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After tonight, he’ll be nothing but a stain on the ground and a distant memory.
“They’re coming,” Konstantin says, standing aside to allow the three enforcers to pass into the room. Pavel walks in first, followed by two other soldiers, Stanislav and Augustin.
“Pakhan.” Stanislav bows to me, but he’s bouncing on the balls of his feet, all geared up for the hunt. “What’s the order?”
“We know where Petyr is,” I inform the men. “We managed to zero in on his location five blocks east of Orion. He still has no idea we’ve got eyes on him, which means we have to move fast. It doesn’t look like he’s likely to stick around long.”
“So we’ll strike now,” Pavel says from behind a perfect mask of sincerity.
I nod. “Before you go, you should know that we’ve received a tip. We have an informant in the ranks.”
Stanislav and Augustin frown, outraged at the mere suggestion. Pavel, on the other hand, doesn’t so much as blink.
“No one would be foolish enough to go against you,” he suggests.
“What some men call foolish, others call brave,” I say. “Either way, until I weed out the rat, I’m taking precautions. Hand over your phones.”
All three produce their phones instantly. Pavel hands his over without any visible hesitation.
“Petyr should be hiding somewhere in the middle of Ranger’s Park. I need the three of you to split up and close in on him from different directions. That way, there will be nowhere for him to escape. Now, go.”
The three of them file out. When they’re gone, Konstantin walks over to me. “How much of a head start should we give them?”
I check my watch. “Two more minutes. If he’s going to go save Petyr’s ass, he’s probably halfway to Ranger’s Park already.”
Konstantin and I step out, swapping the car for two blacked-out Harley Davidsons. We tear through the streets, weaving in and out of the sparse traffic on the road until we reach Ranger’s Park. The day is overcast, the clouds hanging low. The world feels smaller.
My cousin and I park the bikes and head into the park. As we’re walking in, Augustin texts.
AUGUSTIN:He just picked up a burner phone, boss. Looks like he’s trying to send a warning.
MISHA:Stop him. Now.
A few seconds later, Augustin sends me another text with his location. They’re about three minutes from where Konstantin and I are standing, over on the southeastern edge of the park. We follow the route my phone maps out for us until we find them.
When I round the corner, Augustin is sitting on Pavel’s chest like a proud hunting dog.
Stanislav appears just after Konstantin and I arrive. The three of us converge around Pavel, who is spluttering on the ground, eyes wide and ringed red with panic.
“It’s not me!” he gasps. “I’m not the fucking mole!”
“What’s the burner phone for then, motherfucker?” Konstantin asks, plucking the phone off the ground. “Who were you trying to call?”
Pavel blinks up at me for a second, realizations washing over him one by one. “You never had Petyr…”
“No, I didn’t. But now, we have you.” I screw the silencer onto my gun’s barrel and raise it to his face.
He cringes, tears gathering in his blue eyes. Those baby blues were probably responsible for turning many heads, including my sister-in-law’s. But that’s all about to end.
“Please…” he whispers without any real hope in the begging.
“Was it worth it?” I ask. “Betraying yourpakhanfor that spindly little motherfucker?”
“He made me a better offer,” he admits.
“And look how that worked out for you.”
I don’t allow him any last words—I just shoot him in the forehead. His body jerks once and then goes still.
