Rick
When another wave crests over my scuba jet, I’m pulled back towards the island.
It’s my first attempt to return to the boat since arriving on Blackwater Rock and this fucking hellhole is determined to keep us captive.
The engine is at full throttle, but the boat’s signal, emitted through a series of beeps in my earpiece, isn’t getting any stronger. Nor am I.
I’m so close to saying to hell with it. If we can’t get back, we’ll find another way. Sheer will got me to the top of the cliff yesterday in the race to get to Katarina, and I’d happily climb it again. Every hour that Vasili and Grigor get to breathe is an hour wasted.
I do understand why Sasha doesn’t want her cover blown.
If we kill Vasili first and Grigor’s distracted by a power grab, she’ll have the perfect opportunity to dig up the last of Vasili’s secrets, and that’s going to include who told him about the Griffins’ escape plan.
It could have been Malachy, or else there’s a spy the Bratva planted amongst us.
Until I know who I can trust, I’ll continue living as a ghost and my family will go on grieving.
While I’m choking down sea water and guilt, Katarina’s scuba jet is pushing ahead. It’s too dark to see her clearly, but I’ve been tracking where the waves break around her. She’s winning, and I’ll be damned if she leaves me behind.
Kicking my legs furiously, I take a gulp of air and lower my head, spearing the next wave, and the next. When I look up, I catch the whites of Katarina’s eyes as she seeks me out. The pull of the island is weakening as I come alongside her.
Strands of her short hair whip across her face. “Lead the way, zhizn moya!” My life.
“I’d rather we stay close,” I reply, reaching out a hand.
“Sweet, but no,” she says, ignoring the gesture. “We’ll be faster if I follow in your wake.” Knowing I’m about to refuse, she adds. “You’re not going to lose me again and I’m not going to lose you. The fates can’t be that cruel. Now, do as you’re told and get me out of this goddamn ocean.”
“Fine, but I’ll be watching you,” I mutter, giving her a warning look as I pull ahead.
“You’re not allowed to look back, not once. Concentrate on getting us to the boat,” she argues. “Consider it a test of faith.”
That fucking woman.
Reluctantly, I do as I’m told. Katarina is a force of nature and the entire Pacific Ocean can’t keep us apart. I refocus on finding the boat, relaxing that little bit more when the intermittent beeps in my ear increase in frequency.
Dawn is a few hours away, but we have an ever-narrowing window of opportunity to take down Vasili.
He won’t hang around for the outcome of the search.
The safety of the island has been compromised, and he doesn’t know who did it or if there’ll be a second attack.
We need to make contact with Sasha to find out the helicopter’s exact flight path so we can be within range to bring it down.
When I see the dark silhouette of the fishing boat against the sapphire horizon, I break Katarina’s rule and check behind me. She’s there, and despite my aching muscles, warmth floods my body and eases my soul. I did it. I got her back.
The fifty-foot wooden vessel is old but sturdy.
It’s a regular in these waters and its presence hasn’t raised suspicion so far.
The wheelhouse is towards the aft and a dim light shines within, outlining Niko at the helm.
He’s in his early thirties and clearly doesn’t need much sleep because as soon as I’m close enough to whistle, he’s there to help us aboard.
Niko’s been good company during this mission. He can talk almost as much as I can, but when he sees Katarina in her wet suit, his jaw falls open and he’s struck dumb.
“You’re staring,” Katarina says, then tips her head to me. “He won’t like it.”
“He doesn’t,” I confirm as I come to stand behind Katarina and wrap an arm around her waist. “And as much as I like you, Niko. I’ll not think twice about plucking your eyes out if you don’t stop looking at my woman.”
Niko blinks a few times, and it’s like he’s switching his brain off and on again to restart it. It must work because he spins on his heels and grabs a couple of towels from a basket. His head is bowed and his gaze averted when he hands them to us.
“I… I’ve taken some messages from your contacts,” he stumbles. “Echo-Five-One-Five wants proof of life.”
I won’t use Sasha’s name in front of Niko, but I motion with my eyes in the direction of the island so Katarina knows who’s been worrying about her.
“And Oscar-Golf-Romeo-Eight-One is insisting you to update them before you…” Niko clears his throat. “Make up for lost time.”
“Someone’s calling themselves Oh Great One?” Katarina rolls her eyes. “No need to explain who.” Only Mace Griffin would take the opportunity to massage his ego in the middle of a fraught rescue mission.
