"What's the situation?" I ask cautiously, waiting to see if this man is genuine.
"The good news is you're being released," Kovac says, and he slides a document across the table toward me. "The evidence supports your claim of self-defense. Your wife's testimony corroborates your account of events, though some details aresketchy. But that's to be expected during trauma." He clears his throat and continues. "The physical evidence at the scene is consistent with what you both described. The detective in charge has determined that there's insufficient basis to charge you with any crime related to the shooting."
I can't believe what I'm hearing. "They're letting me go?" Narrowing my eyes, I run a hand through my hair and then down over my face.
"Yes. However, there are complications we need to discuss." He glances at the mirrored window and then leans forward slightly, lowering his voice. "This room is not currently being monitored. The detective granted me privacy to consult with my client. What I'm about to tell you needs to stay between us."
I nod slowly, waiting for whatever bomb he's about to drop. Shit like this only happens in the movies and here I am sitting on the edge of a chasm waiting to be swallowed by it.
"The investigation into the shooting itself has cleared you," he continues, still speaking quietly. "However, during the processing of evidence from your property, certain items were discovered that raise additional concerns. Specifically, your fingerprints have been matched to evidence from several unsolved cases involving drug trafficking. The authorities haven't connected those cases to you directly yet, but it's only a matter of time before someone makes that link."
My stomach drops. We were careful about the drug operations, always using intermediaries and cutouts to keep distance between the family and the actual transactions. But apparently, not careful enough.
"How long do I have?" I ask.
"That depends on how quickly they start looking," Kovac says. "It could be days, it could be weeks. But I strongly recommend that you leave the country immediately. Tonight if possible. Serbia's legal system moves slowly, but once they start investigating those cases, they will eventually issue an arrest warrant. And once that happens, your options become significantly more limited."
"What about Danica?" My mind is racing forward now, planning how to get away from here as quickly as possible.
"She's being released as well. The authorities have no reason to detain her further. However, I would recommend that she accompany you when you leave. Remaining in Serbia could make her a target for questioning or potential charges as an accessory."
"Russia has no extradition treaty with Serbia," I say, working through it in my mind. "Once I'm there, they can't force me back to face charges."
"Correct, which is why I've taken the liberty of arranging travel." He pulls another document from his briefcase and slides it across the table. "Two tickets on a flight departing from Belgrade at eleven tonight. The flight goes to Istanbul first and then continues to St. Petersburg. You'll need to move quickly to make it, but it's achievable if you leave directly from here."
I look at the tickets and then back at Kovac. "Yuri arranged all of this?"
"Your employer is very thorough when it comes to protecting his people," Kovac says. "He also asked me to convey that he's satisfied with how you handled the situation regarding the conspiracy. The evidence you collected has been transmitted tohim and he's already begun taking action to address the other potential security concerns you identified."
Vuk got all that evidence to my cousin and he's pulling strings to clean all of this up, all the way from St. Petersburg. Where can't this man reach?
"Where is she?" I ask. "Can I go to her now?"
"In the waiting area at the front of the building. She was released about thirty minutes ago and has been waiting for you." Kovac starts gathering his papers and returning them to his briefcase. "I suggest we move quickly. The sooner you're out of the country, the better."
He stands and I follow, but my legs are stiff from sitting in the uncomfortable chair for so long. As we walk through the station together, I'm hyper-aware of every camera and every officer we pass. Any one of them could decide to stop us to ask additional questions or delay us long enough that we miss the flight. But nobody does. They all ignore us completely as we make our way out.
The front waiting area is crowded with people dealing with various bureaucratic nightmares and it takes me a moment to spot Danica sitting on a bench near the far wall.
She looks exhausted. Her hair is disheveled and there's a bruise forming on her cheek where Ruslan must have hit her at some point. Her clothes are rumpled, and I can see dried blood on her shirt that might be hers or might be from the scene. But she looks up as I approach and a smile transforms her tired appearance.
She's off the bench and moving before I can say anything. She crashes into me, and I have to take a step back to keep mybalance, and then her arms are around me, holding on fiercely and not letting go.
"I thought they were going to keep you," she says into my chest. "God, I'm so happy to see you."
I wrap my arms around her and rest my chin on top of her head. "I'm here. I'm okay. We're both okay."
"Are we leaving now?" she says, pulling back just enough to look up at me. "Can we just go somewhere away from here?" It saddens me that her reaction after this is to run away, but I know what she means. I know I don't have to ask her again.
"The advocate has arranged everything," I tell her, brushing her hair back from her face. "We have a flight leaving tonight. We need to go directly to the airport from here."
"Tonight?" She looks startled. "What about our things?"
"We can't go back there," I say gently. "The police might still be processing the scene, and even if they're not, there could be other complications. We need to leave now."
"Okay…?" Danica seems confused or frightened by it all, but I know I can send for the things later. Vuk and Nenad will package them up and ship them when the police are done with their investigation.
Kovac clears his throat politely. "I have a car waiting outside that will take you directly to the airport. Once you're in the air, you'll be safe."
