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“One of my father's men had betrayed him. I was tasked with eliminating him. I was ten. I couldn’t even hold the gun I was using in my own hands; my father had to carry it up the hill for me and set it up.”
She turns to look at me. I glance at her while keeping an eye on the road. “You know the spring in Ireland, where you see all the hills painted with beautiful flowers and blooms for days on end?”
“I do.”
“When I see them, all I picture is that man and the blood that coated all the flowers around him. It was my first time ever hitting a live target. I missed the mark by two inches. Do you know the things you can hit two inches from the apex of a man's heart?”
“I do,” I say, this time seeing exactly where she’s going with the story.
“I hit the inside of his arm, the bullet going through his artery and spraying red everywhere as he flailed. My father forced me to count every second the man cried in agony because I missed. It took four minutes for him to bleed out. Four minutes for the landscape around him to be stained with his blood because I couldn’t hit my target. Four fucking minutes for a man to die in fear and agony. This man was forced to relive the mistake he made that turns out, wasn’t a mistake at all. My father made me kill the wrong man.”
She shakes her head, and I notice her hands trembling.
“What did he say when this happened?”
“He said that when you’re in this life, you accept your fate could be brutal. To expect any other kind of end was a fantasy.”
“How do you picture his end?”
A mischievous smile spreads across her face. “Twice as bloody as my first kill.”
“Good.” It is likely not a smart move to let her know that I wish her father dead, but it felt right to admit it to her.
We arrive at the airport and I show her around. The planes have been fitted as she expected, and we test out the new keycards. We run through a few scenarios and also go to both of the towers. I fitted one with all of the surveillance Lev could need and the other with the surveillance Nessa and I will use to help keep everyone in position.
From the windows, we can see where Laney and Arrow will be on the roof as well as the ground below them, so we can warn them of any unexpected attacks. The doors to the roof will be only accessible by keycard and have a failsafe lock should they be shot in an attempt to break through.
We go through the bunker Damien and Evie will be waiting in, which is also set up as a makeshift cell to hold Adrik, should we need to grab him while still taking down his team. When we arrive back at the car, a familiar silver Mercedes is waiting for us.
“Rostya?” I ask as the man removes himself from the car.
“It is odd that you’re here in the middle of the night, although now that I see you’re in the company of a woman, maybe I assumed wrong.”
“How did you know I was here, and what did you assume I was doing?”
Panic flares in my mind. Although I know my right hand to be trustworthy, the fact that he’s here when no one should be able to track me is a red flag. I narrow my eyes in suspicion.
“I knew you bought the property and we were getting close to shipment day. When I did not find you at home, I figured you would be here, Pakhan.” He comes close and bows ever so slightly at the mention of my authority.
At least he knows to use my title in front of her. Nessa is stiff beside me. I place my hand on the small of her back to reassure her.
“This is Natalie,” I say, hoping she goes with the ruse. “She will be overseeing flight plans and needed to get a look at the towers before we set our next plans into motion.”
“I see, and the best time to check a runway would, of course, be the middle of the night.” He looks at Nessa suggestively and I don’t miss the disrespect in his tone. He’s not only questioning me but her also.
Nessa steps forward, holding out her hand to him and putting on a fake British accent. If I didn’t know her real voice, I would have easily believed it.
“I can assure you, Sir,” she shakes his hand, giving it a firm tug and taking him by surprise. I hold back the smirk dancing behind my lips at his lack of ability to maintain control under her gaze and hand.
“It is important to see where the planes will be in the day and evening hours. Functioning runways and safety plans are vital at all hours of the day. Planes do land in the dark, you know.”
Her education puts him on edge. “Besides,” she turns her back to him and looks at me, “I needed to see the towers to ensure the equipment was properly updated. My schedule as of late has been quite full. Boris so kindly made time for me this evening, but I was not aware he answered to another in this process.” She flicks her hair behind her then casually lays a hand on my arm.
Rostya stands taller at the idea of him being in charge. I inwardly mock him. He always craves to be the one in the room with the most power and has no idea how to handle it when that’s not him. With a grateful heart, I’m sure to remind him though.
“I do not answer to anyone. In fact, I’m still waiting to hear what it is you are doing here, Rostya?”
His jaw ticks as Nessa grows closer to my side, not in fear, but in a show of unity. I know in this moment Rostya feels every bit the tiny man he truly is.
