CHAPTER FIVE
Saturday, May 27
Hank and the team walked into the SAI offices and everyone moved toward the equipment room at the back of the building so they could get rid of their vests. They had helped CPD with the Memorial Day Parade and had acted as the security detail for the parade’s grand marshal. Lieutenant General Robert Walsh was a fellow alumnus of the Naval Academy, and Hank had been happy to offer up the company’s services for the city’s event.
The mayor had expected huge crowds because the parade was held on Saturday as opposed to Monday, and he had been correct. There were record numbers of people in attendance and the city needed as many hands on deck as possible. Being a part of the event not only helped the city, it also gave him and his team a chance to give back. Which was a great way to spend the holiday because it reminded them all to celebrate the life they had.
Memorial Day was both special and contemplative for those who made it home. It would be impossible not to reflect on battles fought, enemies vanquished, and whether the sacrifices fellow teammates had made were worth it. He could definitely say they were because not to would be cancerous.
The advice of a former commander always came to mind when the holiday approached and Hank had taken it to heart. He’d said that if you really want to give thanks to those who fell, then do so by living well. Don’t waste time and not pursue all the opportunities that exist. Love your life and, if you don’t, change it because you have a choice. Honor those who fell by celebrating what they believed in and what the sacrifice was really about. Hank always believe that war wasn’t about hate…it’s about love. Love of country, teammate, and family.
He’d lost many brothers on the battlefield and there was a part of every man he’d fought beside that he carried around in his heart and mind. All the men he’d walked into battle with had eventually become part of his DNA. So, this weekend was a celebration of those lives and he tried his best to remember that every year.
Which was why he was having everyone over for a feast later tonight. As the men stripped themselves of their gear, Hank called out, “Don’t forget dinner is at six tonight. I expect to see every one of your ugly mugs.”
“Looking forward to it,” Maddox replied. “I plan on eating you out of house and home and then taking all your money in the poker game.”
“Wouldn’t expect anything less,” Hank responded. Turning to Justin, he raised an eyebrow. “We still on for a swim over at North Avenue Beach?”
“Yeah, we haven’t missed it for a while and I don’t want to break our streak.”
Hank looked over at Brandon and Maddox and waited. “Any chance you guys want to join us?”
Brandon snorted and responded, “I was a damn Ranger. I like to leave those ten-mile swims to you frogs.”
“I’ll come,” Maddox answered. “Got to stay combat-ready. For all I know, we’ll get an assignment next week that will have me swimming through Calumet Harbor at night.”
“We have a bunch of clients over at the port, so I wouldn’t rule that out,” Hank said before he took off his tactical gear. The warehouse that housed the SAI offices was big enough that he’d installed a video system so that everyone could keep track of one another. As he looked up at the monitor on the wall, he noticed Lucky was working in her office. Which wasn’t all that unusual, but he couldn’t think what would bring her in today. Most of their assignments were past the point of needing her to spend extra time, especially on a holiday weekend. Maybe one of the other offices had called with an emergency.
After he got cleaned up, he’d go check and see what was up. Walking into the shower room, he thought about whether he could invite Stazi out again without coming off as a total asshole. She had given him a non-answer the other day and, as far as he knew, they were in limbo.
Which was not a place he accepted.
But if he pressed her, she might balk and decide she wanted nothing to do with him—despite the freaking amazing kiss they’d had when he dropped her off after the gala. It was the hottest, sweetest kiss of his life, and all he wanted was a chance to do it again. Scraping his hand down his face, he stepped into the shower and decided he would wait until tomorrow to issue another invitation. Maybe if he showed her he could be patient, then she would decide he was worth spending time with.
***
Hank stood in the doorway of Lucky’s office and knew there were few places in the world that could rival the setup they had created. When Lucky had breached one of his client’s systems, he knew that having her join the team was his only choice. At the time, she had been a gun for hire who tested companies’ security systems, allowing them the opportunity to discover how secure their systems were or weren’t. Turned out nine times out of ten she could breach any security measures the company had in place. That’s when he knew hiring one of the best hackers in the world was going to be one of his smartest decisions.
The moment he offered her a place on the team and carte blanche to run things as she saw fit, she had agreed to come aboard. SAI had benefitted immensely and she was now responsible for all the information gathering needs for the company. It had taken her almost a year to put together a team she was happy with and she now had twenty-five people unmatched in their skill sets.
Moving toward the table that sat in the center of the space, he noticed that Lucky’s fingers were flying and wondered what she was working on. “Lucky, what has you chained to your keyboard on this beautiful day?”
