Chapter 27Valerian
27
Valerian
W hile Viktor drives, and Dmitri keeps anxious watch on the vehicles around us, I pull out my phone, muscle memory guiding my fingers over the familiar number.
Yuri picks up before the first ring ends. “Boss, I’ve got nothing new. This encryption is?—”
“Lev Mikhailov,” I cut through his explanation. “What do you know about him?”
Static crackles across the line. One second stretches into three before he clears his throat. “Mikhailov?” His voice drops lower, caution threading through each syllable. “Petrov’s former financial guru? Last I heard, he was arrested. The feds nailed him six months ago during Operation Dark Web in some massive cybersecurity sting. Had their hooks in him for weeks before they moved.” Yuri pauses. “Why?”
“He’s still sitting in federal detention,” I say, watching the late afternoon traffic crawl past my window. “And Petrov tried to have him assassinated behind bars. What does that suggest to you?”
Yuri sucks in air so sharply it whistles through the phone. “Son of a bitch. He’s holding back, not surrendering all his cards to the feds yet. If Petrov’s this desperate to silence him, this could be big.”
“Exactly.” I sink deeper into the leather seat. “What kind of information would a man like Mikhailov keep as his insurance policy?”
“Boss, with his level of access?” His voice drops to a whisper, as if Petrov’s men might be listening through the walls. “We’re talking encrypted drives full of wire transfers, shell company paperwork, and account numbers in banks from Switzerland to Singapore. Political payoffs too—the kind that’d make certain officials very nervous. The type of evidence that wouldn’t just cripple Petrov’s operation but burn it to the ground.”
I nod, running my thumb along the leather armrest. Though Yuri can’t see me through the phone, his tension radiates across the connection. “And the encryption you’ve been trying to crack?”
“It’s unlike anything I’ve seen.” A rapid clicking sound filters through. “Every attempt triggers countermeasures. Yesterday, I got within three layers and nearly lost my whole system. It’s not just protecting data. It’s designed to destroy it if anyone gets close.”
“So, whatever’s behind that wall is worth more than money. It’s worth killing for.”
“Boss, if Mikhailov set up this system...” Yuri’s voice grows softer, almost reverent with professional admiration despite the circumstances. He lets the thought hang unfinished.
“Then he might be the only one who can crack it.” My grip tightens on the phone. “And Petrov knows it.”
“The encryption is beyond military-grade,” Yuri says, clicking through screens. “The kind used for government intelligence.”
All roads lead to Lev Mikhailov and the secrets locked in his digital vault. “I need everything you can find on Mikhailov,” I say, drumming my fingers on the desk. “His history with Petrov, details of his arrest, current prison situation. Dig deep. Any connection, no matter how small.”
“On it, boss.” Keys click rapidly in the background. “But what about this encryption? I’ve never seen anything like it.”
I tap the edge of my phone, weighing our options. One wrong move could erase whatever Mikhailov’s protecting and possibly get him killed while taking all proof we need to shut down Petrov permanently. “Keep working on it but be careful. No aggressive attempts to breach. If it’s as sophisticated as you say, we can’t risk destroying what’s inside.”
“Understood.” The typing resumes as he says, “I’ll start with the FSB files. They’re easier to hack than this system Lev has set up, and I already have a backdoor.”
Minutes pass as Viktor navigates the city streets with practiced ease while Dmitri’s watchful gaze continues to scan our surroundings from the passenger seat. The phone pressed to my ear crackles with Yuri’s rapid typing.
“What have you found in the FSB files?” I ask, my voice low despite the privacy of the vehicle.
Yuri’s typing pauses. “It’s interesting, boss. Lev Mikhailov’s got a brother named Alekseev. He’s not just any government worker. He’s the head of Russia’s newest cybersecurity program, ‘Firewall Omega.’”
My eyebrows raise. “Tell me about this program.”
“It’s cutting-edge stuff,” says Yuri, excitement creeping into his voice. “Quantum encryption, AI-driven threat detection, the works. Makes most systems look like child’s play.”
I drum my fingers on the armrest. “And Lev wasn’t involved?”
“Not directly, but here’s where it gets interesting. The FSB files hint at ‘unauthorized access’ to Firewall Omega’s development servers. They never caught the culprit, but the they traced the infiltration to the United States before hitting a roadblock.”
I curse softly. “I’d guess Lev was playing with Alekseev’s new program.”
“Exactly. I’d bet my last bitcoin Lev was piggybacking on his brother’s work, adapting it for Petrov’s operation.”
I process this information. “That explains the level of encryption you’re facing. Lev had access to state-of-the-art tech.”
“Boss, if Lev applied even a fraction of Firewall Omega’s capabilities to Petrov’s systems...” Yuri trails off, the implications clear.
“We need to speak with him,” I say, “But not yet. Keep digging. I want to know everything about Lev’s time with Petrov, his arrest, and his current situation. Leave no stone unturned.”
“On it,” Yuri says. “What about ‘Curran-Fromhold?’ Want me to look into their systems?”
I consider this for a moment. “Do it but be careful. We don’t want to tip our hand or compromise Lev’s safety.”
“Understood. I’ll update you as soon as I have more.”
