“By email, phone, or in person?”
“A phone call followed by a few emails.”
“That’s how they discovered the plans. Your email has been compromised. For how long we might not discover. We need to scrub your system. I also don’t think you could return to your house. We also need to check for bugs. These days, they are highly sophisticated. Those designed by the military are more easily accessible than they used to be.”
He was right. Goddamn it all to hell.
The hotels had been checked for bugs months before. So had our houses. Then we’d let our guard down instead of sweeping everything on a regular basis. Just like the game player had wanted. A fool’s game.
“Do what is necessary,” I hissed. “But find the trail of who did this.”
“Trust me, boss. I will.”
Fuck. This was getting out of hand. How the fucking long had my email been compromised? What else? My phone? Everything would need to be scrubbed or tossed out altogether.
Jaxon trailed behind me as I headed into the building, hearing voices only a few seconds later.
I found Mikhail, Vissarian, and several of our more highly trained employees in a room that had been mostly gutted. It wasn’t my place to question how our Pakhan handled prepping the asshole for our little chat. To find him devoid of clothing and hanging by his bound arms from the steel rafters had a different effect on me than would normally occur.
Why?
Lainey.
There was no other explanation. During her residency, she’d softened me or at least my view on what was important. She’d claimed I was a decent man, when being here indicated I was no different than the bastards we’d fought my entire life.
Since he’d been there since the evening before, the muscles in his arms were strained, tendons pushed to the limit. It wasa technique used in the military. Effective. The tendons in his shoulder blades could be ripped apart with minimal effort. Not deadly, but extremely painful.
An excellent incentive.
Even if a bad taste had already formed in my mouth.
He was wincing in pain although he was doing his best to remain stoic. He’d been through something like this before, which meant he was a professional.
From the cut on his swollen lip, I could tell he’d been roughed up but mostly spared our wrath. Until now.
“Jaxon mentioned the photograph?” Mikhail asked.
“He did. Any thought to the identity of our escape artist?” I could tell by his face he had the same instinct of recognition without benefit of knowing for certain.
“We will find out.”
I turned my head toward the hanging man, my grip on the duffle bag I’d brought with me tightening. “Yes, we will. One way or another.”
Before I had a chance to walk any closer, Mikhail stopped me, even stepping in front. “I know you don’t want to hear this, and I can understand your frustration, but you and I both know the attack at your house is only the beginning.”
Exhaling, I knew exactly what he was alluding to. “Another warning of war. We’ve had six. Eight? How many, Mikhail, and how many more lives will need to be lost, or innocence lost before we finally figure out which organization is determined to destroy us? My little girl might have been kidnapped or worse had it not been for Lainey risking her own life to keep her safe. And Emily. Children. At a birthday party.”
“Perhaps they weren’t after the children, Sasha.”
“Yes, they were. They knew our ultimate weakness and that losing our children, breaking apart our families would cause usto lose our momentum and do something rash. Or expose our underbellies so they could call checkmate.”
“That’s why I’m telling you right now not to accept their challenge. We need information.”
He was talking about not killing the man who’d dared enter my private residence and threaten my child. “You heard about the other security breaches.”
“Of course I heard. We’re at a crossroads at this point. We need to be extremely cautious.”
“Forgive me, Pakhan, if I don’t have the ability to forgive someone for invading my home and my life.”
