Chapter 24Damir
24
Damir
I stare at the quarterly reports spread across my desk, the numbers blurring together after three hours of review. The Antonov Holdings portfolio continues to grow from legitimate businesses that serve as both cover and actual income. The restaurant chain is up seventeen percent from last quarter. The tech investment firm shows promising returns on the medical device startups we backed. The real estate holdings have appreciated significantly.
The door to my office swings open without warning. I reach for my gun but marginally relax when Anton strides in, his usual casual demeanor replaced by something harder and more urgent. No knock. No call ahead. I remain tense, knowing he wouldn’t barge in without a good reason.
“We have a problem,” he says, placing a sealed manila envelope on my desk.
I set aside the financial reports and pick up the envelope. It’s substantial. “This couldn’t wait?”
“No.” Anton remains standing. “It’s about Casey.”
The name alone makes my jaw tighten. Elena’s ex. The man I should have killed months ago. He’s slowly being destroyed from my efforts, but a bullet would be much faster and more decisive. If only I hadn’t promised Elena…
With a long exhalation, I open the envelope and slide out a stack of high-resolution photographs. The first shows Casey standing outside a run-down bar in North Philly, talking to one of Nikolai’s men. The second shows him entering a warehouse known to be used by Nikolai’s organization for processing product.
“When were these taken?” I ask, flipping through more images.
“Over the past three weeks. Our surveillance team has been tracking him since the incident at the hospital.” He smiles slightly. “I should say, more intensely. We’ve had someone keeping tabs on him since the day you and Mrs. Antonova got married.”
“Good.” I continue through the stack, each photo more damning than the last. Casey entering various establishments owned by Nikolai or Casey meeting with different members of Nikolai’s crew. I stop at one particular image. Casey stands outside a storage facility in South Philadelphia, accepting an envelope from a tall, lean man with a distinctive scar running from his left eye to his jaw. Yuri Orlov, Nikolai’s head of enforcement operations. His personal executioner.
“This is recent?” I ask, tapping the photo.
“Four days ago.”
I continue through the stack. Casey at First National Bank, accessing a safety deposit box. Casey at three different banking locations, making cash deposits. The final photo shows Casey in Camden, purchasing a handgun from a dealer I know sells exclusively to the criminal element—no questions asked as long as one has cash, and no serial numbers to trace.
“Tell me everything,” I say, setting down the photos and looking up at Anton.
Anton takes a seat across from me, leaning forward. “We turned one of Nikolai’s lower-level guys. Kid named Svetozar. Works in their distribution network, but he’s got ears. He confirmed Casey’s been working for Nikolai for years.”
“Years?” The word comes out sharp, cutting.
“Started small with moving money and some enforcement work when they needed extra muscle. Nothing major. Nikolai recruited him through his gambling debts by offering to clear what he owed in exchange for services.”
I process this information. “His relationship with Elena?”
“Initially unconnected. Just another of his fraud schemes targeting women with money. He’s done it before as you know.”
“But after Elena married me...”
“Nikolai recognized the potential connection and elevated Casey’s role. Gave him more responsibility, more access. This is what we’ve theorized.”
That confirms what we’ve suspected, but having a working theory is different from verified proof. “This Svetozar is solid?” I ask, needing to be certain before I act on this information.
Anton settles back in his chair, resting his tattooed forearms on my desk. “Seems to be. He’s just trying to take care of his sick mother and four siblings. He doesn’t have strong ties to Nikolai.”
“Or to us if he’s for sale,” I counter, my voice hardening.
Anton shrugs. “True, but he’ll give objective information as long as we meet his price. I talked to him and believe him.” He pauses, letting his judgment hang in the air. Anton doesn’t trust easily, which is a trait we both share.
“Hmm.” I stand and walk to the window, pressing my palm against the cool glass. Philadelphia sprawls below, a maze of streets and buildings. Somewhere in that urban landscape, Nikolai is plotting his next move, and he’s using Casey as his pawn. The thought in unnerving.
“There’s more,” he says.
I turn back to face him. “Tell me.”
“Phone records show Casey placed seven calls to a burner phone linked to Nikolai’s organization the day after the kidnapping attempt.”
The failed attempt to take Elena that nearly succeeded. The one that led her to finally tell me about our child.
“Our informant says Casey and Nikolai are planning a coordinated hit. Targeting both you and Elena.”
My hands curl into fists at my sides. “When?”
