by Linda Ladd
“Yes, that’s what I hope. She would never trust me. But she turned to you for help, did she not? So I think she’ll believe you if you approach her. Once she’s out of their control, I’ll help you locate the family cells he’s got running the drugs. I’m pretty sure he’ll have set it up the same way we did the original sleeper cells.”
“Working with you will be treason. No way will Lori be a party to this.”
“She doesn’t have to be. She’s still injured. You can take her somewhere safe and come back here. We’ll take them down together and turn them all over to your CIA.” Sokolov’s face was serious. “As I said, I believe that stopping the flood of opioids coming up the coast would be reason enough for you to help me.”
Novak wavered because that was true. The opioid epidemic was a terrible thing. He found himself wanting to take Petrov down and stop the drug trade. It was tempting.
“This will have to be just you and me, and your law enforcement can wrap it up later. Russian intelligence thinks they’re moving the shipments straight up the Atlantic seaboard, probably from Florida. They say they like to target schoolyards. Since Petrov’s involved, I concluded they’re new cells being used as drug mules. Family units would be good cover. I don’t know how they’re doing it yet, but I’m working on it.” He leaned back and took a deep breath, probably sensing Novak’s interest. “You and I have common goals. I want Irina out of their control before we destroy the pipeline. You want the drug pipeline destroyed. We can make both things happen if we work together.”
Novak stared into Sokolov’s eyes. He believed him. Novak already knew the opioid devastation was destroying American communities. It was a scourge and a tragedy. A woman in Lori’s office had lost her teenage son to a drug overdose only a month ago. Lori would probably help them take down these criminals. She would definitely want Irina away from that pedophile father. Still, he planned to keep her out of it, if he could.
“Okay, say I help you do all this. How about we just contact the DEA and give them everything you know? They need to be involved from the get-go. You can tell them your story. I’ll back you up once you show me enough proof.”
Sokolov laughed. He looked amused. “I am an enemy of your country. Years ago, I helped Petrov set up agents here, but they’ve been inactive for a long time. This time Petrov’s started it up again for his own benefit. If you report this to drug enforcement, I will spend the rest of my life in your prison system. I’ve had enough prison. I’ll never go back.”
“Maybe that’s where you belong.”
“Maybe I should get a chance to help destroy a network that was never intended to transport drugs. It was just to watch, infiltrate, and relay information. These guys target children. I think some of them are used in worse ways.”
“How many families do you think are involved?”
“Back then, we set up ten in each loop. Mainly around Washington, Baltimore, and New York. Petrov might do it the same way. I don’t know yet how he’s operating, but I think he is.”
“And the cells you set up are no longer functioning.”
“No, they are long gone. My friend told me that before I came here. This is suspected to be Petrov and Blackwood’s drug network using his contacts. You know I am putting my life in danger by telling you these things.”
“Do you have proof Blackwood is abusing Irina? I saw him hit her, but that’s probably not enough to bring down a man like him.”
Sokolov frowned. “Yes, I have been watching. I think he will certainly kill her, if she threatens to expose him. I know that the senator has taken other kids out of my country and other countries as well, on the pretext of giving orphans good homes. It was part of his payoff for collaborating with them. Some of these kids eventually turned up dead or dropped out of sight. One little girl drowned while at the beach. Irina has apparently lasted longer than the others, but she will end up dead, too, Mr. Novak. Charles Blackwood is a practicing pedophile. She’s intrigued him, but now she’s causing trouble and has the means to expose him for what he is. That would destroy him, so he’ll have to get rid of her. Then he’ll find another innocent child to corrupt. She has gotten too old for his prurient tastes.”
Blackwood made Novak sick to his stomach. He didn’t want to believe he was capable of such depravity, but he did. “Tell me more about yourself and what you’ve done.”
“I told you about setting up the sleepers here. After that, I was recruited into the special unit in Somalia and put in intelligence. That’s where I was when he took Irina. When I got home and could do something about it, I went to my superiors and convinced them Blackwood had our daughter. They wouldn’t do anything because of his powerful position in your government, and warned me not to pursue it or my wife and I would be jailed. That’s what happened. My wife died while I was behind bars. So Irina’s all I have left.”
“You’re in a hell of a lot of trouble, Sokolov. Does Blackwood know who you are and that you’re out here so close to him?”
“I’m better at my job than that.”
“First good news I’ve heard since you started talking.” He downed the vodka and let Sokolov refill it. It was calming his ragged nerves now that the sedative was out of his system. “So you were active in Russian intelligence and an enemy of the U.S.”
“I was. I was doing what I thought was right at that time. I am not so sure now. I wish to atone for some of the things I did while in the army. All I want is my daughter back.”
“Where will you take her?”
“Somewhere no one will ever find us.”
Novak made his decision. He didn’t want to work with Sokolov, but if he knew how to bring down a major opioid pipeline operated by pedophiles, he would. “Okay, if I decide to buy into this, what happens next?”
“As I said. We will find a way to get Irina safely away from them, and then we bring down Petrov and Blackwood and everybody working for them.”
Novak scoffed. “And you think that’s going to be easy?”
