Chapter 27
“She will be in good hands.”
Cullen nodded at Sergei’s comment. But they aren’t mine.
“Lev will not allow anything to happen to her.”
Unlike Cullen. He rubbed his cheek, feeling the scrape of whiskers. “Are you sure you can get Yuri to meet with you?”
“Da.”
Cullen tugged on the new shirt, grateful that it buttoned up the front. Even his jeans were new. His boots and weapons waited for him off to the side.
Sergei blew out a breath and set down the cell phone on the bed. “It is unlike Yuri not to answer.”
“You’ve a new number,” Lev reminded him.
Sergei waved away his words. “Yuri should still answer.”
After he’d finished dressing, Cullen straightened, clenching his teeth as his side pulled. “Do you have another way of getting in touch with Markovic?”
“He will answer,” Sergei responded and dialed again.
Cullen walked to Lev. “How well do you know Markovic?”
“Not very. Why?”
“I don’t know. I feel like something is off.”
Lev snorted. “You mean other than a secret organization that we know spans at least two countries being after you?”
“Yeah.” It was more than that. Much more. Though Cullen was hesitant to share everything.
Lev had helped them, but that didn’t mean Cullen trusted the man. With just a word or look from Sergei, Lev would slit their throats in a second.
He felt Lev’s cold blue eyes on him. Cullen turned his head and met the Brigadier’s stare. For long moments, the two remained that way.
Finally, Lev asked, “What aren’t you telling us?”
“As much as you aren’t telling me.”
Lev’s grin was fleeting. “The Saints are killing without hesitation for the bioweapon. Why?”
“That’s something I’d also like answered.”
“To go to so much trouble and expense in killing and kidnapping for it . . .” Lev said, his gaze lowering to the floor as a thoughtful look filled his face.
Cullen watched him carefully. Lev might have gone to medical school and was now a killer for Sergei, but he thought and reacted much like any highly trained man in the military.
“The key is the bioweapon,” Lev said suddenly. His gaze snapped to Cullen.
“I believe so.”
Both looked to Sergei when he threw his cell phone on the bed and turned away angrily, muttering under his breath in Russian. That wasn’t a good sign. If they couldn’t find Yuri, they were back to square one.
The sound of a throat clearing behind him had Cullen turning around. There, he found Mia in the doorway, holding out a folded piece of a newspaper. “What’s that?”
“Read,” she told him.
He took the paper, his gaze going to the picture of Yuri Markovic along with several other Russian and American military personnel walking into the Pentagon.
“He’s in Virginia,” she said.
Cullen handed the paper to Lev, who looked at it before passing it to Sergei. “It makes sense. If Markovic is here on official business, that will put him in the Virginia/DC area.”
“With Dover only a two-hour car ride away.”
“My dad isn’t being held in Dover.”
Mia smiled. “Orrin is in Virginia.”
“Then you no longer have need of Sergei,” Lev declared.
Cullen realized what the Brigadier was doing, and it was the same move he’d make in Lev’s position. By the look on Mia’s and Sergei’s face, it wasn’t going to be that easy.
“I need to find Yuri for them,” Sergei said.
Lev patiently said, “You’ve put yourself in too much danger as it is.”
Mia started to speak when Cullen put his hand on her arm. He leaned close and said, “Lev’s right. The Saints are after us. We don’t want them to turn their sights on Sergei.”
“Yes. Of course,” she mumbled.
Cullen wanted Sergei’s help, as well, but he couldn’t, in good conscience, endanger someone else’s life to ease his own. “We’ll find Yuri.”
Lev unfolded the paper, but paused, his face tightening.
“What is it?” Sergei asked him.
Cullen watched Lev closely. Whatever the man saw, it didn’t sit well with him. A moment later, Lev handed the paper to Sergei, his gaze meeting Cullen’s.
A deep frown furrowed Sergei’s brow. “Egor Dvorak’s body was found in the water not far from Virginia.”
