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I nod. “Let’s get to the plan.”
Andrei smirks. “Go ahead.”
"He's got three main routes," I announce, cutting straight to the point. "Knowing Vladimir, he's going to try to cross the Finnish border."
Andrei raises an eyebrow, clearly pleased. "You seem to have your brother figured out."
"Not just my brother," I reply sharply. "His entire damn operation. I know every trick he might have up his sleeve."
Sandra leans into the frame, her eyes filled with a kind of professional glee I've come to appreciate. "I have to say, Roman, she's good at this."
Roman shoots me a sideways glance, a glint of pride in his eyes. "I already knew that, but it's nice to hear it from someone else."
"Yeah, yeah," I roll my eyes with a smile. "Save the flattery for later. Right now, we have a snake to catch."
Andrei leans back, visibly impressed. "Alright, Valentina, you're calling the shots on this one. Where do we set up our nets?"
I point out the coordinates on the map. "These three intersections are crucial. If we put men here, here, and here, we can block all his possible exits and channel him into this stretch of road." I highlight a road leading to the Finnish border. "This is the most nondescript road he can use to get out of the country. He’ll plan to head to Helsinki and link up with his contacts there and plan his counteroffensive. We get him now, or we likely don’t get him at all. And this is the place to do it.”
"Textbook pincer movement," Andrei nods appreciatively. "Sandra, alert our teams. Let's get this done."
Sandra moves away, presumably to deliver instructions. Andrei turns back to the screen. "You're sure he'll be alone?"
I snort. "Vladimir? Never. He'll have guards, probably his best. But they'll be expecting a fight from the outside, not realizing they're walking into a trap. If we can overwhelm them with numbers, surround them completely, they might choose to give up rather than throw their lives away.”
"Excellent," Roman says. He turns to me, his eyes softening for just a moment. "After this, it's over. He won't be able to touch us or anyone we care about again."
I look at him, touched by the raw sincerity in his words. "I'm counting on it."
"Then let's finish this," Andrei announces. "See you on the road.”
The video call ends, the screen going black. But instead of darkness, all I see is the light at the end of a very long, painful tunnel. We’re soon on the road, and I turn to Roman, his hands on the wheel and his eyes on the road.
"Ready to end this?" he asks.
"More than you know," I reply, a maelstrom of emotions swirling inside me—relief, anticipation, but most of all, an overpowering sense of impending freedom. After tonight, the ghosts of my past would finally be laid to rest. And in their place, a new life would begin with Roman, with Ilya, and our unborn child.
The engine purrs like a predator as Roman navigates through the labyrinthine streets of St. Petersburg. The darkness outside provides a cloak for our movements, but the tension in the car is as thick as fog.
"How are you holding up?" Roman asks, his eyes never leaving the road.
I consider my response carefully. Inside, my emotions are doing somersaults—a bizarre circus act of fear, excitement, and some unnameable feeling that only comes when you're about to gamble everything you hold dear. But I'm not about to share all that.
"I'm fine," I say, the lie sliding smoothly off my tongue.
Roman glances at me, and for a moment, our eyes lock. It's brief but intense, and I feel as if he's peering right into the chaos in my soul. Yet he doesn't push, doesn't probe. There's just this silent acknowledgment that he sees far more than I've told him. The fact that he could read me so easily is both electrifying and terrifying. I shove the thought aside; now's not the time.
We’re an hour and a half into our drive when Andrei's voice crackles through the car's Bluetooth system, breaking the silence. "We've got him. Vladimir's trapped on a desolate stretch near the Finnish border. It's a complete blockade."
Roman grins, a predator sensing the imminent capture of his prey. "Good work, Andrei. We're on our way."
Twenty minutes later, we arrive at the location. The road ahead is barricaded with heavy-duty Bratva vehicles, their headlights forming an intimidating halo of light in the night. Samuil and Leo pull up in a car behind us, grim determination etched on their faces. Andrei and Sandra stand among their soldiers, guns drawn.
Vladimir has his own men, but he’s vastly outnumbered, and the looks on the faces of his retinue suggest they know well we hold their lives in our hands.
We step out of the car. The atmosphere is electric, charged with grim anticipation. Samuil approaches, his eyes meeting mine briefly before focusing on Roman.
"Everything is set," he reports.
