soldiers. A further twenty minutes and the trees thinned out. Will removed his night-vision equipment and looked around. The first signs of daylight were beginning to break into the forest, although it was still dark at ground level. He was about to move when he heard noises ahead of him. They were distant at first, but they quickly became recognizable.
“Dogs!” Sentinel looked around urgently.
The encroaching dogs meant that armed soldiers were close by. Will hoped that the dogs had not been unleashed, because they’d be spotted. But he knew that if he shot them, the border guards would be put on alert and their chances of getting back into the Ukraine much slimmer.
He saw them. There were two large German shepherds, and the first was fifty feet in front of the other. They were barking as they ran down a narrow route of open ground. They had clearly detected the MI6 officers. Will ran forward, crouched, and waited. The nearest dog was now 150 feet away.
Four seconds passed.
Suddenly the dog was just a few feet from him, jumping through the air with its mouth wide open.
Will dived at the airborne dog, wrapped an arm around its neck, squeezed tight while twisting his body against the dog’s, and crashed to the ground. The dog was limp beneath him, its neck snapped. But he was totally vulnerable as the second dog launched its powerful body at him.
Sentinel stepped forward and punched the dog full force on the side of the head. Walking up to where it lay dazed, he stamped a boot onto its throat and held it there until the writhing creature had stopped breathing.
Both began covering the dogs with snow until the animals were hidden. They crept ahead along the track, which soon forked. They stopped, listened, and waited before taking the track on the left. The track forked again; this time they moved right. There was movement ahead. Crouching down, they sidestepped into foliage. Two soldiers were on the path two hundred feet ahead of them, coming slowly toward their position. They carried flashlights that they held alongside their assault rifles. They had not yet seen the MI6 officers. Moving farther into the foliage, Will and Sentinel lay carefully on the ground. The soldiers were silent, but Will caught glimpses of them between the snow-covered leaves around him. He placed his finger over the trigger of his handgun as the men came to within thirty feet of his position. They kept moving until they were right by his side. Will held his breath, remaining motionless. The men moved past him. They were almost certainly the dog handlers and were no doubt searching for the “immigrants” their dogs had detected.
When they were out of sight, Will and Sentinel continued deeper into the forest until they reached a small road. Will looked right and saw nothing. He looked left and saw a truck. It was two hundred feet away, and beside it were three soldiers and two more dogs on leashes. All of the soldiers were smoking. The heads of the dogs were twitching left and right.
They walked away from the patrol, keeping the road on their left, until trees obstructed their view of the soldiers. Crossing the road, they entered more forest.
Sentinel grabbed Will’s arm. “They don’t patrol this far away from the border. But stay alert.”
They ran and walked for an hour, moving through forest and open fields, close to snow-covered vehicle tracks, over roads, through more woods and more open ground. Sentinel led the way, constantly changing direction, constantly looking around to check that they weren’t being watched, always choosing routes that gave them cover when it was available.
When they stopped, it was full daylight. More open farmland was around them.
Sentinel’s breathing was fast. “We’re close.”
Will followed his colleague, who now walked carefully ahead. They moved across more fields until they came to a six-bar gate. Beyond the gate was a vehicle track, and in the distance was a solitary farmhouse.
Sentinel
“Dogs!” Sentinel looked around urgently.
The encroaching dogs meant that armed soldiers were close by. Will hoped that the dogs had not been unleashed, because they’d be spotted. But he knew that if he shot them, the border guards would be put on alert and their chances of getting back into the Ukraine much slimmer.
He saw them. There were two large German shepherds, and the first was fifty feet in front of the other. They were barking as they ran down a narrow route of open ground. They had clearly detected the MI6 officers. Will ran forward, crouched, and waited. The nearest dog was now 150 feet away.
Four seconds passed.
Suddenly the dog was just a few feet from him, jumping through the air with its mouth wide open.
Will dived at the airborne dog, wrapped an arm around its neck, squeezed tight while twisting his body against the dog’s, and crashed to the ground. The dog was limp beneath him, its neck snapped. But he was totally vulnerable as the second dog launched its powerful body at him.
Sentinel stepped forward and punched the dog full force on the side of the head. Walking up to where it lay dazed, he stamped a boot onto its throat and held it there until the writhing creature had stopped breathing.
Both began covering the dogs with snow until the animals were hidden. They crept ahead along the track, which soon forked. They stopped, listened, and waited before taking the track on the left. The track forked again; this time they moved right. There was movement ahead. Crouching down, they sidestepped into foliage. Two soldiers were on the path two hundred feet ahead of them, coming slowly toward their position. They carried flashlights that they held alongside their assault rifles. They had not yet seen the MI6 officers. Moving farther into the foliage, Will and Sentinel lay carefully on the ground. The soldiers were silent, but Will caught glimpses of them between the snow-covered leaves around him. He placed his finger over the trigger of his handgun as the men came to within thirty feet of his position. They kept moving until they were right by his side. Will held his breath, remaining motionless. The men moved past him. They were almost certainly the dog handlers and were no doubt searching for the “immigrants” their dogs had detected.
When they were out of sight, Will and Sentinel continued deeper into the forest until they reached a small road. Will looked right and saw nothing. He looked left and saw a truck. It was two hundred feet away, and beside it were three soldiers and two more dogs on leashes. All of the soldiers were smoking. The heads of the dogs were twitching left and right.
They walked away from the patrol, keeping the road on their left, until trees obstructed their view of the soldiers. Crossing the road, they entered more forest.
Sentinel grabbed Will’s arm. “They don’t patrol this far away from the border. But stay alert.”
They ran and walked for an hour, moving through forest and open fields, close to snow-covered vehicle tracks, over roads, through more woods and more open ground. Sentinel led the way, constantly changing direction, constantly looking around to check that they weren’t being watched, always choosing routes that gave them cover when it was available.
When they stopped, it was full daylight. More open farmland was around them.
Sentinel’s breathing was fast. “We’re close.”
Will followed his colleague, who now walked carefully ahead. They moved across more fields until they came to a six-bar gate. Beyond the gate was a vehicle track, and in the distance was a solitary farmhouse.
Sentinel
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