"Did you stock the house as ordered?"
"Yes. Fully stocked, secure, off-grid. Patrick won't find them there."
I study the schematics. The timing has to be perfect. Extract Valerie's family simultaneously while Patrick focuses on the fake supply route. Hit his compound while his forces are spread thin chasing ghosts.
"Timeline still remains the same?"
"Yes. According to the intel Valerie fed him, we have an eight-hour window to gut his operation before he realizes he's been played."
"His compound?"
Mikhail pulls up new images. "Warehouse complex in Red Hook. The main building houses his office, armory, and holding cells. Two auxiliary structures for storage and operations. An estimated forty men are on site at any given time, but with twenty pulled for the ambush, that drops to twenty."
"Twenty against our full team."
"Overwhelming force. Exactly how you wanted it."
I lean back, mind calculating angles. "I want Patrick alive. Everyone else dies, but him? I want him breathing."
"Understood. What about the girl?"
Valerie. Locked in my basement. Waiting to find out whether she lives or dies, depending on how tonight goes.
"She stays where she is until this is over."
"And after?"
Good question. I told her she's leaving. Taking her family and disappearing. Never seeing Mila again.
The thought of Mila's face when she realizes Valerie's gone makes my chest tight.
But keeping her here? After the betrayal? After the lies?
Impossible.
"She leaves." My voice is flat. "Her family gets relocated, she gets money to start over, and I never see her again."
Mikhail studies me. "You sure about that?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"Because you look like a man who hasn't decided anything." He crosses his arms. "Because I saw your face when she called you a monster. When she said she could never fall for someone like you. That hurt you."
"I don’t care what she said about me, and I definitely was not hurt."
"Are you sure?" He tilts his head. "Because you looked like you wanted to believe it was an act but couldn't quite manage it."
I don't answer. Because he's right and I hate it.
"Doesn't matter what it was." I push away from the desk. "After tonight, she's gone. That's final."
"If you say so, Boss."
The teams deploy at 5:45 AM.
I watch from the command center as multiple screens display feeds from body cameras, thermal imaging, and satellite surveillance. Yaroslav's team approaches the apartment building. Viktor's team positions itself around the warehouse where Ethan is held.
"Team One in position." Yaroslav's voice through comms, calm and professional.
