Page 9 of Gage

His words hung in the air, a stark reminder of just how dangerous this mission was.

“They won’t find out,” I said firmly, though the weight of the situation pressed heavily on my chest. “How could they? We don’t know anyone in Russia except for one person, and we don’t even know if he’s still alive.”

Gideon shot me a skeptical look. “I told you Oliver should’ve come with us. If we get thrown in jail, Laney will kill both of us.”

Gideon cracked a faint smile despite the tension. “I know she will. Laney doesn’t always understand how dangerous this job is. She wanted to come along, you know. She even said Kat used to go on missions with us. I had to remind her that Kat was a Marine and knew what she was doing.”

I chuckled, a small crack in the tension. “Yeah, Kat always said you only had to tell her something once, and she’d remember it. But this isn’t about Kat—it’s about Brian. We’ve got to get him out safely.”

We pulled up to our destination, a nondescript, gray building that seemed to blend into the drab surroundings. The air wascold, biting at my skin as we stepped out of the car and walked to the front desk.

“We’re here to see Brian Smith,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm and steady.

A voice from behind made my blood run cold. “Well, look who it is.”

We turned slowly, and there he was—Ivan Lissow, a familiar smirk plastered across his face. Time had aged him, but the sharpness in his eyes hadn’t dulled one bit.

“So he’s alive,” I muttered under my breath.

“Ivan,” I said louder, forcing a tight smile. “Are you working here now?”

“Yes, I am,” he said with a casual shrug, snapping his fingers. In an instant, four officers surrounded us, their hands resting on their weapons. “You are under arrest for spying.”

“You know we’re not spies,” I said, my voice rising. “We’re here to retrieve our pastor, who’s been falsely accused of espionage.”

Ivan tilted his head, feigning curiosity. “What is your pastor’s name?”

“Brian Smith. He’s done nothing wrong, and neither have we. If you arrest us, our government will not be happy.”

“Are you threatening me?” he asked, his tone icy, his smirk vanishing.

“Hell no, I’m not threatening you! Damn it, Ivan, just because you think I went out with your woman doesn’t mean you can arrest us.”

Ivan’s face darkened, and his voice rose to a growl. “I can do whatever I want—I run this place. And you did fuck my woman!” He stepped closer, his finger jabbing toward my chest. “She told me so.”

“She’s lying, Ivan! I already told you that. If I had, I’d admit it!”

Before I could react, his fist slammed into my gut, knocking the wind out of me. Pain radiated through my abdomen as his men grabbed my arms to hold me in place.

“Stop! Right now!” A sharp, commanding voice cut through the tension, freezing everyone in place.

I raised my head, grimacing through the pain, to see none other than First Lieutenant Laura Daniels standing in front of Ivan, her expression like a thunderstorm about to break. Her hands were on her hips, her glare sharp enough to cut steel.

“If you hit him one more time,” Lori warned, her voice steady but loaded with menace, “I’ll go straight to whoever is in charge. Back off, Ivan.”

Ivan chuckled, a low, menacing sound. “Laura, what are you doing here?”

“You’ve arrested my pastor, and I’m here to get him out,” Lori replied, her voice unwavering. “He came here to find his brother, who’d joined the Russian army, and you arrested him instead. Brian just wanted to locate his brother, who he hadn’t heard from in months. Let him go.”

Ivan’s smirk faded into a scowl. “Let me get this straight—you all have the same pastor? Is this some kind of small-world coincidence, or are you all lying to me?”

I glanced at Lori, my brows furrowed. “Brian is your pastor?”

“Yes,” she said simply, her gaze steady. “How is he your pastor?”

“Where do you live?” I asked, still trying to process the bizarre coincidence.

“Southern California.”

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