Chapter 36
THIRTY-SIX
D anger is inevitable when you’re a cop, even more so when you’re undercover in one of the most lethal organizations in the world. It’s never deterred me from doing my job, though. If anything, I’ve been exposed to it for so long that it’s more of a close friend than anything else. Still, as I step into the hangar where the Federovs are keeping their product, the atmosphere is charged with a precarious energy that I can’t ignore.
It’s pitch black when I enter, with nothing but the ominous glow of the street lamps outside the building. The metal building creaks around me as my footsteps clip softly against the concrete. My breathing is slow and sure, measured as I creep deeper into the shadows.
It was almost too easy to get inside the hangar. Knowing that this is where all the Russian shipments come to before being distributed.
The Federovs are experienced in security, but their manpower was lacking tonight. Maybe their attention is elsewhere—because it wouldn’t surprise me that that’s another thing Konstantin is keeping from me—but it feels odd that patrols were light tonight. I seamlessly slipped through the cracks while his three soldiers failed to conduct their security checks.
Moving across the open space, I ignore the voice in the back of my head that tells me I’m in too deep. Desperation has sunk its claws into me and, after a month of waiting for this opportunity, I didn’t hesitate. The sooner I can finish this, the better. I’ve been living in the shadows and I’m done with it. Every day drags me deeper into the darkness, each order I take from the Federovs tests my morality. I don’t know how much I have left, but while I know I do, I’ll do what I can to make sure nobody gets hurt.
I push through the open door that exposes the dark corridor. Rooms veer off either side and I know that this is where the shipments are. Slipping through the first door, I pull out my phone and click the flashlight button. Disappointment seeps into my bloodstream as I take in the empty room. I try the next few doors adjacent to the first, but come up with nothing. The silence of the structure only adds to my frustration and confusion. It has to be here. There’s no other place it can be.
I continue moving towards each door. One by one, my hope wanes and desolation sets in because everything I’ve been working towards was leading up to this moment, and I’ve failed.
“Fuck!” I snap, kicking the last door. It swings open and the sound echoes behind me. Yet again, I’m faced with another empty room that penetrates my disappointment. My eyes scan the room in a desperate attempt to make sure I’ve not missed anything. When they land on a door in the far corner, my pulse races. I race towards it, hand wrapping around the door handle, but it doesn’t budge.
The building creaks under the weight of the wind blowing through the docks, but it’s the only sound to fill the void. With nothing but my tense breaths filling the silence, I press myself against the door and listen for any other sounds.
Nothing.
Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my Swiss Army knife, flicking out the two tools I need; a tension wrench and a rake that’s the perfect size for what I need. The lock isn’t anything special; a basic pin tumbler that can easily be manipulated if you know what you’re doing.
And I know exactly what I’m doing.
Exhaling slowly, I steady my hand and slide the tension wrench through the keyhole first, applying gentle pressure while I slip the rake in. It dances over the pins with practiced ease, one pin setting. Then another.
Wind whips over the building and my pulse spikes, but I keep my grip steady. This has to be it. There’s no way that the only door locked in this building isn’t going to be hiding the evidence I need.
Working the rake again, a third pin sets, then the fourth. The rake catches on the fifth and I bite down on my lip to hold back my irritation. I adjust my wrist slightly, giving the tension wrench a tiny twist.
Click.
I let out the breath I was holding in and turn the handle.
The door groans on its hinges as I push it open, a wave of putrid air hitting me at full force. The stench is thick—rotting meat, mildew, something sour and stomach-churning. It clings to the back of my throat, making my gut twist in protest. The room is pitch black, only the faintest sliver of light seeping in from behind me. Jagged shadows still against the walls as I step into the room, the faint sound of sharp, frantic breaths and buzzing—flies—swimming somewhere close by.
I swallow hard, trying to breathe through my mouth as I pull out my phone. The scent is suffocating, but the fear of what I’m about to see when I turn on my flashlight is inescapable.
With bated breath, I turn on the light from my phone.
But before I can take in my surroundings, pain explodes through my head, penetrating the walls of my brain. Agony anchors me to the floor like an anvil and then everything turns to nothingness.
* * *
I never gave much thought about the day that I die. I think I assumed that it’d be after a long and happy life, or maybe that’s wishful thinking. To some degree, it’s a little na?ve for me to hope that the Russians wouldn’t be the reason for my downfall because they’re the only real threat in my life right now.
The restraints around my wrists are tight, cutting into my skin with every movement I make. My shoulders ache—probably from being bound in this position for too long—and the pounding in my head refuses to relent.
I squint my eyes and try to take in the room I’m in. Aside from a single bulb overhead casting weak light from above, there’s nothing but me and the silent sound of my own apprehension, but I can just make out the concrete walls and the rusted metal door across from me.
Testing the restraints, the sharp plastic bites into my skin, making me wince. There’s no need to wonder where I am or what’s going to happen to me, because I know for certain that there’s no escaping what comes next. Because when you know your enemy as well as you know yourself, the outcome is already decided.
For a minute or so, I spend the time adjusting to my surroundings, taking in the damp chill that envelops me. Just as my eyes tune into where I’m being held, the door ahead creaks open.
“ You’re awake,” Konstantin drawls, low and amused. His shadow fills the doorway before he steps into the room, his eyes on me as his cane clips the floor. His brother follows behind him and I don’t miss the satisfactory smile brightening his face. I bet the guy was just waiting for me to slip up. One opportunity for him to slide in. That’s the problem with Vadim, he’s almost as paranoid as Konstantin, and bringing people into the fold who aren’t blood related is something he hates just as much as the fact that his brother is in charge.
