Page 54 of Deadly Legacy
“Weeks.” Andrey wouldn’t meet his eyes. “That’s how he knew to approach Wallace.”
Grigorii snorted. “Why should we believe any of this?”
“Because I brought proof.” Andrey pulled a phone from his pocket and slid it across the table. “His personal device. Unlocked. Every plan, every contact. I took it when he...” His voice faltered, eyes dropping to the floor. “When he passed out after beating me.”
Nikon noticed the tremor in Andrey’s hands, the way his shoulders curved inward. Alexei picked up the phone without comment, his fingers moving across the screen. His eyebrows rose. “It’s real. There’s a lot here.”
“What do you want, Andrey?” Nikon asked.
Andrey’s shoulders slumped. “A chance. Not forgiveness. Just... a ticket back to Moscow. Uncle Leonid’s family will still take me in.” He exhaled shakily. “And a chance to help end this mess I helped create.”
Alexei examined Dmitrii’s phone carefully, his fingers moving methodically across its small screen.
“This needs to be scanned for malware before we connect it to our system,” Alexei said, gesturing to one of their techspecialists before passing over the phone. “Run a full security protocol.” He checked his watch. “Five minutes.”
While the tech analyst worked under Alexei’s supervision, Nikon studied Andrey’s gaunt face. “Moscow? You really think you can just go back to Russia and start over?”
“It’s where I belong,” Andrey said softly. “Always have.”
Grigorii snorted. “And we’re supposed to believe you’ll stay there? Not come back to cause more trouble?”
Andrey’s eyes lifted, meeting Grigorii’s gaze directly for the first time. “I never fit in here. The drugs, the streets... this life.” He gestured vaguely around him. “America was always your dream, not mine.”
“So you betrayed us because you were homesick?” Nikon’s voice carried a dangerous edge.
“No.” Andrey’s shoulders sagged. “I betrayed you because I was weak. Stupid. Jealous.” His voice dropped even lower. “I thought Dmitrii offered a way out from always being in your shadows.”
Something flickered in his expression... a moment of yearning quickly suppressed. “Maybe, back home, I’ll find something there I couldn’t find here.”
“A clean slate,” Grigorii said flatly.
Andrey nodded. “Not forgiveness. I know that’s gone. But maybe... peace.”
“It’s clean,” Alexei announced, breaking the tense moment. “No tracking software, no bugs.” He connected the phone to their system, and the bunker’s screens filled with data-surveillance photos, maps, and documents.
“Look at this,” Alexei said, sorting through files. “Three safe houses, security rotations, surveillance logs. Everything we need.”
The locations appeared on separate monitors with blueprints overlaid in glowing blue lines marking entry points and security systems.
“Talk us through these,” Nikon told Andrey, gesturing to the screens.
Andrey stood, studying the surveillance feeds. “The weapons cache at the main base is behind a false wall in the loading bay - there’s a keypad, but I’ve never seen them use it. The right side digits are worn down.”
Andrey’s eyes moved to the second screen. “Roman’s crew doesn’t know about the maintenance entrance on the east side of the warehouse. No cameras there.”
His hand shifted to the third image. “The surveillance hub runs on an isolated network, but they have to connect to the main grid for system updates. Usually happens in the early morning hours when traffic is low.”
“And we should risk our people based on your word?” Grigorii asked.
“Not just his word,” Alexei interrupted, displaying text messages and location data. “Everything seems to check out against what we already know.”
Nikon paced the room’s perimeter. “We hit all three at once. Alexei, call our friend at City Planning.”
“Already on it,” Alexei replied, phone in hand. “By morning, all three properties will be flagged for emergency inspection violations. Their operations will be frozen.”
Grigorii examined the warehouse blueprint. “I’ll handle the second location personally. Take out Roman, and their command structure falls apart.”
“Keep it quiet,” Nikon reminded him. “We don’t need more police attention.”
