Chapter 6 #3
“Until five months ago.” Dean secured the chewed-up cap of his pen back in place and set it on top of his yellow legal pad. “I feel like there’s more to this story I’m not remembering.”
Halle looked up from her notes, gaze falling to Kyle as he circled the table to stand right behind Ana. “I would think as the Volkovs re-emerge, the new members would want revenge against the Russian administration for wiping the majority of them off the map fifteen years ago.”
Ana shifted in her seat, uncomfortable with her ex looming behind her. “The Russians would have the most to lose with a Volkov comeback, especially if they were concerned they might wind up on the receiving end of a blackmail threat by them.”
Dean snapped his fingers as though his memory had been jogged.
“There was a list or something, right? One that would expose every spy the Volkovs had positioned around the world, including not-yet-activated sleeper agents, right? Proof the Volkovs worked for the Russian government, too.” He paused for a second.
“I would’ve assumed the Volkovs would have used that as leverage to prevent the Russian administration from turning on them. An insurance policy.”
“We think it’s possible Russian Foreign Intelligence got its hands on the book the summer of oh six, which may explain the domino effect of the fall of the remaining Volkov agents after that.
” Kyle moved back around the table to face her once again.
“It was known as the Daylight Ledger.” He repeated the words as they were actually known in Russian.
“Not just a list of Volkov spies, but the name of every person murdered and by which spy. They may have begun collecting intel on the Russians’ new American assets as well. ”
“Why was it called the Daylight Ledger?” Dean and his questions today. Normally she didn’t mind, but she didn’t want to be engaging in a conversation about the Volkovs right now.
“The rumor was that the list would shine the light of day on all those who wished to remain in the dark. It’d destroy lives. And powerful people,” Kyle explained.
“The list doesn’t exist. And if it ever did, the Russians probably managed to get a hold of it and torched the thing.” Winters folded his arms. “No way did the Volkovs sit on that thing for fifteen years and suddenly decide to use it.”
“Why wouldn’t the Volkovs make a copy of the list if it was so important?” Dean went on anyway, curiosity in his eyes. The man loved a good mystery. “You know, a backup plan for if the book ever did fall into enemy hands, they’d have another one.”
“The Volkovs were old school. Think Illuminati. They followed a code. Only one list, and only the leader Adrik Volkov had it. But the ledger was useless to anyone without the key to decrypt it.” Kyle’s intimate knowledge of the ledger was enough to put Ana over the edge.
“Well, at least, that’s what I learned while I was in Hungary this past year.
Word is Adrik Volkov’s nephew is now running the show and has the ledger. ”
“Which explains the Volkov comeback,” Dean said with a nod.
“And what about the key?” Griff asked.
Winters shot an annoyed look at Kyle, one that said they were wasting time on what he believed to be a fairy tale.
“Grigory Volkov, Adrik’s nephew, if he is in charge, has remained underground. The fact he hasn’t fully emerged—”
“Suggests Grigory might have the ledger, but he’s still in need of the key,” Ana finished for her ex-husband, and her stomach was officially in the tightest of knots.
Kyle made eye contact with her, and his gratified expression said it all: We still make a great team.
They had indeed been fantastic colleagues.
“Right. If the ledger and key are real,” he said while glimpsing Winters, offering the if for his benefit, “it’d make sense for Grigory Volkov to remain hidden until he has both. ”
Winters turned to Kyle, his stern no-nonsense face on display. “This is the Bureau, son. I appreciate all your insight into what you’ve learned about the Volkovs, but we’re not going to focus on some fantastical ledger like we’re in The Da Vinci Code. Our concern is the missing sources.”
Ana’s stomach dropped, but she resisted closing her eyes and gripping the arms of her chair. She didn’t need anyone getting a read on her.
“I agree with Deputy Winters,” Gray said, eyes moving around the table, the steely look on his face an indication he expected them to follow his lead.
Kyle offered a firm nod instead of words, but his eyes said it all to Ana, he didn’t appreciate being dismissed by Winters or Gray.
“So, Agent Jeter,” Halle said, seemingly trying to clear the sudden blitz of alpha male tension in the room, “do you believe the same assassin who may have been hired to take down Katya is also responsible for our other two missing sources?”
But no, that didn’t make sense.
