“I assume he’s living in Montenegro because they won’t extradite to the U.K.”
“Or the United States, for that matter,” Tess added.
“So, what was the insult?”
Tess shook her head. “We don’t know, but apparently it warranted murdering thirty-seven innocent young women just to prove a point. Petrakov killed them just to show Terrence Zander that he could. I’ve never been the same since that case.”
“Petrakov is an animal,” I said.
“No, he’s worse. He’s a human being who completely lacks empathy and his power is growing by the day. Deputy Director Forrester wants the heads of Ilya Petrakov, his maniac son, Zivon, Sasha Fedya, and Terrence Zander, along with a half-dozen more members of this burgeoning crime syndicate before it can grow any larger.”
“I think we’re gonna need a bigger boat,” I quipped.
“We’re here for Sasha Fedya and his little black book once the Agency has him, they’ll squeeze him for information on the others. I’m here to gather intel, but I can’t wait until the day I get to see him swing.”
“Why don’t we just take him out? Nothing closes a case faster than a bullet, right?” I asked, sarcastically.
“Because Petrakov is the real prize. The agency plans to use Sasha Fedya as a key into his mighty vault.”
Tess
IHADN’T FACTORED in time for sex or a post-coital mission briefing into our schedule, so after hauling butts through Okulovka, we made it to the train station and boarded the 5:23 to Moscow with only minutes to spare.
“A little too close for my comfort,” I said as we took our seats inside the private carriage I’d booked.
“Another train always come along eventually, doesn’t it?”
I sighed. “Sasha is a real stickler for punctuality. He knows you’d be arriving tonight and said he’d have a car waiting for us at my place at 9:15.”
“Wow. What service he provides.”
“I told you, he likes me. More importantly, he trusts me.”
Wallace raised an eyebrow. “He probably wants to fuck you.”
“That’s the last thing he needs from me. Sasha has his pick of the litter everywhere he goes. It’s my connection to the art world that turns him on.”
“What about Zivon Petrakov?”
I shrugged. “I’ve only met him twice and both meetings were brief to put it mildly.”
“He’s not the art fan Sasha is, huh?”
“I’m afraid Zivon’s interests are more focused on sex, drugs, and violence.”
Wallace shook his head. “What a shame. Life was much simpler when it was about sex, drugs, androck and roll. I mean the minute they swapped rock and roll for violence the whole world started going to hell.”
“After his major fuckup I haven’t seen him around at all, but I know he’s been at Sasha’s house the whole time.”
Wallace furrowed his brow. “I was told he was in Moscow and that we currently didn’t have eyes on him.”
“It’s all in my report,” I said. “I made a note every time I spotted Zivon. Sounds like you got bad intel.”
“I’m beginning to get that feeling myself. Well, we’d better pray he stays out of sight for now, because if he sees and recognizes me, the gig is up.”
I stiffened in my seat. “What do you mean? Why would Zivon Petrakov recognize you?”
“Because my family owns a building business and Zivon torched three of our homes as part of an insurance scam,” Wallace replied, matter-of-factly.
