“Copy that, over,” Millar confirmed. His voice was shaky, showing the effects of knowing that someone’s life was hanging in the balance.
Turner knew this would be risky but considered it his best move, since they knew so little about the Bratva’s operation. He knew he could evade the security details for a while and possibly make it out, but there were no guarantees. There was another reason he wanted to make it inside sooner rather than later, and it came in the form of two words: Victoria Eden. This represented his only chance of pulling the violinist out of there before her nightmare became unforgettable.
If he didn’t make any mistakes, his plan would put him in control of the situation, and that’s the way he liked it.
Millar helped Trent navigate to a location he had made note of earlier. The operative considered his bold play as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“Two men approaching fast from the east, over,” he said nervously as the men closed in.
“I’ve got visual, over,” Trent confirmed.
There was a tense pause.
“Poor Man, go, go, go,” Turner ordered as he stashed his comms under a fallen metal sign and switched the line to open mic in one motion. The operative charged the two soldiers, reaching them just as the PMD hit the apex of its dive.
Chapter 124
Etzy Millar and Dennis Zander were stunned, mouths wide open, staring at the display. The last thing they saw before the video feed had frozen was Trent Turner’s aggressive approach toward the two men. They had followed the rest of the action with the sound transmitted by the operative’s microphone. First they heard a bunch of shouting, and then they sunk down in their chairs at the sound of gunshots. The scene had escalated, and muted conversations were heard in between commands that were barked out.
By the time the video feed had been restored, there were three bodies on the ground. Millar was scared. None of the men were moving. He thought Trent was the body sprawled out in the middle, but he couldn’t be sure.
The hackers were jolted from their immediate shock when the door opened and a dark figure entered the room.
“Nice work, Etzy,” Jack Turner said.
Millar started to breathe again when he recognized the voice. “Thanks, but Trent went down,” he said with grave concern.
Zander was speechless, his gaze darting between the two men and the computer screen.
Turner tightened his lips before he spoke. “Don’t worry. Trent knows what he’s doing.”
“But.” Millar gestured to the laptop’s display.
The three of them watched the video feed showing the three men being taken into the main building.
“It’s all going according to plan,” Jack said.
He looked like he believed what he said, but Zander wore a sour look of disbelief. “That’s crazy,” he said.
Turner smiled. “Trent would call it ballsy, so let’s humor him, okay?” He tossed his gear onto one of the beds. “Now we’ve got someone on the inside,” he said confidently.
The words did little to calm Millar down. “He wasn’t moving.”
“Over the years I’ve learned not to doubt that kid,” Turner said flatly. “He knows what he’s doing, there’s no doubt about it.”
“You’re not even the least bit concerned?” Millar asked.
“I didn’t say that.” Turner’s tone was measured. “He’s family — of course I’m concerned.” He sat on the bed and took off his boot to check his injury. “But I’m not worried.”
“I’m going to pick up some reinforcements,” Turner said. “I got a call on my way here and they’ll be at the airport within the hour. How much fly time does the saucer have left?” he asked as he slid his boot back on.
Millar looked at the readout from the PMD and said, “Not long. Twenty minutes.”
“Land it with some juice left, just in case,” Turner said as he grabbed a fresh battery from Trent’s bag. He pushed the button on its side to verify it had a full charge. He figured it should last a couple hours. “I’ll call you in a couple minutes so we can do a quick swap before I pick up the cavalry. We need to keep tabs on that compound.”
The hacker’s brain was still frazzled as he watched Jack Turner stand up with a pained grimace, grab one the bags at the foot of the bed and limp out the door.
Chapter 125
Absolute perfection. She possessed the beauty of a goddess, but the cold metal chair she was perched upon told a less glamorous story. It had been a long time since Victoria Eden had felt so alone. The Russian had left her locked in the room, and she imagined the walls slowly closing in around her. She was a creative individual, so it wasn’t unusual for her to find herself lost in thought, but the fact that she had been unable to imagine anything other than her imminent demise had been disconcerting.
“Have you made up your mind?”
The sudden sound of his voice caused her to jump, but she didn’t turn around. She knew he had frightened her on purpose, and she wouldn’t give him the pleasure of seeing the fear in her eyes.
“Well, Victoria?” Pavel Kozlov pressed. There was a sudden sharpness in his voice.
She didn’t respond immediately, sensing the Russian was struggling with the situation. Her beauty had been an asset in life for the most part, but she was convinced his conflicted reaction was more than skin deep. He was one of those men who had decisiveness and brutality in their DNA. She decided it must have been the way she played the violin that had put indecision in play. She turned her head to him. Her eyes met his, and in a twisted moment, his gaze invaded her, and it was as if he were pondering the idea of somehow keeping her for his pet.
“Listen, thanks for letting me play in the show,” she said, her tone marked with frustration. “I really appreciate it, but I really should be going.” She turned away.
Kozlov laughed the sort of laugh that wasn’t intended to convey humor. Eden twitched when she felt something touch her hair. It must have been his hand, but she was too scared and repulsed to turn and look.
“Perhaps you need a little encouragement,” he said. His voice was cold and hostile.
The loud pounding of a fist on the door caused her to jump again. There was a sudden flurry of activity out in the hallway. Kozlov opened the door, and he spoke in Russian to someone. The tone was urgent, and he left without saying another word.
Chapter 126
Trent Turner began to regain consciousness as they strung him up. He wasn’t sure if they were securing him to a wall or some sort of torture device. He knew better than to open his eyes and try to assess the situation. Wherever he was, it was cold, and he could tell by the musty smell that it was damp. His body ached in several places, but physical abuse came with the territory, and he didn’t notice anything alarming.
He had taken two of their men out, so he had expected to be roughed up. He chose the route of incapacitation rather than elimination. Keeping them alive was something he thought might play in his favor. The Russians were just getting started with him, though, and his thoughts turned to how evil an interrogation by a man like Kozlov could be. Turner knew he would need to keep his head on straight, so he wiped the thought of extreme torture from his mind.
“He was alone,” a voice said.
“How can you be so sure?”
Turner recognized the second man. It was Pavel Kozlov.
“You know the layout. It doesn’t take long to clear this place with twenty men—”