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“West entrance. Guy’s in a hat and thick glasses. Moving with three men.”
“Twenty minutes ‘til Sophia and Yulia get to the barn,” Erik chimes in, glancing at his watch.
I suck in a deep breath. “I’ll be there. No one’s laying a finger on Yulia…or Sophia.”
I grab my earpiece from the table, quickly fitting it into my ear and giving it a tap to sync it with the team’s channel. Dimitri and Erik do the same, our eyes meeting for just a second as if to say, “This is it.” My grip tightens around my weapon; it’s like an extension of me now.
“I hope you are right about Sophia.”
“I am right,” I snap back. His eyes are like a weight, but I don’t waver.
He raises an eyebrow. “Even after all the crap we’ve been through?”
I don’t break eye contact. “She’s different, D. I’d bet my life on her.”
Dimitri takes a deep breath and nods. “I trust you, brother. Let’s roll.”
Ollie’s voice crackles over the earpiece, interrupting the tension. “Erm, hey guys, it’s Ollie. So, uh, these bad hombres – shit, I mean Aleks’s dudes – are, erm, splitting into three groups. Looks like they’re…you know, setting up explosives? Like, at the party and also inside the mansion? So, yeah, FYI.”
Rolling my eyes at Erik, I can’t help but mutter, “Really, Ollie? That’s the best you could do for intel?”
Erik just smirks, clearly amused. “Hey, the kid’s got skill.”
He turns to his crew, eyes steely. “Ivan, Alexei, you are with me. We’re securing this goddamn mansion.
Ollie’s voice comes through again, breaking into our gritty preparations.
“Uh, hey, it’s Ollie again. Erm, so yeah, Sophia and Ms. Ivankov? They’re, like, en route to the barn. Okay, thanks. Oh, and umm…we’ve spotted Anya. She left the kitchen about five minutes ago. So…yeah.”
I shake my head “Goddamn, Erik, where’d you find this guy, a comic convention?”
“Hey, don’t underestimate the nerds, man. They see everything.”
Fuck. If Anya’s moving, then shit’s about to get real complicated, real fast.
We hustle out of the bunker, breaking into different directions.
My boots pound on the ground as I make a beeline for the barn. The air’s heavy, like it’s holding its breath for the shitstorm that’s about to hit. A chill snakes down my spine, and it’s got nothing to do with the weather. Tonight’s sticky as hell, but this? This is the feeling you get when you know everything’s on the line.
Almost there. I rush toward the barn.
The horses are already uneasy when I slip inside the barn, their whinnies low and nervous, hooves scraping against the wooden floors. Something’s spooking them; they can sense the tension in the air.
I tap my earpiece. “Zakhary, Ilya – Sophia and Yulia should be here any minute. Eyes sharp, no fucking mistakes.”
“Understood,” Zakhary mutters back. Ilya just grunts an acknowledgment.
I switch channels. “Ollie, where the hell is Aleks? I need him to make a move.”
My hiding spot is carefully chosen – a haystack near the back, shielded by the shadows but close enough for me to spring into action. I have a clear view of the entrance. It’s perfect for what’s coming next.
Then the barn door creaks, and a shadow inches its way inside. The horses stir, their eyes wide and wild. I grip my gun tighter. If that’s Aleks, the son of a bitch is even quieter than I remember.
It’s not Aleks. A woman materializes from the shadows – Katerina!
“Blyat,” I swear under my breath.
I want to rush out and slice this bitch’s throat, but it’s not the right time. Not yet. My finger hovers over the earpiece, hesitant. I need Aleks to show himself.
