“There isn’t much to go on,” Nikolai reflected my own thoughts. “What do you think?”
“Agreed,” I replied in Russian. “Not much information. Her father is probably holding back. But the bigger issue is that there is a mole amongst us. The attorney’s connection to the senator and governor should have been discovered. And no mention of his daughter in his file.”
“I will fucking find whoever it is,” Nikolai grumbled. We couldn’t have people we did not trust around us. Too much was at risk and we were so close to getting all our businesses legalized.
So I had no doubt Nikolai would find out whoever was feeding us wrong information.
“We’ll have to do this alone,” I concluded.
He nodded.
“I’ll call up Sergei again,” I told him. “I’ll see if he can scout some information while we travel.”
“I’ll put feelers out too,” Nikolai added. “Officially, we’re going there to check on our shipping business.”
We’d finish Boris once and for all, and in the process, I’d have three powerful men in my pocket. Perfect!
I dialed up State’s Attorney Manciatti. He must have been waiting by the phone because the phone was answered on the first ring.
“Deal,” I told him briefly. “You’ll get a secured phone delivery. There will be a note with it. Text me on that phone number. After that, I’ll be in touch when there is something to report.”
I hung up and my eyes traveled to the picture of his daughter. She’d be my ticket to get everything I wanted.
Nikolai and I sat in a BMW, halfway down the dirt road of a farmhouse two hours outside of Moscow. When we arrived in Moscow yesterday, Sergei had a lead. It led us here, to the middle of nowhere scouting the small farmhouse. The desolate area was owned by the Russian government. It’d now become an area where dead bodies were dumped, taking days and sometimes weeks before they were discovered.
Nikolai leaned forward and peered towards the house.
“Movement,” he murmured and we both stared at the house. The car was blocked by a large tree and overgrown grass. It was a perfect location to monitor the house while not being spotted.
Five men stepped out of the house, one of them dragging a woman by her arm, struggling to follow. Her head was covered and her hands were tied. I watched intently. Were they moving her? It would be hard to follow them without being noticed.
They stopped in the clearing, right off the porch, and just stood there. Two men lit up their cigarettes.
“I don’t think they are moving her,” Nikolai spoke low. “Maybe outside break.”
The men stood around, talking and laughing. The woman just stood still as a statue. I assumed she couldn’t see anything. Even from here I could spot bruises down her slim legs. The clothes she wore were the same from the footage at the Russian Orchid.
One of the men grabbed her by the butt, startling her. He pulled her against him while the other two laughed and she fought tooth and nail. As her body went limp in his arms, a victorious laugh left the man.
“How many men?” I asked through gritted teeth. I hated people that preyed on women and children. I wanted to kill all these men and the ones in the house to rid the Earth of such filth.
“Eight,” Nikolai answered curt. “Ten tops.”
My hand was on the handle of the car door, ready to snatch the woman.
“Shit,” Nikolai’s curse had me turning my head and following his gaze.
I watched in amazement as the woman dug her fingers into the man’s eyes, followed by the scumbag’s wail. She kept hitting him in the face with her bonded hands. This woman had fire, but that wasn’t enough as the man hit her and she flailed backwards, her head meeting the ground hard.
Chapter Two
Anastasia
The moment my head hit the ground, I swore I saw the stars and my whole life flashed in front of my eyes. The sounds of nature penetrated, buzzing in my ears. Somewhere in the distance I heard birds chirping and felt a light breeze on my skin, but it was as if it was happening to someone else. I could have closed my eyes right now and drifted off to sleep or unconsciousness, I wasn’t quite sure.
Don’t ever pass out when you’re most vulnerable,my father’s words echoed in my brain. I tried hard to ignore the pain. Dad was right, I had to remain awake at all costs.
One of them, or many of them, kicked me and pain shot through my body.Assholes!In the past two weeks, I decided I didn’t like Russian men. They were jerks.