Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
“Where have you been?” That quickly, Svetlana switched from worried to peeved. She leapt from the bed and glared at her brother, hands on her hips. Idris wisely stayed out of the sibling spat.
“Finding out everything I could. It took longer than expected.” Yuri eyed his sister. “Your hair is a mess. Did you not find the brush I bought you?”
Her lips pursed. “Don’t change the subject. I was worried.”
“Sorry.” A flippant apology. “But you’ll be happy with my news. I know where the doctor is.”
“Really? Where?” Idris exclaimed. He’d not expected to find out so quickly.
“The same hotel as those KGB agents.”
“Fuck off. He was there the entire time?” Idris wanted to slap himself for being so close and not realizing it.
“Yes. It’s also where they’re interviewing those claiming they have tips on the bears they’re seeking.”
“We saw them on the news,” Svetlana murmured. “So many greedy liars.”
“Agreed, but in good news, they’re keeping the doctor and the KGB busy.”
“I’m surprised they’re meeting with them at the hotel. You’d think it would be closed for their investigation,” Idris remarked. In Canada, it would have been days before it reopened.
“They’re still processing the crime scene. The KGB are swarming all over.”
“And you know that how?” Svetlana’s stern question.
“Because the café I chose was right across from it.”
“What?” Svetlana exploded. “What were you thinking, returning there?”
“Bah. It’s not like they’d recognize me in flesh and clothes.”
“How did you get there? You left the car keys behind.” Idris had noticed them on the dresser where Yuri dropped them.
“Walked. We’re actually not far from the hotel.”
“Should we relocate?” Svetlana suddenly chewed her lower lip. “I don’t like being that close to all those agents.”
“We should be fine here for now.”
“You can’t know that for sure,” she argued.
“Despite all the supposed tips they’ve received, the KGB have no idea where we are, and with your new bird’s-nest hairdo, you look nothing like the picture they’ve been posting.”
“You sound awfully sure.”
“I might have eavesdropped while I was having my coffees and pastries.”
Svetlana’s gaze narrowed. “Eavesdropped on who?”
A good question, although Idris also wondered if Yuri brought back any of the coffee and pastries. His tummy had a rumble.
“The KGB and police. They kept popping in and out for refreshment.”
Before Svetlana could throttle her brother, Idris cleared his throat.
“What else did you hear?” Because while his sister might be peeved at Yuri placing himself in a vulnerable and dangerous situation, Idris appreciated the fact Yuri had succeeded in getting some intel.
It drove him a little crazy to be cooped up in a room instead of acting.
“The KGB are obviously eager to find Svetlana and punish her while, at the same time, being impressed you trained two savage bears to defend you.”
“Might be one before the days ends,” was her ominous promise.
Yuri ignored her and kept talking. “There is some good news. Those investigating are split on whether or not you killed Ivan. Apparently, he owed a great deal of money due to gambling. It’s thought he might have been killed for not paying his debt.”
“How is this good news?” his scowling sister asked.
“One less murder you’re being accused of.”
“One less won’t make me any less arrested or dead. They still think I sicced the bears on the others.” Svetlana flopped onto the bed and threw an arm over her face.
“And set fire to Boris’ house after killing him,” Yuri added.
“Not helpful.”
“Anything else of interest?” Idris asked.
“I did find out the doctor is staying on the fifth floor.”
“Which is less than ideal.”
“I thought you wanted to know where to find him,” Yuri exclaimed.
“I do, but Levy’s current location is shit. You said it yourself. Cops and KGB are swarming the place, which means there’s no way for me to get inside without getting caught.”
Yuri’s lips turned down. “I guess it might be a tad difficult.”
“Tad?” Svetlana snorted. “Try impossible.”
“While he’s holed up in the hotel, yes, but Levy will eventually leave,” Idris interjected.
“And how will you know when he departs? It’s not as if you can camp outside and wait,” Svetlana huffed.
A valid point. “There must be a way to draw Levy out.”
“Why not dash into the hotel lobby as a bear and see if he’ll follow?” Svetlana snapped.
“Maybe as a last resort, but I’d rather avoid getting shot.”
“He wants you alive,” she reminded.
“Levy does, but throw a big bad bear in front of people with guns and well… it’s easier to apologize after.”
“We have time to make a plan since he won’t be leaving today. Probably not tomorrow either.” Yuri flopped onto the bed, bouncing his sister, before tucking his hands behind his head.
“You can’t know that for sure.” Idris crossed his arms, lest he drag Yuri from the bed so he could steal the spot beside Svetlana.
