by Cara Carnes
“Thank you for that. I was getting lost in my worry there for a moment.”
“Of course you were. He’s family.”
Neither of them had much of that left. He forced his attention back to the conversation unfolding around them even though the debrief was the last place he wanted to be. For the first time in a long while something mattered more to him than revenge.
Addy mattered more than taking his father down.
But this debrief was about the missiles more than it was his father and the atrocities he’d committed. Kristof would do whatever necessary to help Addy and The Arsenal secure the weapons so she could move past the exhaustive mission they’d been on.
“What’s the plan?” Johnny asked, his gaze locked on to Kristof and Addy. Kristof moved his hand away, intent to give her space to avoid scrutiny from her friends. But she firmed their handhold.
“Shock and awe with a strategized extraction,” Edge said via the com. “Surveillance found the largest cache of weapons and munitions in the southwestern and northern sectors of the compound. We’ll blow both of those locations and draw targets that direction with unmanned machine guns mounted in the perimeter fencing.”
“Unmanned?” Beast asked.
“Bree’s been busy,” Zoey said. “We have computerized control of four different weapons—one of which is similar to the laser cannon she used when The Collective attacked The Arsenal.”
“Shit. Seriously?” Cracker chuckled. “That thing blew out a quarter of a mile of fencing and terrain.”
“The new style is framed in the same material as the drones, so it’ll take a lot of firepower to destroy,” Marshall said. “Anything and anyone within its range won’t stand a chance.”
“Too bad we don’t have more of those,” Nolan said with a smirk. “That woman terrifies me.”
Kristof hadn’t met the mysterious Bree and Rhea. They’d sat on a few video calls he was part of, but they’d never met face-to-face. Addy’s big grin eased some of the worry in him. She clearly admired Bree and her weapons.
“So that’s the shock and awe,” Addy said. “What’s the real plan?”
“Second phase will begin once the targets have engaged the unmanned weapons,” Jesse said. “It’ll be an aerial assault focused on taking out targets outside of the initial target zones. The third phase begins immediately upon engagement. Nolan’s team will enter the catacombs and secure the prisoners clustered along the northeastern sector.”
“My team, along with Marshall’s, will secure the missiles and exfil them to one of three potential zones to be loaded onto the helo once the second phase is completed,” Gage said.
“Which leaves my team on exfil for Olaf,” Addy said.
Kristof tightened. “If Kostya is there, he’ll head directly to Olaf. He’ll have a heavily armed team with him, typically at least ten highly trained men.”
She’d come face-to-face with his father. Even though he had no doubt she could handle herself, he hadn’t wanted the bastard anywhere near her. Not ever again.
“That won’t be a problem. We’ll have heavy drone presence to even the odds,” Edge said.
Kristof glanced at Maksim. “We can provide men to assist wherever they can. How many have you vetted?”
“Four teams of six,” Maksim said. “They are highly trained, former military. I can provide their information for The Arsenal to vet.”
“We would need to clear them,” Jesse said. “To be honest, we’d appreciate the assistance, but getting them painted as friendlies will be an issue. Do we have enough tech on the ground there to handle four teams, Zoey?”
“Yeah. Maybe.” She nodded. “Our teams will have to forego backup headsets, and we’d need to use their field trackers on Kristof’s group. That won’t be an issue from HERA’s perspective because we can use our implanted trackers instead. That’d give us the ability to color code the groups between Arsenal and Kristof’s.”
In case there was a problem with anyone on Kristof’s teams. The unspoken reasoning hung within the room as everyone regarded one another. Kristof admired the efficiency and strategic planning The Arsenal did.
“It’s your call,” Edge said. “You’re the boots on the ground. You will all have to work with the teams he offers and determine for yourselves if they’re up for the task.”
“They are,” Maksim said. “We have eight other teams I don’t consider ready.”
“You have more people in your network than I realized,” Zoey said.
