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The members of Alpha Group One stood in a semi-circle around the cantilevered knight and looked down the steps. Only two pilots were missing, guarding the helicopters.
Monroe broke the silence. "So this is where our assassin came from."
Reid looked up. "Disappeared as well, presumably, and Jamie, I owe you an apology."
Jamie grinned from ear to ear. "At least we got there in the end, Boss. We have power judging by the lights on the side of the steps. And I can hear machinery in the distance."
"Lights and power can only mean one thing," Geshenko added, "that we are not alone. Someone is operating the machinery."
As each of the group mused on this, a distant voice was shouting.
Geshenko turned and saw Mikhail running towards them, arms waving madly and shouting at the top of his voice.
"What's his beef?"
Geshenko turned to Monroe; one eyebrow arched. "Beef? What is beef? Mikhail never has beef- hates beef."
Silence followed as each strained to hear what Mikhail was saying.
"Can't make out a word," Jamie muttered.
"How long have you understood Russian?" Petra asked.
The two smiled at each other, then, suddenly, Petra frowned as she cocked her head in Mikhail's direction. The frown turned back to a smile and then to outright joy. "It is over. It is over. Hitler's dead and the war is over."
Pandemonium broke out as the Russians suddenly jumped for joy on the spot. Monroe was smiling broadly, the Russians were hugging the British, and Jamie was kissing Petra. Only Reid remained impassive, watching the unfolding jubilations.
"There is no need for this. We don't need to do anymore. The war is over." In broken English, Dimitri was trying to make everyone else see how futile it was to continue.
Each member of the group looked to their comrades, but all were silent. It almost felt to each of them standing there, that they were attending a funeral on a cold and wet April day.
Petra broke the ice.
"I too want to go home," she said to the gathered group, "but home is not what it was. We can never go back to our homes, to the way life was before, and if we don't stop this nuclear weapon from being used, there may simply be no homes left. This weapon may herald a new start to the war. Unless we stop this, here, now, we may find our children will be standing in this spot ten, twenty years time, having to go through the hell all you have endured, to make the world safe again. I too want to go home, but first I must make the world a good place to live."
All eyes were on Petra.
Anderson stepped forward. "Orders, Major?"
As one, they all picked up their packs and weapons and waited for the Major.
"Colonel Geshenko, I think we will need as many able-bodied men as possible. I doubt anyone around here is capable of stealing your wonderful helicopters."
"Da, Major. We are yours to command."