he jumped over the hedge and ran until he was approximately 250 yards in front of Will, before stopping. Will stayed still, focusing on only the white image of Sentinel. The MI6 man was flat on the ground, motionless. He stayed like that for nearly ten minutes. Will knew that something was wrong.
Sentinel raised a hand, gesturing for Will to come forward but stay low. Will moved, gripping his gun with both hands, running as fast as he could in his crouch stance, watching Sentinel the entire time. As he came to within 150 feet of the officer, Sentinel waved a hand downward. Will dived forward, thumping to the ground. He stayed still for several minutes, his eyes fixed on Sentinel and his surroundings. Sentinel moved his hand. Will leopard-crawled over the snow-covered ground between him and Sentinel.
Sentinel lay motionless, silent and staring ahead. Will followed his gaze. Five hundred feet ahead of them were two soldiers, both carrying assault rifles. One of the men was looking through binoculars.
Sentinel crawled right up to Will, cupped his hands around Will’s ear, and whispered, “Ukrainian border guards. The man on the right has got thermal imagery, but he’s not seen me, so the binoculars must have limited range. We’ll take a route around them.”
Will nodded as Sentinel moved away from him. The guard with the binoculars was rotating, then standing still for a few seconds before moving again. He was covering his entire surroundings but most likely was blind to anything beyond 150 yards from his position. The other soldier was still, gripping his rifle. Will rose carefully and moved back fifty feet. Sentinel did the same. Keeping his upper body low, Will ran to his left, examining the route ahead of him as he did so. Sentinel was directly behind him, and Will knew that he would not be looking ahead but instead would be watching the soldiers for signs that they had spotted the MI6 officers.
After a quarter mile, Will adjusted direction so that he was running back toward the border but was far enough away from the two soldiers to remain out of their sight. To his right he could just make out the men; they were still stationary. He looked ahead and stopped abruptly, dropping to the ground. Two other soldiers were 150 yards away from him, sideways to his position. Both were on one knee; one was looking through a large rifle scope across the route directly in front of them, the other had his back to his colleague and was looking through his rifle scope in the other direction.
Sentinel crawled alongside Will. The man said nothing for a moment, but Will knew he would be thinking the same as him. The soldiers were also Ukrainian border guards. But these men looked as though they had very powerful night-vision equipment, and they were positioned in such a way to monitor at least a half mile of land on either side of them. The soldiers were motionless, not looking in their direction.
Sentinel again cupped his hands against Will’s head. “It’ll soon be daylight. Follow me, move fast.”
A foot of snow already covered the ground, and more was quickly falling. They jumped to their feet and ran parallel to the guards. A further ten minutes and Sentinel stopped again, grabbing Will’s arm and pulling him down. Both men were breathing hard. Sentinel glanced in the direction that they had come from before looking at Will. “I’m sure they can’t see us now.”
Sentinel swiveled to face Russia and walked fast, with Will close behind. It was clear that he knew exactly where he was going and was choosing his route with precision. Occasionally he would stop, motion to Will to do the same, look around, and move a few paces to his right or left before continuing. After two miles, he slowed, then stopped. The land around them was now undulating and forested.
“Welcome to Russia.”
They moved toward an area of dense trees. Will was glad of their protection, though he continued to scrutinize his surroundings for hidden
Sentinel raised a hand, gesturing for Will to come forward but stay low. Will moved, gripping his gun with both hands, running as fast as he could in his crouch stance, watching Sentinel the entire time. As he came to within 150 feet of the officer, Sentinel waved a hand downward. Will dived forward, thumping to the ground. He stayed still for several minutes, his eyes fixed on Sentinel and his surroundings. Sentinel moved his hand. Will leopard-crawled over the snow-covered ground between him and Sentinel.
Sentinel lay motionless, silent and staring ahead. Will followed his gaze. Five hundred feet ahead of them were two soldiers, both carrying assault rifles. One of the men was looking through binoculars.
Sentinel crawled right up to Will, cupped his hands around Will’s ear, and whispered, “Ukrainian border guards. The man on the right has got thermal imagery, but he’s not seen me, so the binoculars must have limited range. We’ll take a route around them.”
Will nodded as Sentinel moved away from him. The guard with the binoculars was rotating, then standing still for a few seconds before moving again. He was covering his entire surroundings but most likely was blind to anything beyond 150 yards from his position. The other soldier was still, gripping his rifle. Will rose carefully and moved back fifty feet. Sentinel did the same. Keeping his upper body low, Will ran to his left, examining the route ahead of him as he did so. Sentinel was directly behind him, and Will knew that he would not be looking ahead but instead would be watching the soldiers for signs that they had spotted the MI6 officers.
After a quarter mile, Will adjusted direction so that he was running back toward the border but was far enough away from the two soldiers to remain out of their sight. To his right he could just make out the men; they were still stationary. He looked ahead and stopped abruptly, dropping to the ground. Two other soldiers were 150 yards away from him, sideways to his position. Both were on one knee; one was looking through a large rifle scope across the route directly in front of them, the other had his back to his colleague and was looking through his rifle scope in the other direction.
Sentinel crawled alongside Will. The man said nothing for a moment, but Will knew he would be thinking the same as him. The soldiers were also Ukrainian border guards. But these men looked as though they had very powerful night-vision equipment, and they were positioned in such a way to monitor at least a half mile of land on either side of them. The soldiers were motionless, not looking in their direction.
Sentinel again cupped his hands against Will’s head. “It’ll soon be daylight. Follow me, move fast.”
A foot of snow already covered the ground, and more was quickly falling. They jumped to their feet and ran parallel to the guards. A further ten minutes and Sentinel stopped again, grabbing Will’s arm and pulling him down. Both men were breathing hard. Sentinel glanced in the direction that they had come from before looking at Will. “I’m sure they can’t see us now.”
Sentinel swiveled to face Russia and walked fast, with Will close behind. It was clear that he knew exactly where he was going and was choosing his route with precision. Occasionally he would stop, motion to Will to do the same, look around, and move a few paces to his right or left before continuing. After two miles, he slowed, then stopped. The land around them was now undulating and forested.
“Welcome to Russia.”
They moved toward an area of dense trees. Will was glad of their protection, though he continued to scrutinize his surroundings for hidden
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