Flames of Redemption

by Jamie A. Waters

  Lars frowned. “You look far too pleased about something.”

  “An intriguing possibility, my friend,” Sergei murmured.

  “Something tells me I don't want to know,” Lars muttered, taking another bite of his food. “I don't think Yuri's going to agree to your help. How do you want to handle this?”

  “Valentina did not openly object,” Sergei said in a quiet voice. “She is wary about me being here, but she didn't outright refuse. I'm still learning their dynamic though. It's far different than what I expected. I need to see the three of them interact more to figure out how to handle the situation.”

  “You know, I see the allure,” Lars admitted. “Valentina wearing all that weaponry was pretty damn hot.”

  “You have no idea,” Sergei said with a grin and clapped him on the back. “Come. We need to visit Nikolai and cause more trouble.”

  Lars sighed and pushed away his tray. “I'm not going to be happy if that was my last meal. This little visit has reminded me why I enjoy living in the towers.”

  Valentina picked up Yuri's tablet again and walked over to the couch. If he was determined to have this out here and now, she could at least get a little work done. She sprawled out across the length of the couch and placed the tablet in her lap.

  “Nikolai,” Yuri called out, banging on his bedroom door.

  “If you break it down, you'll be the one to repair it,” she reminded him, taking another sip of tea and pulling up the surveillance videos from the day before.

  “You both sleep like the dead,” Yuri retorted, still banging on the door.

  She shrugged, knowing he was right. If she wasn't such a sound sleeper, Sergei never would have caught her unaware last night. In all fairness, though, he was one of the few who could. “With you nearby, why should we not? I sleep lightly enough when I must. A girl needs her beauty sleep.”

  Yuri snorted but continued pounding. “Nikolai, if you do not get out of bed, I will drag you out.”

  “I'm coming,” Nikolai replied, his voice muffled. The door opened a moment later, and Nikolai staggered out, shirtless and fastening his pants. “What the hell do you want? I just went to bed two hours ago.”

  “You did not tell us Sergei remained here,” Yuri snapped, crossing his arms over his chest.

  Nikolai walked over to the couch and motioned for Valentina to scoot over. He sat down and pulled her back over until she was sprawled halfway across his lap. She cuddled against him, enjoying their morning ritual. Yuri had always been the annoying older brother type, whereas she enjoyed a more intimate relationship with Nikolai. He was far more affectionate, which only helped to reinforce their subterfuge.

  She settled back and offered him her tea, and he took a sip before handing it back.

  “It was late. I was hoping we could have this conversation after I had a chance to get some sleep.” Nikolai wrapped his arms around her. “Did you sleep well, Valya?”

  “Somewhat,” Valentina admitted, taking another sip and continuing to study the air surveillance on the tablet. She wasn't about to admit her interrupted sleep was because of Sergei. They both probably knew, but they wouldn't dare ask her directly.

  Pressing a button to switch to the thermal imaging view, she started to watch the feed again. The attackers must have used technology to camouflage their movements because nothing was showing up.

  “This is unacceptable, Nikolai,” Yuri declared, pacing the length of the small room. “We agreed we would all decide who would be brought into our circle. Sergei has proven to be unreliable.”

  Nikolai sighed. “We've had this conversation before. I do not believe as you do. Sergei left for his own reasons. I do not agree with them, but he has never betrayed us.”

  “We have different opinions of what constitutes betrayal,” Yuri argued. “He also said you agreed to allow him to work with us on the investigation. Tell me he is lying.”

  Nikolai traced his thumb along her side, a nervous gesture she chose to ignore. Valentina was determined not to get involved in this argument unless she had no choice. As it was, she had mixed feelings about the whole thing.

  “I agreed to accept his help,” Nikolai said, shifting her slightly and reaching for her tea again. “He has contacts within OmniLab who can facilitate our investigation into the attacker's identity. I would not leave Valentina a target longer than necessary.”

