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She nodded.
“It’ll be okay. In forty-eight hours, the deal will be made with United Russia and Azarpassillo, securing your freedom. Before Petrov can get wind of it, we’ll go after him. It’s almost over.”
“I hope you’re right.”
So did he, because right now, even he had a hard time believing what he’d just said.
21
“Hey, Raze. What do you know about Topor Evasov?”
“Not a lot more than you do. He was thought to have been executed by Azerbaijan’s military as part of that mass wave of arrests made last year.”
“That’s right, he’s Armenian. A double agent.”
“There’s a theory that he secretly ran everything in Azerbaijan for Petrov when he was living as Conor McNamara. Couldn’t have done it alone, though.”
“What else?”
“Late forties. Cut his chops in the Armenian National Security Service.”
“So Petrov turned him?”
“Yeah, probably.”
Gunner knew Razor almost better than he knew himself. Something was on his friend’s mind, and whatever it was, Razor was piecing it together on the fly.
“Tell me again what the mystery caller said.”
Gunner reiterated every word.
“That last part…‘I can no longer protect you.’”
“It’s odd,” said Gunner. “That’s what made Raketa think it was Petrov. While she was at his compound, he told her she was there for her protection.”
“I can no longer protect you.”
“What are you getting at, Raze?”
“But he was able to protect her when the chip was still implanted.”
Gunner was usually able to be patient when Razor was thinking out loud. Not this time. “Get to the point.”
When Razor opened his laptop, Gunner sat down.
“Where’s Raketa?” Razor asked, but he didn’t answer. He knew his friend was too lost in what he was doing to hear his answer anyway.
Earlier, when he and Raketa had come back inside, she’d asked if he’d mind if she talked to Ava alone for a few minutes. He’d wanted to ask why since she’d just told him she didn’t want to, but he’d let it go and went in search of Razor.
“I had a feeling…”
“Jesus,” Gunner growled. “What? Get to the damn point!”
“Ivashov, Evasov.”
“Both common Eastern European names.”
“Not so much.”
