"Of course," said Nika, blinking, wondering how anyone who regularly patrolled in the area could have missed the slope he was referring to, which was so riddled with caves it looked like swiss chesse.

"I'm sure Polya saw it too. It loomed up just as we took the turn into the base in order to land on the helipad."

Ocelot was looking ovver his troops with a scowl, pacing slightly.

As Liadov watched, he pulled out his gun, twirled it, checked it and inclined it at a selection of men in rapid order.

"Isaev. Todorovich. Ustinov."

He looked at the sniper and his first Lieutenant briefly, witheringly.

"...And of course, the little angels who guard all good MENTs."

He said it as if it seemed redundant to him, and Nika supposed it was. They had been given an order and they seemed aware that it was a standing one.

The possibility of wasted words clearly annoyed the Ocelot Major.