Page 49 of Escaping the Bratva

We pull up to what only can be described as a compound. It’s several miles off the highway, and there doesn’t seem to be any neighbors nearby. The place looks like a secret government building. There are two big-ass security guards standing at the entrance next to a twelve-foot fence that surrounds the entire property. The driver maneuvers the car into the compound next to what must be the main building. I follow Alek out of the car and to the entrance. The inside looks like a clubhouse. There’s a pool table, a bar, and men sprawled out across the room. I get a few head nods as I follow Alek through the room. I assume these men have heard of me from my arms dealing business. That kind of thing is hard to keep secret, especially from people who are already involved in the underground world. We stop at a set of double doors.

“I’ll stay out here while you talk to Pakhan. I’ve already briefed him on everything, but he wants to speak with you.” Alek knocks on the door before turning and leaving me alone. Maybe I should feel nervous. A lesser man probably would, but I’m ready to get these formalities over with so I can make sure Sasha is safe again.

“Come in,” a voice says on the other side. I open the door and walked into the office. It’s a huge space with its own seating area and a flat screen TV. An older man with graying hair sits at the other side of a large mahogany desk. His eyes match the gray color of his hair, and I can see the years of serving the Bratva evident in the winkles on his face. Being Pakhan ages you just as much as being the president. Gavrill has been the Pakhan for as long as I can remember. I wouldn’t be surprised if he stepped down any day now. It's a miracle he’s lived this long and avoided serious prison time. I bow as I approach the desk even though the act damn near kills me. I’ve always been in charge when it comes to my work. This was going to be a learning curve. The Bratva is built on respect and loyalty, two things I’ve never had to prove to anyone.

“Take a seat,” Gavrill says in a gruff voice. I sink down into the chair across from him. He props his elbows up on the desk and touches his fingertips together. “Alek tells me you’re in some trouble, Vladimir.”

“Yes, sir.”

He nods. “I know you did some work for us years ago but didn’t want to be sworn into the brotherhood. Why was that?”

“I wanted to start my own arms dealing business. I didn’t want to be tied down.”

Pakhan shook his head. “Don’t lie to me.”

Fuck. I was already screwing this up. “I knew if I was swore into the brotherhood, I’d never be able to leave and I’d give up any chance of getting my girl back.”

“The girl that’s in the hands of Brighton right now?”

I clench my fist against the arms of the chair. “Yes.”

“Hmm. I have to say, I wish you were joining us for the pure love of the brotherhood. When men join out of necessity, it makes them less trustworthy.”

Shit. Did that mean he wasn’t going to let me be sworn in? This was my last shot to save my kitten. If this doesn't pan out, I’ll go through every damn house in that three block radius until I find her. I’ll probably die in the process, but I’d never give up on her.

“But in this case, I understand where you’re coming from. If someone took my solnyshko, I’d join whatever the fuck I’d have to in order to get her back. Luckily, you have skills that we could use here. You managed to build a billion-dollar arms dealing business out of nothing except the knowledge you picked up while doing odd jobs for us. That’s pretty impressive.”

“Thank you.”

He leans back in his chair. “I want you to train our new recruits. Twice a year. They need to learn how to survive in whatever situation they’re thrown into, and we don’t have any sort of formal training for them. In three weeks, they need to learn hand to hand combat, gun handling skills, negotiating skills, and how to manage people for when they start to move up the ranks. You think you can do that?”

Relief floods my system. I don’t need to move to Boston to do that. I can still run my business in Washington while taking trips down here as needed. I have no doubt those three weeks will be grueling for the recruits and me. Training someone to be a Bratva soldier in three weeks wouldn’t be easy, but I can manage it. I can manage anything. It’s one of the cleanest jobs Gavrill could have given me, but I knew that wouldn’t matter to Sasha. At the end of the day, she’ll still turn her back on me, and I couldn’t blame her. “Yes, sir.”

“Good. I understand you can’t stay long, given the circumstances,” he stands from his desk, “so let's get this initiation started.”

I stand to my feet and follow him out of the office. As if the men overheard our conversation, the pool table has been moved to the far side of the room and they all stand in a circle. The biggest guy has his shirt off and is bouncing lightly on his feet. Fuck.

Gavrill pats me on the shoulder before shoving me into the middle of the ring. I’m not dressed for a fight, but I should have been since I knew this is a part of the initiation. My head is so filled with thoughts of Sasha, I haven’t been able to think straight. I strip off my shirt and throw it outside the circle. This guy might be bigger than me, but most of my time in prison was spent beating on guys his size. Skills and speed trump muscle every time. I get into a fighting stance and brace myself. The men around us clap and yell out things, but I’m not paying attention because I’m focused on my opponent. Big guy swings first and I dodge it, but I’m not so lucky the second time. He hits my right in the stomach. Shit, that hurt. I stumble back a step before I right myself. The crowd goes crazy. It doesn’t matter if I win or lose. The sentiment behind it is that I will fight for the brotherhood even against the biggest, baddest enemy. I have to focus if I’m going to get out of here without a broken limb. The big guy charges at me, and I step to the left.

I kick out my foot as he passes me, landing a kick right to his side, but the guy is so large, it doesn’t even faze him. He comes at me again, this time swinging for my face, but I duck down and get him in the stomach before he can make contact. The crowd boos and curses as I land more punches on the guy. He’s big, but I’m faster and years of training have paid off. It isn’t until I’m covered in sweat and my opponent sways on his feet with two swollen eyes that Alek sticks two fingers in his mouth and whistles.

“That’s game! Vladimir Kustov, welcome to the brotherhood!”

Cheers erupt and I see money being transferred between hands. Obviously, some of the guys were betting on the fight. No doubt they were surprised I won, considering the size difference between me and my opponent. Alek leads me over to a leather tattoo chair and pushes me down in the seat. A man is already standing there with black gloves and a tattoo gun in hand. I sit back in the chair, allowing him to mark me with my lifelong commitment to the brotherhood and sealing my fate of losing Sasha.

*****

“My tech guy was able to pin Brighton down to within a three-block radius,” I say pointing at the map that we have spread out over Gavrill’s desk. Alek, Gavrill, and three other guys from the brotherhood look down at the map as I draw a red circle around the area I mentioned. “There are a lot of homes and apartment buildings within those three blocks, so she could be anywhere.”

“And you’re sure he hasn’t moved her by now? Out of the country?” Alek asks. That thought alone makes me queasy.

I shake my head. “No, he needs her as leverage against me.”

“Can your tech guy find out the owners of these homes in the three-block radius?” Gavrill asks.

I raise an eyebrow. “I don’t see why not, but how would that help?”

“If we can come across a home that’s been foreclosed or recently bought under an alias, we can find him.”

---