Page 15

T he minutes ticked by torturously slowly as they ate room service meals and waited for Livvy’s phone to ring. Finally Jake pushed his plate away and leaned toward Livvy.

“We need to have a plan for if Sergei calls,” he said. “We need to have the name of an agent we can trust to protect him and his wife. To keep them safe.”

“I’ve been thinking the exact same thing,” Livvy said. “I’m reluctant to call the local FBI office. They wouldn’t know who we are, or what our motives are. And how do we know if we could trust them?”

“Yeah. I think we have to get Diana involved. Explain the situation to her and have her contact someone she trusts in that office. So when Sergei calls, we have someone lined up to help him.” Jake studied her for a moment. “You want to call Diana?”

“Yeah.” Livvy reached for her phone and dialed the Director’s number. She put the phone on speaker, and moments later, Diana’s voice said, “Director Redfield. How can I help you?”

“Madame Director, this is Olivia Dunbar. We have a situation here in New York and we’re going to need some assistance from the local FBI office.”

“What’s the situation?” Diana asked, her voice calm.

Olivia explained about Sergei, and how she and Jake were afraid he was going to be killed, how they’d contacted Sergei and offered the FBI’s assistance. “We need the name of an agent who can pick up him and his wife when they call, set up a safe house for them, and basically be their advocate with the FBI.”

Diana was silent for a long moment. Finally she said, “That’s a good thing that you and Jake have done. I’ll call the SAC of the Brooklyn office and talk it over with her. Get a recommendation for you with a name and phone number. So when your Sergei calls, you have someone to reach out to.”

“Thank you, Madame Director. We’re hoping he calls us tonight. I’m afraid that he’s a marked man now and it won’t be long before someone in his group kills him. Possibly his wife, as well.”

“That would be consistent with what we know of the Bratva. Let me make this call, then I’ll call you back immediately.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Livvy said.

Diana hung up, and Livvy ended the call. “I hope she calls back before Sergei calls us.”

“I’m guessing he’ll call us late, after his neighbors are in bed. He won’t want anyone to see him and his wife getting into a car.”

Livvy swallowed, and Jake’s gaze followed the ripple of muscles in her neck as she spoke. “I think we need to get Sergei and his wife out of that house as soon as possible,” she said. “I’m afraid that someone from that group at the meeting is going to try to kill them tonight.”

“That seems likely,” Jake said. “As soon as Sergei calls, we should tell him to get their things together and get out of the house. Maybe hide in the garage.”

“Maybe hide in a neighbor’s garage,” Livvy said. “If someone comes to kill them tonight, they’ll search the garage if they don’t find Sergei and his wife in the house.”

“Good idea.” Jake swallowed and began to pace the room. “Now all we need is a name and phone number from Diana.”

Tension swirled through the room, curling tight in Jake’s belly. When he looked over at Livvy, he saw the same tension in her expression. “Come on, come on,” Livvy murmured. “Call us, Diana!”

After what seemed like forever but was probably less than fifteen minutes, Livvy’s phone rang. She snatched it up and connected the call. “This is Livvy.”

“Olivia, I have a name and phone number for you.” She rattled them off, and Livvy scribbled them on a piece of paper. “This agent grew up in a Bratva family, so he knows what Sergei and his wife are facing. His name is Roman Peters. He speaks fluent Russian and will guide your Sergei and his wife through the jungles of cooperating with the FBI. I spoke to him and he’s prepared to leave at a moment’s notice to pick them up.”

“Thank you so much, Madame Director. Fingers crossed that Sergei actually calls.”

“Yes, I hope so, too. Keep me updated.”

“We’ll do that.” Livvy disconnected the phone, then looked over at Jake. “Do you think they’ll call?”

“Sergei probably grew up in the Bratva. Maybe his wife did, too. They know what’ll happen to them if they don’t get to a safe place. My guess is that they’re gathering what they want to take and packing it up. Once they’re ready to leave, they’ll call.”

“I hope to hell you’re right,” Livvy said.

She paced the room for the next half-hour, until Jake grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the couch with him. “You’re making me dizzy, Liv. Pacing isn’t going to make them call more quickly.”