“We’ve been planning for twenty years,” Kristof said. “I understand if you’d prefer not to use them, but this is my war too. I want to help free Olaf.”
And take Father down.
“The two primary objectives of this operation will be securing the missiles and freeing Olaf,” Edge said. “We can’t ensure a third objective.”
“Your father might get away,” Marshall said. “That doesn’t mean he’ll escape. It just means we’d need to focus on him once the missiles are secure and Olaf is extracted.”
“If he escapes, he won’t be found,” Maksim said. “I can handle Kostya. It would be my pleasure.”
“Not to be rude, but I’m not sure that’s a task to take on by yourself,” Zoey said.
Kristof chuckled. “I can assist him, but Maksim needs no help. The only person I’ve seen more competent at handling situations is Jud.”
“This brings us to the next talking point,” Edge said. “Kristof, we’ve run everything you provided Zoey with through HERA. To say Jesse and I were impressed is an understatement.”
Surprise rolled through Kristof as the images on the screen changed. He recognized the entities and names listed on a web-like grid. Some, though, weren’t familiar.
“What we’re looking at is what HERA deciphered from all the information we’ve obtained. Blue is what Kristof provided. It has all been verified via HERA. Green is what we’ve discovered through Yesim’s operation. Orange is what we’ve learned via the Cuba takedown,” Jesse said.
“The purple?” Addy asked.
“The purple is what HERA figured out when we combined it all,” Edge said. “In short, Kristof’s work in the underground started slowly pulling the threads of the Sidorav syndicate. He infused enough cashflow so that, on the surface level, it appeared to be a thriving initiative that expanded the reach of their drugs and gambling operations as well as their identity theft rings and human trafficking.”
“Surface level?” Zoey asked. “Sorry, I didn’t get a chance to go through any of this before the meeting.”
“It just finished a few moments ago. Edge and I are still working through it ourselves,” Jesse said. “Financial records we’ve obtained indicate that the threads fully unraveled four years ago, shortly after Olaf’s attempted overthrow. Kristof infused more cashflow into the syndicate which, again from the initial view, appears to be an increase in profits.”
Beast and Thunder scowled at the screen as it shifted.
“What Kostya likely didn’t see was that Kristof also expanded operations into other arenas at the same time. The new branches were profitable, but the costs of running everything increased exponentially.”
“How? Why?” Johnny asked.
Maksim chuckled.
Kristof shifted as everyone’s attention settled on him. “Father’s empire relies heavily on goods obtained through a network of trusted associates. Weapons and other munitions from one syndicate, transportation through another. Four syndicates altogether have worked together for decades at reduced costs. I made sure Father’s costs for those services went up.”
“How?” Marshall asked.
“Gavriil took over his syndicate. Unlike Olaf’s attempt, Gavriil succeeded. As far as my father knew, he terminated his agreement with all syndicates within this network. In actuality, we renegotiated a new alliance that excluded Father and lowered the costs of the other syndicates in exchange for their assistance at a later time.” Kristof sighed. “I believe it worked faster
than I expected.”
Which explained why Father had crawled into bed with Mandrake. He’d needed a cash infusion to stave Kristof’s strategy, one that’d been closer to completion than he’d realized. They could’ve struck sooner, before Mandrake became a heavy presence within Father’s compound.
Kristof could have rescued Olaf sooner.
“Why would this Gavriil do that?” Beast asked.
“He’s Stacia’s brother,” Kristof replied.
Addy gasped. Zoey paled.
“Sorry,” Kristof whispered. “I should have told you that. I forget that you haven’t been a part of this war I started against my father. In my mind you were always there. Whenever I grew tired of the fight, I remembered what we endured in that camp and how you never let it break you.”
“You got me through.”
Then he’d been forced to leave her there. He’d never forgive himself for not finding a way to rescue her from there or Peter’s clutches. The past was etched in stone, an unchangeable presence within each of them, but Kristof would carve a new life for them both. Somehow.
