4. Theo
THEO
Theo finishes the shot, the clean burn settling warm in his chest, and sets the empty glass down with deliberate care.
He meets Nikolai’s eyes for a brief moment, then offers a small, apologetic smile.
“Excuse me a second,” Theo says. “I’ll be right back.”
Nikolai nods, already signaling the bartender for fresh drinks, and Theo slides off the stool.
He keeps his steps steady as he crosses the low-lit floor toward the narrow corridor that leads to the restrooms. The bathroom is quiet, all dark marble and soft lighting, empty for now.
Theo steps into the nearest cubicle, locks the door, and lets out a slow breath.
He can handle his drink—always has been able to ever since his military training—but this is not the night to test the edges.
A first meeting with the target... losing control is not an option.
Theo rests his palms on the cool partition for a moment, grounding himself, then reaches into the inner pocket of his small bag and draws out the burner phone.
The screen lights up with a single contact.
He types quickly...
THEO: Met the target. Location as agreed. Progress made. Will report back with more as and when appropriate.
The reply arrives almost at once.
TRACKER: Good. Now ingratiate yourself. This is only the first meeting of many. You follow my plays.
Theo’s thumbs move without hesitation. In a fit of pique, he lets his fingers do the talking…
THEO: I’m a professional. I know how to do this. You came to me, so you obviously know I get results. I’ll work my way in. Once the target is on board, you can give me instruction on what you need me to extract. Until then, I’m running this.
Theo powers the phone down, slides it back into the hidden pocket, and unlocks the cubicle door.
At the sink he runs cold water over his wrists, then lifts his gaze to the mirror.
A sly smile curves Theo’s mouth…
Giving Nikolai his real name had been a calculated risk. But Tracker already knew it, and if his identity is public knowledge in certain circles, there is no point pretending otherwise tonight.
Once this job is finished he will simply become someone else again.
He always does. Theo is just a name. It might be his real name, but that doesn’t mean it always has to be. And with the money on the table with this job, Theo knows that sooner rather than later he can be anyone he damn well chooses to be.
Theo dries his hands, smooths a loose strand of hair, and steps back out into the corridor.
The bar’s low murmur returns as he walks toward the stools. Nikolai is still there, two fresh shots waiting. He looks up as he approaches, and he takes the seat beside him again, closer this time.
“So, you didn’t take the chance to run out on me?” Theo teases, smiling.
“I did not,” Nikolai replies, seemingly warming to his hint of self-depreciating sass.
Nikolai talks while they drink. His voice is low, measured, the same quiet authority he heard when he first introduced himself.
Theo listens as Nikolai tells him about a dream—owning a small cabin upstate one day. Somewhere quiet. Trees. A lake. The kind of place a man could disappear to when the city becomes too loud.
It is a charming story, delivered with just enough wistfulness to sound sincere. Theo listens, tilting his head, offering soft nods at the right moments.
But inside, he smells the lie.
This man does not dream small.
The cut of his coat, the easy way he ordered the best vodka without glancing at the price, the controlled stillness in his posture—all of it points to money and power far beyond a modest lakeside retreat.
Theo can tell that Nikolai could buy a whole stretch of cabins if he wanted. Still, he plays along…
“That sounds perfect,” he says, letting a quiet warmth color his voice. “Just dreamy in fact. I’d love to go out on a boat with you and then come home to a cozy cabin. Just the two of us. No noise. No city.”
Something shifts in Nikolai’s expression: pleasure, approval, a flicker of interest that deepens the intensity in his eyes.
The response lands exactly as Theo intended. Yet even as he leans a fraction closer, Theo feels the darker undercurrent.
Nikolai is handsome, yes. Enigmatic in a way that draws rather than pushes. But there is far more to him than a solitary man in a quiet bar…
The weight of it sits behind every careful word Nikolai chooses, every measured glance.
Theo already suspected that was no ordinary corporate espionage job. He’s sure of that now. And the realization settles cold and clear beneath the residual heat of the vodka.
Whatever Tracker wants from Nikolai, the stakes are higher than photographs or account numbers. But that’s all part of the game. Theo knows he is being paid potentially life changing money for this job.
Whoever Nikolai really is, it doesn’t matter.
What Tracker wants, that matters little either.
For Theo, this is all about him. And with that in mind, he keeps his smile soft and his posture open, already adjusting the game in his mind…
A few drinks later the night has thinned around them. Theo and Nikolai stand just outside the bar, the cool air sharp against the residual warmth of the vodka.