  “Valentina will be protected,” Yuri declared.

  She stiffened. “I can protect myself.”

  “Indeed,” Nikolai murmured, pressing a kiss against her shoulder. “I also believe it will do much in the way of goodwill between our people and theirs to work together.”

  Yuri paused in his pacing. “It has possibilities, but Sergei does not need to be involved. We can coordinate with his companion instead. Send Sergei back to the towers to count nails.”

  Valentina bit her lip to keep from smiling. Apparently, Yuri hadn't enjoyed reading Sergei's construction notes any more than she had.

  A knock at the door interrupted them. Yuri walked over to the door and opened it, his shoulders tensing. She sighed. Of course it was Sergei. As long as he was in their camp, he'd cause trouble. At least there was a small measure of comfort knowing he got under Yuri's skin too.

  Nikolai leaned in close and whispered, “We could both go back to bed and leave them to it.”

  She grinned and took her tea back from him. “Do you really think we'll be able to sleep through a battle between them?”

  “I suppose not,” he agreed with a sigh. “Let him in, Yuri.”

  “He is not alone,” Yuri said, his voice a low growl.

  “Let them both in,” Nikolai snapped. “We have accepted their help. We might as well make use of it.”

  Yuri stepped aside to allow Sergei and Lars to enter the room. Sergei reached over to grab a chair, flipping it around, and sat down on it backward so he was facing her and Nikolai. She glanced over at him, noting the way his uniform fit over his muscular body. His sleeves were rolled up, showing a hint of his strong forearms.

  His eyes warmed at her perusal, and he nodded toward the tablet in her lap. “You mentioned you discovered a possible connection. What was it?”

  Valentina glanced down at the tablet again. “Regina said some weapons are missing from a recently delivered shipment. She's trying to trace it down, but they match with Yuri's list of possible weapons used in the attack.”

  Yuri frowned and reached over to take his tablet from her. He scrolled through the information, studying it.

  Nikolai squeezed her waist. “What else, Valya?”

  “I was near Sofia's camp the other day investigating a rumor about another missing shipment of weapons. That's why I was able to get to Ariana so quickly when she was abducted.” She paused, wishing she'd had an opportunity to fully debrief her contact. Unfortunately, he'd gone back underground to avoid suspicion and she wouldn't be able to reach him for at least a few more days. “It cannot be a coincidence that two shipments have gone missing so close together. I need to reach out to my contacts in different camps to find out if there are others, but it will take time. Peter, Lena, or one of the other chairmen in the area may be conducting their own investigations and trying to keep it quiet.”

  Sergei frowned. “Are you suggesting a mutiny of sorts?”

  She shrugged. “I don't know. The number of missing weapons isn't small. If other camps are missing weapons too, that could indicate a larger problem. To start, I need to go back and trace down that rumor. If there is a planned rebellion, I don't believe it's originating from our camp.”

  “Do what you can to reach out to your contacts and find out what they know,” Nikolai said, his arm tightening around her waist. “I am all for being cautious, but we cannot afford an all-out rebellion or another incident like the one yesterday. I will keep your investigation quiet, but I intend to reach out to Peter and share some information about our theft. I have a better relationship with him than Lena, and if he knows anything,
I'll find out.”

  Yuri continued studying the tablet. “It's our best lead for now, but we need to consider other possibilities. I am not willing to write off our camp's involvement completely.”

  Valentina lifted her head to regard him. “What do you mean? Did the security analysis reveal something else?”

  “Not yet. We simply don't have enough proof either way. Our camp knew about the meeting location because they prepared the site. Who else knew?”

  She frowned, and Nikolai stroked her side again. Sergei's gaze lowered to Nikolai's hand and then met hers. From the meaningful glint in his eyes, Sergei was telling her he would be touching her again—soon. She took a long drink of tea, debating whether to switch to something stronger. How was she supposed to concentrate when he was this close and looking at her like that? Maybe it had been a bad idea to admit she and Nikolai weren't lovers.

