Chapter Thirty
AXEL
It was pouring rain, and I was driving one of our vans. Beside me sat Maksim, and crowded in the back seat were Anton, Oleg and our two security guards. Their dogs were in their crates in the back.
I had sent them all texts the night before, instructing them to pack, bring all their paperwork and meet me at the docks early this morning. Without telling them where they were going, I loaded everyone into the van and then asked them for their phones and all their weapons.
No one questioned me. No one asked me where we were going or what I was doing with them. These were men who had worked under me for months, and they trusted me implicitly. They didn’t even exchange looks. They simply complied and got into the van with me.
I drove in silence until we pulled up in front of the Vancouver International Airport. I parked in the waiting zone and then turned off the engine.
I turned to speak to them. “You are all good men who, like the rest of us, made some bad choices along the way.”
“Boss?” Maksim said quietly beside me.
“Grisha’s house is falling soon. It’s been under the investigation of both the Canadian and Russian governments, and they are dismantling the entire thing, making arrests and seizing all assets in the next few days.”
They all exchanged shocked looks.
I handed them each a plane ticket and enough cash to keep them going for six months.
“I was responsible for providing records to the Canadian government of everything that happened. I made sure there was no record of any of you working for Grisha. As far as both governments are concerned, they have little to no proof that you ever worked for him. I’d advise you all to get on your flight and disappear once you get home. ”
No one spoke, but no one got out of the van either.
Maksim finally found his voice. “Are you a cop?”
Our eyes met.
I took a deep breath and spoke the truth. “Yes. I’ve been undercover for more than three years.”
Damn. It felt good to finally say that out loud.
“And you’re protecting us?”
How could I explain how complicated all of this had become for me?
I had watched them work tirelessly to protect Mila from real danger, and they had never used their power or weapons to harm others.
They weren’t bad men, and they didn’t deserve the same fate as Grisha and Sergei.
Did that mean they deserved complete freedom?
Maybe not, but that was the choice I’d made for them.
It didn’t all make sense in my mind, so I was pretty sure it would never make sense to them either.
I had started my journey as a cop, believing that I was doing noble work and that the world was painted in black and white.
But over time I had seen the shades of gray.
It wasn’t my place to judge, but I didn’t think the world would benefit by throwing any of these men behind bars.
They weren’t looking to harm this world.
They had simply been looking for a way to make money.
“There are good and bad men on both sides,” I said finally.
Maksim offered me his hand. While I shook hands with him, he looked me square in the eyes and said, “You’re one of the good ones.”
I shook my head. “Not so sure about that.”
Oleg spoke from the back seat. “What about Mila?”
“She’s been given immunity, and she’ll be protected.”
Anton found his voice. “Does she know you’re a cop?”
Shame washed over me. I had deceived her as much as I had these men. “You should go catch your flights.”
Yuri: Call me immediately
I put my phone in my pocket. Ever since Yuri had landed in Canada, things had been escalating. It was only a matter of time before we started a raid that would end up in dozens of arrests and the seizure of illegal goods worth millions.
I watched in silence as they unloaded their bags and the dogs from the van.
I wasn’t surprised when Oleg and Anton stopped in front of me. “Can you tell Mila goodbye for us?”
I nodded solemnly. “I will.”
“Take care of her.”
“I will.” My promise sounded hollow. I wasn’t sure she’d want anything to do with me once she found out the truth about our marriage.
“Tell her I would’ve said goodbye if I had known.”
“She’ll understand.”
And then they picked up their bags and disappeared into the airport.
It was nearing 8 a.m., and I was heading to the docks. I wasn’t sure how I would explain to anyone why five of my men had gone missing, but I was prepared to pretend I had no idea.
Yuri called. “Where are you?”
“On my way to the docks, why?”
“We have a situation that’s spiraling out of control.”
I shook my head. “I don’t want to hear that before I’ve had my morning coffee, Yuri.”
“Sergei had a conflict with Richard, but we aren’t sure how or why.”
“Richard, as in Giselle’s handler? What does that mean?”
“I’m not sure of the details, but Sergei almost beat him to death. Richard was found in the parking lot outside his hotel here in Vancouver.”
“How do we know it was Sergei?”
“Because he beat him up in front of a security camera and then gave the camera the finger.”
