Andrei frowned, pulling his balaclava down from where it had been shoved up, resting above the crown of his hair.

No one was really speaking overmuch. A grimness had fallen over the assembled at the discovery of the corpse.

When the Kamov landed he waited for Ocelot to climb inside and vaulted up right behind him.

The others followed. Only their eyes identified them to him.

Liadov and Rakitin were the last to embark, and Rakitin took a jump seat, while Liadov grabbed for an overhead loop to steady himself, intending to ride it out on his feet.

The bird whirred and lifted, and then pitched low over the rise of the helipad, hovering the short distance to the cave system on the opposite peak.

Andrei studied his hands, flexed them slowly.

He thought about murder.

A shudder passed through him, brief and violent, almost like the taste of pickling spice.

When he looked up, Kassian's dark eyes were focused on him.

Condemning? Or empathetic? The shadow obscured too much to know.

Imanov seemed distracted, or maybe he was just angry- at having to deal with Irinarhov, at being away from the squad.

He leaned forward slightly, nudging Ilya with his boot across the aisle.

"You all right?" he mouthed, over the shirring blades of the Kamov.

She was already beginning her landing.

The trip had been no more than a jaunt.