Streetlights throw long shadows across the pavement. Theo watches the set of Nikolai’s shoulders, the way he keeps his hands loose at his sides, and tries to read the mood.
“Are you heading somewhere else?” Theo asks, keeping his tone light, curious rather than expectant.
“Only home,” Nikolai answers.
The two words land clean and final.
No opening.
No invitation.
Whatever interest Nikolai has shown inside stays firmly inside. Theo registers it at once.
This is not a man who can be steered easily. Control sits on Nikolai like a second skin. Theo adjusts without missing a beat…
“I’ll call a cab,” he says. “Go join some friends across town. The night’s still young for some of us.”
Nikolai glances toward the curb.
“My driver will take you. Then he’ll circle back for me.”
“It’s no trouble. I can grab an Uber.”
“He’ll take you. And you’ll give him your number too, so that he can pass it on to me.”
Nikolai’s insistence is quiet but absolute. Theo meets his eyes for a second, then simply nods.
Deferring costs nothing and keeps the door open for later, especially with Nikolai’s desire to get his phone number.
The black SUV glides to a stop almost on cue. Nikolai opens the rear door. Theo slides in, gives the driver an address for a well-known club several blocks away, and settles against the leather.
Nikolai closes the door with a solid thud, lifts one hand in a brief wave, and turns back toward the bar without looking over his shoulder.
The vehicle pulls away into the night, the engine quiet.
Theo’s mind races the moment the bar disappears behind them. The meeting had gone as planned on the surface: shots shared, conversation kept light, interest carefully fed.
But the man himself is denser, more guarded than the usual targets. Theo watches the city lights slide past the tinted glass and lets his thoughts drift backward.
MANY YEARS AGO:
Theo is ten years old, small enough that the window sill of the upstairs bedroom still feels high. In his hands he is clutching his stuffie, Maximus the blue cow.
“Grrrr, why are they back, Maximus?” Theo asks, arching his eyebrow.
Outside, the late-afternoon light is gold and hard. The farm isn’t exactly big in comparison to the other farms in the area. Theo’s grandfather is a humble man who wants to tend his land, protect what is his, and live life in the way that makes sense to him.
But not everyone feels the same way…
Three men in suits stand on the gravel drive, voices raised. Theo has seen these mem before, and knows that his grandfather doesn’t like them even one small bit. And because of that, Theo doesn’t like them either.
“Go on, sock ‘em!” Theo whispers to himself as he watches. “Tell those meanies to go away and never come back!”
Theo’s grandfather stands between them and the front porch, shotgun held easy but ready across his body.
Grandpa does not shout. He simply tells them, clear and steady, that the land is his and that the next step any of them takes will be the last.
“Come on old timer,” one man says. “We’ve already doubled our first offer. You can’t be serious. This could pay for a nice townhouse over on the new development.”
“I guess you didn’t hear me?”
And with that, Grandpa slowly raises his gun.
The developers hesitate, exchange glances, then scurry and climb back into their cars and leave without another word.
Theo stays at the window until the dust settles, heart hammering, already understanding that some men do not bend, no matter what they are faced with. Meanwhile others will run at the first sign of conflict.
Theo knows what kind of person he wants to be when he’s older and wastes no time in running down from his bedroom to give his darling Grandpa a richly deserved hug.
PRESENT DAY:
The memory settles warm and solid in Theo’s chest. His grandfather always stood on principle no matter how the odds were stacked against him. And as time wore on, those odds became worse and worse for his grandfather until one tragic day where…
“Fuck. Get a grip on yourself,” Theo mutters, pushing down the painful memory. “Grandpa fought until the end. He never backed down. That’s the real victory…”
And Theo carries that same refusal to fold, even when the game grows sharper than expected.
The SUV slows and stops outside the club.
Music thumps faintly through the walls. Theo thanks the driver, steps out onto the pavement, and waits until the vehicle pulls away and turns the corner…
Only then does Theo turn in the opposite direction and start walking toward his apartment.
Nikolai is no ordinary client.
The realization has already taken root, and Theo suspects that it’s only going to get deeper by the day.
Gaining Nikolai’s trust will require patience, precision, and a longer game than any previous job. But the payday will be worth it, especially if he plays every card exactly right.
And best of all, Nikolai won’t suspect a thing…