Russian Law (Law Series ) (Volume 1)

by Camille Taylor

  Lucas watched as Iosif’s men opened the trunk of the car to reveal a large selection of high powered sniper rifles, elite revolvers and a vast cornucopia of assorted weapons.

  Elena’s eyes bulged, she reminded him of Arnold Schwarzenegger in Total Recall when the air on Mars was trying to kill him. Lucas felt giddy like a kid in a candy store. He stepped closer and perused the collection, he noted the Dragunov Sniper Rifle and an AN-94 Assault Rifle, the latter used by elite Russian Military. He admired the Serbian Zastava M93 Black Arrow Sniper Rifle as he picked up an UK Adams MK4 revolver before replacing it with a Makarov PM eight round pistol. He took stock of the other weapons lying in the truck of the car. A Desert Eagle and American 180 SMG .22 caliber were also featured. It was a complete shopping list for the everyday terrorist.

  Iosif smiled proudly as if commenting on a child’s progress.

  “State of the art weapons, not even SVR have these,” he said.

  Lucas nodded. “I’ve never seen a finer collection.”

  Iosif’s eyes twinkled. “ May I ask what you plan on doing with your selection?”

  Lucas looked the old man in his eyes, determined to make his point very clear. “I have no plans to interfere with your family or business. We have a different target in mind.”

  Iosif accepted Lucas’s word that he would not use his weapons against the Bratva. It would be a suicide mission but just maybe Lucas could’ve been stupid enough to try. Iosif wasn’t a man to take chances, that was why he was in charge and still alive. He looked at Elena before turning back to Lucas.

  “I would also be willing to make another trade, for your pretty lady here?”

  Elena was justly mortified. “I think not!” she blurted out without much thought as to who she was talking to.

  “These will do fine, thank you,” Lucas said. He thought it best to get Elena the hell out of there, before she said something to offend Iosif. She clearly did not like the man and took little effort to conceal the fact.

  “Anytime you want to do business American you know where to find me eh,” he turned to Elena and smiled sweetly. “And you my dear are always welcome.”

  She gave him a smile that was all teeth while one of the men bagged his selections like he was at a supermarket. He almost expected to be asked paper or plastic?

  What no receipt?

  He took the bag from the Mr. T look alike with one hand and with the other grabbed hold of Elena and led her away.

  Lucas only had to wait two minutes before she spoke, “I can’t believe you just made a deal with the Bratva.”

  He couldn’t tell from the tone of her voice if she was scolding him or admiring him. Lucas assumed it was the former.

  Chapter 14

  Yuri Volstov listened as his challenger spouted off his political views. How the man had gotten elected was beyond him. He was nothing but a conformist. Falling in with the crowd like the sheep he was, following others ideals. Their country was a great one and the man was allowing the United States to walk all over him and set the rules that they should live by because they think they know better. He was extremely disappointed at how much of a coward the President was, but he wasn’t surprised. Yuri hadn’t put much stock in Sergei Smirnov’s abilities. The spineless man allowed his countrymen too many liberties. It was time the country took back the power shown to them by their ancestors. Now was the time to show the world who they are, let them not forget who the greater nation is.

  When he is sworn in, his first act as President will be to return Russia to its former glory. Some freedoms would need to be sacrificed regrettably, but it was for the greater good. He was sick of sitting on the side-lines watching his beloved country get turned into another America. Before you know it, there will be no law at all and he couldn’t – wouldn’t - allow that. The problem with the current administration was that there were too many people making decisions, the left hand not knowing what the right hand was doing. Only one man can set the laws and that man will be him.

  The Soviets had it right the first time, the people may call it a dictatorship but he called it progression. In today’s politics, power, support and money is what made the difference. He had many financial backers, others that could see his dream of another golden age of Russia. To make the others think twice before waging wars against them. They will once more be the feared nation, no one would dare cross them. He would succeed where the others have failed. He only had to remove Sergei Smirnov from his seat before he could put his plans into motion.

  Then the world had better watch out because the new Russia - his Russia - will be strong and less forgiving. His Russia will not tolerate interference from those on the outside who would want to change their way of life like the United States had the rest of the world. America was like a plague transforming the world into drones, carbon copies of their failing society. His Russia would allow no such failings. If only Sergei Smirnov was not in power.

  He smiled cruelly into the darkness. It was already in motion. His loyal men were out securing his future – their future. Men, who used their high positions within their great agencies to further his cause and he was humble. It was a great honor for so many to put their trust in him, to look to him for leadership and he will not dare let them down.

  Each of his men risked their careers, their very lives every day and stood to be named a traitor should their actions be known. He admired them for their courage, their fortitude and he will reward all of them in his administration.

  He would also pay tribute the fallen, like Igor Zimtovich who had known too much and had to be silenced. Yuri hadn’t enjoyed ordering the man’s death but Zimtovich had held the smoking gun, the one that would put them all in prison. His intel was what had made all of their plans possible. Of course leaving the body for the American’s to find had been unavoidable as they hadn’t anticipated the quick response from the police and had almost been their downfall but Yuri’s trusted second had taken care of that problem.