“Soon. Within the week, according to Svetozar.”
“And they know about the pregnancy?”
Anton nods once. “Nikolai knows. Our informant couldn’t tell us how he found out, but he knows Elena is carrying your child.”
I walk back to my desk, pick up the photo of Casey with Yuri, and study it. “Where is Casey now?”
“We have eyes on him. He’s at an apartment in Northern Liberties and hasn’t left since this morning.”
I set down the photo and look at Anton. “And our informant? How reliable is he?”
“Reliable enough. We’ve verified most of what he’s told us through other channels. Plus, he has good reason to help us.”
“Which is?”
“Nikolai killed his brother last month. Suspected him of skimming. He wasn’t, and losing his brother has made Svetozar’s mother worsen. If she dies, he’s going to blame Nikolai for that too.”
I nod, understanding the motivation. Revenge is a powerful incentive.
“What do you want to do?” he asks.
What I want is to put a bullet in Casey’s head myself. To make an example of him so brutal that no one would dare come near my family again, but I made a promise to Elena, so no killing Casey unless she changes her mind. “Bring him in. Quietly. I want to talk to him first.”
Anton raises an eyebrow. “You sure that’s wise? If Nikolai has a hit planned?—”
“I need to know exactly what he’s told Nikolai about Elena and us.” I tap the desk with my index finger. “I need to know who else is involved.”
“After you get what you need?”
I meet Anton’s gaze. “Then we’ll see what Elena wants to do with him.”
Anton nods and stands. “I’ll have him here in two hours.”
“Make it one, and Anton—” I pause, making sure he understands the gravity of my next words. “No marks. I need him coherent.”
“Understood.”
After he leaves, I sit back down at my desk and spread the photos out in front of me. Casey with Nikolai’s men. Casey accessing bank accounts. Casey buying a gun. I pick up my phone and dial Elena’s number, hoping she’ll be at a point where she can answer. To my relief, she picks up on the third ring.
“Hey,” she says, her voice warm. “I was just thinking about you.”
“Are you alone?” I ask.
There’s a pause. “Yes. Valeriya is outside the door, but I’m alone in the bathroom before heading to another consultation. Why? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” I lie. “I just wanted to check on you. How are you feeling?”
“Better today. The morning sickness seems to be easing up a bit.”
“Good. That’s good.” I hesitate, not wanting to worry her but needing her to be extra vigilant. “Elena, I need you to stay close to Valeriya during your shift today.”
Another pause, longer this time. “Damir, what’s going on?”
“Just a precaution. I’ll explain everything when I get home.”
“Is this about Nikolai?”
She’s too perceptive. “Yes, but don’t worry. Everything’s under control.”
“If everything was under control, you wouldn’t be telling me to stay glued to Valeriya, who is usually practically invisible.” Her voice takes on that stubborn edge I’ve come to both admire and find challenging. “Tell me what’s happening.”
I sigh, pinching the bridge of my nose. “We have new information about Casey. He’s been working with Nikolai for years as we suspected, but he seems to have been involved in the kidnapping attempt. Nikolai is planning something else, and Casey is involved. Anton is certain.”
“What kind of something else?”
“A hit on both of us.”
Silence fills the line, followed by a ragged gasp. “Because of the baby?”
“Possibly but probably not. Nikolai knows you’re pregnant, but I don’t think that’s the prime reason he wants to kill us both. I think he’s just done with this conflict between us and wants it settled decisively. You and our son are just damage he can inflict on me as he tries to bring me down.”
“How?” Her voice rises slightly. “How could he possibly know about the baby?”
“I don’t know yet, but I intend to find out.” I look at the photos again. “Casey’s been meeting with Nikolai’s top lieutenants. He’s accessed bank accounts and made cash deposits, likely on Nikolai’s behest, since he’s moved up in the organization. That doesn’t worry me nearly as much as…” I trail off, hesitating.
“What?” she asks firmly after a second.
“He bought a gun four days ago.”
“Oh, my god,” she whispers.
“Elena, listen to me. You’re safe. Valeriya and Fydor are watching you until your shift ends.” I want to demand she go home right now, but she’ll refuse. “The penthouse is the most secure location in the city since I’ve doubled the security detail. No one gets in without my direct authorization, so you’ll be entirely safe once you’re inside.”
She pauses for a second and exhales slowly. “Okay. I’ll stick closely to Valeriya and go straight home when my shift ends. When will you be there?”