“Do you need me to do anything else?” Niko asks. “I could make you some food.”
I use my towel to dry Katarina’s hair and she moans softly. There isn’t time to give her the attention she deserves, but to hell with it. We’ve held back long enough and the Griffins can wait.
“I just need you to leave,” I tell our helpful fisherman.
Niko has a dinghy ready to take him to his uncle’s boat, which is anchored close by. Once he’s in, I untie the rope.
“Thanks for all your help,” I say, waving him off. “And I’ll get the boat back to you in one piece, I promise.”
“Good luck, Rick. And…” Niko waits until he’s some distance away before he adds, “I understand now why you would die for her.”
“Rick?” Katarina asks. “Is that his pet name for you?”
“It’s my new identity. I needed a less Irish name, but it’s a nod to my roots,” I say as I run my fingers through my short hair.
Katarina’s eyes sparkle in the pink tinge of dawn. “Rick, as in Patrick?” she asks, emphasizing the second syllable. “You named yourself after your wig?”
“In memoriam,” I clarify, snaking my arms around her and following the ridges of her spine to the top of her zipper. “Sadly, Patrick was a casualty from your birthday party. Some idiot threw the wig away as part of the clean-up.” I pull on her zipper.
“What are you doing?”
“Making up for lost time. There’s a bunk down in the cabin and we’re used to enclosed spaces.”
Katarina presses a hand to my chest. “As much as it pains me to agree with Mace, you need to let everyone know we’re alive. Sasha needs to know.”
“Sasha already knows you made it out of the ocean,” I try. I’ve been avoiding this particular confession.
Katarina arches an eyebrow. “How? You haven’t contacted her. You said you couldn’t.”
“Yeah, but…” I shift from one foot to the other. “There was a tracker in your egg vibrator.”
“That’s why Sasha gave me back your gifts. She planted one in case we got separated again,” she says, pleased she’s found an answer to another question. Until she sees me wince. “What?”
“The tracker was already in it,” I say quickly.
Katarina’s eyes flare along with her temper. “You were going to track me down when I went into hiding.”
“I was keeping our options open, Kitty. That’s all.”
She growls under her breath. “I’ve only just got you back and I already want to kill you.”
I wink at her. “No, you don’t.”
“No, I don’t,” she admits reluctantly, “but I’m definitely not going to let you fuck me now. Not yet. We don’t have time.”
She’s right. She’s always right.
Inside the wheelhouse, there’s a VHS radio and Niko’s sonar equipment, but I’ve brought along my own kit, including a laptop to send encrypted messages. I contact the Griffins first, if only because the message is a brief one. We’re preparing for the next stage of the plan.
Katarina takes over when we make contact with Sasha.
Her sestra’s spent the night on active duty for the Bratva, using drones and scanners to search for Vasili’s missing niece and the unidentified invader.
She’s also attempting to trace the movements of all known enemies including the McConkeys and the Griffins.
Or at least that’s what Vasili and Grigor think she’s been doing.
Grigor is leading the search at first light. Vasili plans to head back to Siberia, but he has a breakfast meeting with Eric first. They all want to kill each other.
“Not if I get to them first,” I say, reading Sasha’s message over Katarina’s shoulder as she types out her reply.
We’ll be ready when Vasili leaves. Send through the flight plan as soon as you can.
The conversation between the pair is concise. Their training doesn’t allow room for sentimentality during an active mission. It’s something my brothers and I can only aspire to. Annoying and insulting each other comes naturally, no matter what the circumstances.
“I want to see what weapons you have,” Katarina says.
My widening grin makes her lower her gaze to the contours of my thickening cock.
“You can keep that weapon holstered, we have too much to do. If Vasili’s returning to Siberia, it’s safe to assume he’ll head roughly north west when he leaves the island.
We should get in position for when Sasha confirms his route.
I’ve been waiting for an opportunity like this my whole life. We can’t fail.”
When I rest my hand on her hip, she places hers over mine and her brow furrows. She thinks she has to push me away again. She doesn’t.
“I hear you,” I say. “We’re not going to fuck this up, Kitty, and we’re not going to fuck until Vasili gets eviscerated in a fireball.
We’ve got the rest of our lives to do unspeakable things to each other.
I can wait.” I lean in and kiss her nose.
“Now, let me show you my big as fuck missile launcher.”