  And would take care of any other issue that would arise. The man was intelligent and resourceful and had he not shown his devotion to Yuri’s cause, Yuri would’ve been concerned. The man was as blood-thirsty as an Vampire would be and as cold-blooded as any reptile. Yuri had witnessed some of his techniques and even now shuddered when he thought of them. But he was most glad the man was on his side, uniting for a common goal.

  Only a select few knew the scope of their takeover, the steps taken to ensure their plan succeeded. It was for their protection as well as his, the fewer who were privy to all, the less loose ends there were to clean up when it was over. Now all there was to do was wait while the American, Ducane completes his job and clears the way for Yuri to be President.

  It was a shame so many had to die in his pursuit of supreme and absolute power and domination. Good agents like Nikolai Nagregor who ranked high on the list of men Yuri admired, men who could not be bought or threatened – there were so few of them left. Even men like Pochenchov had their uses, but that was the price. Soon his Russia will be here and will be a power to be reckoned with.

  Chapter 15

  As soon as she and Lucas were well away from Solntsevskaya, Elena stopped and leaned against the closest brick wall. Her legs unable to hold her vertical any longer. Her heart was still pounding in her chest. She had been up close and personal with Iosif Simonov, Solntsevskaya Bratva – the brotherhood’s highest ranking mob member. The man who had ordered Professor Alan Thomas’s death. She wondered briefly if he even remembered who Alan Thomas was or the destruction his death caused the woman he loved and left behind. She saw Carey’s face in her mind and felt a sharp pain in the vicinity of her heart. She hadn’t seen Carey in over a year and a half when she had walked out of Elena’s office after she had regretfully told Carey no arrest would ever be made in regards to her husband’s murder. That the man who had ordered the hit was untouchable, that she had to make do with the lackey that had performed the deed and who was now dead, a victim of apparent suicid
e.

  She could still see Carey in her mind sitting there, a young woman of twenty-four - widowed. Her corkscrew red hair just brushed her shoulders, her blue-green eyes held unshed tears. She had tried to be brave but Elena had seen the pain behind her eyes.

  Carey Madigan-Thomas, a once art history graduate who had married her professor husband before moving with him to Russia to catalogue the artifacts inside the Kremlin Armory. While there Carey had discovered that over twenty percent of the artifacts were fakes and had immediately gone to the authorities. It was soon learned that the mafiya had been making copies of the treasures inside the Armory and substituting them. She had learnt the hard way never to cross the Brotherhood. She had lost her husband and was made to watch helplessly from her hiding place as Alan was tortured and ultimately killed.

  Elena had received flowers and a sympathy card from Carey though after news of Nikolai’s violent death reached her. Most likely from Carey’s contacts within the museum and art world in Moscow and if memory served correctly Carey had been settling in back home in the United States at the time.

  Elena had never gotten close to a witness or victim before Carey. But there was something about Carey and her situation that had hit home for Elena. It had been Alan’s death that had made Elena think about Nikolai and what she would do if something ever happened to him. She had looked at the scared and grieving Carey and looked into her future.

  Elena sensed movement nearby and looked up at Lucas. That’s right, she thought. It’s here and now and they had bigger problems. What happened with Carey and Alan Thomas was long over.

  “Are you alright?” Lucas asked, watching her face in glow from the street light.

  Elena nodded. “Yes, he’s a horrible sadistic man. I’ve seen what he does to people. Or should I say has done to them. One case in particular is always in my mind. A friend’s husband – the museum friend I told you about, her husband was tortured and murdered in front of her eyes.”

  Elena shook her head savagely, clearing her thoughts and the horrific crime scene that had sprung to mind. Her eyes narrowed as she folded her arms beneath her breasts and she scowled at him. “I can’t believe you just traded SVR Intel to the Mafiya.”

  Lucas rolled his eyes. She had berated him for half an hour after they had left Iosif and his ears were still burning.

  “Well we have guns now don’t we?”

  Elena flung her arms up, exasperated. “Still none of this makes any sense. We’re no closer to learning who is involved and why this is all happening.”

  She was tired and hungry, she had been awake all day yesterday and all through last night and now it was well past midnight. The cold didn’t help either and just made her even more miserable. Lucas swung his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close placing a kiss on her forehead. It was fast becoming a regular gesture to soothe her, he realized.

  “I know. I’m frustrated too,” he looked about the street before spotting an establishment still open. “Come on in here and we’ll rest.”

  He hauled her into a darkened nightclub. The interior looked like the setting for some vampire movie. He soon understood why when he saw the Goth-looking strippers, several who were taking their customers behind dark curtains to perform private shows for them.

  Lucas thought he should get Elena out of there as quickly as possible. When he looked at her though he decided against it, she looked overly tired. Dark circles were under her beautiful grey eyes and he was the cause of it. She flopped down in a booth in the back where there was nobody around, all the partygoers up front or in a private room.

  He watched as she took in the room around her and was surprised at the lack of interest on her face. She was either too far gone to care or she was used to seeing this kind of thing, hell they weren’t that far from Europe were they?

