Lazarus Protocol

Prologue: Operation Blackout

The bitter Moscow wind whipped across Sergei Volkov's face as he peered through his binoculars at the imposing edifice of the Lubyanka Building. The former KGB headquarters loomed against the night sky, its yellow brick facade illuminated by strategically placed floodlights. Sergei suppressed a shiver that had nothing to do with the cold. Even now, decades after the fall of the Soviet Union, the building inspired a visceral dread in those who knew its history.

"Echo Team, report status," Sergei murmured into his throat mic, his Russian accent barely detectable after years of training.

"Echo One, in position," came the immediate response. "Surveillance cameras on the east side are looped. You're clear to move."

Sergei nodded, though his team couldn't see him. "Copy that. Beta Team, what's your status?"

There was a moment of silence that stretched a beat too long. Sergei felt his pulse quicken. "Beta Team, report."

"Beta One here," a female voice finally crackled through his earpiece. "We've hit a snag. Security patrol patterns have changed. We need two minutes to recalibrate."

Sergei cursed under his breath. This operation had been months in the planning, every detail meticulously arranged. A two-minute delay could spell disaster.

"Negative, Beta One," he replied, his voice taut with tension. "We stick to the timeline. Improvise if you have to, but be in position in sixty seconds."

"But sir-"

"Fifty-five seconds, Beta One."

He heard a resigned sigh. "Understood. Beta Team moving now."

Sergei lowered his binoculars and turned to the man crouched beside him on the rooftop. Jack Harper, his American counterpart, raised an eyebrow.

"Problem?" Jack asked, his Midwest accent a stark contrast to the Russian night.

Sergei shook his head. "Nothing we can't handle. You ready to make history, my friend?"

Jack's lips quirked in a half-smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Born ready. Though I gotta say, when I signed up for this joint CIA-FSB taskforce, I didn't think we'd be breaking into the goddamn Lubyanka."

"The Chimera Group has to be stopped," Sergei replied grimly. "The intel we need is in there, and this may be our only chance to get it."

Jack nodded, his expression turning serious. "Agreed. It's just... are you sure your source is solid? The risks we're taking here-"

"My source is beyond reproach," Sergei cut him off, a hint of irritation creeping into his voice. "I'd stake my life on it."

"You are staking your life on it," Jack pointed out. "All our lives."

Before Sergei could respond, his earpiece crackled to life again. "Echo One to Sentinel. We have movement at the service entrance. Two guards, armed."

Sergei raised his binoculars again, focusing on the small door barely visible in the shadows of the building's western face. "Copy, Echo One. Hold position."

He watched as two men in dark uniforms emerged, cigarettes glowing in the darkness. They conversed in low tones, their breath forming small clouds in the frigid air.

"This could work to our advantage," Sergei mused. "Echo Two, are you in position to deploy sleeping gas?"

"Affirmative, Sentinel. Awaiting your order."

Sergei's mind raced, calculating angles and wind direction. "Execute on my mark. Three... two... one... mark."

Through his binoculars, Sergei saw a small canister arc through the air, landing silently behind the two guards. A faint hiss was followed by a nearly invisible cloud of gas. The guards' conversation faltered, then stopped altogether as they slumped to the ground.