  “My people knew,” Lars admitted. “I don't believe they were responsible though. We tend to use energy attacks against each other. Our stores of weapons aren't as extensive as yours.”

  Valentina shook her head. “It wasn't OmniLab. Our people collected empty casings from the site yesterday. The tactics and weapons were ours.”

  “That may be another avenue to explore,” Sergei mused and drummed his fingertips on his arm. “If we study their tactics and approach, we may be able to detect similarities.”

  She tilted her head, intrigued by the idea. “What are you thinking?”

  “We were trained by the same people,” Sergei explained. “Ariana mentioned that when she met you, she was reminded of me. It's possible we may get some clues to the attacker's identity by studying how they approached the site, set up their ambush, and escaped.”

  Valentina stood and walked over to the large monitor on the wall. She turned it on and pulled up the map they had used to develop their plan.

  “You may be on to something,” she acknowledged and pointed to a few areas north of the clearing. “The shooters were firing upon us from here.”

  Sergei stood and approached her, placing his hand against her back. With his free hand, he pressed a few areas of the screen, shifting the view. “Why did you choose to meet up on the hill? Your sniper teams were at a tactical disadvantage.”

  “Because you know our tactics and we needed a low-tech solution,” she confirmed, highlighting the areas where they’d originally planning on meeting. “We had first placed them here but moved them when we decided to plant the electrical wind pulses.”

  “The dust storm was clever,” he admitted, tracing a small pattern against her back with his thumb. The movement brought back memories from when they'd been in his quarters. She couldn't help the small shiver that went through her, his nearness once again scattering her thoughts. He gave her a knowing smile but didn't pull his hand away.

  “Our Valentina is very clever about some things,” Yuri said with a scowl. He reached over to press a button on the map, reverting it back to the ambush view. “The shooters would have needed to know about our location change, get into position without alerting our people, and arrange an exit strategy before our surveillance aircraft moved into the area. That's not an easy feat to accomplish without leaving a trace.”

  Valentina stepped away from Sergei, needing the distance to focus her thoughts.

  “If I had been the one to set up the ambush, I would have placed my people here,” she said and highlighted another area further to the west. “There is more cover, and it would be easier to escape without detection. Why did they choose the other location?”

  Yuri frowned. “They must not be as skilled with a long-distance weapon. Your location would be better tactically, but not as many would be able to take the shot.”

  She took Yuri's tablet from him and pulled up the list of names in the area. There were simply too many suspects and not enough concrete evidence to point them in any particular direction. If their attackers had chosen a more challenging location for their attack, she could eliminate some of these people based upon their skill level. As it was, they had no way of knowing if their location choice was based upon their lack of skill or simply a diversionary tactic to redirect attention elsewhere.

  Nikolai stood and walked over to her. “Yuri, you should head back out to the meeting site and attempt to recreate the ambush with Sergei and Lars. We can run scenarios based on your findings to determine if there are similar tactics described within our databases. I will reach out to Peter while you are gone. Valentina can remain here and work with Regina to trace the missing weapons.”

  “I will do no such thing,” Valentina declared and turned away. She knew what Nikolai was up to, and she wasn't going to put up with it. Not from him or anyone else.

  “Valya,” Nikolai began, placing his hand on her arm to stop her, “they were targeting you. Going back out into the open is not the wisest course of action.”

  “No,” she argued, pulling away from him. “Do not start with me on this, Nikolai. I am going with Yuri. If my presence draws them out, we can have this resolved by lunchtime. I will not sit here in camp hiding from these people. We have the advantage right now because they have already shown their hand. I intend to use it.”

  Nikolai swore under his breath, but she ignored him and headed to her room. She grabbed her bag, tossing in some of her gear and a few more weapons for good measure. Yuri walked into her room, and she flung a knife in his direction. It hit her target with a thunk, embedding itself into the wall. He glanced at it and grinned. “You could not even wait until we started arguing?”

