Page 47 of Blood & Snow

"Drive. Anywhere. I need to think."

The car pulls into traffic and begins winding through the city center.

I stare out the window at pedestrians bundling against the cold while my mind processes my options.

Four Brotherhood cells with improved security require different approaches than the straightforward assaults I've been conducting.

The cell operating from the nightclub in Zamoskvorechye employs civilian shields, making direct confrontation too messy.

The group using the construction site near Sokolniki has multiple escape routes and elevated positions.

The warehouse facility in Butyrsky offers defensive advantages that would cost significant casualties.

Each target presents unique challenges that require specific solutions.

Solutions that Nadya's analytical mind could provide if I'm willing to risk exposing her to increased danger.

Her forensic background allows her to read scenes others miss, to identify patterns and weaknesses that tactical training alone doesn't reveal.

So if she can read them after the fact, she may be able to read the landscape beforehand, tell me how to proceed with caution.

But involving her deeper in active operations violates every survival instinct I've developed over fifteen years in this business.

The smart play would be eliminating her now, before attachment compromises my judgment further.

A bullet behind the ear, body disposed in the river, problem solved permanently.

But the thought of killing her makes my chest tighten.

The idea of silencing that sharp mind, of never seeing her eyes widen when I enter a room, of never feeling her body respond to mine again…

I force the weakness from my thoughts and focus on operational priorities.

I'm down to thirty-nine days to eliminate four cells with minimal losses while maintaining organizational security.

I have to prove my continued value to Markov or I'm going to end up being the one in the river.

And now I have someone else to protect on top of that.

As easy as it would be to remove Nadya from the equation before I grow too attached, I just don't want to.

"Take me to the construction site," I tell the driver.

The vehicle changes direction toward Sokolniki as I try to force her out of my head again.

The Brotherhood cell there handles arms trafficking for their remaining operations.

Eliminating them would cripple the others' ability to acquire heavy weapons, forcing them into defensive positions with limited firepower.

Hitting there first makes the most sense.

But the site offers multiple elevated positions and clear sightlines for blocks.

I can't walk my men into a killing field with inadequate cover.

The smart approach requires reconnaissance and planning, resources that consume time I don't possess.

My phone buzzes with a text message.