Page 71 of Rafi

A spark of frustration flares in Kanyan’s eyes, but I jump in before things go south. “Did they seem distressed to you?”

The man shakes his head slowly, his gaze thoughtful. “No, not distressed. Maybe a little... uncomfortable. But they were walking side by side, not like someone was being dragged or anything. They took their luggage and checked out.”

His words hit like a punch to the gut. Tayana was walking alongside Igor. Walking. Not running. Not fighting. What does this mean?

I force a nod of thanks and turn away, motioning for Mason and Kanyan to follow. We step back into the cold air outside,the bright sunlight doing nothing to warm the knot of unease tightening in my stomach.

“They’re leaving the country,” I say, more to myself than anyone else. “Igor wouldn’t check out otherwise.”

Without missing a beat, I pull out my phone and dial Leo’s number. The line barely rings before he picks up.

“Leo,” I say quickly, “I need you to tap into the feed from the nearby airfield. Check for anything unusual.”

“I’m on it,” he says, his tone brisk and focused.

We pile back into the car, Kanyan behind the wheel again. The engine roars to life and we’re moving, weaving through traffic as if speed alone can close the widening gap between us and Igor.

The Bluetooth crackles, and Leo’s voice comes through, low and ominous. “Uh-oh.”

My stomach drops. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“There’s a lot of movement at the airstrip,” Leo says carefully, each word measured. “And it looks like you have company.”

“Fucking get to the point, Leo!” Kanyan roars, his knuckles white against the steering wheel.

Leo doesn’t miss a beat. “They’re not just preparing to leave. There’s another group there. Armed. And they don’t look friendly.”

A tense silence fills the car, broken only by the low hum of the engine and the distant honking of horns.

“What kind of group?” I ask, my voice sharp, my mind racing.

“I’m using infra-red, Rafi. I can’t see much past moving dots. Could be waiting for Igor, or they might be working for him. But there’s some heavy armor there.”

My chest tightens. It doesn’t look like Igor is just planning an escape. It looks like he’s setting the stage for a bloodbath.

“Can we intercept?” Mason asks, his voice steady despite the tension.

Leo hesitates. “You’ll be cutting it close. They’re fueling up, but it won’t take long. If you’re going to make a move, you need to do it now.”

“Do something, Leo. We’re ten minutes out.”

“Dude, I’m more than an hour out!” he reminds me, his voice echoing in the chamber of the vehicle.

“Can’t you run interference or something? I know you’ve done it before.”

Like the time you were pissed off at me and messed with my GPS, bringing my car to a standstill in the middle of nowhere, you asshole.

“Let me see what I can do,” he says, killing the line as I meet Kanyan’s eyes.

He gives me a sharp nod, his foot pressing harder on the accelerator as we fly through the streets at breakneck speed.

I lean back, the weight of the situation settling over me like a shroud. Every second counts now. Maxine and Tayana are there, somewhere in the chaos, about to board a plane to God knows where. I won’t leave without them. Whatever Igor has planned, whatever forces he’s marshaled against us, we’ll face them head-on.

Because there is no other option.

41

TAYANA

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