He moved forward and spoke. “Good morning. We were out hiking and came across this wreckage. Are you a search party looking for it?”
Sergeant Bradley spoke loudly and replied, “Yes, sir, we are. You must put back what you have tampered with and leave the area immediately. This is RAF property and we are RAF personnel. Please return down the slope. This area is a crash site and now off limits to anyone but the military.” Garasov’s men stopped and waited for his instructions. Garasov could see only two men but assumed that there must be others in the area. He decided to chance it and drew his revolver and told the two RAF men to stay where they were.
Pointing his revolver at Jamie, he said, “Take that radio pack off and put it on the ground. Then move away from it.” Slowly Jamie obeyed, keeping his eyes on the man holding the gun. Two of Garasov’s men put the ECM unit into a large pack and then put the pack on the third man’s back.
“Ready to leave,” one of them said.
“Move out,” said Garasov, and they started to move back down the slope while Garasov held the gun on Sergeant Bradley and Jamie. Just out of sight due to the mist but within hearing distance were Andy and Tiny. Quietly they moved down the slope, one on each side of the wreckage. Tiny came out of the mist toward Garasov who turned and fired at him. The bullet hit him in the shoulder and he spun round with the impact and fell into the snow. At the sound of the shot there were shouts in English down the slope.
“Draw weapons and spread out, men,” was the command with replies of, “Okay, sir.” Garasov realised that he would have to make a break for it and disappear into the mist. Similarly, Garasov’s men decided to make a break for it. One swung off into the mist and headed up the slope in a southerly direction. The other two swung across the slope but stayed together to protect the captured ECM unit. Garasov headed off into the mist, also in southerly direction and was seen by Andy. Sergeant Bradley headed towards the injured Tiny while Jamie raced for the radio unit and called in for help.
“Number One Team calling. Corporal Morris shot and injured. The enemy have taken the unit. Two men with it, headed south. The other two separately headed up the slope in a south-westerly direction. Over.”
The reply came seconds later. “Stay with Corporal Morris. We will track the two with the ECM unit and then head up to you. Over.” Sergeant Bradley told Jamie to leave him the radio and go back up to the rim and bring back the first aid kit. Jamie headed out.
In the mist, Andy caught sight of Garasov angling up the slope and still carrying the gun. He followed Garasov but kept back. Garasov turned to see if he was being followed and thought he had a glimpse of someone below him. The person wasn’t in white so he hastily fired a shot in that direction, more to discourage anyone following him. The shot missed Andy and he moved in a more southerly route up the slope, aiming to cut the Russian off up at the rim. The shot was heard by the fourth Russian, Anton Verasin, who decided to head in that direction and meet up with Garasov. Below the rim, Garasov found that he was going to have to climb. The rocks were icy underneath the snow and without crampons on he had difficulty with footholds. Garasov put the revolver back in his tunic and hauled himself up, mainly with his hands. A little further south, Andy was also climbing up to the rim but making much better time. He pulled himself up onto the rim and moved north, a little in but parallel to the edge of the rim. Garasov finally hauled himself up onto the rim and stood there getting his breath back after the exertion of the climbing. He started forward when a figure loomed out of the mist and launched itself on him. Before Garasov could draw the revolver, the figure hit him hard and both men fell to the ground. It was hard for Andy to maintain a grip on the white waterproof suit being worn by Garasov, who managed to break free and roll away. Both men leapt to their feet and momentarily stared at each other, waiting for each other’s move. As Garasov started to draw his revolver, Andy did a flying dropkick. Garasov quickly moved sideways but Andy’s feet caught Garasov high on the thigh and he toppled over the edge of the rim. He fell about ten feet and bounced off a rock before falling a further ten feet and landing sideways onto the sharp edge of a rock. There was a crack as the thigh bone broke from the impact and Garasov cried out in pain. Andy started to get back on his feet. As he was standing up there was a movement behind him and he started to turn. There was a blow to the back
