Around the world in four months...

The EIS team have liberated Albert Einstein from a Russian facility within the walled city of Kurchatov and escaped as far as East Berlin. Having made contact with the British Embassy in West Berline the team are preparing to cross the border. The EIS team consists of Alfie Baldrick, the one man rifle section; Mimi Dubois, maîtresse of skills; Madeline Forsyth, the living shadow; and Sven Hyse, the Norwegian shapeshifter.

East Berlin, German Democratic Republic, January 1950

Sven lands on the roof of the highest building overlooking the designated crossing point on the eastern side of the boarder. He had set out from the guest house, leaving the sounds of Baldrick slurping brandy behind him, and headed to get the lay of the land. He nestles into a perch and watches through the pouring rain before flapping across to the western side and locating a similar snipers nest on that side of the crossing. He notes that the crossing point is heavily guarded and that there are far more heavy weapons visible then would be necessary to guard such a boarder gate. As he is putting it down to posturing he spots a car travelling from west to east, Sven watches closely as the guards take a significant amount of time checking the papers of the cars occupant before dragging him out into the rain and searching him roughly.

 Back in the guest house Madeline checks the fake identification papers and the travel permits and tells the others that they are good fakes, not as good as she could have done, but they will do. The team agree to get into the area of the crossing early in the morning so that they can mingle with any crowds crossing.

The following morning, Wednesday, the team rise early and Madeline spends an hour applying disguises to everyone with the exception of Sven. Mimi then duplicates so that there are five Mimi's, one of them slips as a shadow onto Madeline, two slip onto Einstein providing him with protection front and back, one remains solid and will cross with Alfie, while the final one waits until Sven has transformed into a large sea eagle and slides onto him before they head off to keep watch from the sniper nest that Sven identified on the eastern side of the boarder the previous evening. Alfie drives the car to a few blocks away from the crossing point and the team breathe a sigh of relief when Madeline assures them that they are not being followed, they arrive just after seven thirty in the morning.

On the rooftop, Sven asks Mimi if she has checked the area for other enhanced and she is shocked that she has not, and so seconds later five Mimi's push out with their senses and scan the area. None of them get any returns other than the team members and Einstein. The car team split into two groups with Einstein and Madeline heading in one direction and Alfie and Mimi another. The two groups take separate approaches towards the boarder crossing and Einstein and Madeline arrive first.

From their vantage point high above the crossing, Sven can see a queue of four people waiting to cross from East Berlin into West Berlin, he also spots Einstein walking towards the back of the queue closely being followed by Madeline. He watches intently through the telescopic sight of his rifle as Albert Einstein's papers are given a cursory glance before he is waved through, Madeline steps up next and the guard pays far more attention to her papers. Sven can see through his scope the guard starting to question Madeline before he takes her papers and walks away and steps into the nearby checkpoint building.

In front of him, Alfie Baldrick sees Madeline being lead away towards the small checkpoint building by a pair of armed guards and not sure what to do he looks over his shoulder and can see Mimi urging him to continue to move forwards. And so he approaches the checkpoint trusting to his luck. And a few minutes later he is smiling as he is just waved through the crossing, closely followed by Mimi, and the pair of them push forwards to catch up to Einstein before he reaches the west.

Within the small checkpoint building Madeline answers the guards questions in heavily Russian accented German and remains very calm. This seems to frustrate the guard more and more, until he reaches for a telephone and puts in a call to his superiors.

Having lost sight of Madeline, Sven shifts the focus of his telescopic sight to the western side of the boarder crossing and can see Einstein, flanked by Alfie and Mimi, approaching the checkpoint and showing his papers. The guard looks shocked for a moment and then quickly ushers the three of them into the western guard post. The guard picks up the telephone and says:

Yes sir! The package has arrived. I understand!

He hangs up the receiver and looks at Alfie and Mimi:

There is a car on its way. Are we expecting more of your colleagues?

Before answering, Mimi communicates with all of the other Mimi's and tells them that Einstein is secured. The Mimi on Madeline whispers the news and the British agent reacts instantly by creating a pool of darkness around herself and before the boarder guards can react she transforms herself into a living shadow. The lead guard shouts:

What the! Don't let her escape!

But they are far to late. Madeline is already moving through the shadows and on her way out of the building. And it is not long before the Mimi with her is following on, using her enhanced ability to locate enhanced individuals to keep tabs on Madeline.

That process triggers a thought in the collective minds of the Mimi's and once again they all push out with their senses checking for any unknown enhanced. The three Mimi's with Einstein and Baldrick are surprised when they all get a return on the edge of their powers on the western side of the crossing. This news is quickly communicated to the remaining Mimi's and the one with Sven tells him that there is another enhanced in play and that they must get to the other side immediately. Sven transforms into an eagle as quickly as possible and they leap into the air.

But activities overtake them and a car pulls up outside the guard post on the western side of the crossing and a suited gentleman in his sixties steps out of it. Mimi pushes out with her senses again and is surprised when the man stood in front of them is an enhanced. The man enters the guard post and introduces himself as Karl Nye from the Ministry. He warmly greets Einstein and then turns to Mimi and says:

I suggest that we all get in the car and it will take us to the British Embassy. Are there others joining us?

Mimi replies:

There are others, but let's not worry about that right now.

They all climb into the back of the large car, while Madeline and the Mimi with her slip quietly onto the underside of the vehicle and Sven and the Mimi with him shadow the car from the air, just in case something goes awry.

Twenty minutes later and everyone has regrouped in a suite on the first floor of the British Embassy. As well as Mr Nye, the team are joined by Mr Elton and two British Military Generals, all of who take part in a debrief of the team. Madeline gives them a brief description of the teams rescue of Einstein and their subsequent escape from Russia to the West but it is obvious that she is glossing over certain aspects. Mr Nye pulls out his identification and shows it to Madeline, he is an EIS agent, and so Madeline reprises the story but this time speaking freely.

After the debrief Mr Nye confirms that Albert Einstein will be transported to the American Embassy, and that he will arrange for a flight back to England for the team. With the initial debrief completed Mr Nye tells the team that he wishes to take them out for a night in Berlin. Over dinner Madeline discusses Mr Nye's enhanced abilities, he tells the team that he got them from Hanslope park and that he is gifted with being extremely intuitive as well as a an overabundance of common sense. When Madeline questions him about any side effects he admits that he is an extremely deep sleeper. The team smile as Madeline says:

That could be a problem, things can happen when people sleep!

Mr Nye also shows the team pictures of the Japanese monster that have come to light. The creature is huge, and no one has a clue where it came from or where it is hiding. He also discusses Stalin, and the fact that after he had become steel he had disappeared from public view.

The following morning the EIS team board an aeroplane headed for London Airport. The team take their seats and out of standard paranoia Mimi pushes out with her senses. She is shocked when she realises that they are not the only enhanced on the flight, but before she can do anything she feels her mind becoming overwhelmed and dominated by that of another. Mimi's eyes are drawn upwards and lock with those of a twelve year old girl looking at her over the back of her seat several rows away. The young girl is red headed and her flame tresses tumble down over her green dress.

The French agent hears a child's voice inside of her head:

I was never here. Remember that. But my father would like to see you at Ravens Row. Make sure to bring your colleagues.

And then Mimi forgets it ever happened, that is until much later. Once the team land in London they are transported to eight Canning Place Mews, the safe house that they had occupied when last they were in London. As soon as they are alone, Mimi's encounter with the child aboard the aeroplane comes flooding back into her mind and she quickly rushes to tell everyone what had happened. The team all agree that it is time to visit Ravens Row.