“Konstantin. What’s the update?” Viktor questioned.
He said the exact thing I’d been expecting, and my chest tightened as I thought of Alina sitting next to me just a few hours ago.
Bringing myself back to my brother’s question, I answered, “He hasn’t mentioned anything consequential to the Feds. Seems the bastard is giving them something else to bite.”
“Works in our favor. For now,” he replied. “What about Alina? Have you gotten anything from her?”
“Not yet. She insists on not knowing anything.”
He was silent for a few seconds before saying, “Keep trying.”
“I won’t stop.”
“Okay,” he replied, ending the call.
Considering how my last attempt at getting the truth out of her went, I hesitant at the thought of another interrogation. Yet, I knew better than to think of relenting. Viktor had been calling every day, and we still didn’t know what we needed to know about Morozov’s network.
I wish this situation were different.
**********
Knocks sounded at my door, making me look up from the footage I’d been watching.
“Come in.”
Sergei came in, closing the door behind him.
“Boss, Mr. Petra is asking to speak with you.”
“Definitely about Morozov,” I uttered, nodding.
“I asked him to call back.”
Petra was one of those men who worked with the Russian authorities but had always served as an ally to me. He didn’t get involved with my business unless it expressly interfered with the government or its statutes. He was one of those people I could somewhat bank on to give me a heads-up if something got messy up there and it involved the Bratva or me.
“Okay. Let’s hear what he has to say,” I answered.
Sergei nodded as he took a seat opposite me. His phone rang, and he looked up at me. I nodded in affirmation, and he placed the phone on the table. He picked up the call and clicked on the speaker icon.
“Konstantin,” Petra greeted, his voice booming through the office.
“Petra.”
“The authorities are asking about Alina Sokolov. She’s one of the key contacts we need. She has been declared wanted for over a week now. I know you know that.”
“Don’t tell me you called to inform me of the latest troubles the Russian authorities are facing,” I answered, my voice calm.
“Don’t go that way with me, Konstantin,” he warned, his voice sounding anything but. “The bosses requested that you be contacted directly about having her.”
“What makes it certain that she’s a key suspect. Did Vitya Morozov himself say that?” I hedged.
“They were in a relationship, and it’s not her first time being around a criminal. What do you think?”
When I didn’t reply, he went on.
“There are grainy pictures of you escorting her through a private hangar on my table right now. This might be a wrong move, man. It’s not right to keep a wanted criminal with you, especially for someone of your reputation.”
“Escorting her into the country isn’t the same as having her under my roof. There are several ways the scenario could have gone. You know that,” I told him. “Frankly, I thought your call would be about something more…alarming.”
