Page 57 of Perfect Stalker

“What about Stephen?” he asks, his tone carefully neutral.

A cold rage washes over me at the mention of that name. “Oh, I have plans for him,” I say coldly, “But he’s a secondary concern. Focus on Alexei.”

Marcus nods, then pauses. “Ivan, this has to tie into our leak. The timing of this attack, the fact that they knew your route...”

I close my eyelids briefly, nodding. “I know,” I say quietly. “We can’t afford to start doubting each other now. We find Jenny first, and then we root out the traitor.”

He doesn’t look entirely convinced, but he doesn’t argue. “What’s our next move?”

I straighten, ignoring the protest of my battered body. “We go back to the penthouse. I need to change, and we have all the resources we’ll need in the command center.”

As we make our way to a waiting SUV, I can’t shake the image of Jenny’s face from my mind. The fear in her eyes, yes, but also the defiance. The strength. My beautiful, fiercesolnishko.

“I’m coming for you,” I whisper again, as if she can somehow hear me. “And God help anyone who tries to stop me.”

The ride home is painful, but I endure. When we reach the lobby, I stride toward the elevator, my ribs protesting with every step. Suddenly, I jerk to a stop. Ed, the doorman, cowers behind his desk, eyes wide with fear. On the floor, Andre and Daniil lie motionless. My jaw clenches at the sight of my loyal men brought low.

“What happened?” I demand, my voice sharp as a blade.

The doorman stammers before managing to speak. “Mr. Markov, sir... It was terrible. Men in tactical gear, led by someone Ms. Graham called Stephen. They shot your guards and took Ms. Graham.”

Cold fury washes over me. “Call our doctor,” I order Marcus. “Now.”

As Marcus makes the call, I kneel beside Andre and Daniil while ignoring the way it pulls my ribs, checking their pulses. Relief floods through me when I find both still alive, though unconscious. Their bulletproof vests saved their lives. Daniil’s arm is bleeding though.

“They’re breathing,” I inform Marcus. “Make sure they receive the best care possible.” I nod to a group of my other men. “Carry them upstairs and get them comfortable in the staff apartment.” I can’t risk involving the authorities since they’re both not critically injured, thanks to the body armor.

I look at Ed. “Good job on maintaining discretion.”

His hands are shaking. “I was calling you before the police, sir.” He holds out his phone, and I can see he’s called up my name on his contact list. “Just like you said to if something like this ever happened. I didn’t delay. I swear.”

I nod, convinced by his fear. I don’t waste more time on him as I stand, ignoring the stabbing pain in my side. There’s no time for weakness. Jenny needs me.

“Let’s move,” I say, heading for the elevator. “We have work to do.” We make room for the men hefting Andre and Daniil, and it’s a tight fit when they get off on the floor below mine, where the staff are quartered.

In the penthouse, I change quickly, wincing while I pull on a fresh shirt. Marcus eyes me with concern when I enter the command center, struggling to straighten the shirt enough to button it with my ribs pulling painfully.

“You need medical attention,” he says.

I fix him with a hard glare. “What I need is to find Jenny. Call the doctor if you must after he sees to Daniil and Andre, but I’m not stopping.”

He nods, knowing better than to argue. “What’s our next move?”

“Pull up satellite images of every possible hideout. Cross-reference them with locations we’ve previously linked to Alexei’s operations. I want eyes on every inch of this city.”

My men spring into action, and the room buzzes with focused energy. Screens light up, displaying maps and data streams. I move from station to station, absorbing information and issuing orders.

“Check traffic cam footage,” I tell one operative. “Track any vehicles leaving the area after the abduction.”

To another, I say, “Monitor all known associates of Alexei and Stephen. If they so much as sneeze, I want to know about it.”

Thebratvadoctor arrives, but I wave him off. “Later, Dr. Olsen. Focus on Andre and Daniil.”

Dr. Olsen smiles. “I knew you’d say that, so I’ve already seen them. They’ll be bruised and sore for a few days, and Daniil took a bullet to the arm, which bled a lot, but they’re going to be all right.”

“Spasibo.” I’m relieved but already turning my attention back to the search. Hours pass in a blur of activity. My ribs throb with every breath, but I push aside the pain. Nothing matters except finding Jenny.

“Sir,” calls out a young operative. “We’ve identified three potential locations matching your criteria.”

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