“Likely before you, but I have some business to take care of first.”
“Casey,” she says. It’s not a question.
“Yes.”
“What are you going to do to him?”
I consider lying, then decide against it. We promised each other honesty. “I’m going to find out exactly what he knows and what he’s told Nikolai. I’d like to know what you want me to do with him at that point.”
“You promised you wouldn’t kill him.” She sounds unsure though.
“And I’ve kept that promise, but circumstances have changed. He’s actively participating in a plot to kill us—to kill our son.”
She’s quiet for so long I wonder if the call has dropped. Finally, she says, “I don’t care what you do to him. I just don’t want it to come back to haunt you with the feds. Do what you need to do to keep us safe, but I want to be there when you question him.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Yes,” she insists. “I need to hear it from him. I need to look him in the eye when he explains why he’s trying to kill me and my baby.”
“It’s too dangerous.”
“It’s not a request, Damir. Either I’m there, or you don’t question him at all.”
I grip the phone tighter, smothering curses. “Elena?—”
“I mean it. I deserve to hear the truth from him.”
I close my eyes, knowing I’ve lost this argument before it’s even begun. My wife is so stubborn and determined. It’s one of the things I love about her, even when it complicates matters. “Fine, but you stay behind me at all times, and if at any point I tell you to leave, you leave. No arguments.”
“Agreed.”
“I’ll tell Valeriya when to bring you to the… interrogation site. If you’re in surgery, I won’t wait for you. I have to act now.” I pray she’s in surgery then, averting a confrontation with her ex.
“I’ll be ready. No surgeries planned, and unless an emergency arises…you won’t get rid of me that easily.” She sounds almost cheerful despite what the phone call has revealed.
“I thought as not. Perhaps I’ll shoot one of my lazier men and send him to you to operate. I know you’ll take care of him as you did Anton.”
She lets out a startled laugh. “You might be tempted, but you won’t.”
I sigh. “No. I’ll be in touch, solnishko .” I end the call and stare at the photos spread across my desk of the man who’s now actively trying to kill her and our unborn child. I pick up my phone again and call Anton. “Change of plans,” I say when he answers. “Pick up Harris and let me know when he’s at the interrogation facility. Make sure the room is prepared, and we’ll need privacy.”
“Understood. Anything else?”
“Yes. Elena will be joining us.”
He pauses. “Boss, are you sure that’s a good idea?”
“It wasn’t my idea, but she insists, and in this case, I think she’s earned the right to hear the truth from him directly.”
He lets out a slow sigh, clearly disagreeing but too wise to argue. “All right. I’ll make the arrangements.”
I hang up and gather the photos, sliding them back into the envelope. Then I open my desk drawer and remove my Glock 19, checking the magazine before tucking it into the holster on my shoulder.
Casey Harris has been a thorn in my side since the day I learned his name. Today, that ends if Elena decides his betrayal warrants death. I hope she will because I’ll be more than happy to oblige.
Moments later, the black SUV cuts through Philadelphia traffic, Viktor’s driving precise and aggressive as always. I watch the city blur past the tinted windows, mentally preparing for what’s to come. Interrogation is bloody, brutal business, and it requires a certain savagery I try to keep locked away at all other times.
“We’re fifteen minutes out, boss,” says Viktor, his gaze flicking to the rearview mirror to meet mine.
I nod, reviewing the questions I plan to ask Casey. I need to know everything—what he’s told Nikolai about our security protocols, what he knows about Elena’s schedule, and how deeply his involvement goes in the planned hit. Most importantly, I need to know who else is involved. My phone vibrates in my pocket, and Anton’s name flashes on the screen. “What is it?” I answer, keeping my voice level despite the tension coiling through me.
“We have a problem.” Anton’s voice is tight, controlled but angry. “I lost contact with the team watching Casey.”
I straighten in my seat. “When?”
“Twenty minutes ago. I sent another team to check on them.”
“And?”
He curses. “They’re dead. Both of them. Single shots to the head, execution style.”
The temperature in the car seems to drop ten degrees. “Casey?”
“Gone. No sign of him at the apartment or any of his usual haunts.”
I close my eyes for a moment, forcing my breathing to remain steady. “How long?”
“Based on body temperature, the coroner estimates they’ve been dead for about an hour. I slipped her a couple of grand to expedite processing but quietly, and that was her preliminary evaluation.”