Cullen read the paper over Mia’s shoulder after Sergei had handed it to her. Was it a coincidence that the Russian consulate was dead? He highly doubted it. A man like Dvorak would be a part of the Saints. Why then was he dead?
“The way he was put in the water says that his killers wanted him used for food,” Mia said as she tossed the paper to the bed.
“Dvorak wasn’t a good man. He got what was coming to him,” Lev stated.
“We’d better find Yuri before his body is used for bait, as well,” Cullen said.
Mia turned her dark gaze to him. She was so close he could smell the lavender and mint of her hair. Without thought, he wrapped an arm around her.
Until that moment, he hadn’t realized how much he’d ached to hold her again. It felt good to have her against him. It also felt . . . right.
She ducked her head and whispered, “You scared me.”
He put a finger under her chin and lifted her face. “I didn’t think anything frightened you,” he teased.
But she didn’t return his smile. “I couldn’t stop the bleeding.”
“You did everything right,” he said and enfolded her in his arms.
He closed his eyes for a second when she rested her head against his chest. When he looked up, both Sergei and Lev were watching them. Sergei gave a nod while Lev’s face remained as emotionless as ever.
Mia stepped back and out of his arms. “What do we do now?”
“Get to Virginia.” It was their only move. Returning to Dover was out of the question. “Hopefully, while there, we find Yuri or some trace of him.”
“We won’t stop until we have him.”
He smiled down at her. She never gave up. He wasn’t sure how she stayed so optimistic. “Exactly.”
She then turned to Sergei. “We can’t thank you enough for everything, but Lev is right. You’ve done enough. People depend on you. You need to be there for them.”
“I’ve saved you only so you can fight another day,” Sergei said, a hint of sadness in his voice.
“I’ve learned from the mistakes of my past. I know my limits. All too well,” she added.
Cullen walked to Sergei and held out his hand. When the Russian clasped his palm, he gave a firm shake. “I owe you for all you’ve done.”
“You owe me nothing,” Sergei said. “Either of you. I did this because I wanted to.”
“Regardless, if you ever need anything, I’ll be there.”
Sergei’s smile was wide. “I’ll take you up on that offer, Cullen Loughman.”
Cullen released the Russian’s hand and briefly shook Lev’s. “We shouldn’t remain any longer. The sooner we get moving, the sooner we find the Saints.”
“Take this,” Lev said, tossing him something.
Cullen caught it, glancing at the set of keys in his palm.
“The windows are tinted, which will help keep you hidden,” said Lev. “Also inside, is a cell phone, still in the package.”
Mia said, “Thank you both.”
She began to turn away when Sergei called her name. Turning back to him, he waved her over. Cullen watched as the old Russian enveloped her in a brief hug before he walked past her and out the door.
Lev was right on his heels. In a matter of minutes, Cullen and Mia were alone.
He turned to see a shocked expression on her face. “I thought you knew how much Sergei cared about you.”
“Up until recently, I’ve been terrified of the man. I always thought he’d be the one to have me killed.”
“He’d be the one to save you.”
“I think you’re right. Why did he intentionally scare me all those years?”
“To keep you from making wrong decisions. And to keep you alive.”
She swallowed and looked around the room. “I owe him a lot.”
“We owe him a lot.”
“Yes.” She moved past him out of the room. “Let’s get on the road, Captain.”
It wasn’t long before they were in the silver Ford Escape, heading toward Virginia. While Mia got out the burner phone, he set a course.
He realized it had been days since he’d spoken to his brothers. No doubt both had attempted to call him. He should check in with them while he still could.
As if reading his mind, Mia held out the phone. “I saw you eyeing it.”
“I need to call my brothers.”
“Tell me the number, and I’ll dial.”
He gave her Owen’s cell. As soon as it began to ring, she handed it to him. Cullen put the phone to his ear. As it continued to ring, he began to worry that something had happened to his brothers, Cassie, or Natalie.
