Chapter 19
Moldova, one week ago…
Andrei
I really should have listened to my gut the moment the plane touched down.
Not because of the location. Not because of the runway. Hell, not even because of the eerie quiet that settled over the airfield like it was waiting for something to happen.
It was because of the men waiting for us.
They didn’t look like freedom fighters. Revenant had painted this group as ‘independent operators seeking technological leverage.’ That was the sanitized version.
The real version stood in front of us now.
They wore mismatched tactical gear designed to look casual, but their movements were too synchronized, their eyes too bright, their expressions too eager for men who claimed political goals.
“Dragunov,” the tallest one said, stepping forward with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. It looked stretched, almost forced, like the muscles in his jaw were holding tension instead of expression. “We are honored to finally meet you.”
I gave him the polite nod I reserved for people I didn’t trust. “Revenant said you’d be expecting us.”
“We’ve been preparing for you,” he said, and the way he spoke the words sent a cold little warning shooting through my spine.
He turned to Katya next. His smile widened and I didn’t like the look of it. “And they sent her?”
Katya didn’t blink. She stood straighter, chin lifting with that quiet confidence I’d come to expect from her. “I go where I’m needed.”
“And where you’re wanted,” he said, eyes glinting with an unpleasant spark.
I wanted to punch him square in the face.
Her fingers twitched near the knife under her jacket. I brushed my hand along her lower back, not to stop her, but to keep myself from pulling her behind me. The last thing we needed was to escalate an already fragile situation.
“Let’s get to it,” I said. “We’re here for business.”
“Yes,” the tall man replied. “This way.”
They escorted us across the runway and into the compound. It wasn’t an escort the way a professional group would perform it. They walked too close, almost like they were used to corralling people, not welcoming them.
Honestly, it was really fucking weird.
The main building was a rectangular block of steel and reinforced glass. Inside, the lights were bright and cold. The walls were lined with maps, but not normal maps. They didn’t have any borders or any political lines. Just grids overlaying topography, each marked with colored clusters.
Katya came to an abrupt stop beside me. Her jaw tightened. “These aren’t military targets, are they?”
“No,” the tall man said, practically preening with pride. “Our first demonstration needs to be unforgettable.”
He led us to the largest map. Three clusters were highlighted in bright red. “These zones,” he said, “will show everyone what we are capable of.”
Katya’s voice was flat. “What do you mean by zones?”
The man beside him stepped forward eagerly. “High-population clusters. High impact. Maximum visibility.”
She inhaled slowly through her nose. “Visibility for what?”
“For our message.” The tall man apparently thought he was clarifying things. “When people see, people understand. Fear is the clearest language.”
“Revenant didn’t mention any demonstrations,” I said.
The tall man shrugged. “Revenant gives us tools; we decide how to use them. They trust us.”
Katya shot me a look that carried the weight of everything she wasn’t saying. They hadn’t wanted her here because they knew she would see this for what it was.
These weren’t freedom fighters.
This was a terrorist group.
One of the men stepped closer to Katya without permission, eyes bright with fascination. “And you,” he declared with apparent pride, “will witness history.”
She didn’t move. “If I witness anything, it won’t be what you’re thinking.”
I stepped in front of her just slightly, blocking his line of sight. “Let’s get this meeting underway,” I interrupted. “We have a schedule to keep.”
“Yes,” the tall man said, smiling again. “Upstairs. Our leadership is waiting.”
As we followed them deeper into the compound, Katya brushed my arm lightly and whispered, “This is worse than I thought.”
“I know.”
“They’re planning mass casualties.”
“I know.”
“And Revenant knows they’re planning mass casualties.”
“I know that too.”
At the top of the stairs, the tall man stopped in front of a steel door. His smile stretched wider, manic around the edges. “Your partners are waiting inside,” he said.
Partners. As if the Dragunovs would partner with this madness. As if Revenant hadn’t set us up to walk directly into a nest of weaponized zealots.
Katya leaned close again, her voice barely audible. “We’re not leaving until we understand exactly what Revenant has dragged us into.”
I glanced at her. She held my stare, fierce and determined, fire glinting in her eyes.
“Agreed.”
The steel door screeched open, and the air that drifted out was colder than the hallway.
Inside, a long concrete table dominated the center of the space.
On it were maps, blueprints, and photos.