“Lots of people are claiming to have tips. It will take the doctor more than a day to get through them all.”
“I doubt Levy will be the one questioning. And knowing that prick, he’s probably keen to get back to his lab.” Idris hated the man but had to admit he worked damned hard.
“You think he’d depart without the bears he’s so keen on?” Yuri countered.
Idris’ lips pinched. “Probably not. Guess it depends on how frustrated he gets.”
“It is probably safe to assume we have two, maybe three days before the doctor realizes he’s getting nothing of value.”
“That’s making the assumption there’s no other bear shifters in town,” Idris pointed out. “Maybe someone will turn a neighbor, friend, or family member in for the money.”
“Another? I am unique.” Yuri frowned at him. “Or, so I used to think. Let’s say another exists. If they’re handed over, then that leaves us in the clear,” Yuri riposted.
“Not me. They’ll still want me for murder,” she grumbled.
“Maybe they’ll forget about you if the doctor drags some bears back to his lair.”
“You really think that?” she retorted.
“Hey, at least I’m coming up with ideas,” Yuri huffed.
“Bad ones,” Idris commented. “For one, Svetlana is right, bears or not, she’s still in trouble.
And secondly, Levy scurrying back to his secret lab isn’t ideal since we don’t know where it is, not to mention it will be well guarded making it harder for me to take him out.
” Unacceptable. Levy had to die, and not just for revenge, but to stop his vile experiments.
Idris hated him even more than the general.
The doctor was the brains behind the project.
Get rid of him and maybe, just maybe, it would all fall apart.
“I thought you wanted him to return to his lair so that you could destroy it and put an end to his evil once and for all.” Yuri uttered a chuckle that had Svetlana rolling her eyes.
“And how am I supposed to follow him? As Svetlana mentioned, we can’t exactly park outside the hotel for a few days waiting for that to happen.”
“No need for that. I have an inside source,” Yuri stated with a smug smile, which narrowed Svetlana’s gaze.
“What do you mean? What did you do?”
“Me?” Yuri blinked and didn’t manage to look innocent one bit. His next smile held a hint of naughty. “I might have accidentally met a lovely female KGB agent by the name of Olga.”
“What?” Svetlana wasn’t the only one to squeak. She did harangue, though. “Are you trying to get arrested?”
“Bah, she had no idea who I was. Why would she? She’s looking for you, Idris, and two bears.
Anyhow, there I was, minding my business, doing my research on the internet, when she came into the pastry shop for a bite.
Recognizing the uniform, I struck up a conversation and asked her if she was in town because of that horrible massacre by the bears. We got to talking about it—”
Svetlana interrupted. “You idiot. You interrogated a KGB agent?”
“We had a conversation,” Yuri corrected. “I told her I was interested in the case because I’d been to the bar and seen the show by that wicked killer Svetlana and her bear. As a good citizen, I wanted to do everything I could to help them be captured.”
A reply that led to Svetlana groaning and once more throwing her arm over her face.
“Olga bought your story?” Idris didn’t hide his skepticism.
“You forget, acting is what I do. I was most helpful, telling her details about Svetlana like her blue eyes and her height of five foot nine.”
“Her eyes are brown,” Idris murmured, and she was several inches shorter.
“Are they?” Yuri mocked. “I would know, having sat in the front row. Anyhow we got to talking about the doctor and his search. She was surprised the higher-ups in the KGB insisted they work with him, seeing as how he’s not Russian.”
“Money buys connections,” Idris murmured.
“I asked Olga how long she’d be in town, as I wanted to take her to dinner, and she said it would depend on the doctor. In a stroke of luck, she is part of his personal detail.”
“So when he gets ready to leave, so will she. But how can you be sure she’ll tell you?” Idris asked.
“Oh, she will after tonight’s dinner, and dessert.” Yuri winked and smiled. “Speaking of which, I should be showering and shaving so I look and smell my best.”
“Shaving what?” Idris envied the fellow’s smooth cheeks. He had a half-inch stubble from two days of not being able to find a razor.
“I believe the North American the term is manscaping. Try to not knock for the next few minutes, as I’d hate to nick anything crucial for tonight’s seduction.” Yuri headed into the bathroom while Svetlana gagged.
“I cannot believe my brother is whoring himself for this,” she groaned.
“He doesn’t seem too upset by it.” Idris heard singing over the sound of running water.
“She must be attractive.”
“Is it safe, though?” Idris questioned. “Dinner might be a ruse to get him somewhere she can have her KGB buddies ambush.”
The theory had Svetlana sitting straight with a frown. “They don’t know what he looks like.”