“Useless,” Demyan mutters.
“Not useless,” Vaska says without looking at him. “Slow.”
Dimitri spreads his hands. “Fine. Slow. Meanwhile Gabriel breathes.”
One of the men near the wall finally speaks. “If we hit one of the three and he’s there, what’s the call? Quiet raid, or do we go in hard?”
That lands the room back where it belongs. Business. Blood. Decision.
I lean back in my chair. “If Kaya’s there, I want him alive.”
Dimitri looks disappointed.
“Mostly,” I add.
That gets a low chuckle from somebody down the table.
Pietro scrolls through another page of information. “We can stage it two ways. Surprise and extraction, small team. Or full-force entry and lock down every exit.”
“Small team risks him slipping,” Dimitri says.
“Full-force risks noise,” Vaska counters.
Dimitri looks at me. “So what’s it going to be? Bring him to you, or kill him where he stands?”
I’m about to answer when my phone buzzes against the table.
I glance down.
Katya. I ignore it.
“Bring him to me,” I say.
The phone buzzes again. Then again.
This time Vasilisa’s name flashes across the screen.
Something cold moves down my spine.
Across from me, Vaska’s phone lights up.
He glances down.
Then up at me.
“Pakhan.”
I check the texts.
Kisa
Adriana and I got here, but Ayla isn’t home. Is she with you?
Then Katya’s
Katya
Ayla left in one of your cars without a guard and she had a bag. Is everything good?