Scattered crates of equipment that didn’t look military issue but didn’t look homemade either were shoved against the walls.
At the head of the table stood the man who was apparently their leader.
He wasn’t tall, but his presence filled the room in a way that made my skin prickle.
He was mid-fifties, wiry frame, a short beard trimmed with obsessive neatness.
His eyes were the problem. Too bright. Too focused.
The kind of eyes that didn’t look at you so much as through you, like he was studying the bones under your skin.
He smiled when he saw us, an unsettling stretch that didn’t shift the rest of his face.
“Andrei Dragunov.” He said my name like an announcement. His voice was calm, but there was a vibration beneath it, a strange energy I didn’t like. “Welcome. My name is Bashir al-Khayran. I see that you’ve brought company.”
Katya didn’t flinch under his stare. “I’m here to observe,” she stated calmly.
He chuckled, a low, humorless sound. “Revenant sends us interesting observers these days. Pretty ones too.”
I stepped slightly in front of her, not enough to make it obvious, but enough to make it clear she wasn’t here alone. “We’re here to discuss logistics,” I said. “Revenant told me you had… plans.”
He glanced at the maps. “We do. Many plans. Big plans.” He tapped the table. “But strategizing without proper tools is inefficient. With your drones, we can move beyond imagination.”
Katya’s head tilted just slightly. “Move beyond in what way?” she asked.
“That depends on some definitions,” Bashir replied. “Our actions are meant to have impact.”
“What exactly do you intend to do?” she asked.
He walked around the table, fingertips grazing a photo of an urban district. “You see this neighborhood? It’s overcrowded, neglected, has no respect for the law. It’s a perfect testing ground.”
My jaw tightened. “Testing ground for what?”
“For a demonstration,” he said simply.
Katya met my eyes for a split second. Her expression didn’t shift, but I knew exactly what was happening behind her composed exterior. She was piecing together details faster than any computer system Revenant had ever built.
This group wasn’t just violent. They were organized, coordinated, and empowered. And they absolutely did not care who died as long as someone noticed.
“When can we expect the drones?” he asked, turning back to me with a too-sudden brightness. “Revenant promised the new models would arrive within the week.”
“The delivery timeline is still being finalized,” I said. “Our supplier is finishing upgrades on the new batch.”
He frowned slightly. “Revenant told us they were ready.”
“Revenant isn’t the one flying them into a conflict zone,” I countered. “My people are. We need to ensure the shipment is stable, secure, and cleared for transfer.”
He studied me for a beat too long. His eyes flicked to Katya again, lingering there.
He walked closer to the two us until he was near enough so that I could reach out and touch him. “You speak like someone with… concerns.”
“I speak like someone who doesn’t want any complications,” I replied. “Complications cost money.”
“Money is irrelevant,” he retorted.
“That,” Katya interjected, “tends to be something only people funded by someone else say.”
Bashir’s smile widened. “We are funded by purpose.”
Katya’s voice cooled. “Purpose, or an agenda?”
I saw the flicker in his expression. It was there for less than a heartbeat, but I caught it. Irritation. Not at her question, but at the fact she’d asked the right one.
He turned away. “Revenant understands our vision. They believe in our work.”
That was a lie. Revenant didn’t believe in anything but making money.
He gestured again to the maps. “Once the drones arrive, we’ll begin phase one. After that, the world will see what we’re capable of.”
“And what is that?” Katya asked.
“Change,” he answered.
The word hung in the air like a threat.
Katya’s tone stayed calm. “You’re talking about mass casualties.”
He didn’t deny it.
“Casualties are statistics,” he responded indifferently. “Visibility is what matters. When people are afraid, they pay attention. And if the right people pay attention, we gain leverage.”
He straightened and directed his eyes toward me. “So. When can we expect the drones?”
Katya’s hand slid subtly toward mine. I didn’t take it, but I didn’t pull away either.
I kept my voice even. “Once our supplier confirms the final adjustments, we’ll coordinate the transfer. We’re not rushing quality.”
His eyes darkened. “We need them soon.”
“And you will get them,” I stated coolly. “We just need assurance the… project… won’t jeopardize the delivery.”
His smile returned, and he looked far too pleased with himself. “Everything will proceed perfectly. You’ll be proud of what we accomplish.”
Katya’s jaw clenched. “I doubt that.”