Unfortunately, that sounded exactly like something Sergei would do. “Where’s Richard now?”
“He’s in the ICU at Vancouver General, and it doesn’t look good.” I was still trying to process this when he continued speaking. “Richard’s boss, Daniel, just ordered the raid on Grisha.”
None of this was making sense. “Right now? Why has no one consulted me?”
“Daniel’s pissed, and he doesn’t care about protocol. The raid is happening as we speak, which is why I need you to meet us at the docks.”
I hit the gas and flew through a yellow light. “I’m about ten minutes out. Have they started?”
“They started at your house.”
It took me a moment to understand what he meant. “My house?”
“Yes. Grisha and his wife were there, so that’s where they started.”
Mila. “What about my wife?”
“She was caught up in the raid.”
I couldn’t imagine her terror. I needed to get there and make sure they didn’t arrest or book her. I looked over my shoulder to change lanes and turn the van around. “I’m heading there now.”
“We need you at the docks.”
“And I need to get to my wife.”
The line buzzed between us. Then he admitted his lie. “Mila’s already been arrested. Along with her aunt and uncle.”
“She has immunity.”
“And we all know that, and they’ll sort that out when they process her.”
“What’s the address where they took her?”
“Axel,” he cut in, “we don’t have time for that. You need to come to the docks immediately.”
I needed to make sure Mila was okay. “First I need to help my wife.”
Yuri’s calm voice annoyed me. “Listen, even if you show up at the precinct with the best lawyer, she’s going to be caught in processing along with dozens of other arrests.
You know that no one will have access to her for hours.
And as soon as they know she has immunity, all charges will be dropped and she’ll be released.
But in the meantime, we need you here, because the raid is going down right now. ”
I hated that he was right. “Why is this all happening without my knowledge?”
“I told you. Daniel went off the rails. I’m just finding out about this myself.”
“I’m on my way.”
He paused. “Just so you know, the Canadians are on a warpath here. Richard was well regarded, and they’re angry that Sergei damn near killed him and no one can get ahold of Giselle either.”
Six hours later, Yuri and I were still dealing with chaos at the docks.
I was in one of the boardrooms while agents paraded through, carrying box after box of files, stopping in front of me so I could explain to them the relevance of the evidence.
Dozens of men had been arrested and I heard, through the noise and confusion, that major players from the two Bratva families in both Russia and Vancouver were among them.
I had been in the boardroom for hours, but finally I had the chance to ask Daniel, “Any news about my wife, Mila? She has full immunity.”
Richard’s boss took pity on me. “Mila’s still in holding. They haven’t processed her yet, but her immunity is on her file and, once they get to her, they’ll release her without incident.”
“Can you let me know when that happens? I’d like to go get her.”
A police officer approached, interrupting us. “Sergei’s apartment was empty.”
“Have you made contact with Giselle yet?”
“Not yet. She hasn’t returned to her apartment, and her phone has been off since this morning.”
Daniel looked concerned. “This isn’t like her at all.”
My heart thudded heavily. “Sergei hasn’t been arrested yet?”
Yuri avoided my gaze. “He slipped away without us noticing. He’s one of the only men we haven’t arrested.”
“Where was he when you started the raid?”
Daniel spoke. “We thought he was in the warehouse when we started the raid.”
“He’s probably trying to get back to Russia,” Yuri said without conviction. “We’re keeping a close eye on the airports.”
These two men had no idea who they were dealing with. Not a clue. I looked around. Phones were ringing, files were stacked and agents everywhere looked busy and focused as they dismantled everything around us. “You need to find him.”
I felt a sudden relief that Mila was locked up, because at least in jail she was safe from him. “I need to get to Mila.”
Daniel scowled at me. “First we take care of everything happening here.”
A different cop approached him. “Someone called from the station, and they saw Giselle.”
“Where is she?” he asked.
The cop looked at his notes. “She was just at the police station. She removed one of the detainees and left.”
Daniel sounded confused. “What the hell is she doing? Why hasn’t she checked in with us or turned on her phone?”
“Which detainee?” I asked, dreading the answer.
The cop looked down at his notes again.
Yuri interrupted him. “When was this?”
“About fifteen minutes ago.”
“Did she say where she was going?”
The cop looked up. “No.”
My voice was sharp. “Which detainee did she take?”