“But we found you after almost twenty years,” Felix stubbornly insisted.“You are our cousin too.”
“Yes you are, but like I said before, you don’t know me,” Briar insisted.“You and your brothers haven’t even tried to get to know the real me.You just assumed I was like you because we’re family.”
“That’s not fair,” Felix told her quietly.
“Isn’t it?’Briar asked softly.“When is my birthday?What do I like to eat?What’s my favorite color?What am I allergic to?”
Felix couldn’t answer because he didn’t know the answers.
Briar just shook her head and went on to prove who knew what, “Your birthday is November 26th, your favorite color is teal blue, you like to eat lobster and steak.You love your wife and daughter.You are the oldest brother of three.You like your eggs over easy so you can dip the toast into the yolks.”She paused then added, “You and your brothers love being Bratva, you protect Sergi with a passion because you believe in what you do.You and your two brothers all love to go fishing and camping.You and your Bratva brothers respect women and children and would never hit or hurt them because your father and uncles taught you that.”
Felix felt his heart slam in his chest when he thought about her words.She knew them better than they knew her.So while they had ignored her for the most part, all she had done was watch them.She knew them by their actions and stories while none of them had even asked about her life.
Briar looked at Pippy and she saw him shake his head.“But right now we have to find Misha.And stop the sisters.”She looked at Pippy, ignoring Felix altogether now.“Can you get word out to the boroughs and see if anyone out there knows where these Russian sisters are staying?”
Pippy nodded.
Then suddenly, Willy stepped out of the shadows.“I might know where they are.”Shrugging he admitted, “I move around a lot.After Red and his crew did what they did, I didn’t want them to find me again but about three months back I noticed someone was setting up camp down by the water.It was a whole family group and they were as mean as a nest of rattlesnakes.”Then he looked at Briar then at Félix.“But I noticed one thing about them that made them stand out to me.They spoke of Russia in Russian.”He shook his head.“I think they were the Dmitricoff family.They used to talk about a man they called Anton and someone else called Artemy and how they were going to bust him out of prison and bring him to this country so the Bratva would never find him.They used to boast how the Bratva would look under every stone for him back home and they would laugh because they knew he wouldn’t be there.”
Felix stared at him and asked, “Where down by the water?”
Willy shrugged.“They got set up in an abandoned warehouse that used to be a loading place for boats but it’s been shut down for about ten years now.They cleaned it up some on the inside but they left the outside alone as they didn’t want to draw anyone’s attention.They get their water from the river and clean it up inside.I think they got generator power for the light and they use it for heat in the winters too.They’ve all been living there for a few years now.They’ve also been watching the hotel.One day it’s one of them and the next day it’s someone else.”
Felix looked at Briar and shook his head.“That’s not good news.”
Briar nodded.“But no one has seen them because they don’t stand out and no one knows who they are here.They have been living underground for a long time now and that’s why they’ve gone unnoticed for so long.”
“Well, that’s about to change now.”Felix growled as he reached for his phone.He spoke for a couple of minutes to update Sergi.When he finally ended the call, he looked at Willy.“Can you show us where that warehouse is?”
Willy looked at Briar then back at Felix.“I can take you there but you won’t get close enough.They have people of their own and this time of night they have people on the roof with guns.”
Felix smiled.“Don’t you worry about that.The Ghosts will take care of them.”
Pippy shook his head.“I’ve been hearing rumors about your Ghosts.I hear they can get in, do damage then get out without being seen.Is that really true?”
Felix nodded.“Da, that is true enough.”
Even as he said it several men in black stepped out of the shadows, catching everyone by surprise.
The only one who didn’t jump in surprise was Felix.He’d known all along the Ghosts were there.Felix turned his head to look at Willy.“All we really need is an address.”Looking at Pippy and the others standing there, he added, “We need to move quickly and quietly.If they did manage to get their hands on Misha they won’t hesitate to kill him if they know we are there.”
Willy stiffened and looked Felix right in the eyes and said, “I will show you where this warehouse is and if he is there as a prisoner I will help him get out.I failed him once, I will not do it again.”