  He sat back and thought about their current situation. It had all started over six months ago when Nikolai Nagregor arrested one of Alvin Pochenchov’s buddies. There was no denying that. Lucas assumed the man had traded information with Nagregor for a leaner sentence. Now Nikolai knew something and was bound by his ethics to investigate. What he found ultimately led to his death and he was murdered to keep that Intel safe. Intel that he believed involved some sort of incendiary device what with Ducane’s involvement.

  “What I don’t understand is why they killed Nikolai before finding what they were looking for. What the hell did Nikolai have that they wanted so bad?”

  He expressed his concerns out loud. It was what he would do being in the same circumstances as their perpetrator. There was no valid or sensible reason to kill the one man with the answers, particularly one who had something important to lose, like Elena.

  Elena thought about that. “I honestly don’t know. I never saw Nikolai with anything, at least nothing that stood out as important.”

  “I doubt it would something that would jump out at you. If the information is as important as I think, it’ll be hidden in something innocuous.” He pinned Elena eyes with his. “Where would Nikolai hide something he was afraid someone was after?”

  He thought about his training and wondered where he might hide something he didn’t want found by the wrong people. He also added in the factor that Nikolai knew it was someone in the Intelligence field so he would have been overly cautious about where he hid his Intel. The usual locations were out of the picture. The man would have been exceedingly paranoid.

  Elena brow furrowed, “Trained people couldn’t find it what makes you think I’d know?”

  “You were his wife,” he stated matter-of-factly.

  A waitress walked over to them and they put their conversation on hold. Elena immediately asked for a strong drink, she needed it after the night she had. To think when she had arrived at work yesterday morning she had sighed at the mountain of paperwork on her desk and thought it was going to be a normal day. She had been happy when Vladimir had finally taken her off probation. Never once did she think that the day would end up like this, sitting in a strip club with a man she hardly knew, talking about a conspiracy that involved Nikolai’s murder and the possibility of rogue agents in her agency.

  Better make that a double, she thought and told the waitress.

  The waitress smiled at them before returning to the bar. If she thought it odd that a man and a woman walked into the club she didn’t let it show. Elena shivered at the thought that men might find it a turn on to watch this kind of things with their partners. She and Nikolai certainly never needed help in that department.

  She looked about the room again relieved to see she was the only female beside the dancers. She also noted that there was no TV, so with any luck they would not be recognized. Not that they were in danger of being so, she thought as she watched the red lipped, raven haired and black stiletto wearing burlesque dancers on stage performing their seductive moves designed to entice and excite. No one was looking in their direction and if questioned later wouldn’t be able to confirm or deny that she and Lucas had been there, let alone pick them out of a line-up.

  Elena turned back to face Lucas. He was watching her closely, too closely. She could feel a blush rising from her neck and she wondered if he had noticed her watching the dancers and what it was that he was thinking. She sat back in her seat and away from the glare of the light above the booth in an effort to hide her heated face. She had already embarrassed herself enough what with her crying fit earlier. She didn’t need Lucas to see her blushing as well.

  “We don’t have to stay here, if you’d like to go someplace else?” he offered.

  Elena shook her head. “No really its fine. I don’t mind. I just don’t understand to allure.”

  Lucas shrugged. “You and me both.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Really? You don’t find this,” she searched for the right word. “Appealing?”

  Lucas gave the room a sweeping glance before turning back to her. “No, I don’t. I prefer to use my imagination.”

  He looked at her har
d, holding her gaze and she felt her body warm and it wasn’t from the warm atmosphere in the sordid establishment. She forced herself to look away and luckily the waitress was on her way back with their drinks. Best to let that moment they just shared slide on by.

  The waitress returned and Elena dug into her purse pulling out money and handing the woman several Russian Rubles. The waitress moved away to take more orders.

  “Getting back to what we were talking about,” she picked up her glass and took a sip, “what does my being Nikolai’s wife have to do with anything?”

  “He would have trusted you,” Lucas stated simply.

  She frowned at that, Nikolai played things close to the chest. If he didn’t want you to know something, torture couldn’t drag it from his mouth.

  “I don’t know about that, for all you know Nikolai could have suspected me.”

  Lucas shook his head, immediately disregarding what she said. There was no way anyone could suspect Elena of any wrong doing. She wore her heart on her sleeve and every emotion was plain to see on her face. Like before when she had been blushing. He had almost leaned across the table to give her something to blush about.

  “No he would’ve trusted you,” he sounded so confident in that fact.

  She looked at him in surprise. “Why are you so sure about that?”

  He looked into her cool grey eyes and replied, “Because I trust you, I doubt good old Nikolai would’ve thought differently. You’re an honest woman Elena, one who wouldn’t give up her morals for the chance at money or power.”

  Lucas saw her eyes mist over and cursed himself, he watched as she took another sip of her drink trying once more to conceal her feelings from him. Her diamond wedding ring stuck out proudly from her finger. She must have loved Nikolai very much. To wear his ring months after his death announcing to the world that she still considered herself to be married, to belong to him always. He wondered what it would be like to have someone so devoted to the memory of him.