Spirit of the Towers

by Jamie A. Waters

  After a brief moment, Nikolai sighed and added, “Someone’s gunning for you, Sergei. I think Valentina’s right, and we can’t sit on this any longer. Until we get a handle on this situation, Alec is talking about imposing restrictions to prevent our people from accessing their towers. If that happens, the Coalition will be united in taking action against you and having you removed from command. We’ll need to act decisively to prevent this alliance from crumbling and you being made into a convenient scapegoat. You may not care what they think of you, but Valentina does and this is hurting her.”

  Sergei walked a distance away, making sure he was out of Dmitri’s earshot. In a quiet voice, he said, “See if you can get Alec to hold off temporarily. I can set up a relay here to mask the signal, and you can run a search through the database. It’ll appear as though it originated from here. I just need to get access to their computer system.”

  “Do it,” Nikolai ordered. “Once you have it set up, let me know so I can start running the analysis. I’ll speak with Alec and explain the situation. If he agrees to give us a bit more time, we’ll likely only have a day or two to get to the bottom of this. Either way, this is going to affect future negotiations with them. We can’t afford to ask their people for more favors without losing standing. Someone needs to be held responsible.”

  “We’ll take care of it,” Sergei promised and signed off the call. He walked back over to Valentina and handed her the commlink. Setting up a relay wouldn’t be all that difficult, but Dmitri’s presence was an unwelcome complication. They needed to avoid letting him know what was going on. Depending on how strongly Dmitri felt about Valentina, he might be inclined to use the information for his own means.

  Sergei glanced over at the dark-haired man, remembering the familiarity Dmitri had shown when touching her. It was his own fault for walking away from her for three years, but it was still tempting to “accidentally” snap the man’s neck. Dmitri crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Sergei with equal dislike.

  Sergei narrowed his eyes, but Valentina put her hand on his arm. With an amused smile, she shook her head. For whatever reason, she wanted Dmitri alive. Sergei sighed and said, “I need to see the camp layout map again.”

  She handed the tablet to him, and Sergei pulled up the image. He should be able to access their network from any terminal, but it would be better if he could use someone else’s credentials. Eyeing Dmitri again, he considered the possibility of using his credentials for about half a minute before Valentina narrowed her eyes at him. Too bad. It would have been a tidy solution.

  According to the information he’d learned from reviewing Marek’s commlink, Caz should have the necessary access he needed. Caz most likely wouldn’t have a need to use his credentials again once Yuri was finished with him. Sergei pulled out his commlink and sent a quick message to Yuri telling him what he needed. He glanced over at Valentina, uneasy at the thought of leaving her alone. Nikolai wouldn’t have issued a warning without reason.

  She frowned and took a step closer to him, searching his expression. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m going to need your help,” he said and walked over to Yuri’s speeder. He opened the side compartment and pulled out a hat for her. Without questioning him, she immediately pulled her hair back into a bun and placed the hat on her head. He reached up and tucked a few loose strands of her hair out of sight.

  “You can’t be serious,” Dmitri said, walking over to them. “If someone recognized her, a hat isn’t going to cut it. Whatever you need her for, it’s not worth it. Valentina should wait here where it’s safe. If you need help, I’ll go.”

  Valentina paused, a slight trace of temper in her eyes before softening her expression and turning back to Dmitri. Sergei bit back a smile. If there was one thing she hated, it was someone being overprotective when they hadn’t earned that right. She might give Sergei, Nikolai, and Yuri some leeway, but only up to a point.

  “I appreciate your concern,” she said gently, “but you’ve worked in this camp for months, and the chances of you being recognized are much higher. They’ve already sent Marek out to retrieve you, and I’m sure an alert with your name will be issued as soon as they discover his body. If you’d like to wait here for us, we won’t be gone long. Otherwise, I can give you the coordinates and you can head directly to Nikolai’s camp. I’ll send instructions along to provide you with accommodations until you decide where you’d like to be relocated.”

