I’d never let it get to my head that I couldn’t do my job or be as fit as a man. I knew the differences that I had to contend with. Number one, being only five feet tall had its problems. Number two, never being able to really trade the fat for muscle on my slightly curvy physique was annoying. And number three, having boobs wasn’t as fun as people would think. Sports bras, above all other things, would always be my biggest nemesis.
Working out alone was exactly what I needed after a tedious day at my desk. Sitting hunched over made me feel too tight and stiff. Staring at a screen gave me a headache no amount of coffee could chase away. And being on the phone and listening to pretty much all my informants tell me the same thing—that they hadn’t heard of Emil or seen him—I was full of hopelessness and boredom.
He won’t stay in one place for long. It’s just not possible.
According to my research and what other agents had previously found out, Emil Dubinin was my best shot to get close enough to the Dubinin Family for intel. I spent months gathering and analyzing data from all the files on the biggest players in that family. Luka Dubinin, as the boss, was out of reach. No one would try to gethimin custody. Then his nephews, Ivan and Alexsei, there was ample information about them, too. But it was Emil, Luka’s son, who seemed like my best bet. Not justbecause he moved around so much and could be caught with an interception during his travels—hopefully—but also because of all that he had to know.
Assassins had to be independent actors, easing in and out of locations to approach targets and take them out. I had no doubt that if I brought Emil Dubinin in and let him stay in custody for lengthy interrogations, he’d be able to spill secrets about many individuals in the world of organized crime. He could tell us about enemies and allies alike. He could provide more answers to the questions we had about this Obsidian Eye alliance that was supposed to be forming.
I will be coming for you, Emil Dubinin. It’s only a matter of time.
Going through several reps with dumbbells, focusing first on my upper-body strength, I reflected on the latest that I’d learned, a clue that might be a big indicator of where Emil had been lately.
Sergei Romanoff was found dead yesterday. While no evidence was available to study at the scene, the former military man’s death was far too clean to be from natural causes. I’d bet my salary that Emil had killed him, but oddly, I couldn’t be too upset.
Emil was a hitman for his father. The Dubinins’ killer. A serious assassin.
Yet, when he killed other people on wanted lists, it was debatable whether he was doing something wrong or doing the world a favor. Many of Emil’s kills were unsavory men I’d want behind bars or dead. Rapists, gangsters, human traffickers, other crime bosses, and all sorts of deviants of society. It was hard to feel guilty when another mobster or criminal was dealt with, butstill, it wasn’t the correct way to go about it. Justice couldn’t be delivered in a ruthless, rogue manner like that.
Still, when I learned of Romanoff’s death, I knew that the structural planning of the Obsidian Eye would be delayed. He was the rumored leader of the club, and now that he was dead, those interested in aligning would be set back even further.
Which was a good thing.
What wasn’t so good was the fact that if Emil had killed him, it meant that my main target had been in Prague, where Romanoff was found dead. And from there…
Hell, I’ve got no clue where he is now.
Half the trouble was finding Emil. Then the other part of my headache was staying on his tail.
With no heads up of who his next target could be, it often became a guessing game and nothing more. The only success I’d ever had was in analyzing who the Dubinins might be after and waiting near one of those targets.
But it was an unreliable process, one I was tiring of. For that reason alone, it seemed like it was taking forever to be able to predict anything about that man.
I just finished my routine with the dumbbells when I heard the door open. Someone else was coming in, but at the sight of Aaron, a rookie in another department, I relaxed. Dressed in gym gear, he was clearly here to work out. Maybe to put on some muscle so he wasn’t as reed-thin and scrawny. He wasn’t here to harass me, and that put me in a better mood.
“Hey,” I called out in a friendly greeting as I strapped on gear to spar with a punching bag. Hitting and kicking that sack of sand would lift my spirits even more.
“Oh, hey,” he replied, sounding exhausted and pissed all at once.
“Long day?” I guessed. Striking up a conversation wasn’t on my agenda, but being polite wasn’t a challenge.
“Long week,” he replied as he got onto a treadmill and began a slow walk.
“Ouch.”
My small talk and general, polite greeting seemed to be encouragement for him to talk some more. Before I knew it, he was using me as a sounding board, complaining about all the reasons his week had felt so long.
“It’s not likeImade a mistake. It was a stakeout. And come on, it’s not like anyone knew I was there or would be there.”
“Hmm-mmm,” I answered without breaking a stride or pausing in my kickboxing. Replying with a noncommittal sound seemed polite, too, so he’d know I was sort of listening.
Agents from different departments didn’t necessarily merge or blend. Talking about cases was something we had to gauge personally. Yeah, we were all on the same team, but secrets and confidentiality were huge factors in knowing when to run your mouth. Even to a coworker.
But I had already heard about his case and how his cover had been blown. Calling it a “mistake” wasn’t something I’d do, but he was right about the whole thing going belly up. With his being a rookie, he was starting out simple. But still, somethingcomplicated had really thrown a wrench in his case and how he’d been trying to stake out his perp.
“Yeah, but, Aaron?—”
He groaned, hanging his head until his chin dipped enough that it touched his chest. Still walking slowly on the treadmill, he seemed to be warming up to a walk and nothing more. Or he was too glad to have found me to hear him out.
