Epilogue
The shrill sound of the phone caused Natalie to jump in her seat before the computer. She looked up as Owen strolled toward her from his father’s office, his cell phone in hand.
“It’s Callie.”
Natalie nodded to the phone. “Answer it.”
He put it on speaker and said, “Hey, Cal.”
“Is Natalie there?”
She frowned and slid off the stool at the sound of distress in Callie’s voice. “I’m right here.”
“You’re not going to like this, Owen,” Wyatt’s voice came over the line.
Natalie exchanged a look with Owen. Even though they’d won against the group attacking them again, she knew this was only one of many skirmishes. Ragnarok was still in their possession—and still safe.
For the time being.
But the danger was increasing with each day. Natalie understood that, and she understood her part in all of it.
“Tell us,” Owen prompted.
Callie blew out a breath. “I was finally able to do some searching on the Saints. Guys, this is bad. Very bad. They’re a shadow organization.”
“Owen,” Wyatt said, his voice pitched low in worry. “We can’t find the head of this group. The Saints seem to be a part of every elite position within Russia.”
Natalie sat back down on the stool. She was no stranger to secret organizations, having heard enough about them in college. Nearly everyone had heard of the Illuminati or the New World Order.
Most people disregarded all of it as conspiracy theories that didn’t have a grain of truth. But there was always truth to them.
“We think,” Callie hurried to say. “There isn’t much on this group. They’re very secretive. Many of the blogs or articles I read were quick to dismiss the Saints as hearsay or made up.”
“But you don’t?” Owen asked.
Callie hesitated for a heartbeat. “I don’t. There are too many instances of power shifts within Russia that mimic someone masterminding the entire affair. I could list everything, but it’s too long.”
“One instance could be overlooked,” Wyatt said. “A couple could be a coincidence. But when looked at as a whole, there’s no doubt.”
“So it isn’t Egor Dvorak controlling the Russians here,” Natalie said. “It’s the Saints.”
Callie made a sound. “I have no proof, Nat. This is a gut feeling based on what I’ve found—and not found.
I did unearth an article nearly sixty years old about an alliance of top members of the KGB, the military, and the elite of Russia that called themselves the Saints.
Someone tried to remove every instance of that article. ”
“But Callie found it,” Wyatt said, a note of pride in his voice. “Give her more time. She might uncover more.”
Natalie leaned her elbow on the table as her mind spun with the possibilities of what this group—the Saints—could do to them. Or with Ragnarok.
“Cullen needs to know,” Owen said.
Wyatt said, “Already tried to call him. I still can’t reach him, but I did send a text. Let’s hope he gets it.”
“What about calling Mia,” Natalie offered.
“Did that already, but didn’t get an answer from her either.”
Owen’s frown deepened as he stared at the phone. “When do we go after him?”
“That might be the wrong thing to do,” Callie said. “Especially if he and Mia are hiding.”
“And if they’re not?” Wyatt asked.
Natalie held out her hand as Owen walked to her. Their fingers intertwined. She saw the apprehension for Cullen in his gaze.
“Cullen is a Loughman,” Natalie said.
There was a stretch of silence where Owen smiled at her. “We’ll give him another few days.”
“Then we go find him,” Wyatt stated.
Sklad
Orrin wasn’t surprised when Yuri chained him to the bed. The bastard stood at the door, watching as the red-haired doctor checked his vitals.
Her gaze never moved to Orrin, and he didn’t look at her. He wanted to make sure Yuri believe they hadn’t spoken to each other. Because if Yuri thought for a moment that the woman had helped him, her child would be dead.
“You look . . . well,” Yuri said.
Orrin suspected it had something to do with whatever the doctor had injected into his IV every six hours.
Yuri clasped his hands behind his back and walked to the opposite side of the bed from the woman. He smiled at Orrin and said, “Your home has been destroyed.”
He kept his face passive. The house and buildings could be rebuilt. Cattle and horses replaced. His sons and Callie, however, could not.
He waited for Yuri to tell him who had been killed. Orrin wasn’t sure if he could keep himself calm if anything had happened to his family.
“Nothing to say?” Yuri asked with a smirk.
Orrin merely stared at him. He would give Yuri nothing.
Yuri shrugged. “There was quite a fight there. Lots of gunfire exchanged. I know at least one was killed and another injured.”
No matter how Orrin kept his emotions from his face, he couldn’t control his blood pressure. The monitor he was hooked to began to beep with the pounding of his heart.
Yuri laughed and turned on his heel. “I think I will wait to tell you who died for later. I am enjoying this entirely too much.”
The real battle was just beginning.
Thank you for reading THE HERO. I hope you enjoyed the story!