“Her brother,” Zoey repeated.
“Gavriil realized what I was doing several years ago but hadn’t said anything because his hatred for my father was almost as strong as my own,” Kristof said. “When Olaf’s attempt failed, he informed me he was about to take over his syndicate and wanted to assist with my endeavor. We formed a new plan.”
“It’s the underlying arrangement you two made after that that expedited the downfall,” Edge said.
Kristof narrowed his gaze as the screen images changed.
“I’m assuming your mutual hatred for your father’s human trafficking spurred the decision to undermine every transaction he did through your underground,” Edge said.
“How did you figure that part out?” Kristof asked. “You’re better than I expected.”
“Figure what part out?” Zoey asked. “I’m going to need you to bring out the crayons and draw a kindergarten picture for me.”
Gage chuckled. Zoey punched his arm.
“This underlying agreement worked thanks to you, Hummingbird,” Kristof said. “When Father informed me I would be selling Stacia in the underground, I was livid but in no position to attempt an overthrow of my own. He was too formidable at that time. I did the only thing I could.”
“You leaked the information to me so I’d rescue her and the others with her,” Zoey said, eyes wide. “Then you kept doing it. All those people I saved were from your father’s operation.”
“Most of them, yes,” Kristof said. “After you rescued Stacia and the others, I held back on doing more until I saw the fallout from that action. I expected to see Stacia return home. I was worried Father would find out what I’d done.”
“But when she and the others didn’t come back, you knew you could trust Zoey to do whatever she’d done for them with others,” Gage said. “That was one hell of a risk you took. One that could’ve put Zoey in a lot of danger.”
“I staggered out the ones I leaked to Hummingbird. I didn’t want to risk her or anyone, especially the trafficking victims I was trying to help,” Kristof said.
“That’s when Gavriil came into play?” Edge asked.
“Yes.” Kristof glanced at the floor. “A few batches were sold between Stacia and my approach to him. By then he’d firmly taken control of his syndicate and I knew he wouldn’t be overthrown. He’d approached me and we’d struck the new deal to remove my father from the alliance. We’d worked well enough together for me to share with him what I’d done for Stacia.”
“And what arrangement did you all make? What we’re seeing alludes to one, but I can’t figure out exactly what it was,” Jesse said.
Kristof sighed. “Enough time had passed that we felt confident Father wouldn’t suspect anything. Gavriil met with Father and pandered to his pride, said that he wished to set their past grievances aside and form a mutually beneficial trade agreement. He’d provide Father with the weapons and munitions he’d need, but the cost was substantially higher than it’d been before.”
“Why would he agree to that then?” Gage asked.
“He had no choice,” Maksim said. “Kristof called in favors he’d accumulated with others and had them raise their prices higher than what Gavriil offered two months before the meeting took place.”
“Damn,” Nolan said. “That’s slick.”
“We then used those funds to acquire the women and children Father sold through my network,” Kristof said. “Gavriil would buy a few outright under the guise of using them in his US operations, but we’d fund the purchases using some of the munitions profits. The remainder of the money was pulled from monies I either syphoned from Father’s other transactions or earned from my work with The Collective.”
“Which your father never knew you did,” Jesse said.
“I thought it best for him not to know.”
“Wow. Remind me never to do business with you,” Zoey muttered.
A few people laughed.
“The favors I accumulated weren’t through good deeds. I’ve done a lot I’m not proud of,” he admitted. “But I’d do it all again.”
“Based on what HERA’s analyzed, it appears the heavy bleeding began three years ago. He initially overcame that through a few secret enterprises he opened without Kristof’s knowledge,” Edge said. “None of them are ones we want to go into detail with here.”
“What were they?” Kristof asked. Anger seeped in him. Of course Father had gone further into the perversions he pandered to. “Pleasure houses?”
“Worse than that in some cases,” Edge said. “They pander to particular depravities from what we’ve found.”