When she looked up, he saw an expression that he didn’t care for. The intensity in her gaze wasn’t all that unusual because she often looked that way when hunting something or someone down. But the fear in her eyes had the hair on the back of his neck standing up. “What the hell is it?”
“Holy shitstorm,” she replied as she flicked her fingers across the screen embedded in the table. A picture flew up on the main screen and joined several items. “Dmitry Firtash,” she replied quietly.
Moving closer to the multiple screens that were mounted on the wall, he studied the face of the man who had Lucky out of sorts. He was middle-aged and wore what appeared to be a ten-thousand-dollar custom Brioni Suit. Certainly not anyone who should have Lucky concerned. Scanning the documents on the next screen, he saw they were bank records that indicated a wealth few could imagine. News articles filled another screen and before he took the time to read them, he turned to Lucky. “Why do we care about this guy and should I call the team in to hear this?”
“No. Not yet.” She tightened her ponytail and let out a huge sigh. “This man is seriously bad news and he’s going to be damn hard to stop.”
“Start the fuck from the beginning,” he ground out.
“Stazi asked me…”
He held up his hands and felt heat suffuse his body. Thousands of hours on the battlefield had not prepared him for hearing Stazi’s name in conjunction with something that had Lucky on five-alarm alert. “Do I need to secure her?” he asked quietly.
Picking up her phone from the table, she shook her head. “She’s on the way over, maybe twenty minutes out, depending on traffic.”
“Download…now.”
“Dmitry is a Ukrainian billionaire and Stazi met him the other night at the gala. He asked her to come over and look at one of his paintings and she did. The meeting made her uncomfortable and she thinks she’s being followed.”
“Fucking creeper,” Hank said.
“Unfortunately, that may not be our biggest worry. He keeps company with some Bratva pakhans who are seriously bad news.”
“Go on.”
“When we had drinks last night, she told me what happened at the meeting and asked me to search for his name to see what I found.” Running her hand along the edge of the table, she shook her head. “She’s never asked me to do anything like this in all our years of friendship, so I know this guy must’ve really pinged her creep-o-meter.”
“How long have you two been friends?”
“Since we were five. I saw her the first day of kindergarten and knew we were going to be friends and I was right.” Walking away from the table, she leaned against the wall. “Stazi went to this man’s house on Thursday and some of the henchmen who were guarding the joint were part of the Bratva. She noticed one man in particular with tattoos on his hand that indicated he wasn’t just a street thug. When she overheard Dmitry arguing with the man in Ukrainian, she thought the pakhan had threatened Firtash to cooperate or else. Then, when she left, she heard the pakhan tell one of the thugs to keep an eye on her.”
“So, a Ukrainian oligarch and a Russian pakhan are interested in Stazi?”
“Yeah. Only Firtash is not just some run of the mill oligarch because he’s got a decent-sized file with both the FBI and Interpol. Anyone who has files that size is a man of extreme interest.”
“Did you access the Interpol files?”
“Do you want the real answer or the one that will keep your ass out of hot water?”
“I want the real answer.”
“I’ll have it in another hour. Whoever this Dmitry guy is, it’s not good news for my friend, and whoever crown guy is, he’s not either.”
“Who is crown guy?”
“That’s what Stazi calls the man who had the crowns tattooed on his fingers. That ink identifies him as the man who controls everything, which is a pakhan in the Russian mob. I don’t know how big his cells are, but he’s got to have a ton of power if he’s threatening a billionaire.”
“We need to get Sam Barton on this because he’ll know what’s going on. I’ll give him a call and tell him to come as soon as he can.” Looking at the news articles again, he noticed words like bribery and federal indictment. “Why did he choose Stazi to be the one to look at his painting?”
The sound of a chime filled the room and Lucky moved back to her table. “That’s the Interpol info starting to download.” She checked the files coming in and then looked up at Hank. “It’s going to take a couple of hours. I had to bounce this all over kingdom come so no one knows who accessed it. To answer your question…Stazi told me that she felt like he chose her because she’s Russian.” Flipping a pen over in her hand, she looked at the ceiling. “Something like, fellow countrymen should cooperate.”
“It’s more than that,” Hank responded. “Stazi is a beautiful woman and I know that’s part of his interest.” Running his hand along his neck, he looked at the ceiling. “There is so much that I don’t know that I’m not sure where to start. Like, is it really about the painting or something else? And who the fuck is this crown guy and why does he need to keep an eye on Stazi?”
