I've built an empire on blood and fear. I've done things that would make most people sick. But I've never felt this kind of desperation, this kind of need.
My phone buzzes. Mikhail.
"I have three possible locations," he says without preamble. "Sending you the coordinates now. The most likely is an old family hunting lodge. It's been abandoned for years, but satellite imagery shows recent activity. Vehicles. People."
"That's it." I can feel it in my bones. "Send the coordinates to everyone. We move in ten minutes."
I end the call and press the accelerator to the floor. The SUV surges forward, and I weave through traffic with the kind of reckless speed that would normally get me pulled over. But Idon't care. Let the police try to stop me. I'll go through them if I have to.
Back at the estate, organized chaos greets me. My men are already assembling in the courtyard, checking weapons, loading vehicles. Yuri has laid out an arsenal on a table near the garage. Assault rifles, handguns, tactical gear, body armor.
I move through them quickly, issuing orders, coordinating the assault. We'll take three vehicles. I'll lead the first team directly to the cabin. The second team will circle around to cut off any escape routes. The third will hang back as backup in case we need reinforcements.
As I'm strapping on body armor, I catch sight of my reflection in one of the SUV's tinted windows. My face is hard, cold, the face of the ruthless Pakhan everyone fears. But my eyes tell a different story. There's something wild in them. Something desperate.
I think about the last time I saw Alina. Standing in the foyer, torn between two worlds. She'd chosen to go with Viktor, to see her family, even though I could see the doubt in her eyes. Even though she knew it was dangerous.
I should have stopped her. Should have locked her in that bedroom and refused to let her leave. Should have trusted my instincts that Viktor was planning something.
But I gave her a choice. I let her make her own decision. And now she's paying for my mistake.
"Dimitri." Yuri approaches, holding out a rifle. "You ready?"
I take the weapon, check the magazine, test the weight. "Let's move."
The drive to the cabin takes forty minutes that feel like forty hours. I push the SUV as fast as it will go on the winding forest roads, my knuckles white on the steering wheel. Behind me, two more vehicles follow, filled with my best soldiers.
The coordinates lead us deep into the woods, far from any main roads or civilization. This is the kind of place where people disappear. Where bodies are buried and never found.
I won't let that happen to Alina.
As we get closer, I slow down, killing the headlights. We can't announce our arrival. The element of surprise is the only advantage we have.
Through the trees ahead, I see a faint glow. Lights. The cabin.
I pull off the road into a small clearing and kill the engine. The other vehicles do the same. My men exit silently, weapons ready, moving with the practiced efficiency of soldiers who've done this a hundred times before.
I gather them around me, speaking in low Russian. "We don't know how many hostiles are inside. Assume at least six, possibly more. Our priority is getting Alina out alive. Everything else is secondary. Understood?"
Nods all around.
"Yuri, take your team around the back. Cut off any escape routes. Borge, position your men in the trees. Sniper coverage. I'll take the front with my team. We go in fast and hard. No mercy for anyone who gets between us and Alina."
More nods. My men disperse into the darkness, moving like shadows through the trees.
I lead my team forward, staying low, using the forest for cover. As we get closer, I can make out more details. The cabin is old, the wood weathered and gray. Two vehicles are parked out front. Dim light spills from the windows.
And there, standing guard near the front door, are two men. Kozlov soldiers, based on the tats visible on their necks.
My hand tightens on my rifle. These men took Alina. These men are keeping her prisoner. These men are about to die.
I signal my team to hold position and pull out my phone, sending a quick text to Yuri and Borge. Everyone needs to be in position before we move.
The responses come back quickly.Ready.Ready.
I take a deep breath, forcing my racing heart to slow. This is what I do. This is what I'm good at. Violence. Strategy. Survival.
But this time, it's different. This time, it's personal.