  Dmitri’s jaw clenched. “I’ll wait here.”

  She inclined her head and gestured for Sergei to lead the way. He grinned and headed out of the ruined building.

  Valentina followed Sergei through a maze of abandoned buildings. They were trying to stay on the outskirts of camp, but what they were attempting was still risky. Not only was it difficult to navigate in the darkness, but they wouldn’t have a good explanation for why they were skulking around in the middle of the night.

  Sergei slowed his steps and said quietly, “I need to meet up with Yuri to get Caz’s credentials to set up the relay. I could override the system, but it may alert security there’s a problem. We need to buy Nikolai as much time as possible to run the search.”

  She carefully climbed over some fallen masonry. “You didn’t really need my help, did you?”

  “Nikolai’s worried about you,” he admitted, glancing around a corner before leading her through a narrow alley. “I couldn’t say anything in front of your… friend, but Nikolai wants either Yuri or me to stay with you. I don’t know if his concerns are related to the new training we’ve been doing, but I’m not willing to take the chance.”

  Valentina frowned. One of Nikolai’s talents was precognition. On occasions in the past, and during times of extreme stress, he could see a few minutes ahead in time. It had saved their lives more than once, but his ability was erratic. Ever since their bond changed a few days ago, Nikolai was getting other flashes or insights, but it had become harder for him to make sense of them.

  “You need to keep a low profile, Sergei—more so than any of us. This camp is under Ivan’s jurisdiction, and you don’t have any business here. Someone will recognize you.”

  “I know,” he agreed. “I’ll try to keep out of sight unless there’s no alternative. I’ll have Yuri bring the credentials to us, but I need to find a network access point to use them. You might need to provide a distraction.”

  Valentina opened her mouth to respond, but Sergei held up his hand to halt her progress. She froze. Based on the sound of the footsteps and hushed voices, at least two people were approaching from an adjacent alleyway. She motioned to Sergei, and he nodded, backing up quickly and darting into a partially collapsed doorway with her. He put his arms around her, holding her tightly against him as they waited for the group to pass.

  The cadence of the voices led her to believe it wasn’t just a routine patrol. They were on edge about something, but she couldn’t make out the individual words. If she had to guess, she’d say someone had probably discovered Marek’s body or Yuri had already eliminated Caz. Either way, the approaching group was in a heightened state of awareness.

  Sergei stroked her side with his thumb, and she lifted her head. He nodded, indicating he understood the same thing. They’d take action if necessary, but they both hoped the people would pass without noticing them. Sergei carefully withdrew his commlink, angling it so they could both read the message on the screen. Yuri had managed to acquire the necessary credentials and was on his way back.

  Valentina took the commlink from Sergei, her position affording her more mobility. She sent their coordinates, along with a warning about the patrols. When she finished, Sergei slipped the device back into his pocket just as the sound of the patrol’s footsteps began moving in the opposite direction. This time, their luck had held.

  She moved away from Sergei, and he motioned for her to follow him into a nearby building. They couldn’t go far until Yuri joined them, but they were too exposed waiting in the alley.
Sergei ducked down to avoid the low, overhanging beam and began investigating the building to catalogue all the exit points. Valentina took up position near a broken window, keeping watch for anyone who might approach.

  Sergei came back and hunched down beside her. “If there’s a problem, there’s a window in the next room we can use as an exit.”

  She nodded, still watching the alley, and settled in to wait. So far, other than the small group they’d seen, everything was quiet. This time of night was her favorite to do this type of work. The moon cast an eerie light over the ruins and provided ample shadows where they could hide. Even the air was different, cooler somehow with a hint of moisture that was usually absent in the sunlight.

  With Sergei beside her, a strange sort of contentment filled her. It reminded her of all the past times when they’d gone on surveillance missions together. She never thought they’d be doing this together again. Even now, it was a little surreal.

  Sergei was quiet for a long time before he spoke again. “What did you see in him, Valechka?”