“All good questions. But the most important thing right now is that we say nothing until we have all our ducks in a row. Stazi will freak out if we don’t have a very specific, rational plan on how to mitigate the threats. She may appear to be a modern American woman, but in her little-girl heart, she’s a Russian Jew who’s one step away from being imprisoned. Apparently, right before her family immigrated, they were threatened by the militsiya almost constantly. Even though she was only three at the time, she remembers everything. So, I’d like to have as much information as I can before I tell her.”
“Okay,” Hank responded as he paced back and forth. The thought of Stazi being frightened and threatened as a small child made him sick to his stomach. And he sure as hell was going to do everything he could to make sure she never felt anything remotely close to that again. This Dmitry asshole would soon learn that, as well as the asshole with the crown tattoos. “Until we know what we’re dealing with, we don’t say anything.”
“Exactly.”
“I’ll just stick close to her until we know what we’re dealing with,” he replied decisively.
Snorting, Lucky shook her head. “This is not the opening that’s going to make all of your romantic dreams come true.”
Hank stopped pacing, stood at his full height, and gave her a look that couldn’t be misunderstood. “I’m going to assume you said that because you’re upset about your friend. I know I’ve never given you a reason to believe that I would not act in the best interests of someone in danger.”
“Sorry,” she said quietly. “This Dmitry guy has me spooked. Truth is, Stazi likes you and is thinking of going out with you.”
Letting the words roll through his brain, he took a second to appreciate the news, as total junior-high excitement filled his body. The woman he was interested in was going to give him a chance, and it was going to make ensuring her safety a hell of a lot easier. “So, what’s the plan when she gets here?”
“Be cool. Let me gather intel and see what’s what. Then we can decide what the best course of action is. I’m going to have someone from my team pull up the CCTV feed around Stazi’s apartment and determine if anyone is keeping tabs on her. After that, I’ll start on the Interpol files.”
“I’m going to call Sam right now and see when he’s available.”
“Really?” Lucky whined. “I can just copy the FBI files and look through them myself.”
“No hacking into a federal database unless it’s completely necessary,” he admonished her. “Don’t worry, Sam’s not going to figure out that you have a crush.” The loud intake of breath she sucked in told him she didn’t care for him bringing it up, which was too damn bad. They had to find out as much as they could as quickly as they could and Sam was going to help them do that.
“I. Do. Not. Have. A. Crush.”
“Whatever you say,” he responded with a smile. “Should make working with him a breeze, then.” Giving her a nod, he walked out of the room and heard her grumble. Whatever…it was something she was just going to have to get over. It wasn’t like the guy was going to figure it out anyway, because any feelings Lucky had for the Fed were going to stay right where they were—deeply buried under layers of indifference and sarcasm.
Which was fine by him. He had no idea how to navigate his own feelings, so he certainly wasn’t going to offer advice to Lucky.
***
Hank hung up the phone, swiveled his chair around, and looked out the window at the busy street. What a clusterfuck. Dmytri Vasylovych Firtash was more than a bit player in the brutal drama of Ukrainian politics. He was also a man of great interest to both the United States and Spanish governments. Sam couldn’t tell him much over the phone, but he did make it clear that Stazi should steer clear because there was a trail of blood that followed the man and his business dealings.
Just because he hadn’t been caught with it on his hands didn’t mean he was innocent. Hank knew a person didn’t become a billionaire by playing by the rules in the former Soviet Union, and clearly, Dmitry had mastered his ability to do whatever was necessary to achieve success.
So, the challenge in front of him was going to be making sure that one, Firtash lost interest in Stazi, and two, he figured out why the crown guy was possibly having her followed.
The sound of a bell chimed on his computer and he pulled up the camera view for the front door. When he saw Stazi standing there, he jumped out of his chair and sprinted down the hall. After making it to the entrance in record time, he placed his hand against the pad that would disengage the security system, and pulled open the heavy door. “Hi, honey.” Taking her hand, he gently pulled her inside and let the door close.
Putting her hand to her chest, she let out a little laugh. “I wasn’t expecting to see you today. I came by to pick up Lucky so I can take her to lunch.”
“The team and I just got back from the parade downtown.” Sliding his arm around her shoulder, he filled his lungs with the lemony scent of her hair. “Why don’t I take you two to lunch before I meet the guys at the beach for a swim?”
When her eyes flew up to his and she shivered, he laughed. “It’s the first time all year that the water has gotten above forty degrees. It’s practically a bath.”