The call ends, and I pocket my phone, looking at Dmitri, who’s watching me in the visor mirror. “We need to arrange a meeting with Lev Mikhailov. Discreetly.”
Dmitri nods, his expression grim. “It won’t be easy, but I have some contacts. We’ll make it happen.”
I stare out the window as the city passes by. Petrov’s desperate, and desperate men make mistakes. It’s an opportunity, but also a threat. If he’s willing to go after Lev in prison using Jay, there’s no telling what else he might do.
My thoughts turn to Claire, and a wave of protectiveness washes over me. I need to increase security around her and her family. Petrov might try to use them as leverage to force Jay’s hand.
When I’m putting my phone back into my pocket, I glance at my screen, and my stomach clenches. I’ve missed a call from Claire. She rarely calls first, and I immediately assume something is wrong.
I’m about to dial her back when my phone buzzes again with a call from an unknown number. I growl. It has to be Matvey. I hesitate for a heartbeat, knowing if I ignore the call, he’ll take it as confirmation that he hit a nerve. Gritting my teeth, I answer.
Matvey’s voice is smooth but laced with malice. “Valerian, my old friend. Lovely day for a drive, is it not?”
“What do you want, Matvey?” I keep my voice level, betraying nothing.
He chuckles, and the sound grates. “Straight to business. I like that about you. I hear you paid a visit to the hospital this morning. How’s Jay doing?”
The confirmation that Petrov’s people are tracking either my movements or have someone watching Jay at the hospital solidifies everything I suspected. “Cut the bullshit. What’s your game?”
“Game? No game, Valerian. Just checking in on an old acquaintance.” His tone shifts, becoming silky. “You know, it’s funny how small this city can be. I was just thinking about that lovely flower shop on Maple Street. What’s it called again? Bloom House?”
My blood runs cold. Claire.
“Charming little place,” he continues. “The kind of business where anyone could walk in. You never know who might stop by for a bouquet.”
His words hammer me, but I give away nothing. I let the silence stretch, refusing to rise to his bait.
“I won’t keep you,” he says, his voice dripping with false concern. “I’m sure you have important matters to attend to. Do give my regards to Claire, won’t you? Maybe put in a persuasive word with her uncooperative brother?”
I end the call without a word, already moving to dial Claire’s number. No answer. I try again. Straight to voicemail.
“Fuck,” I mutter, dialing Ivan. Nothing. Sergei. Nothing.
A slow, cold fury spreads through me as I finally call Anatoly. His response is immediate. “Sir?”
“Where’s Claire?”
A pause. “She went shopping with Ivan and Sergei earlier, but they haven’t returned.”
My grip on the phone tightens. “Thanks.” I turn to Dmitri, saying, “Find them. Now.”
I end the call, my mind racing. If Matvey was bluffing, he wouldn’t have named Claire specifically. The uneasy feeling crawling under my skin solidifies into something more dangerous.
“Everything okay, boss?” asks Viktor.
I don’t answer. My entire focus narrows to a single point. Lev might still be the key to unraveling this mess, but right now, Claire is the priority.
“Change of plans,” I say, my voice cold. “We’re heading to the mansion. Now.”
Viktor nods, immediately rerouting us while Dmitri speaks in low tones before hanging up his phone. He meets my gaze in the visor. “Neither Ivan nor Sergei have checked in, boss.”
I curse as the city blurs past the windows. I’m already calculating the fastest way to track down Claire. Claire could be at Bloom House, the mall, myriad other stores, or anywhere in between. I need eyes on all locations, now.
“Dmitri, check in with the surveillance team on Claire’s parents.”
“On it, boss.” Dmitri’s already lifting his phone after dialing. He looks at me less than a minute later. “Straight to voicemail.”
I pull out my own phone, scrolling through recent calls. There—the number Matvey used. I dial Yuri.
“I don’t have anything new yet?—”
“I need you to trace a number,” I interrupt. “Now.”
I rattle off the digits, listening to the clack of keys in the background. “It’s a burner,” he says after a moment, “But I can triangulate the last known location.”
“Do it.”
The rapid clicking of Yuri’s keyboard fills the line as I wait, my fingers drumming against the leather armrest. The Mercedes glides through downtown Philadelphia traffic, Viktor’s expert driving keeping us moving despite the congestion.
“Got it,” he says. “The signal’s coming from Market Street, near Independence Mall. Looks like it’s moving east.”
Matvey’s words echo in my head. “You never know who might stop by for a bouquet.”
I grit my teeth. He wouldn’t be so bold. Would he?
“How far out are we?” I ask Dmitri.
“Ten minutes to the mansion, boss.”
I nod, my decision made. “Change course. We’re heading downtown.”
He looks at me through the rearview mirror. “You sure? We don’t know what we’re walking into.”
“It doesn’t matter. We’ll handle it.”
As we speed through the streets, I check my gun, ensuring it’s loaded. The familiar weight of the Makarov PM is soothing. Matvey crossed a line. If he’s touched Claire, there won’t be a hole deep enough for him to hide in. I’ll burn his entire empire to the ground if that’s what it takes.
I’d planned to do that anyway, to end the threat from him entirely, but it might not be so precise any longer. Instead, his end might be brutal and messy. I’m grinning savagely at the thought.