  Valentina frowned, surprised by the question. “Do you really want to have this conversation now?”

  “Might as well.”

  She glanced over at him. His body was tense, and the whole thing with Dmitri appeared to really be bothering him. With a sigh, she turned back to watch for any sign of Yuri or more patrols. “He made me laugh. Sometimes, he would say or do something that reminded me of you. No one else other than Yuri or Nikolai has ever played around or teased me like that. It was nice.”

  Sergei fell silent again for several more minutes. “Do you care for him?”

  Valentina lifted her shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. “Yes, or I wouldn’t have been with him. I missed you, and I didn’t think there was a chance I’d ever have you back in my life. Being with him made the pain a little easier to manage, but he was never any sort of substitute. I love you, Seryozha. It’s always been you for me.”

  “I’m sorry I hurt you, little dove,” he whispered.

  She turned toward him again, the pain in his eyes as vivid as hers had been. She placed her hand over his. “I’m sorry for your hurt too.”

  He frowned, and she knew he was thinking about the fire he’d caused in the facility after she’d been injured. Too many had died, and he’d carried the weight of his guilt for years. Determined to distract him from the painful memories, she said, “I’d ask about your other lovers, but I’m not sure I want to know how many you had.”

  Sergei winced. “Perhaps we should find out what’s taking Yuri so long.”

  She huffed and turned back to watching the alley. “It figures. If any of them are still around, you might want to suggest they leave the continent before I find out about them.”

  “No one has ever come close to comparing to you, Valechka,” he said quietly. “But maybe I’ll make that suggestion… just in case.”

  Yuri slinked around the corner. Valentina stood and stepped out of the building, motioning for him to join them. He ducked inside and handed Sergei a small keycard. “They found Marek’s body. It will take them a bit longer to locate Caz. I found a nearby terminal you can access, but we’re going to need to hurry. I overhead them issuing a campwide alert, and the patrols are getting heavier. We need to get rid of Valentina’s lover before they realize he hasn’t checked in.”

  “We’re not killing Dmitri,” Valentina reminded them. “But I agree. Whatever we’re going to do needs to be done quickly.”

  Sergei nodded and pocketed the keycard. “How many people are guarding the terminal?”

  “At least two,” Yuri replied, wiping the sweat from his brow. “It’s not as heavily manned as some others, but I didn’t have time to fully scope out the building.”

  Valentina frowned. “If they’re already in a heightened state of alert, a simple distraction may not be enough. What’s their positioning?”

  Yuri crouched down, grabbing a few nearby pebbles to create a rudimentary map. “If we’re here,” he began, pointing to one area, “then the building they’re located in is over here.” He gestured to another pebble. “The two people I saw are stationed inside near the front, but we may be able to lure them out. If so, Sergei can sneak through the side entrance.” He traced the path with his finger. “If there’s anyone else there, Sergei will have to deal with them.”

  “I’d rather not kill them, if we can avoid it,” Valentina said, trying to think of a way to distract them. A thought struck her, and she smiled.

  Sergei lifted his head and frowned. “I’m not sure I like that look in your eyes, Valechka.”

  “Oh, you’re definitely going to hate this,” she agreed.

  Chapter Three

  “You can’t be serious,” Sergei argued. “You and Yuri are going to pretend to be lovers?”

  She grinned and swatted him playfully. “Keep a lower profile next time and you can play the part with me. Besides, it’s just long enough to distract the guards. We’ll cause a commotion or a lovers’ spat, and they’ll have to investigate.”

  “We’re going to have to make this believable,” Yuri suggested, waggling his eyebrows. “Maybe a little groping, some tongue…”

  Sergei glared at him. “Just remember… You have to sleep some time.”

  “Come on,” Valentina said, tugging on Yuri’s sleeve before Sergei seriously thought about strangling him. Yuri put his arm around her shoulder as they headed out into the alley. This time, they weren’t hiding. There was still a risk someone might identify them, but hopefully, she and Yuri could limit their exposure. If everything went well, the whole operation should take less than fifteen minutes. If not, well, they’d always excelled at improvisation.