They gauged each other a moment. Sokolov looked more relaxed now. “Novak, you showed up at Blackwood’s out of the blue and caused a big stink. What’s your connection to him? Whatever it was, he now wants you dead. That puts you firmly on my side. What did you do to him?”
“Nothing. He’s upset because Irina told him she was pregnant and accused me of being the father. That’s why Justin is dead right now. She told him I was the father in order to protect her boyfriend. I never saw any of them before that night at the restaurant. When I saw Blackwood hit her, I slugged him and knocked him down.”
“Yes, I know.”
“How?”
“I’ll show you presently. That’s why she thought she could trust you. Am I right about that?”
“She was terrified they’d kill Justin, and tried to get us to get him out of town. Turns out she was right. He’s dead with a bullet in his head. Lori and I both know who did it and why, so now they’re gunning for us. You, too, if they find out you pulled us out of that hospital.”
“We must destroy them together. I have information you’ll need to put them behind bars. My background makes it impossible for me to give it to your authorities, but you can. Fate brought us together on the side of what is right and good.”
“I don’t believe in fate. Blackwood’s untouchable except for Irina’s testimony. Even then, his political connections and media friends might get him by. You’ll never pin anything on him that sticks. But you’re right. I do think he’ll kill her. If not now, then eventually.”
“I’m going to destroy him and Petrov and their drug network. I need you to help me, but if you don’t, I go it alone.”
“How do you know about the drugs? You sure that’s what’s going on?”
“I’ve watched Petrov make a few drops. Mostly around this area and in D.C. His men were selling pills laced with fentanyl to kids at a middle schoo
l in Fredericksburg. I saw that myself. You’re trained to take care of yourself, as am I. I think you want to get Irina out, or you wouldn’t have listened to me or come with me tonight.”
“All I know about Irina is that she got me mixed up in her drama and cost me and my friend concussions, and now we’re on the suspect list for killing her boyfriend.”
“Enough reasons to take Blackwood down. He’s the one who signed that kid’s death warrant. He gives Petrov his orders. He’ll come after you and your woman again, and this time he’ll get you, and he’ll get away with it. We have to get him first.”
Unfortunately, Novak knew all that was true. He was angry he’d been sucked into this guy’s problems, but he did want Blackwood and his henchman as bad as Sokolov did. He just wasn’t sure hooking up with a former Russian agent was the best way to do it. Probably not good at all, truth be told. He would have to trust Sokolov and his whole outlandish story, and some of it seemed a bit iffy. “Maybe I’ll help you, Sokolov. I’ll think about it. I want Irina out of there, too. We’re not going to break any laws to do it. If you pull a double-cross on me, I’ll hunt you down.”
“And I will do the same with you. That is granted. We don’t have to break American laws to do this. We can turn over evidence to whichever agency you wish. But Blackwood and his people will die.”
“Just murder everybody and be done with it, huh? That your take on all this?”
“Precisely. They are the worst of men. They corrupt everything they touch. Especially little children.”
Novak couldn’t argue with that. They were worse than Sokolov, but this guy was no angel, either. Neither was Novak.
“I’m not promising you anything. I want to hear more and see more, and look over whatever proof you have. I don’t want Lori involved. I’m going to take her somewhere safe before we do anything.”
Sokolov nodded. “That is a wise decision.”
“No kidding. Just for the record, I still don’t trust you.”
“You will learn to. Just do not think to betray me.”
They were off to a great partnership, Novak thought, wishing he’d never stepped foot off his boat a few days ago. So be it. Blackwood and Vasily Petrov were both monsters. They were going to end them and everything they stood for.
Chapter 10
Novak pulled a chair up close to Lori’s bed and thought about what he should do. She was resting peacefully, still sleeping off the painkillers. He was contemplating a dangerous course of action, and had halfway decided to join forces with Stepan Sokolov. If even one-tenth of what Sokolov had said was true, somebody needed to get involved, but it wasn’t going to be Lori Garner. She had been invaluable to him many times since they’d met, but it wasn’t in the cards this time. Petrov was not your run-of-the-mill criminal. He was fully capable of committing murder without hesitation. Lori was never going to meet up with him, not if Novak could help it.
Besides, she had gotten the brunt of the injuries in that wrecked car. Convincing her to sit this thing out and let him go it alone would be the problem. She wouldn’t like that, and probably wouldn’t listen to reason. He looked up when she shifted slightly and moaned as a result. Her eyes flew wide, and she looked around wildly, scared. Novak rose before sitting down on the edge of the bed. She calmed at once when she saw him.
“Everything’s okay. How do you feel?” he asked softly.
“Not so good.”
“Headaches?”
“My shoulder hurts worse, but my head’s pounding as if it were trapped in a drum.”
“You need another painkiller. I have some in my backpack.”
“You know what, Novak? This thing sucks to high heaven. We’ve got to quit ending up like this.” She squeezed her eyes shut.
“Yeah, I know. It’s getting old, all right.”
“Are you hurting?”
“Not like you are. That truck rammed the driver’s seat. Your side got the worst impact. Do you remember much about it?”