She banged her head against the back of the couch. “All I can see in my head are people breaking into their house and killing them.”

“They’re gonna be watchful,” Jake said. “You know damn well they have weapons, and they know how to use them. They’re not defenseless. Do I want them out of that house? Absolutely, and the sooner, the better. But sitting here and obsessing about it isn’t going to make them call any faster.”

“He seemed so young,” Livvy said in a low voice. “Barely more than a kid.”

“He is barely more than a kid,” Jake said. “But I’m guessing kids grow up pretty damn fast in Bratva families.” He reached over and grabbed her hands. Twined their fingers together. “He’s nothing like you or I were at his age. He’s not helpless. Not na?ve. He knows what the score is and knows what to expect from the other members of his group. I’m certain he and his wife have discussed all the possibilities. They know what the stakes are. They probably know exactly who’ll be sent for them.”

“What an awful way to live,” Livvy said.

Jake shrugged. “Guess that depends on your perspective. They probably think of it as knowing exactly what’s expected of you. Knowing exactly what your role is. There’s a lot of comfort in having a crystal-clear grasp of your role in an organization.” He curled his arm around her shoulders. “Take a few deep breaths. I’m guessing Sergei is going to call. Probably soon.”

Livvy stood up and began pacing again. She’d barely made it halfway around the room when her phone rang.

She froze, staring at Jake. He nodded at her. “Go ahead and answer it. And stay calm. They don’t need to hear you losing your shit.”

Livvy nodded, then took a deep breath. After the phone rang twice more, she connected the call. “Hello?”

“Is this the, uh, woman who gave me her phone number?” Sergei’s voice.

“Yes, it is. Who is this?”

“This is Sergei. From this morning.”

“I remember who you are, Sergei. Do you want us to help you?”

“Yes. Me and my wife want to leave our house and find a safe refuge. You said you could provide that.”

“Yes,” Livvy said, businesslike and brisk. “I’ll call my local contact with the FBI in Brooklyn. He will pick you up.”

“You and your partner will be here, right?”

She shot her gaze to Jake. “Do you want us to be there?”

“Yes,” Sergei said. “So we can be sure that the person picking us up is the person it’s supposed to be.”

“I’ve never met him, but I have his name and I’ll ask for his ID. My partner and I will meet you.” She glanced at Jake, and he nodded. “Do you have all your things packed and ready to go?” she asked.

“We do. Should we wait in the living room?”

“No way,” Livvy said. “They’ll go to your house first. I’d like you to go out the back door and into the alley. Don’t go into your garage. Walk down a few houses and go into a garage several houses away from your house. Be very quiet so the homeowners don’t notice. Tell me your address, and we’ll find you in the alley.”

Sergei hesitated for a long moment, then rattled off his address.

“Okay, good. I’ll call the agent who’s going to assist you, then my partner and I will walk over to your address. We won’t approach the front door, in case anyone’s watching. We’ll walk into the alley and find you. We’ll be there in fifteen minutes or so.”

“Okay. My wife and I will see you then.”

Sergei cut the connection, and Jake was already reaching for a jacket. He put his gun into a holster beneath his left arm, and Livvy did the same. Less than five minutes later, they left their room and headed down the elevator.

It took about fifteen minutes to walk to Sergei’s address. The agent who’d be assisting Sergei had said he’d arrive in about a half-hour. When they reached Sergei’s house, they continued past it and turned down the side street. Then, checking to make sure there wasn’t anyone around, Livvy and Jake ducked into the alley. They knew which garage belonged to Sergei, and they kept walking past it. The side door of the garage three houses down was ajar.

Livvy looked at Jake, who nodded as he pulled out his gun. Livvy did the same, then they approached the door. Standing on one side of the door, Jake murmured, “Sergei, are you in this garage?”

The door swung open and Sergei stuck his head out. Nodded when he spotted them. “Come into the garage to wait with us.”

“Why don’t you and your wife come out here?” Jake countered. “We’ll wait in the alley.”

Sergei frowned. “What if members of my gang show up?”

“They’re going to go to your house first. They’ll pound on the door. Ring the doorbell. We’ll hear them from here. If we hear your back door open, we’ll retreat into the garage. Your ride should be here soon,” Jake said. He touched Sergei’s shoulder. “What time would you expect members of your group to show up?”

