Page 59 of Arranged Control

“I have enemies like everyone here in this room. Perhaps more than most. But none that would be so foolish as to strike me alone in such a manner. This is unacceptable, Padraig. Something must be done.”

Dad holds out his hands. “I agree. I’m just as angry. Those men were my people. Their blood is my problem too. I’m in this with you, don’t forget.”

Ruslan seems somewhat calmed by that. “Perhaps that is true. And yet here we are with only a vague list and no real suspects.”

“Actually, there’s one name you might be able to tell me about.” Everyone turns in my direction. I watch Ruslan’s reaction closely. “Do you know a contractor by the name of Molchanie?”

He looks up at me sharply. For a moment, he flinches back like I struck him in the face. But he quickly composes himself.

“That’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time.”

“From what I understand, he’s a professional killer from Moscow.”

Ruslan shifts in his seat. I’m aware of my family watching carefully, but I feel like I’m starting to see some of the pieces come together, or at least their shapes are matching up.

“Molchanie is one of the best.” Ruslan’s voice trembles slightly and his fingers rub together as he clasps his hands in his lap. “They are former SVB. That’s the new spying agency. They worked for the Russian government for a long time before going private. How do you even know of them?”

“I was told they’re working in the city by a reliable source.”

“Absurd. That cannot possibly be true. Molchanie has not been in America in a very long time.”

“Do you think they would be capable of what I just saw in that video?”

He’s silent for a moment. Then he nods once. “Molchanie would be more than capable.”

“Tell me everything you know about them.”

“I already did.” Ruslan glares at me. “Not much else is publicly available. Molchanie has a very long track record of successful kills. They are ruthless, talented, and well-funded. If this is Molchanie’s doing—” He stops and shakes his head. “But it is impossible.”

I share a look with my father. He nods slightly and I decide to drop it. Clearly, Ruslan’s shaken, and that tells me more than any of his answers could. No part of me thinks he’s telling me the truth or sharing everything he knows.

But one thing’s obvious: Molchanie scares the shit out of him.

Ruslan isn’t the type of man who overreacts.

If he’s worried about this killer, then I’d better be too.

I’m thinkingabout the note on the drive home.

A part of me can understand why Alina wouldn’t want to tell me about it.

It definitely looks bad.

But I believe her when she says she doesn’t know where it came from.

Which is worse than if she did.

Someone broke into her apartment while we were asleep. We aren’t dead, nothing was taken, and apparently only that note was left behind. Whoever did it clearly didn’t mean us any harm.

At that point, anyway.

Things change though.

What will happen when Alina and I don’t get divorced? Whoever broke into Alina’s apartment won’t be happy about that. Clearly, they want us to split up, even though I have no idea why.

The note feels personal. It doesn’t seem like it’s about business. Otherwise, they’d go about it differently. Instead, it was a piece of paper and a question.

Who would go through all that?