Nausea pitched his stomach. “I had no idea.”
Silence descended a few moments. Addy shifted her weight so her side impacted with him. “You couldn’t know everything. Give yourself a break.”
“She’s right,” Gage said. “I’m not sure I could’ve strategized as well as you did. It’s impressive.” Several people nodded their agreement.
Nolan cleared his throat. “So, what changed?”
“The new enterprises slowed the bleeding but didn’t stop it. The financials buried the bleed deep enough that Kostya likely couldn’t find its origin,” Jesse said. “The hidden bank accounts we found were opened last year. Deposits into them are traced back to the Mandrake splinter group we’re fighting.”
“He’s the Russian connection,” Addy said. “Working with Yesim’s group.”
“That’s what we suspect,” Edge said. “We have most of the pieces for this complicated puzzle, but we have a few missing ones we’ll likely never figure out.”
“There are a couple of red flags we need to address before we close this off,” Jesse said. “First, we still have no leads on who that woman is. None of the Mandrake files we’ve hacked have any intel on the interrogator or a potential operative.”
“She’s likely off book for black-ops work,” Addy said. “Peter had those at Hive.”
Kristof’s stomach soured. She’d been one of Peter’s most used off-the-books operatives.
“That’s what we suspect, which means she’s extremely trained,” Edge said. “She’s an unknown variable we’ll need to be on the lookout for.”
Everyone nodded.
“The final ones cut closer to the bone,” Jesse said. “Surveillance of the compound didn’t spot him, but Spade did go to Mandrake. We aren’t sure whether he’s with Mandrake proper or this supposed splinter cell.”
“Which means we might stumble across the shithead,” Beast said. He cracked his knuckles. “I’m ready.”
Everyone nodded.
Kristof realized whoever Spade was, he’d somehow ended up on The Arsenal’s asshole list. He studied Zoey and noted the worry on her face.
Interesting.
“When are we hitting the compound?” Kristof asked.
“Tomorrow night, assuming your teams get approved by our ground team
s by then,” Jesse said.
The timeline was aggressive but doable. He wouldn’t hinder The Arsenal’s plan, especially since they’d added Olaf’s rescue to their mission agenda. “My teams will be available immediately.”
“We have a training area not too far from here,” Maksim said. “It’s remote.”
“Does Kostya know about it?” Edge asked.
“No. I purchased the property under my name years ago,” Maksim said. “No one has been there but me and Kristof. And the men, of course.”
“Very well. Teams, meet with them this afternoon. Run them through basics first. If they pass, run them through the advanced combat drills. See how they do and let us know,” Jesse ordered. “Run Maksim through them as well. We can’t risk adding the third objective if he can’t handle it.”
Kristof chuckled. This was going to be fun.
17
Only one of Kristof’s men didn’t pass The Arsenal’s tests. The rest had proven themselves well-trained and took criticism and direction well. Addy was impressed. She wandered onto the back patio of the newest location—a mansion outside Moscow. How the heck did Zoey secure so many locations?
Footsteps behind her warned of someone’s approach. A deep breath offered who. Awareness crawled along her skin and quickened her pulse as Kristof drew to a stop behind her.
“You’ve been quiet,” he said.
She kept her gaze on the setting sun in the distance. “It’s been a long day. Your men did well. You did a good job training them.”
“I can’t take all the credit. Maksim worked with them more than I did.”
Maksim. Gage, Marshall, and Nolan had all challenged him. Though all three had held their own, Maksim had won in the end. Addy had been tempted to offer a challenge of her own, but her body ached from the captivity, and she needed recovery more than anything.
“Your team is playing poker. You should join.”
Addy chuckled as she crossed her arms and propped her left shoulder against the column. “They know better than let me play.”
“You’re a card shark?” Kristof raised his eyebrows. “Interesting. Perhaps I’ll sit in on the next game you play in. I’ve picked up a few things over the years.”