“Hello?” came the terse voice over the phone.
He smiled. “Damn, it’s good to hear your voice.”
“Cullen?”
“The one and only.”
Owen let out a loud whoop. Then he shouted, “Nat! Cullen’s on the phone.”
Cullen’s smile grew.
“Where have you been?” Owen asked.
He shook his head. “Everywhere it feels like. I have some information.”
“So do we.”
“You go first,” he said and put the phone on speaker so Mia could hear.
Owen blew out a loud breath. “First, Natalie and I made a trip to Baylor University a few days ago. She has a friend who helped us get Ragnarok analyzed.”
“What did you find out?”
“Hey, Cullen,” Natalie said. “We found nothing, really. Your brother got into a fight with three Russians, though.”
Cullen exchanged a look with Mia. “Sounds like him.”
“Don’t listen to her,” Owen said, a smile in his voice. “It had to be done. All the chemist was able to tell us was that there was a different marker in the weapon that he’d never seen before.”
“What does that mean?” Mia asked.
Natalie blew out a loud breath. “I’m no scientist, but I can tell you that based on his reaction, it isn’t good. An unknown marker could mean anything, and with Ragnarok, I’m guessing it’s something very bad.”
“What’s worse than what a normal bioweapon does?” Owen asked.
Cullen changed lanes. “My guess is that this is far from a normal weapon.”
“It doesn’t matter what it does. It needs to stay hidden,” Mia stated.
Natalie replied, “Oh, it will.”
“We also discovered who is running the Russians,” Owen said. “Egor Dvorak.”
Cullen and Mia exchanged a look. Then he asked, “And?”
Owen let out a snort. “We had a talk with him, and Nat got him to disclose some information.”
“First, the scientist who developed the bioweapon is named Konrad Jankovic. Dvorak said they were looking for him. We discovered that Jankovic has defected to the States. Oh, and in good news, Dvorak gave up that Orrin is in Virginia,” Natalie announced.
Cullen grinned as he sped up. “Good thing, because we’re headed there to have a chat with a Major General Yuri Markovic.”
“Looks like you got some information, as well,” Owen said.
“In a roundabout way. First, did you leave Dvorak alive?”
Owen blew out a loud breath. “Unfortunately. Why?”
“Because his body was found in the water off Virginia,” Mia said.
“Damn,” Owen murmured.
Cullen said, “Natalie, do you remember any mention of the Saints on that document that put out a hit on you.”
“I’ll never forget it. Why?” she asked.
“The Saints are a clandestine organization that we know encompasses both Russians and Americans. And possibly Colombians. The Saints are the ones doing all of this.”
There was a pause before Owen said, “Fuck me.”
“That was pretty much our reaction,” Mia added.
Cullen glanced at her. “It was General Davis at Dover who gave Mia the information. The Saints are well formed, with a very long reach.”
“You make it sound as if they’re after you,” Owen said, his voice dropping a level.
“They are. We’ve eluded them for now.”
“How injured are you?”
He didn’t question how his brother knew. “I’ll have a few more scars to add to the others.”
“Do we need to come to you?”
“No,” Mia said hurriedly. “These people are everywhere. All they want is to find one of you. It’s better for you guys to stay at the ranch.”
Natalie said, “Let us know if you need us.”
“You find out anything else?” Cullen asked them.
There was a pause before Owen said, “Natalie has agreed to be my wife.”
There was soft laughter in the background from Natalie. Cullen smiled, truly happy for his brother. It made him think of Mia. He glanced at her, but her face was turned away to look out the window.
“Congratulations,” Cullen said.
There was a smile in his brother’s voice when Owen said, “Thanks. Are you sure you’re all right?”
“For the moment, the Saints don’t know where we are. We’re using that to our advantage.”
“Make sure you stay safe. And Mia,” Owen said. “Watch out for him.
She met Cullen’s gaze. “I will.”