Chapter 20 – Niko #2
Lev freezes, the levity gone from his features, replaced with a sharp awareness. “Alright,” he says, voice serious. “I get it. I’ll get the records. You relax. Please. We’ll find her.”
I nod, the tension coiling in my chest, every second wasted feeling like a risk I can’t afford. The hunt has begun, and I won’t rest until I know she’s safe.
Lev sets his laptop down on the table and opens it with practiced ease. Rows of files, search histories, and financial records scroll across the screen like a digital maze. He steps back, letting me take over.
I ignore the trivial entries, focusing only on the period when Noelle’s mother was involved with the Rusnak Bratva—the minor, fleeting part of her life that had somehow snowballed into chaos. Every transaction, every note, every flagged document is meticulously examined.
Just as I suspected, the trail leads straight to Kirill. The arms deal gone wrong—the one that had collapsed spectacularly—was handled by him. Kirill had blamed Noelle’s mother for leaking critical intel to federal agents. She had vanished immediately afterward. No trace. No contact. Nothing.
I lean back slightly, the familiar heat of anger and frustration pressing in.
Kirill had been sitting on this for years, the ghost of Noelle’s mother hanging over him, and now the same cycle threatens to entangle Noelle.
My fingers tighten around the edge of the table.
Whoever thought they could touch her and get away with it was going to regret it.
This wasn’t just a thread of history—it was a live wire, and I was about to follow it straight to the source.
Lev curses under his breath. “You think…maybe this is Kirill’s way of getting revenge? That Anton was just a pawn in all of this?”
I don’t look at him immediately, eyes fixed on the trail of transactions and dates blinking across the screen.
My jaw tightens. “Anton’s asshole behavior, trying to frame Noelle—that was all real.
He wanted to hurt her on his own.” I pause, letting the weight of my words hang.
“But as soon as Kirill realized who Noelle really is…he sided with Anton. Made sure she’d pay for something that wasn’t even her fault. ”
Lev raises his eyebrows. “So…it’s all Kirill’s doing now?”
I finally turn to him, eyes cold and steady. “It’s the only thing that makes sense. Kirill always keeps score. And Noelle…she just became the most valuable score in his game.”
The room goes quiet, the gravity of it settling between us.
Lev leans back in his chair, fingers steepled. “My informants are saying the shipment—the one Anton wants to hijack—it’s heading to an abandoned shipping yard. Name’s Crestfall Dock. Not active for years. Perfect spot to stash something without drawing attention.”
I nod, the gears in my mind already turning. “Then that’s where we’re going. We need to scour the area before he even gets close.”
Lev grabs his jacket, and I pull the keys from my pocket. Without another word, we head out, the hum of the engine filling the tense silence as we drive toward Crestfall Dock.
The car grinds to a stop at the edge of the abandoned shipping yard.
Rusted containers lean against one another, graffiti streaking their metal sides.
Puddles of stagnant water reflect the overcast sky, and the smell of oil and rot hangs thick in the air.
Broken pallets, coils of rope, and scattered debris crunch underfoot as we step out.
I move ahead cautiously, eyes darting to every shadow. The ground is littered with shards of glass and twisted metal, remnants of something—or someone—discarded. The distant sound of a loose chain rattling in the wind makes my muscles tense.
Lev flanks me, scanning, his gun loose in his hand but ready. “This place is a fucking maze,” he mutters, taking a slow step forward, boots crunching on gravel and broken concrete.
I signal him to hold, crouching to inspect a trail in the mud—footprints. My pulse spikes, and then I see it: the shattered phone, cracked and half-buried against a rusty container. My chest tightens. I know, without a doubt, that she was here.
Lev’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “How the fuck…?”
I don’t answer yet. My eyes are fixed on the phone, on the proof that she’s been taken. The yard is quiet now, too quiet, the kind of silence that screams danger.
“What the fuck? How was she taken from your fortress?” Lev’s voice is sharp, incredulous.
I shake my head, running a hand over my face. “Impossible. No one could have breached the security…. She would have had to walk out on her own.” My jaw tightens, anger and disbelief coiling inside me.
Lev’s frown deepens. “What the hell would make Noelle walk out to meet them?”
I don’t answer. I can’t. My mind is racing, spinning through every possibility, every scenario.
My heart pounds against my ribs as the weight of it hits me—I’ve failed her, even for a moment, and now she’s somewhere else, vulnerable.
The fury and helplessness clash inside me, leaving me cold and raw.
I tuck the broken phone into my pocket and rise, keeping my gaze sweeping the yard as Lev mutters something about this being a bad idea and needing to leave.
We move fast, boots crunching over glass and metal debris, the chill wind whipping against our faces. Every step is tense, every shadow a potential threat, but I can’t stop thinking about her. Where is she?
My phone buzzes in my hand. Demyan. I answer immediately.
“Kiril’s been located,” he says, voice tight with the rush of news. “The bastard thought he was invisible. Didn’t bother to cover his tracks. We’ve got him.”
I swallow, fists tightening around the phone. Relief mixes with rage, but there’s no time for either.
We head back to the car, the broken phone burning in my pocket like a signal flare.
This ends tonight.