man. And it took her a moment to realize she needed to move.

"Hehehe, that was fun~" Cano giggled in her seat as they drove off.

"What did you do?" Rs asked. Her mind hadn't quite caught up to them getting out of that.

"Oh, I just wrote him a lil note," she said, clicking a pen closed. Rs' pen.

Rs patted her breast pocket where she'd placed it earlier, and found only the notebook within. When and how had the doll stolen that?

"What did you write?"

"Oh, nothing really. Just said you forgot your ID and pass at a bar and were too embarrassed to admit it. Might have added a little heart at the end too."

"That…" her brow furrowed, "That shouldn't have worked."

"Well, maybe it wouldn't work on youuu, but I guess that guy has a softer heart than you," Cano leaned over and poked her a couple times to emphasize, before smugly flopping back into her seat with arms crossed.

"Or maybe he thought you were too cute and stupid to be lying."

Cano shrugged, "Well, it's not a lie is it? You DID leave your G id at Tepes', didn't you? With the rest of our gear?"

Rs pulled the car up to the turn onto the highway back to town, checking both ways before looking back at the base in the rearview. It didn't look so imposing now, just a little speck of civilization in the middle of nowhere.

Once it was safe, Rs pulled onto the main road, and let out a held breath of relief.

"I'm just glad I managed to surprise you for once," Cano said, "I need to even the score."

"You already did that earlier Cano," Rs replied, a little flicker of embarrassment burning in her chest as she tried not to recall too much.

"Ah, yes. I guess so," Cano replied, a bright smile on her lips as she gazed out the window, "Your turn next then."

Notes:

Crime.

This was a fun chapter to write! Cano and Rs Fraudin their way in and out was a good time to depict, and Tepes has been one of my more favorite side characters since his inception. Definitely much more of a sidestory, but the next 3-4 are gonna be alot of plot so I figured it'd be a nice little break before we get into it. and of course, 404 will be rejoining the story :p