“No bath I’ve ever taken,” she replied as she shook her head. “What in the world would make you want to swim in the ocean now?”
“Got to stay combat-ready,” he replied. “I’ve swum in water much colder than that. A part of SEAL training is held up in Kodiak, Alaska. During Qualification Training, we had to learn how to survive anywhere in the world. I spent twenty-eight days learning how to operate effectively no matter what environment I was in.”
“So, now you just do it for fun?”
“It’s important to be ready for anything, and keeping my skills sharp means that I am. We’ve had to swim through the port in winter, so a swim in the ocean in May is easy.”
Stepping away, she smoothed out her shirt. “Is Lucky still in her office?”
Not a man to be deterred, he took her hand and laced their fingers together. “She is, but I don’t think she’s done yet.” He led them in the direction of the kitchen and said, “Let me get you something to drink while she finishes up.”
“You don’t have to keep me company. I can just read while I wait.”
“Are you kidding me?” He let out a laugh as they walked into the room that had a bunch of couches and a table on one side and a full kitchen on the other. “We’re always fully stocked, so I can offer you just about anything.” Holding her hand firmly, he made sure not to give her a chance to get away. Opening the fridge, he pulled out two bottles of water and handed her one. “Fruit, cookies, chips?”
“Nothing, thank you.”
“All right. Where would you like to go to lunch, then?” He led them over to one of the couches and waited for her to sit down. When she did, he sat down next to her and gave her a smile. “Can’t believe I get to see you today. I was thinking that I was going to have to wait until next week.”
“I’m sorry that I haven’t gotten back to you about your invitation. I was planning on calling you today.”
“Really?” He watched her play with the handle of her purse for a while and then decided to take her hand again. “I hope you’re planning on giving me a day and time when we can get together.”
“Actually, I am.” Moving her fingers over his hand, she smiled. “Would you like to get together on Monday?”
“Monday would be perfect. I’ll come and pick you up in the morning and we can start our day with breakfast together.”
“I was thinking late afternoon,” she replied.
“That won’t be enough time.” Leaning over, he kissed the top of her head. “It’s Memorial Day and an important day for retired military. We need to celebrate life and I’d like to do it with you.” When her body softened, he silently congratulated himself. So what if he was using the war veteran card?
“Brunch,” she answered. “I plan on sleeping in.”
“Does ten work for you?”
“Eleven thirty and not a minute sooner,” she replied with a laugh.
When she lifted her face, he noticed the sparkle in her eyes and wondered if she was half as attracted to him as he was to her. Because if she was, he sure would like a chance at another kiss. When her eyes fluttered closed momentarily, he lowered his head so their mouths were a whisper apart. “I’ve been thinking about that kiss we had the other day and…” Her mouth lifted a millimeter, so he decided to go for it by pressing his lips against hers gently. Their mouths fused instantly, and they fit together perfectly.
Lock and key…that’s what they were.
When her soft body melted further, and her hand went to his chest, he fought his desire to scoop her into his lap. The only message his brain was sending him was more, and he knew he couldn’t do anything about it.
No way was he going to be an asshole, so he gently released her mouth and let out a laugh. “You give me any more of those and I won’t be able to let you go.” Her heavy breaths warmed his chest as she rested her forehead against his heart, and he prayed she felt a tenth of what he did.
“Wouldn’t want that to happen,” she replied. “Would we?”
“Going to be pretty hard to stay away from you until Monday. Maybe you’ll have some free time sooner…like tonight? I’m making dinner for my team and I’d love it if you could join us.”
“That sounds like fun, but I have plans with the people from work.”
“Okay.” He felt the tension that had started to crawl up his spine disappear when she said “people” and not a man. Everything he’d been able to get out of Lucky hadn’t indicated there was anyone sniffing around, and he was relieved to discover that it was true.
Except that it wasn’t. A brutal Ukrainian billionaire was, and he had no idea what that was going to eventually mean.
Stazi lifted her head and then moved away. “I should go and see what Lucky is doing.”
Hank stood, held out his hand, and helped her up. “Let me show you my office first and then we can go and check on her.”
They walked out and headed down the hall toward the offices. Lucky’s area was on the opposite end and he didn’t want Stazi going in there until he could let Lucky know because the last thing Stazi needed to see was all the information on Firtash.
By the time they told her anything, they were going to have it tied up into a neat package with a simple solution. Because there was no way that Stazi needed to know what Dmitry was capable of. When and if she figured it out, they would already be tied together and she would know that she was protected.
Always.