Anya explained that the tunnels interconnect every room and that we could use the ducts to get into his study and then go straight back the way we came, as there’s no need to venture into the building and risk getting caught.
I speed up at the prospect of getting the fuck out of these vents, coming to a stop behind the slatted grill. Listening, I don’t hear anyone on the other side and can’t see any movement, so I pull the screwdriver out of my pocket and loosen off the grill. Once it’s loose, I pull it into the vent and prop it on one side, knowing that dropping it could be game over. Using my upper chest strength, I lower myself down into the room and drop to my feet.
Glancing around, his study is about double the size of mine and lavish to a fault.
How the fuck can anyone get work done in this place?
It’s too gaudy and it would be distracting in my opinion to focus, as everything glistens in fucking gilt.
Konstantin drops down next to me. “What are you waiting for, sir?”
He has a point. We need to find the ledgers as fast as possible. I shake my head. “Sorry, just taking in the obnoxiousness of the room.”
He smirks. “Right? It’s crazy.”
Dimitry and Aleksei drop down behind us. “What now, boss?” Aleksei asks.
“You two check those filing cabinets over there.” I glance at the desk. “I’ll check the desk, and Konstantin can check that dresser.”
All three of them nod in unison and do as they’re told, as I walk to the desk and take a seat behind it. Slowly, I pull open the draws and rifle through them, ensuring I don’t make too much noise.
My three men do the same, pulling apart Grigory’s study in the search of his ledgers.
It takes longer than I’d hoped until Dimitry suddenly lifts the folder. “Got it.”
It’s thick, thicker than I expected, as I stand and approach, snatching the information from his hand. “Perfect.” I flip through the folder to ensure it’s what we came here for. “This is it, boys.”
Heavy footsteps heading our direction make all of our heads snap toward the study door.
“Aleksi and Dimitry, out now with this.” I thrust it into Dimitry’s hand.
He doesn’t hesitate, pulling himself up into the vent, followed by Aleksi.
I glance at Konstantin and nod toward the vent. “Now.”
Konstantin hesitates.
“Konstantin, don’t make me say it again.”
He swallows hard and pulls himself up into the shaft just as the door to the study swings open.
A guard holding a gun enters and his eyes widen when he sees me standing there, lifting the gun. “Don’t move!”
I hold my hands up, ensuring I keep my eyes off the open vent so that he doesn’t realize there’s more of us. “Don’t shoot.”
“Who the fuck are you?” he demands, entering the room and closing the gap between us, the finger on the trigger shaking.
This guard is inexperienced and, if I had to guess, has probably never killed before, which is dangerous. He’s a bomb waiting to go off at the smallest thing.
“I’m no one,” I reply.
His eyes narrow and he nods to the door. “Come on, I’m taking you to the boss. I’m sure he’ll find out what the fuck you are playing at in his study.”
My heart hammers as I try to formulate a plan, but then a knife flies past my face and lodges in his trachea and his eyes go wide.
The gun drops from his hand and he falls to his knees, blood streaming from his neck.
I glance back and see Konstantin’s eyes blazing with murderous rage. “Thanks.”