“ Boss, I ? —”
Konstantin raises a hand to silence me. His expression darkens, disappointment deepening his features. “ I can’t tell you how disappointed I am, moy mal'chik. ” He sighs, leaning onto his cane like it’s an emotional crutch. “ You were like a son to me.”
I drop my head between my shoulders. I shouldn’t be feeling guilt right now, but that’s just proof that my morality is still intact. Konstantin has been nothing but protective and respectful of me. He never questioned me or my loyalty, never tested me. I infiltrated this organization seamlessly and effortlessly, without a second glance, and his words hit me deeper than I thought they would.
“What were you doing in the hangar, Milo?” Konstantin asks, exhaling his irritation and impatience in one breath. I’ve never had the chance to see the guy look at someone with as much disdain as he’s harboring right now. He’s always so collected, calm and logical.
I have two choices right now; I could tell him the truth, or lie through my teeth. Neither will bode well for me because ultimately, Konstantin will have already made his decision before stepping foot in this room.
“ What were you looking for?” he questions further with a bored tone.
Glancing between the brothers, I’m still undecided about how to answer him. If I lie, they’ll only punish me until the truth is forced from my lips. And if I tell them the real reason I was there tonight, they’ll use my pain for sport.
My silence stretches for longer than the brothers are willing to entertain.
“ Fine,” Konstantin clicks his fingers and footsteps clip the concrete behind him. “ If you won’t tell us, we’ll just have to make you.” When Konstantin steps to the side, that’s when the real guilt sets in. Not fear, but unbridled shame and remorse. I swallow heavily when I see who those footsteps belong to, realizing the weight of all my decisions sitting on me like a tonne of bricks. I’ve not only deceived the Federovs, but someone I considered a brother.
“Malakai,” I murmur, my throat dry and ragged.
“ Bratan,” he acknowledges with a blank expression. His term for me splits through my chest like a sword slicing through me. Coming to stand between the brothers, he pockets his hands and surveys me. I’ve hurt him, and it’s evident in the way he regards me with pity in his eyes. He can’t quite meet my gaze, and it takes a lot for someone like him to not look you in the eye.
“ You don’t need to ? —”
The first hit comes fast. Kai’s fist slamming into my ribs like a hammer, the pain ricocheting through my body. I wheeze on impact, the air forced from my chest, but Malakai doesn’t give me time to breathe before his knuckles crash into my face. My head snaps sideways, blood pooling hot in my mouth. My face throbs, and it’s only when Konstantin signals for Kai to step away that I realize I can only see out of one eye.
“ It’s a shame it had to be this way, ” Konstantin whispers to me.
Vadim’s beady eye anchors onto me, a conniving smile lifting his lips as he watches the exchange. “ Not really,” he comments. “ It’s ironic, though.”
I spit out a glob of bloody saliva, trying to ignore the pain radiating through me. Up until now, I didn’t know Kai had that much force behind a punch. Usually, I’m the one doling out the punishments, torturing souls on the Federov’s command while Kai stands beside me.
My gaze darts between Vadim and Kai. The disgust is palpable. Except where Vadim’s is directed towards me, I sense that Kai’s is focused more on the man beside him than me. It’s laced with a level of rage he reserves for only Vadim.
“ I’ll ask again,” Konstantin says calmly. “ What were you doing in my hangar?”
Malakai launches forward and grabs a fistful of my hair, jerking my head back so I have no choice but to look at him. “ Answer him, Muzak.”
“ I was looking for your shipment, making sure it was still there.” It’s not a complete lie, but Konstantin doesn’t need to know that.
“ Why?” he orders.
“ Because,” I swallow the blood coating my tongue. “ I thought your mole ? —”
“ You’re the fucking mole ,” Vadim sneers, his voice thick with contempt. “ I told you, Konstantin. Didn’t I tell you? Can’t trust him. ”
Konstantin doesn’t answer immediately. Standing off to the side, he observes silently, his posture eerily calm. He looks like a disappointed father rather than a crime boss, and I’m the mistake he needs to rectify. His silence is worse than the torture because I know what it means; he’s considering what I’m worth. He’s deciding whether I’ll leave this room breathing or in a body bag, and we all know that the latter is more of a possibility.
Konstantin sighs, finally speaking. “ I trusted you, Milo .” His voice is even, but there’s a weight behind it that makes my chest tighten more than the pain ever could. “ I gave you a seat at my table. A place by my side, and you repay me by betraying me ?”
“ It’s nothing personal,” I rasp.
“ Who are you working for?” Vadim questions. I can tell by the feral look in his gaze that he’s more excited about this moment than any of us in this room. He’s practically salivating for a chance to see how much pain I can go through before I beg for it all to end. I’ll be damned if I ever give him the chance to witness that.
I shake my head, opting for death over anything else. If I even mention the FBI are onto them, they’ll shut everything down and go underground. It was a risk for even me to infiltrate them, but it’ll be ten times harder for the next guy who decides to take over.
Malakai circles behind me. Despite his role here tonight, his proximity is a comfort. If I wished for anyone to take me out, it’d be him. I look up at him. His dark eyes are soft with something close to regret. He doesn’t want this. He doesn’t want to be here, torturing me until my last breath. He doesn’t want to be taking orders from the Federovs, but to prove his loyalty and his worth, he knows what he has to do and I respect that.
Vadim lifts his head towards Kai, signaling for him to continue. My pulse races as the binds around my wrist snap away, dropping to the floor. But it’s not because they’re granting me freedom. It’s so much worse, and Malakai words remind me of that.
“I’m sorry for this, brother.”