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Burrowing into the robe, I sipped the water and did as he said.
He laid on the other bed and stretched out on his back with a contented sigh.
“How long are we supposed to lay here?” I asked after a minute. My eyelids were getting surprisingly heavy, so I hoped the answer wasn’t long. Sleeping through a meeting with the head honcho probably wouldn’t go over very well.
“At least fifteen minutes.”
“Ok.” I could do fifteen minutes. No problem.
24
MISHA
Within five minutesof laying down, Marek’s breathing deepened and he was out. Sadly, I didn’t have time to admire how peaceful he looked. I had a job to do.
As soon as Sergei had mentioned he wanted to meet with Marek, I suggested the banya and the plan was born.
After learning Marek was a Nirvana broker, I knew I couldn’t sit on the lead any longer, especially not with Dimitri making it a point to turn over every stone in Marek’s life. While I refused to ask Marek directlyorhand him over to Valery, I opted for the next best thing—his phone.
One night while he was at work, I thoroughly checked the apartment and couldn’t locate any other devices, so that phone became my sole focus. I could have easily stolen it or arranged for someone else to steal it but I didn’t want to tip off anyone in his organization that they might have been compromised. What one leader viewed as bad luck, another viewed as a strategic attack by some rival, and I wouldn’t jeopardize Marek’s safety from his own people.
Since his phone was almost always in his hand or in his pocket, getting to it hadn’t been easy. The banya presented the perfect opportunity.
Creeping out of the relaxation room, I made my way back to the locker room and slipped inside. Steadfastly ignoring the few occupants, I walked straight to Marek’s locker and pulled out his cell phone.
Throwing a glance over each shoulder, I sidled down the aisle to my own locker and opened the door, making sure the interior was blocked from any curious gazes.
I plugged his phone into another device only slightly bigger than the phone itself and let it work its magic, breaking the password and downloading the phone’s contents.
Was it a huge violation of Marek’s trust? Absolutely. Was it doubly painful after I’d gone out of my way to convince him to trust me in the first place? Absolutely. But the greater good outweighed my guilt. I hadn’t made any significant headway and the clock was ticking. As much as I hated it, Marek was my one untapped source. If I didn’t get answers soon, I was afraid I wouldn’t be around to keep Sergei or Dimitri from getting answers in a much bloodier fashion.
As soon as the transfer was complete, I unplugged Marek’s phone and inserted a jump drive to collect everything from the device. Finished, I slipped Marek’s cell phone back into his locker and headed for the exit.
Valery appeared at the far end of the hallway, checking his watch. Even if I was wearing one, I wouldn’t have to look. The timing was impeccable, from the minute Marek and I entered the steam room and he guarded the door, to that very moment when we met in the middle of the hallway. If his faint smirk was anything to go by, he must have concurred.
Keeping our steps smooth and even, we swung our hands at the same time. The drive passed from one palm to the other and we each disappeared through a different door. A flawless execution as any I’d had in my former life. If any of Dimitri’s fleaswerefollowing me, no one would have seen a thing.
Thankfully, Marek was right where I left him, sound asleep in the relaxation room.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered in Russian, trailing my fingers over his hand. Part of me wanted to run straight back to the locker room and call Valery off, to tell him to wipe the drive and destroy it, but I couldn’t. That was the regrettable part of my job—of my life. I might not have worn the uniform anymore but I’d always be a spy and all that it entailed, whether it was lying, stealing, or killing to get what I needed. With any luck, Marek would never know and life would carry on, as it had with so many of my other clandestine missions.
I let him sleep as long as I could until it was finally time to wake him. Stroking his cheek with my knuckles, I whispered his name, increasing the volume each time, so he didn’t wake up throwing punches, a fact that was not out of the realm of possibility with someone like him.
Marek stretched and blinked at the world around him, his brow furrowing as the cogs started to turn once more. “Oh my God. Did I fall asleep?”
I nodded, stifling a chuckle. “It happens. But it’s time to go. We have to meet Sergei in about fifteen minutes. Enough time to shower and get changed.” And hopefully get him to wake up a little more. I needed him sharp.
Nodding, he got to his feet and followed me back to the locker room, yawning now and again and rubbing one eye, looking like he’d rather crawl into bed than endure a meeting with Sergei.
“Are you sure you’re going to be ok in there?” I asked when I deposited him in one of the private showers. It was only partly in jest. Rushing him off to the hospital with heatstroke wasnotpart of the plan.
“Yep. I’m good,” Marek replied with far more confidence than I felt. “I’ll be out in a minute.”
I took the stall next to him, lathering up quickly and keeping an ear toward his side in case he collapsed. He’d slept for over an hour, which should have given his body more than enough time to cool down, but when it came to him, I couldn’t help but worry.
We exited the showers at about the same time and returned to our lockers, dressing silently with surreptitious glances—not only because ofwherewe were, but because ofwhatwe were. There was the thrill of getting caught by someone who wouldn’t kill you, like when Marek unfortunately witnessed Hayden and I in the storage room, and then there was the crippling anxiety of getting caught by men who absolutelywouldkill you. What happened in the steam room fell somewhere in the middle, though I wouldn’t change a thing.
“Do I look ok?” Marek asked, trying to smooth out the front of his shirt, dampened by all of the humidity.