Which means Casey has a significant head start. “Security footage?”
“Nothing useful. Whoever did this knew where the cameras were.”
“Nikolai.”
“More likely one of his men, but yeah.”
I tap my fingers against my knee, mind racing through possibilities. “Put out the word to every available man. I want people watching every corner of this city. Check the train stations, bus terminals, and airports. He can’t have gone far.”
“Already on it. I’ve also put extra security on Elena at the hospital. Lev is heading there now.”
“Good.” I glance at Viktor, who’s watching me in the rearview mirror. “Change of plans. Take me to the office.”
Viktor nods and makes a sharp U-turn at the next intersection, earning angry honks from other drivers.
“Keep me updated,” I tell Anton before ending the call. I stare out the window, rage building inside me like a pressure cooker. Two of my men are dead, and Casey is in the wind. Nikolai is making his move. The urge to lash out, to destroy something, burns through me, but I force it down, channeling it into cold, calculated fury. Emotion clouds judgment, and I need to be clear-headed now more than ever.
My phone feels heavy when I dial Elena’s number.
She answers on the second ring. “Damir, is it time?”
“There’s been a change of plans,” I say, keeping my tone neutral. “Casey is no longer in our custody.”
She pauses. “What happened?”
I consider softening the truth, but we promised each other honesty. “He escaped, and two of my men are dead.”
Her sharp intake of breath carries through the phone. “Oh, no. When?”
“About an hour ago. We believe Nikolai’s men helped him.”
Another pause, longer this time. “What does this mean for us?”
“It means we need to be more careful. I’ve increased security at the hospital. Valeriya and Fydor will stay with you at all times. Lev is heading there now to join them.”
“And you?”
“I’m heading to the office to coordinate the search. We’ll find him.”
“I know you will.”
Her confidence in me is both gratifying and terrifying. What if I fail her? “Are you still at the hospital?” I ask.
“Yes. I have another four hours on my shift.”
“Stay close to Valeriya. Don’t go anywhere alone, not even the bathroom.”
“I won’t.” She pauses. “Damir, when you find him...”
“Yes?”
“I still want to be there. I need to hear from him why he’s doing this.”
I grip the phone tighter. “Elena?—”
“I mean it, Damir. I deserve to know.”
I exhale slowly. “Fine, but only if I determine it’s safe, and you stay behind me at all times.”
“Agreed.”
“I’ll call you when we find him. If you’re still on shift, I’ll have Valeriya bring you to the location.”
“Thank you.” Her voice softens. “Be careful, Damir. I need you to come home to us.”
Us . Her and our son. The family I never thought I’d have. “I will. I promise.”
After ending the call, I stare out the window again, watching the city streets pass by. Somewhere out there, Casey Harris is running, thinking he can escape me. He’s wrong.
Philadelphia is my city. I own the streets, the buildings, and the people who matter. There’s nowhere he can hide that I won’t find him, and when I do...
“Viktor,” I say, breaking the silence in the car.
“Yes, boss?”
“When we get back to the office, I want you to personally coordinate with the street teams. Focus on the areas near the waterfront and the train stations first.”
“You think he’ll try to leave the city?”
“If he has any sense, yes, but Nikolai might want to keep him close. Check his known properties too.”
He nods, his expression grim in the rearview mirror. “We’ll find him.”
“Yes, we will.” I lean back in my seat, mentally mapping out the city and dividing it into sectors to be searched. “When we do, I’m going to tear him apart piece by piece until he tells me everything he knows.” The rage I’ve been suppressing threatens to surface again. I push it down, transforming it into cold determination. Emotion is a luxury I can’t afford right now when Elena and our son’s lives are at stake.
My phone buzzes with a text from Anton: “Lev is in place at the hospital. Elena is safe.”
I type back: “Good. Keep it that way.”
The car turns onto the street where my office building stands, a gleaming tower of glass and steel in the heart of the business district. It’s the legitimate face of my empire. Behind it lies the true source of my power—the network of loyal men and women who enforce my will throughout the city.
That network is now mobilizing, spreading through Philadelphia like a web, searching for one man. Casey Harris has no idea what’s coming for him. By the time we’re done, every inch of this city will have been turned over, every stone upturned, and every shadow examined. He can run, but there’s nowhere he can hide from me. Not in my city when he’s threatened what’s mine. I will find Casey Harris and end this threat once and for all.
No matter what it takes.