Ethan Hunt sat quietly in the van, eyes closed and unresponsive to Benji's growing panic.
"Just the three of us? That's impossible!" Benji exclaimed. "This is the Kremlin we're talking about. Just getting past the entrance requires three layers of security checks. To go deeper? More checkpoints—loads of them!"
"Frank Moses is also in Moscow," Ethan said without opening his eyes. "Try to contact him."
"What? Why is he here?" Benji asked, incredulous. "Wait, you trust that bald-headed maniac? Don't forget how he made our lives miserable when he was in charge of New York!"
"Quiet, Benji," Ethan said, opening his eyes to glare at him. "Do as I say."
"Fine, fine," Benji grumbled as he drove to Moscow's freight station. With Ethan and Jane Carter in tow, he led them to a loading dock.
Avoiding the workers, they found a cargo container, input a code, and stepped inside.
Ethan approached the 3D printer and began printing a prosthetic mask resembling Anatoly Federov. While waiting, he stood behind Benji, watching as he tried to contact Frank Moses via email.
Unfortunately, at that exact moment, Frank Moses was getting pounded by the White Ghost.
At Edward Bailey's safe house, Church and his team had settled in after dinner. While sipping vodka with Edward, Church casually inquired, "So, Edward, we're in Moscow now. Care to tell me where that nuke is?"
"It's hard to explain in words," Edward said with a sly smile. "How about we take a walk? Maybe seeing how Moscow has changed over the past 31 years will jog my memory."
Church exchanged a glance with Marvin, then subtly signaled Victoria. She nodded, drawing Sarah into a conversation about handling relationships with men.
Sneaking out of the safe house, Church, Marvin, and Edward bundled up in scarves and hats before hailing a taxi toward the Kremlin.
After getting out of the cab, Marvin glanced around nervously. "Frank, I think we're being followed."
"Damn it, Marvin, stop being paranoid!" Church snapped.
Just as he turned, he saw the White Ghost—dressed in an immaculate white suit—walking briskly toward them.
Noticing that Church had spotted him, the White Ghost immediately punched Marvin in the neck, knocking him out. With a swift roundhouse kick, he took down Edward Bailey as well.
Grinning wickedly, he stopped two meters in front of Church and snarled, "Where's my plane?"
"I gave it to a Russian big shot. Otherwise, how do you think we even got into Moscow?" Church retorted smugly.
"You're as infuriating as ever," the White Ghost growled. Though he knew Church was baiting him, he couldn't resist attacking.
A steel ball shot from a concealed device struck Church's hand, forcing him to drop his gun. The White Ghost followed up with a flying kick that sent Church crashing through the door of a convenience store.
"The CIA wants me to kill you, but they didn't say I have to do it all at once," the White Ghost sneered. "Frank, we've got plenty of time to play."
Church, clutching his aching stomach, assumed a fighting stance and motioned for the White Ghost to come at him.
Reality, however, was unforgiving. The White Ghost effortlessly dodged Church's punches.
"Bang, bang!" Two quick jabs to Church's face sent him reeling. He raised his arms to block, only to be struck in the stomach by a powerful kick.
Losing his balance, Church was helpless as the White Ghost delivered a brutal combo. In just two seconds, Church's stomach took seven or eight hard punches.
"FK," Church groaned, bending over in pain.
"Police! Police! Hands up!" Several Russian officers stormed into the store, guns drawn and aimed at the White Ghost.
Seizing the opportunity, Church scrambled toward the exit, shouting in Russian, "Help! He's got a gun!"
Crawling out of the store, he joined Marvin in hauling Edward to his feet. The three fled as fast as they could.
"You idiot!" Marvin yelled at Church while running. "Did you think you could take on the White Ghost? If I hadn't called the cops, none of us would've gotten out alive!"
Church sighed, shaking his head. Maybe I'm getting too old for this, he thought.
Back at the safe house, Church searched his pockets for the key, only to discover his phone was missing.
"Damn it, I lost my phone," he groaned.
"What?!" Marvin exploded. "You've got to be kidding me, Frank! If the Russians get their hands on your phone, they'll figure out we're in Moscow in no time!"
Marvin paced angrily. "We have to act first thing tomorrow morning. Find the nuke and get out of here!"
Church nodded silently. "You and Edward stay here. I'll go out and gather equipment for tomorrow."
"No," Marvin insisted. "If anyone's spotted, it should be you. I'm still relatively unknown here." He turned and left before Church could argue.
Unbeknownst to either of them, the phone wasn't lost—it was in Edward Bailey's pocket. Over the years, Edward had perfected the art of pickpocketing, a skill that had enabled him to steal the phone from his guard and make outside contact while imprisoned.
The next morning, Church, Marvin, and Edward left for the Kremlin. At the same time, Ethan, Benji, and Jane, dressed as Russian officers and carrying briefcases, also headed for the Kremlin.
While Ethan and Benji queued for security checks outside, Church and Marvin followed Edward as he led them through back alleys, searching for a secret entrance to the Kremlin.
Despite a few detours, Edward eventually found the entrance.
They entered a hamburger joint, where Edward quietly said, "Frank, isn't this a little too easy?"
Church paused but then shook his head. "Let's focus on finding the nuke."
In the restroom, Edward tapped on the walls in various spots. Hollow echoes confirmed the location of the hidden passage. Excitedly, Edward said, "This must be it."
Marvin grabbed a fire axe, placed a maintenance sign on the door, and locked it from the inside. Swinging the axe, he smashed through the wall, revealing a dimly lit tunnel.
Swapping their outfits for Russian officer uniforms, Church and Marvin followed Edward into the passage.
Meanwhile, Ethan and Benji had finally cleared the outer security checkpoint and were waiting in the Kremlin's courtyard.
"Jane, is the wireless infiltration device ready?" Ethan asked.
Struggling to control a small balloon in the windy conditions, Jane replied, "Almost. The wind's making it hard to stabilize."
Ethan and Benji stood outside, pretending to make a phone call while they waited. They failed to notice a man nearby, partially obscured by a column, using a device to monitor them closely.
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