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I reach across the small table and offer him my hand. “Mikhail Antonov, Konstantin’s soon-to-be successor.”
Nicolai chuckles as we shake hands. “You’ve got balls. I like that. Now, about that video evidence… How are we going to do it?”
“Let’s go outside. More space for me to work.”
* * *
By the time I return to my hotel in the core of Belgorod, I’m bone tired and ready to call it a day. I all but fall into the room’s singular chair. It’s uncomfortable. With a weary sigh, I set my gun aside. There are only fourteen bullets remaining in the magazine. I move to boot up my laptop, attaching the necessary wires to connect my phone to it. I get to work, selecting the multitude of pictures Luka needs for our scheme to work without a hitch.
I’ve got the images. Uploading them to the cloud now.
From all different angles, right?
Yes, just like you said. Is Dimitri’s contractor onboard?
Yep. Should have the video to you by the end of the day.
Pay him triple. I need it within the hour.
Deep fakes don’t work like that, Mikhail. You can’t rush the computer’s rendering process. Not if you want it to look convincing.
I know what is and isn’t possible. Just do it.
My laptoppings, the soft alert telling me the image transfer has been made. There’s a single video, too. I play it back, quietly impressed with my work. It’s a brief clip, but it gets the point across. The camera is pointed at the ground, my hand and gun just within frame. I fire once at the dirt, the sound of the gun going off. Only I know Nicolai is behind me, safe and sound. He begs for his life despite being out of harm’s way. His vocal performance will be the cherry on top.
Now it’s just a matter of having my brother CGI a model of Nicolai into the frame. You’d be surprised what you can fake these days with enough information. Hopefully I’ve taken enough pictures of Nicolai’s head to supply the computer enough data to make a convincing body double. Dimitri, being Dimitri, has a whole slew of contacts within the film industry. That’s just what happens when you’re in charge of the PR department at CyberFort. He’s gotten to rub elbows with many leading producers, directors, and SFX specialists. I never thought it would come in handy until now.
I sit back. It’s officially out of my hands now.
By the way.
What?
I think I got a message from Aurora.
I sit up, instantly alert. My heart thumps loudly against my ribcage. Aurora? How is that possible?
She must have figured out a way to get to a computer. She sent a message under her employee profile.
What did she say?
She wanted me to tell you she’s okay and she misses you.
For the first time in weeks, a smile stretches across my face. Such a clever girl. I can’t wait to get back to her. The thought of holding her, kissing her,beingwith her have served as fuel for me this past month. Getting back to Aurora has been my only motivation. Knowing that she’s okay… It soothes my nerves—but only just.
While I wait to hear back from Luka about the finished video, I think about my new, cautious alliance with Nicolai. There’s always a chance he could double cross me, but for now, our common goal of toppling Konstantin makes that unlikely. Heowesme. Still, I have to remain two steps ahead, even if we’re now working together. If I catch so much as a whiff that he might betray me, I’ll finish the job I was meant to complete.
I spend the next few minutes washing up in the bathroom. My hair’s gotten longer in my time away, and my beard’s grown too full for my liking. I’ll be returning to Moscow soon. I’d rather not look like a caveman.
My laptop dings again. I’ve got a new message from Luka, a video file attached. My hand hovers over the mouse pad, the slightest of tremors passing through me. I can’t remember the last time I was this nervous. Ireallyneed this to look good. There are lives on the line.
I click play.
And smile.
Chapter 32
Aurora