  “Maybe I should put my hand in your back pocket instead,” Yuri commented as they walked down the street toward the building where the terminal was located.

  “Only if you don’t need that hand,” she replied sweetly. “Sergei might not wait until you’re asleep to carve you up if you start groping my ass.”

  “Hmm. Sounds like foreplay to me.”

  A laugh bubbled out of her. “You’re impossible.”

  Someone called out, “Valentina? Is that you?”

  She froze, inwardly cursing and praying she was wrong about the identity of the person speaking to her. Turning around, she pasted on a brilliant smile even as her heart thudded in her chest. This definitely wasn’t good.

  “Uncle Grigory, it’s wonderful to see you again.”

  An older man with salt-and-pepper hair approached her and held out his arms. She went to him immediately, and he wrapped her in a tight hug. Leaning back, he looked her up and down. The affection in his eyes was obvious. “My God, it’s been a few years, but I would have recognized you anywhere. You’re almost an exact replica of your mother, right down to her laugh. You may be even more beautiful than she was at your age.”

  Valentina smiled and lowered her gaze. “And you’re much as I remember you—still full of hot air.”

  He let out a big booming laugh and draped his arm over her shoulder. “And your companion is Yuri, correct? It’s been a while, but we’ve met before.”

  Yuri gave him a polite nod. “It’s good to see you again.” He frowned at her and added, “I wasn’t aware Grigory was your uncle, Valya.”

  “Oh, no,” Grigory said, waving off the comment, “we’re not related by blood. Her parents were in my unit when we were younger. I knew them well. I’ve tried to keep tabs on Valentina over the years, but she’s very good at staying below the radar. Well, except for tonight apparently.”

  Valentina smiled, but she still felt a familiar pang of sadness when she thought about her parents. They were killed when she was a child, but she’d been fortunate enough to be raised by her wonderful and loving grandmother.

  “What are you doing here, Uncle? I thought you were overseeing one of the construction crew camps.”

  He nodded. “Yes, but I needed to meet up with Ivan about a shipment that’s been delayed. Some
times a personal approach is necessary to get things done. Your Nikolai understands that well. It’s one of the things I respect about him.”

  She frowned. Ivan wasn’t supposed to have been in the camp, and his presence made what they were attempting even riskier. Dammit. Security was going to be tighter than usual. “I’ve heard about other shipments being delayed, but I didn’t realize Ivan was having problems too. If you don’t mind me asking, what was in the shipment?”

  “Mostly general supplies… some food, hydrating packs, and medical items. Why? Do you know something? Ivan assured me it would only be a minor delay.”

  “Maybe that’s all it is,” she agreed, considering the possibilities. Grigory had been allied with Ivan for a long time, but maybe they could use this situation as an opportunity for Nikolai to make inroads with them. “If Ivan runs into a problem, will you let me know? Nikolai may be able to offer you both some assistance if your camp is running low on necessary items. I know he’d be willing to help such a dear friend of my family.”

  Grigory arched a brow. “And what would Nikolai expect in return for such an offer?”

  Valentina gave him a small smile. “We’re a people of one circle. We’ll square accounts later.”

  “And now I see your father in you,” he murmured with a grin. “Very well. I’ll give Ivan a few more days, but if we can’t locate the shipment, I may need to take you up on your offer.”

  She nodded, unsurprised by his answer. “If you send me the list of supplies you need, I’ll see what we have in our storage and make sure we hold them in reserve for you.”

  Yuri cleared his throat. She glanced over at him, and he gave her a meaningful look. She nodded. They still needed to distract the people inside the building so Sergei could set up the relay. “Uncle, forgive me, but we were just about to head out. Nikolai is expecting us. I had no idea you were going to be here or we would have stopped by to pay our respects. Perhaps we can get together soon?”