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“You think this is Natalia?”
I shrug. “It was suggested to me that she might be. I’ve seen her in person, and–it’s possible.”
Valeria makes a face. “I’ve met Natalia, once. This woman isn’t her.” She scans the picture again, shaking her head. “She would never–”
She pauses, looking at the photo once more. “But then again–”
“What?”
Valeria blows out a long breath through her nose, scanning the picture and then handing it back to me. “Natalia isn’t stupid enough to hide in plain sight. Too many people know her. Dyed hair and a different wardrobe aren’t enough to change that. But hiding just out of sight, in a place no one would think she’d deign to go to…it’s a risky gamble, but one that she might take–if she were desperate enough.”
“What do you mean,desperate?”
“She likely has no way out. Of Russia, I mean.” Valeria steeples her fingers in front of her. “Trying to get out on her own passport would be dangerous. Her accounts will have been seized by her father’s friends or his enemies, her house is being watched, and her connections cut off. If she wants to get out, she’ll need money to escape. Fake papers are expensive, and the price is only going up.” She frowns. “Who gave you the photo?”
Once again, there’s no point in trying to lie. “Yuri.”
Valeria laughs. “Shit. Well, either he gave you bad information as well, or he fears you more than he does me. For your sake, you ought to hope it’s not the latter. I wouldn’t like that.”
There’s a predatory gleam in her eyes as she says that last, but I do my best to ignore it. “For his sake, I hope he did give me good information. But either way, he’s a dead man.Ifear you more than I care about him.”
She smirks. “Good answer. For that, I’ll give you something else, Kasilov. Something that will help you.”
Adrenaline spikes in my veins, and it’s all I can do not to seem too eager. “Anything would be appreciated, of course.”
“I still have the Syndicate’s ear.Vladimir’sear, when he’s in a decent mood. I’ll mention you. If you can get an audience with him, he might be interested in helping you–even compensating you–for cleaning up those loose ends if this woman really is Natalia.”
“You think the Syndicate has an interest in this?”
“Having her floating around, unaccounted for, with the power vacuum left after her father’s death? Not a good thing. They’d rather wipe the name out and start fresh, even install someone of their own in the space left behind. I’m certain of it.” She smiles. “Play your cards right, and you might walk out of this with more allies than when you began.”
I imagine that–the possibility of going back to Viktor not only with Natalia to deliver to him, but with stronger ties of my own to the Russian underworld. It sends a thrill through me, the idea of that kind of victory. But it also feels almost too good to be true.
“Why aren’t you going to them yourself?” I ask carefully, raising an eyebrow. “With that kind of information, why not ask for their support, and collect her for them along with their goodwill and reward?”
Valeria pauses, and I can see in that pause that she’s deciding how much, exactly, she wants to share with me. “I’ve gotten too tied up in it already,” she says finally. “I want my distance from the Syndicate, a distanceIchoose, not more involvement.” Her eyes narrow shrewdly. “The information doesn’t come for free. I’ll help you in what ways I can–so long as you cut me in on what the Syndicate pays you. Thirty percent. The rest is yours.”
It’s a good deal. The worst part is that it keeps me working closely with Valeria, who no one wants closer than arm’s length. As long as I can keep her there, though, I should be safe. As long as I can deliver Yuri.
“It’s a deal,” I tell her flatly. “Thirty percent. And I’ll bring you proof when Yuri is dead. He won’t be delivering any more bad information.”
“Take the piece off of him while he’s still alive,” she says with a cold smile. “Come back when he’s dead, and not before. I don’t care when you meet with the Syndicate, but don’t return here until you’ve finishedmyjob.”
“Understood.” I stand up as she does, knowing instinctively that the meeting is over, and I’m glad for it. I follow her to the door, adrenaline thumping through my veins at how close I am to being out of this death box of an apartment.
I can’t entirely breathe again until I’m out on the landing, the door shut and locked behind me, but once I can, I’m glad I took the meeting.
Yuri.
The Syndicate.
Natalia.
It’s all coming together. The next step is to determine if Yuri gave me the right information.
If he didn’t, not even God will be able to help him.
Natalia
