Page 39 of The Payment

Chapter Fifteen

Jarek

Days later, SomervilleMafia Operational Centre, Castle Island, State Park in Boston...

Jarek sat at his large mahogany desk in the underground office, his fingers flying over the keyboard.Despite being below ground, the space felt open and comfortable.Dark wood paneling lined the walls, and a stone fireplace dominated one wall.Leather chairs and a sofa created an informal seating area, while built-in shelves housed his extensive book collection.Through a discrete door, his private quarters offered a sanctuary when work stretched into days.

He rubbed his tired eyes.The digital breadcrumbs he had scattered across servers worldwide would lead Federal investigators straight to Polov.Bank transfers, encrypted messages, and freight manifests were all carefully constructed to appear authentic while pointing to Polov’s involvement in drug trafficking and human exploitation.The video of Theo Oliver’s death would be the final nail, ensuring no plea bargains.

“You busy, Jarek?Do you have time for a drink?”Nevil Surrey stood in the doorway.His broad frame cast a shadow into the room.

Jarek waved him inside.“I just finished creating an ironclad trail linking Polov to his empire.When the FBI discovers his connection to Oliver’s murder, he’ll never see daylight again.”

“Changed your mind about killing him then?”Nevil’s eyebrows rose.

The hatred Jarek had nursed for decades surged through his veins.The image of Tatiana’s face as she finally reunited with her parents haunted him.His trigger finger itched, but Polov’s quick death felt hollow now.

“Death’s too good for him,” Jarek growled.“Thirty years of destroying lives deserves more than the flash of a bullet.”

Nevil walked to the bar and poured bourbon into crystal tumblers.“If it were my family...”He handed one to Jarek.

“Prison will be his hell.”Jarek’s lips curved.“I didn’t cultivate relationships with Irish gang leaders in every Federal facility for nothing.Those connections cost millions, but they’ll ensure Polov’s remaining years are...educational.”

“How long before you release the intel?”

“I want him to be caught red-handed.”Jarek sipped on his drink.

“You know as well as I do that the big fish never handle deals personally,” Nevil mused.“How will you catch him in the act?”

“Simple.The Mexican cartel will insist on meeting him to discuss a major heroin shipment.”Jarek swirled the amber liquid.“Pride and greed, as always, will be his downfall.”

He avoided thinking about why he couldn’t face his own home now that Tatiana’s reunion with her parents had cracked something in his carefully constructed walls.The office felt safer, its familiar confines a shield against emotions he refused to name.It was better to focus on destroying Polov than examine the growing ache in his chest whenever he thought of going home.

Nevil settled into one of the leather chairs.“The cartels are just as careful.Why would they risk exposure?”

“Because I own them.”Jarek’s voice held no emotion.“Well, specifically their communication networks.Every email, every encrypted message, every bank transfer.I control it all.”He stood and walked to the fireplace, watching the flames dance.“They just don’t know it yet.”

---