The assassin couldn’t possibly have eliminated the other two targets. That “assassin” didn’t really exist. Ana had made him up. Then again, she’d never anticipated for Katya to disappear before she was actually scheduled to vanish.
“Have we found ourselves caught back in the middle of a Russia-versus-the Volkovs duel two-point-oh?” Dean asked. “Maybe the SVR is hunting the Volkov crime family again in hopes they don’t have the . . .” His voice trailed off in deference to Winters, but the word ledger was out there nonetheless.
“Intel would suggest Russian Foreign Intelligence was responsible for the hit placed on Katya, but we didn’t get a name on who was hired to handle the matter.” Kyle’s gaze darted to Winters to see if he’d disagree with this theory as well.
“I’m not prepared to make that assumption, especially given the fact two other completely unrelated sources have also vanished,” Winters challenged. “But I’m relying on you all to get to the bottom of everything.”
“Is someone at the Bureau selling names of our sources to the highest bidder? Is this an internal issue?” Griff lifted his dark eyes toward Winters, and Ana saw the look of worry crossing Winters’s face at the idea.
Did Winters not know how to answer? Did he think someone in the room was guilty?
“No one outside this unit accessed any case files related to all three sources. Not with their code, at least. We’ve already had the Bureau do an internal review.
That doesn’t rule out the possibility someone went around the normal means of obtaining information, though,” Gray answered when Winters had refrained from doing so.
“Are you looking at us?” Halle asked what had to be on everyone’s mind.
“You work for CI. You’re already under one of the most closely monitored divisions in the Bureau.
” Was Winters’s answer really an answer, though?
“If someone in this room betrayed the FBI, we would’ve already known about it,” he added, and Dean’s shoulders slouched a touch with relief.
“So, I’m counting on everyone here to come up with a how, why, and a way to stop any other sources from disappearing.
I want answers.” Winters turned to the side, his gaze moving back and forth between Ana and Kyle.
“Will working together be a problem? A conflict of interest?”
“Not for me,” Kyle answered immediately, smoothing a palm over his purple tie.
“Same, sir,” Ana managed the response.
“We won’t let you down.” Kyle offered a reaffirming nod toward Winters, then to Gray. But his body had remained tense ever since the two men had rejected any talk of the Daylight Ledger.
Winters left a moment later, then at the sound of a knock, Gray stood and opened the door.
“Sorry to interrupt,” one of the analysts who often worked for their unit announced, “but I have news.”
Ana flicked her finger in Kyle’s direction after Gray stepped outside to speak to the analyst. “Ex-husband.”
“Ah.” Dean slumped back down into his chair, but Ana kept her focus on the table, not sure what to make of this entire situation.
She startled when the door opened a minute later and Gray returned. “We have a possible hitman, and it’s not good.”
Ana’s eyes widened as she waited. “Who?” Who in the hell had actually gotten to her source before Ana’s plan had fallen into place as designed?
“Ivan Smirnoff,” Gray announced.
What? She blinked in surprise at the name.
“Dubbed The Huntsman because of his ability to track anyone anywhere,” Kyle added, clearly familiar with the name.
“Famous for kidnapping and killing without leaving a trace behind. He’s Russian, but .
. .” He smoothed a hand over the few weeks’ worth of beard he’d grown.
In all their years of marriage, the man had never even tolerated a five o’clock shadow. “Well, shit.”
“What is it?” Ana asked, recognizing Kyle’s distressed look.
“The hit couldn’t have been ordered by the SVR as chatter suggested,” Kyle began, a look of confusion on his face that Ana felt down to her core, “because Ivan would never take the job. He hates the SVR.”
“Because?” Dean asked.
“Before Ivan left Russia in his twenties, the government had his brother killed,” Kyle explained. “The only way the Russian government is behind these hits is if Ivan’s either not responsible or they went through a middleman—had someone else hire Ivan for them.”
“Well, our people confirmed Ivan was in New York City last week. Got him on camera at the airport the day before Katya vanished.” Gray paused. “He was flagged in Boston as well. So, it’s looking like he’s our guy.”
“If someone is handing out source names and locations, what’s the need for a hitman like The Huntsman?” Griff asked.
Ana’s stomach lurched, and her hand dipped to her abdomen as she drew in a deep breath. Was the blame game amongst them about to start?
“Because no one gave up the names,” Halle defended the team. “So, they needed the best of the best to track down these people for reasons unknown to us. Yet.”