“Not until later. Eleven or twelve tonight.”

Sergei stood with them in the dark alley. His wife’s pale face appeared in the doorway, then she stepped back so she was out of sight. A cat dashed through the yard, startling them, and Sergei flinched as the cat disappeared into the blackness at the side of the house.

In the darkness, a night bird called above them. The sound mournful. Somber, as if he knew what Sergei faced.

The bright headlights of a car turned into the alley. “Back in the garage,” Jake ordered. “Liv and I will see who this is.” He hoped to God it was Roman Peters, come to retrieve Sergei and his wife.

The car rolled to a stop at Sergei’s garage. After waiting a few moments, Jake began walking toward the car, holding his FBi badge in front of him. The driver’s side door opened and a tall, thin man stepped out. “You Sergei?” he asked quietly when Jake and Livvy got close.

“No,” Jake said. “Jake Dunbar, FBI agent from D.C. This is Olivia Williams, former FBI agent. We’re the ones who approached Sergei.”

“Where are they?” the agent said. “I want to get out of here as fast as possible.”

“May I see your ID and badge, please?” Jake asked, holding out his hand.

The agent handed Jake his ID and flashed his badge at him. Jake handed the ID back and nodded. “Don’t want to take any chances. They’re waiting in the garage two houses down. Drive down there, and I’ll bring them out.”

“Yeah. I don’t want to be in this neighborhood any longer than I need to be.”

“You grow up in the Bratva?” Jake asked.

“Yeah, and I know how vicious those animals can be,” Roman said. “Let’s get my cargo loaded so we can get out of here.”

Five minutes later, Sergei’s bags were loaded into the trunk of Petrov’s car, and Sergei and his wife were in the back seat. “Hate to break up the party, but we’re out of here,” Roman said. He handed Jake a card. “Call me so I can fill you in on how everything goes.”

“We’ll do that,” Jake said. He leaned toward the car and Sergei rolled down the window. “Good luck. You’re safe now. I hope you have a great life.”

Sergei stared at him. Blew out a breath. “Thanks to you, we will.”

The window rolled up, and the bureau car accelerated down the alley. Less than a minute later, it had disappeared.

Livvy exhaled, and her relief echoed Jake’s. “You think we’ll hear how they’re doing?” she asked.

“Diana can probably find out for us. But they’re safe now. That’s the important thing.”

“Yeah.”

They walked to the end of the alley, then emerged on the street behind Sergei’s house. Heading toward their hotel, they both glanced down the street toward Sergei’s house. There hadn’t been any lights on when they’d left, but now it looked as if every light in the house was on. Livvy stopped to stare, until Jake took her elbow and tugged her across the street. “Don’t look as though you’re watching,” he said. “Thank God we got them out in time.”

“Yeah. Ten or fifteen minutes made a huge difference.”

As a door opened in one of the houses, Jake draped an arm over Livvy’s shoulders. “We need to sell the story that we’re out on a date,” he murmured when he felt her tense beneath his arm. “Tuck yourself into me.”

His back burned as if someone stared at them, but he didn’t allow himself to look over his shoulder. His shoulders tensed, as if waiting for a bullet to hit him, but nothing happened as they walked at a slow and steady pace. Jake dropped a kiss on Livvy’s head, using it to look down the block at Sergei’s house. A man stood on the stoop, and it looked as if he was talking to someone inside the house.

Jake and Livvy continued at that same slow, casual speed, as if they were a couple returning from a date and reluctant for it to end. When they finally reached the next street and were hidden from whoever was at Sergei’s house, Jake relaxed, but he didn’t remove his arm from Livvy’s shoulders. “Gotta make it look real,” he murmured. “Coming home from a date.”

“Yeah, I got it,” she said, tucking herself into his side.

Twenty minutes later, they were back in their hotel room. As soon as the door was closed, Livvy flopped onto the couch.

Jake dropped down beside her. “Thank God we got Sergei and his wife out when we did,” he said. “Whoever was in their house wasn’t looking to throw a party for them.” He drew a shuddering breath of relief. “Now we just have to deal with the guys who want to kill me .”