She kept her eyes shut. “Not so much after I came back out of the gas station. Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe I don’t want to remember it.”
“I hope you don’t.”
“One of us always ends up in the hospital,” she murmured, so low he could barely hear her. “This time it’s me. Last time it was you. Time before that it was me. We’re taking turns, Novak. Being polite.” She attempted to laugh things off, but it didn’t come out that way. Her face was still that frightening waxy white color, and she did not feel well. For the first time, Novak had a bad feeling about her injury. She was tough as they come, but this time she’d hit her head a little too hard. Concussions could be dangerous, and he’d been forced to take her out of that hospital too soon. His determination to sideline her doubled. He needed her in a safe place, out of harm’s way for the duration of this case. “Wish it had been just me this time.”
“Me too.” Another feeble joke that wasn’t funny, but he smiled. Lori turned her head and gazed at him. “What in the world have we gotten ourselves into this time? Do I even want to know?”
“Well, nothing about it is good. That’s for damn sure. You don’t need to be involved, not until you get better.”
“I hate like the devil to admit this, but I don’t think I’ll be much help to you, not for a few days, anyway. Not until this headache lets up. I can’t think straight or lift my head without getting sick to my stomach. Every muscle and joint in my body hurts. Did I break something in my shoulder? I’m having trouble remembering things.”
“You dislocated it, but the doctor fixed it. It’s going to be a problem for a little while. Keep the sling on, and it’ll heal faster. Don’t worry about anything until you get better. This thing has gotten ugly very fast.” He squeezed her fingers. “Hey, I’m sorry I got you into this. I mean it, Lori. This is my fault. All of it.”
“You got suckered in. Not your fault.”
“Do you think you can get out of here tomorrow?”
“If you help me.”
“I’m going to take you somewhere safe.” He stopped, debating how much to tell her. She didn’t need to lie around worrying, but she had to know some of it. “Sokolov thinks they’re going to kill Irina soon. I think he’s right. She’s causing them trouble and involving outsiders in their private business.”
“What’s that Russian’s stake in this? I don’t understand who he is or why we’re with him.”
“He told me Irina is his daughter. I’m not sure I believe him, but the rest of his story halfway makes sense. I think he’s bad news, but not as bad as the Petrov guy. He’s the one I want to bring down. He’s the one who shot Justin to death.”
“Not the news I wanted to hear. So what happens next? What are you going to do?”
“Right now, we both need to rest and get some sleep. In the morning, I’m driving you back to my boat. After that, I’m checking you back into a hospital, somewhere far away from Blackwood’s influence. I want you to be safe while I help Sokolov get Irina out of that house.” Novak felt his suppressed rage welling up every time he pictured Petrov firing those bullets into that young kid’s head. “I watched Vasily Petrov execute that poor boy in cold blood. He didn’t hesitate one second. Then he turned his gun on you, and I opened fire. They’re trying to kill all of us, and they’re not going to stop until they do. Sokolov is giving me a chance to take them down first.”
“How?”
“You don’t need to worry about that. I won’t do anything unless I believe it will work. And I’m not trusting that guy out there completely. I’ll be watching him.”
“I wish you wouldn’t go after those people…but I know I can’t talk you out of it. I’m okay lying low for a day or two, or I have to be, I guess, but only till I get my legs back under me. I can still shoot, even with my shoulder strapped into a sling. But I have to be able to focus my eyes on the target, and I can�
�t even focus on your face right now.”
“You don’t have to. I’m getting you to a safe place.”
“I can make do without the hospital stay if you keep me supplied with those painkillers. I’d rather stay on the Sweet Sarah. Nobody will look for me there. I’ll be armed, anyway. Just drop anchor somewhere. I’ll be fine.”
“I’d rather take you back to your apartment in D.C. Let the army take care of you.”
She shut her eyes again. “Let’s just figure this all out in the morning. I’m too wiped to talk anymore.”
“Go to sleep. I’ll be right here.”
“Well, don’t leave me alone with that Russian creep. I think he’s weird.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
She didn’t answer him. Her eyes remained closed.
“You sure you’re okay, Lori? What did the doctor tell you?”
“He said to take it easy and rest the shoulder, and that it would take some time to heal. Quit worrying about me. You need sleep, too.”
After that, she lay still, and the room went quiet. Novak stretched out on the bed beside her, on top of the comforter, fully clothed. He kept the Ruger loosely in his hand. He’d locked the bedroom door and closed the curtains, but he still felt uneasy. Sokolov had not proven himself yet.
Lori started awake from her doze and moved closer to him. “What about the cops?”
“They’ve already questioned me. I’ve got a feeling they’ll be out looking for us first thing tomorrow morning.”
Lori didn’t say more. Novak shut his eyes. This thing was not going to end well. All he had wanted was a good steak, damn it. He hadn’t even gotten to finish eating that T-bone before all hell had broken loose.
* * * *
Well before dawn the next morning, Sokolov tapped softly on their bedroom door. Novak grabbed his weapon and jumped up. When he opened the door a bare crack, the Russian held up a big brown bottle of pills. “Hydrocodone. I thought your lady might need some for the road.”
