Page 166 of Cruel Demands

“Am I?”

“No.” Her voice is hushed. “I think you are a criminal using politics.”

“She is very pretty when she is frightened,” Orlov says. The room vanishes around his voice. I close my hand around his damaged fingers and twist. He screams.

Olga goes pale. “We have to let the police take him now.”

“The police are incompetent. They will get Taylor killed.”

“He may not even know where she is.”

“He knows where she was supposed to go.” Orlov breathes heavily through his nose. I crouch in front of him. “Which ambulance?”

Nothing. I break another finger. This time, Olga does not look away. “This is not justice,” she says.

“I am unconcerned with justice.”

“That much is obvious.”

Orlov laughs weakly. I grip his jaw. “Which exit?”

My radio cracks. Arkady’s voice comes through. “Pakhan, we have them.”

Everything inside me stops. “Too late,” I say to Orlov, and I watch his face turn white. I seize the radio. “Taylor?”

“Alive. Nikita too. Taylor has injuries to her face and knee. Medical staff are with them.”

“The baby?”

“Unknown.”

My hand closes around the radio. “Bring them to me. Bring a doctor with them.”

“Yes, Pakhan.”

The room returns slowly. They are alive. Orlov no longer possesses anything I need. Olga hears the change in my breathing. “They found her.”

“Yes.”

“Then step away.”

I look down at Orlov. He smiles. He believes the danger has passed.

Olga moves closer. “He is under arrest.”

“No.”

Her expression hardens. “He can identify every contractor, police commander, judge, and ministry official in his network.”

“He will identify whoever benefits him.”

“He will be held under federal authority.”

“He owns men inside federal authority.”

“Then we isolate him.”

“He will continue giving orders.”