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The guard closest to him smacks him in the mouth. “Shut it, pendejo,” he growls in Spanish-accented English.
I peer at his helmet-covered head. “Diego?”
The helmet bobs. “Hey, Peter. How are you doing?” As he speaks, he shoves the newly dazed Novak into the car and shuts the door.
“Just peachy,” I say dryly as Ilya approaches. “All in a good day’s work.”
My teammate does not look pleased—probably because we’re both still weaponless. “They’re waiting,” he says curtly. “And they’ll stand down.”
“Good.” I slap his shoulder. “Let’s go.”
Yan and Anton are at a construction site nearby, guarding the Nora substitute and her baby sister. Their weapons are at their sides as we approach with Esguerra’s guards, but their eyes are sharp and watchful.
“You have some explaining to do,” Anton tells me as the guards walk past us to get “Nora” and the baby. “A lot of explaining, really.”
“I know.” Ilya and I watch the guards usher the girl—who still looks petrified—toward another black SUV. “I’ll explain everything.”
“What’s there to explain?” Yan says, coming up to stand next to us. His green eyes gleam with a cool, mocking light. “That’s not the real Nora, is it?”
“No,” I say, meeting his gaze head on. “Esguerra would never put his wife or child in danger like that—not that they were really in danger, mind you.”
“Right.” Yan’s smile lacks the slightest hint of humor. “So was this the plan from the beginning? Get Novak on the hook, find out what his asset is, and then reel in Esguerra?”
I incline my head. “You got it.”
Anton’s black brows pull together. “I don’t understand. Why would you do that—and why not tell us?”
“Because he doesn’t trust us fully.” Yan’s voice is deceptively soft. “Isn’t that right, Peter? As to why—”
I cut him off with a sharp wave. “I trust the three of you with my life. But this was a very delicate operation, one that unfolded over many months. I needed to earn Novak’s trust, and for that, all of our reactions and interactions had to be as genuine as possible. He’s not stupid. If he sensed anything off—just the slightest hint that we’re playing him—all of this would’ve been for nothing.”
“It’s because of her, isn’t it?” Ilya speaks for the first time. I open my mouth, about to answer, when he says, “Never mind. Of course it is. What is it that you want from Esguerra? More money, so you could disappear with her for good?”
“No,” Yan tells his brother. “That’s not it.” He looks at me. “Is it, Peter?”
“No—though the extra money is a definite perk,” I say, looking from one to the other. “Your portion is getting deposited into your accounts as we speak.” I turn to Anton. “Yours too.”
“Just fucking tell us already,” Anton growls. “Seriously, stop it with the mystery. What did Esguerra promise you for this?”
“A life,” I say and glance at the SUVs pulling away from the curb. “The kind of life people like us don’t get.”
“Ah.” Anton’s frown smooths out. “Amnesty.”
I nod. “And immunity from further prosecution. For all of us.”
Ilya’s face lightens, but Yan folds his arms across his chest. “Who said we want it? You think we left Spetsnaz and joined up with you so we could become CPAs and teachers?”
“No, I think you did it so you could get filthy rich,” I say, matching his mocking tone. “Which you now are, congrats. Oh, and in case I didn’t mention it yet, the extra coming from Esguerra is seventy-five mil.”
Anton whistles low under his breath. “Damn.”
Yan stares at me. “A hundred-seventy-five million gig? All in?”
“That, and the freedom to do whatever you want. If you want to carry on with the business, go for it—though you might want to start over under new identities, in case all this”—I circle my index finger in the air—“gets out. Alternatively, you can go legit—open a security firm or some such.”
“What about you?” Ilya asks, tilting his head. “What are you going to do, Peter?”
“As soon as I get the all-clear, I’m going to the States,” I say and grin at their expressions. “Yes, that’s right, to Sara. This time, we’ll be playing house for real.”
39
Peter
Esguerra wants me back at his compound, so after I catch up with my men, I board his Boeing C-17 and accompany Novak and the guards to Colombia. Ilya, Yan, and Anton go separately in our plane. I still don’t completely trust my former employer, so my teammates agreed to provide support in case things go south last minute. I don’t expect a double-cross from Esguerra at this point—for one thing, the seventy-five million is already in our accounts—but it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.
I also got my team to agree to continue assisting me in the search for Henderson. As the last name on my list, he’s unfinished business, and I have every intention of dealing with him in due time.
