Nikolai
Scott Vesler is a strong man.I can see why he was put in charge of the distribution line for the north part of the city. He’s not Russian, but he joined our group when he was right out of high school. Had nowhere to go, his mom was an addict who threw him out when he couldn’t pay the rent and was old enough for her to legally get rid of him. Seems strange he’d join us after such an ordeal. Maybe he feels ecstasy isn’t as bad as the crack she was smoking. I don’t know. And I really don’t fucking care.
He’s the last of his crew. The rest have been taken care of, disposed of. Their families won’t see shit for compensation either. You don’t betray the Romanov family and get any sort of life insurance benefits for who you leave behind.
“I didn’t have anything to do with the fire,” Scott yells into the empty room. He sits in the ten square foot cement room alone. Other than the door, there’s no openings. It’s as close to a box as you can get, and he’s been in it alone. Out here, we can hear him just fine though.
“I swear, Nikolai! I didn’t touch that place! I didn’t go after her!” he screams.
It’s been a long time since he’s seen any of us. He’s probably hungry. I’m sure he’s thirsty, and if he hasn’t already pissed himself, I’m sure he needs the bathroom.
“How does he even know we’re here and can hear him?” Boris asks.
“He’s been sitting in silence for the past day, dumbass. He probably heard us walk up,” Viktor answers.
“Has he given us any information?” I ask.
“None. He doesn’t deny working for Ivan and your father. Bastard’s been double dipping for years. He owns that, but he says he had nothing to do with the fire at Charlie’s place,” Viktor answers. He’s been down here watching our little friend today. Since Charlotte left, he’s gone back to what he used to call ‘fun’ duties.
“Charlie?” I raise an eyebrow.
“That’s her name,” Viktor says firmly.
“Her name is Charlotte.” I keep my tone bland. When it comes to her, I want to push it all out of my mind. The weeks we spent together, the nights we had. Everything is in the past. She’s suffered enough already from her involvement with me, I won’t make it worse by coveting her memory too.
“To you, her name is Charlotte,” Viktor argues. “Because that’s your name for her.” He goes back to looking away from me after making his statement. There’s more in that statement though. Me calling her Charlotte, that was for me; it was something I held that no one else did. And maybe it’s best I don’t have to share it with anyone else.
“Do you believe him?” I point to the closed door. “Is there a possibility Ivan used someone else?”
“I don’t know,” Boris sighs.
“Okay.” I reach for the door. It creaks as it opens, and Scott lifts his head up. His hands are bound behind him, and he looks worked over pretty well. He won’t get his vision back in his left eye—if he were going to live past this meeting.
“Nikolai, I swear to god I had nothing to do with what happened to your girl,” he starts.
I stop a few steps short of him. Fuck, he stinks, and the puddle on the floor beneath him explains it. Guess he doesn’t need that bathroom anymore.
“No? Ivan didn’t hire your crew to play messenger for him?”
He shakes his head. “He never mentioned her, or you. He never said a word. If he knew you were on to him, he would have told me.” He licks his dry lips that are cracking. How long can a man go without water before he finally dies?
“And your excuse for betraying me? My family?” I ask, folding my arms over my chest.
He laughs. It’s a sad huffing sound.
“Money, man.” He sniffs. “It’s always about money.”
At least he’s honest.
“Ivan gave you a decent cut?”
Scott nods.
“Did it occur to you what my father would have rewarded you with if you had come to us with information about Ivan’s disloyalty? Ivan isn’t even a member of our family.”
“Ivan’s advised your father for years. You know that. When he came to me, at first, I thought it was a trick. A test to see if I’d do it.”
“Obviously you failed.”