  “I was trying to save time,” she said, turning away to find her UV-protective gear.

  Yuri laughed. “Valya, Nikolai has a point.”

  She unsheathed another blade, balancing it in her hand. “I can show you my point, if you wish.”

  He held up his hands but didn't stop grinning. “I told him I would talk to you, but I did not say I would commit suicide.”

  She laughed and sheathed her knife. “Fine. Hand me my weapon.”

  He yanked it from the wall and walked over to her, holding it out hilt first. “Nikolai and I both wish to keep you safe, but it's your choice. If I were you, I wouldn't want to sit in camp either. Besides, if you decide to come along, you will most likely keep me from killing Sergei.” He paused and added, “I am not sure if that is a good thing or not. Maybe you should stay here after all.”

  Valentina checked the tip of her blade. If people kept irritating her, she'd have to get new knives soon. “Sergei's perspective may be valuable. He's worked with many of the people in the area. He may recognize something.”

  “Perhaps,” Yuri relented. “Do you mind if I play with him though?”

  She arched an eyebrow. “What do you have in mind?”

  He walked up to her, wrapped his arm around her waist, and bent down to kiss her neck. “We could see how long it takes for him to lose his mind.”

  She laughed and pushed him away. “You changed your mind about committing suicide already?”

  “Ah, but Valya, some things might be worth dying for,” he teased.

  “You are a horrible flirt, and the answer is no,” she retorted, zipping her bag closed. “Come. Let's go find some people to kill. Then you can play with them.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Valentina finished walking the ambush site, her eyes gravitating toward the ground where Sergei had nearly lost his life. She glanced at him across the clearing where he and Lars were searching for clues. He must have sensed her gaze on him because he lifted his head and turned in her direction. Even from this distance, the energy between them was magnetic. Forcing herself to turn away, she headed up to the area where Yuri was crouched and began to study the ground. She couldn't think about Sergei now or she might fall into his arms again.

  She spoke into her headset, “Find anything?”

  Yuri shook his head. “Not yet.”

  Valentina scanned the length of the clearing again. It was all a matter of perspective and shi
fting her viewpoint to a different one. She walked away from the clearing, determined to recreate the scenario in her head.

  Sergei jogged up to her, slowing his pace to match hers. “Did you think of something?”

  Valentina glanced over at him and nodded, not altogether surprised he'd picked up on her intent. “Play this out with me. Where would we hide our vehicles if we were going to ambush this site?”

  Sergei's gaze swept over the area. He motioned for her to follow before climbing up some rocks. She started up after him, testing each rock for stability before moving to the next one. At their highest point, Sergei stopped and studied the area. He pointed to an area in the distance where some abandoned buildings had collapsed, creating a convenient place to hide. “It would be a hike, but that would be my top choice. It's outside the range of our immediate surveillance.”

  She frowned. “Our people should have checked it out when they placed the pulses.”

  “We should take another look,” Sergei suggested and held out his hand to her. She accepted it, following him down the rocks and toward the ruins.

  Yuri spoke over the headset, “Where are you going?”

  “Sergei and I are going to check out the abandoned ruins.”

  “Lars and I will meet you there,” Yuri replied, not bothering to mask the irritation in his voice.

  Sergei grinned at her. “He does not want you to be alone with me.”

  “I heard that,” Yuri snarled. “And no, I do not.”

  Valentina sighed and shook her head. If Sergei kept provoking Yuri, it would soon get ugly. She pulled her hand out of Sergei's grasp. He glanced at her but didn't make any other moves toward her.

  They walked in silence the rest of the way, slowing their pace as they approached the ruins. Valentina kept her eyes cast downward, scanning the ground and looking for any sign someone had been there. She walked around one of the buildings which appeared to have once been some type of two-story commercial outpost. The entire top floor was mostly gone and collapsed inward. The bottom floor didn't appear to be faring much better.