Page 1 of The Pakhan

CHAPTER 1

Caroline

The rumble of thunder rocked the little apartment.

Shuddering, I grabbed my mug of coffee, loathing the darkness. Storms had been wicked and powerful the last few days given a strong cold front that had swept in from the great lakes of Chicago, swooping over New York with icy fingers. The dampness was raw, the thin windows and dilapidated weatherstripping allowing the frigid temperature to seep inside.

As I walked into the tiny living room, I glanced at the huge windows flanking the street, the address in Brooklyn not one of the best. Crime ridden, full of drug dealers, it had been all I could afford.

For now.

My father was incensed, doing his best to force me to live not only off his wealth but by his means. I wasn’t that kind of girl. I was determined to make a name for myself on my own without succumbing to my father’s money.

Granted, I had money in the bank, but I was trying to amass even more before considering moving. Plus, it served me well to live frugally given my second and more lucrative career. I was trained as a software engineer but the only job I’d been able to find was a lowly assistant.

“Caroline, get me some coffee.”

“Caroline, don’t forget the extra copies for my meeting.”

“Caroline, tie my shoes.”

Okay, so my boss had never issued the last command, but I had been required to pick up his dry cleaning more than once.

At least my second, less scrupulous career was providing a tidy nest egg. Plus, I was developing a reputation as the Pink Flamingo. It was a silly name in the world of hackers, but it worked for me and my quirky personality. The dark web was a fascinating place, people bragging about their accomplishments on one side while weirdos and stalkers lurked in the shadows. I’d learned to be careful, never to put myself out there. Still, there was always a chance someone would track down my IP address.

I headed to my bank of powerful computers, the one luxury I’d allowed myself. As I sat down on the chair, turning on the main computer, I noticed two flashes of neon lightning spiraling down on the tall buildings outside my window. The skyscrapers appeared ominous just before dark, more so given the storm.

As the system rocked into existence, I glanced at my notes. My handler, a glorified hacker himself, had given me the most lucrative job of all, but I had a timeline and the work was more dangerous. Not everyone would agree to break into the secure systems owned by the notorious Cosa Nostra. I had no idea the reason Joshua wanted the required information, but I wasn’t allowed to ask questions.

My job was to get in, copy the required information, and get out before I was noticed. It was typical of my usual jobs, only the ante was increased this go-around. I was shifting money from one account to another. It was risky as hell, but the challenge made me salivate. I’d done everything I could to block my IP address, spinning it to several countries before anyone who could figure out I was worming my way through their system knew I existed.

I was a cautious girl.

To date, no one had ever even detected my presence or even come close.

I took a sip of hot java, thanking God for the caffeine and proceeded to continue. I’d almost cracked the system but needed a few additional tweaks. With my fingers flying, a little perspiration trickling down my nose, I finally managed to get in.

A perfect moment of utter satisfaction hit me, a smile the only celebration for the moment. I could drink wine later when I was out and safe. The jump drive was already in place, ready to copy the files. I easily hacked into the financial institutions, downloading copies of financials. Then I moved to the information Joshua had requested, including names of important people the mafia Don had met with and any emails and notes. The last task would be the transfer. Usually, the accounts were highly protected, which was what made the job so dangerous.

I was almost giddy, heedless of danger in my attempt as I easily found what I was looking for. The stupid man hadn’t protected his system as well as he’d thought. Then again, he hadn’t hired the best.

Me.

As I laughed, a name appeared that troubled me. Vadim Chernoff. Not only was he perhaps the most ruthless Russian leader of a crime syndicate in the country, but he was also my best girlfriend’s father. I hadn’t seen him in years, but he’d always been nice to me, even buying me Christmas gifts.

Sure, I knew he was a dangerous and vile man in his day job, but he adored Sofiya. And she loved her father unconditionally. So did his adopted daughter Daniella, who’d been given a nice life when he’d taken her in.

Who was I to judge?

My father had crossed more than a few lines in his time running his billion-dollar business. I continued scanning, suddenly sucking in my breath.

Oh, my God. It was a direct order to… assassinate Vadim. Really? I quickly downloaded it, noticing an audio file. It wasn’t anything I was supposed to be bothering with, but I couldn’t help myself.

“Yeah, I know what you want, Italian prick. But it’s going to cost you.”

A deep voice laughed. “How much?”

“Two million. I am betraying someone.”

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