Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 26962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26962 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 135(@200wpm)___ 108(@250wpm)___ 90(@300wpm)
“I wasn’t sure if you were serious when you said you were bringing him along,” Slater says as he walks over to greet us. “Thanks for coming tonight. We’re hoping with your presence we can close out these Russian buyers for good.”
“Who’s to say someone won’t take their place?” Keaton asks, which is amusing because I’d asked the same question.
“The Bratva that controls this market is too volatile. They don’t have a clear hierarchy as some of the older families do. Those that are more established aren’t willing to take the risk with this kind of technology and stay clear of it. They know that this is monitored too closely, and they aren’t willing to risk what they’ve built in other areas of the black market. It’s just too much of a gamble for anyone with something to lose. These guys tonight have taken things too far, and it’s time to shut it down. All we need you to do is meet them at the drop-point here.” Slater points to a map that’s laid out on the table, and then he reaches over for a clear box. “These are your tracking devices. They’ll be undetectable, and we can trace you the entire time.”
“What will we do once we’re at the drop?” Keaton takes the tracking device, and Nelson helps him hide it under his shirt collar. It’s so small it might even be mistaken for a piece of lint.
“Dolohov will be there to make the exchange. He’s the current head of the organization after last week when he killed Dimitri.” Slater shrugs. “Like I said, volatile.”
“Why not just wait for them to implode on themselves?” I ask as Nelson comes over to me next. When they’d asked me to lure in the buyers, I was more than willing to help. They needed to get them in one location to pounce. But then I had nothing to lose. Now I have everything to lose.
“Who knows what will happen in that time or what else they’ve got their hands on already? We need to end this now.” Slater opens up a black briefcase in front of him and produces two handguns. “These are for in case things go to shit, but hopefully you don’t have to use them.”
I glance over at Keaton, and our eyes meet. If things go to shit, we’ve got more than just these guns in our arsenal, and I can tell by the look in his eyes he’s thinking the same thing.
“When are we meeting them?” he asks Nelson, who checks his watch.
“We need to get you on the road now.” He nods at Slater, who speaks to someone quietly on the phone.
As he speaks, we take the secret entrance out of the lab and to the parking deck below. I didn’t want to enter this way in case we were being followed. On the way, Nelson explains the plan on what happens after the drop is made.
“The driver will take you straight there and then straight back,” Slater says as he opens the back of the blacked-out town car. “Our teams will be nearby in case anything goes wrong. Good luck.”
“He makes it sound easy,” Keaton says and rolls his eyes.
“It’s supposed to be.” My knee bounces as the car pulls away from the curb, and I realize just how anxious I am. Not because I’m about to meet with the Russians but because I’m away from Jade. “Does it always feel like this for you?”
“Being away from Elsy?” he asks like he’s reading my mind. “Yeah, but I keep thinking it will probably get better over time.”
“I doubt it.”
“You’re probably right.” I see the edge of a smirk on his lips. “I’m okay with that.”
“Thank you,” I say after a long moment of silence has passed. He looks at me in confusion, and I sigh. “For coming tonight and for, I don’t know, making me see what I didn’t want to face?”
“I was lucky that Elsy could do that for me. She’s been my best friend my entire life, so it was easy to believe. I can’t imagine what I would have felt if I was in your shoes. If it was my dad, I think I would’ve done the same.”
The car comes to a stop, and Keaton and I glance outside to see we’re at a warehouse near the loading docks on the river. With one last nod to each other, we climb out of the car and make our way into the warehouse. It’s pitch black outside, and there’s only one small light inside. It doesn’t matter, though, because Keaton and I have enhanced vision so we could see even if the lights were off.
“Right on time.” The voice has a thick Russian accent, and up ahead I see Dolohov step out of the shadows with two men on either side of him. “Although you seem to have brought a friend.” He narrows his eyes on Keaton as he takes a pull off his cigarette. “I was under the impression that you two didn’t do business together.”