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My face continues to explore the texture of the dust in the grooves of the tiles as I regain consciousness. Vanya’s voice says something like, “How do you know who I am?”

And here I thought I got recognized.

“Come on, fellas, we can work something out. Payment in blood?” I mumble, trying to sit up. Instead, a garble of bullshit and just a little spit and blood comes out.

Gets their attention, though.

Someone drags me to my knees, pulling my head back by my hair. That’ssohot.

“You were clever to find your way here, but foolish to use the ring to gain entry.”

“The ring was given to us, a gift,” Vanya bluffs.

“Even if that were true, the giver would suffer a gruesome death for betraying our organization. Which means they must already be dead.”

“Along with dozens more of your soldiers,” Vanya snaps, shifting gears on a dime. The statement raises the temperature in the room a few degrees. Them’s fighting words.

Gotta diffuse this.

“Look, Mr. Kingsley, I’m sure we can work something out…I love your movies, by the way. Not so much the superhero one, but still.” This time I make words come out. Probably not for the best, though.

The fist across my jaw is expected, but shockingly painful.

Not his, of course. One of the four toughs holding us hostage.

“Impudent prick. I should have known you were American.” The auctioneer leers down at me over his prominent nose. He preens in front of his men, puffing out his chest a bit. His gaze sweeping over me.

This is going south quickly.

Need to turn things around.

But Vanya’s all over it. “Please, forgive my outburst. And him, in general. You clearly know who I am. And you are very aware of why I am here.”

“I do. But you can hardly expect tobargainfrom your position.”

So he does have Pyotr! I almost blurt it out.

He continues, raising his nose condescendingly. “The items we have that might have belonged to the Volk were purchased at fair market value. If you want your possessions back, you simply must buy them.”

Wait…what is he talking about?

“I came here forinformation, nothing more.” This time, Vanya’s bluff is solid, natural. “And to see what this fuss was all about.”

“This…fuss?”

“I do not care about heirlooms. I approved those sales myself. Yourestablishmentintrigued me.”

“I see,” he mutters. Now it’s his turn to wonder what the hell she’s talking about. And mine. Still mine. I have no clue. “So you came to…vacation? What of the recent…events on your shores?”

Rumors spread fast. Let’s see how fast and how accurate.

“Clearly not your concern or your department. Unless any of our citizens made their way into your possession? This would be grounds for…retaliation.”

The man’s eyes widen slightly, somewhere between outrage and fear.

“You would threaten me, in my own club? In my own country? You are alone. Helpless.”

“Perhaps. But Pyotr Sokolov knows precisely where I am. And he is always eager for a fight. His kin going missing or being harmed would be…inconvenient for you.” Here’s the real roll of the dice.