Page 36 of Marked By His Touch
I let out a breath of relief. Katerina sits down beside me on the creaking bed. She smells like lilies. I push down my nausea and scootch over, making room for her between Zara and me. The scent is revolting, but I hold myself. I’m not going to let bad memories of my dead parents destroy this.
“We take out Romanov,” Zara says, narrowing her eyes.
“When? How?” Katerina rasps. “He’s not someone you mess with.”
“We plan for weeks,mamma,” Zara says, her gaze steady. There’s a silent promise in her eyes. “Trust me.”
Katerina nods, her brows furrowed.
“We strike tomorrow,” I add, “Every day he operates, more and more women are disappearing. Shipped out, I assume, via the Raven and the EverBlue Shipping Group.”
The thought of those girls trapped in a nightmare, their lives forever changed, makes my anger rise like molten lava.
“I get you car ride and guns,” Katerina says, her gaze sharp. “Mammais proud. You both.” She strokes my cheek with a dry, callous hand.
"Thank you, Katerina," I say, and Zara nods in agreement. For once, she actually agrees with me. Who would have thought?
I yawn, exhausted but strangely energized. As I get up, my hand brushes against my jeans, and I realize I’m wearing the pants that hold the newspaper article I found back at my apartment. It feels like a lifetime ago. I’d completely forgotten about it.
I pull it out, smoothing the frayed edges.
“Zara, can you translate it?” I pause, “Every word, please.”
She nods, her eyes focused on the article. “What is?”
“Just an article,” I say. “I found it at my place, my apartment. Someone left it behind. Maybe it will give us some answers about—something. I mean, I doubt it, but—”
“Da, I read for you,” Zara says, yanking the newspaper article from my outstretched hand. “Sit.”
Sighing, Zara translates into broken English, and the missing words connect in my mind instantly after over a month in the safe house:
“Shadow Vessel Flees Russian Waters.”
A vessel believedto be carrying several individuals wanted for various crimes in Russia made its way out of Vladivostok harbor this morning with a reported course toward the United States.
The vessel, dubbed “The Black Swan,” was pursued by Russian authorities, but the ship was too fast and equipped with the latest anti-detection technology. Despite the pursuit, “The Black Swan” successfully evaded capture, making its way out with a lengthy passenger list of both Russian and non-Russian citizens wanted for crimes ranging from fraud and embezzlement to more serious offenses like murder and treason. The vessel is expected to arrive at its intended destination in the next few days, most likely Port Haven, a major port city on the East Coast of the United States. Authorities are currently working to intercept the ship and apprehend the individuals on board.
A complete listof passengers on the vessel:
Boris Volkov
Sergei Romanova
Olga Romanova (minor)
Pavel Ivanov
Mikhail Rostov (former interior minister)
Victoria Vladivostok
Boris Slatnik
Yanay Horowitch
Ivan Agapov
Yuri Agapov
