The Major didn't reply to the nervous young man, but backed away from the door as he heard the slow steps getting closer. When the door opened, the barrel of the SVD would be thrust about two inches from Valery's filtration mask, but no shot was taken. He was actually going with it. The risk went both ways - who's to say there wasn't more of them out there? Now that the Major had a captive, he wouldn't let him out of sight. "Raisa, check the hall for contacts. If it looks good, we slip into the vent here and get underground without any trouble," he addressed his companion first, "Where's your weapon, the one that turns the room into swiss cheese? You're crazy to travel the surface without one... We did hear gunshots earlier, as I recall. Lose it?" the stalker asked.

Raisa strolled past the two, checking the corner before cautiously advancing into the hall. Other than the mandatory creaks, cracks and occasional howls on the wind, there was no noise, no movement. She backed into the room again and held her rifle low, away from their already-twitchy guest. The last thing he needed was to feel captive, right? In a way, he reminded her of Sasha, hours earlier back in Kuzminki. When the mutants attacked, she decided his fate for him... This guy was definitely nervous enough to be a Sasha.

"Seems clear. Shall I do my ladies first thing?" Raisa queried, getting impatient with all this loitering on the surface. Even if they were safe, they couldn't just breathe indefinitely! Not to mention it was freezing. The Major might have his coat and armour, but all she had was her shirt, leather jacket on top of that, and the scarf dug into her collar and wrapped around her neck.

"No, I'll go first. Then he does. Then you," the Major answered, lowering his rifle. The boy had the right to carry a damned weapon, whether he came here with one or not.