NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE THEORY
One of the questions I had after watching volume 2 of the fourth season was how Ellen Stinson managed to rescue the group from Russia and bring them to the United States/Hawkins. Unfortunately, because of the "Two Days Later" note, we didn't get many answers about this. I gathered some details to theorize and fanficate how this rescue might have happened until their arrival in Hawkins, and how Agent Stinson's contacts in Nellis might have helped;
KATINKA
We start with Yuri introducing his helicopter to the characters, which, according to him, would take them to the United States. Obviously, that helicopter wouldn't have enough power and fuel for a direct flight; Dmitri even tells Yuri that the smuggler's helicopter wouldn't make it to America. In fact, Katinka had never taken off, which is why Yuri said he would make some adjustments.
Joyce had the idea of calling Owens for help. After a few hours, Stinson returns the call, and after Hopper manages to convince her that it was really him, they exchange some information. Most of the dialogue is off-screen, but Stinson talks about Eleven and the Byers, and most likely, Hopper gives a brief explanation of his situation in Russia and asks her for help to get them to Hawkins. I have a theory that Ellen must have asked Hopper to provide a safe address for her to send her people/contacts to pick them up. This safe location would be "Yuri’s Fish N Fly" because the route would be a bit shorter than going directly to Hawkins, the fuel would be enough, and it would be a place already known to the characters and secluded.
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE
Nellis Air Force Base is a real-life military installation of the US Air Force in Nevada. In Stranger Things, it is mentioned in episode 8 when Eleven decides to leave Project Nina and go to Hawkins. Dr. Owens says that Stinson has contacts in Nellis and that they could reach Hawkins before nightfall.
The cool thing about mentioning that Stinson has military contacts she trusts when needed is that this could be useful again in season 5.
As we know, everything went wrong; Brenner cut Owens out at the last minute and forced Eleven to stay in Project Nina as long as he deemed necessary until her powers were fully restored and much stronger. After that, Sullivan's faction arrives at the Project Nina.
Stinson would use her contacts at Nellis to get a helicopter and send some of her trusted colleagues from Nellis to the meeting point in Alaska, with total secrecy. I think they would use a more discreet helicopter to avoid drawing too much attention.
LEAVING RUSSIA
After the final battle, we saw Yuri and Dmitri arrive with Katinka fully functioning at the prison to rescue Hopper, Joyce, and Murray and get out of Russia as soon as possible. Then Yuri would head to Alaska, specifically to "Yuri's Fish N Fly," the meeting point with Stinson's contacts. Landing there, Hopper got in touch with Agent Stinson, and sometime later the helicopter arrived to take them to Nevada.
To me, those who went with the helicopter to Nevada were Hopper, Joyce, Murray, and Dmitri.
- Hopper and Joyce for obvious reasons.
- Murray would go with them to Nevada but would later head to his home (that same year, he would move to Hawkins and start working at Bradley’s Big Buy, as the filming photos of season 5 suggest).
- Dmitri would go with them because he is now a traitor in his country, so the only way is to follow his life in the United States, in another city. Owens' friends could easily bring his wife and child to the United States and give them citizenship in exchange for secrecy, perhaps (most certainly, we won't see him in season 5).
- One interesting thing is that in the script for episode 9, there is a conversation that didn't make the final cut where Murray says to Dmitri that he could imagine him living in Indiana.
- As for Yuri, it obviously wouldn't make sense for him to leave since he has his established place in Alaska.
NEVADA
Stinson or other agents would receive them at Nellis and accommodate them at their base before heading to Hawkins by car, so they could take a shower, get clean clothes, and learn a bit about what is happening in Hawkins.
A cool detail on Hopper's cap is the embroidered golden oak leaf decoration, the same that officers wear, like on Sullivan's visor, because it has a military meaning. They are also used by ordinary people as a tribute. I imagine Stinson's contacts in Nevada giving the cap to Hopper so he wouldn't be identified
HAWKINS
After that, Stinson, Hopper, and Joyce head to Hawkins, while the other agents in Nevada took Murray to his home in Illinois. After some time, he returned to Hawkins, and Dimitri was taken to his new temporary address, possibly in Indiana or somewhere far from Hawkins.
