Sin of Silence (Sinner's Empire Book 1)

by Nikita Slater

  Jozef’s gaze hardened and he leaned forward in his seat, pinning his uncle with the heat of his anger. Do not make the mistake of thinking you can have Shaun hurt or killed and expect no retaliation from me.

  Krystoff looked taken aback by Jozef’s aggression. He wasn’t used to anything less than complete loyalty from his guard dog. Yet both men knew who held the real power in the Koba family. Jozef could walk away from his family and take most of their business. He was the man on the ground, the person their contacts trusted.

  Are you threatening me? Krystoff asked, using Jozef’s preferred method of communication.

  Jozef recognized what his uncle was doing by speaking in sign language. The older man was trying to draw Jozef’s sympathy, remind him of their shared history. Krystoff had learned sign language so he could communicate with his nephew at any time, though he tended to use verbal communication. Jozef hadn’t thought about it before, but he wondered if Krystoff did it as a power move. He had something Jozef didn’t: a voice.

  If that was Krystoff’s tactic, then it was pointless. Jozef had never felt powerless from his lack of voice, because he didn’t lack for anything. He could make himself heard. Sometimes his bullets, knives or fists did the talking, but in the end, people knew what he was trying to say.

  I am no threat unless something happens to my fiancé.

  And if something happens to her? Krystoff pushed.

  Jozef pinned his uncle with a cold look. Then I will not rest until I’ve found and removed the persons who caused her harm.

  Krystoff nodded thoughtfully. “You have my word that no harm will come to Shaun while she is under my roof.”

  Though it sounded like Krystoff was capitulating to Jozef, he’d worded his concession carefully. As long as Jozef resided under Krystoff’s roof, remaining under his control, then Shaun would not be harmed. If Jozef moved with Shaun, then she would become fair game. Jozef needed time to think and decide his next move. Things were changing in the Koba household.

  Jozef stood. I will hold you to your word. Shaun is to be treated like family while I’m in Poland.

  “You have my word,” Krystoff assured him.

  Jozef dug the burner phone from his pocket, crushed it in his hand and handed it to his uncle. No more tests.

  Krystoff’s face stiffened but he nodded his acquiescence.

  As Jozef turned to leave the office, Krystoff’s voice reached out to him. “Don’t forget where you belong, son. You are a Koba. Loyalty, pride, family.”

  Jozef looked down at his hand resting on the doorhandle. The words vernost, hrdost and rodina were tattooed on his first three fingers. Loyalty, pride, family.

  He jerked his head in a nod, opened the door and left.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  There’s no security that I can detect. No men, no cameras, no alarms.

  Jozef nodded as his man filled him in. Terek had gone ahead to meet up with their Polish contact and to stake out Vasiliy’s hideout. Despite Terek’s assurance that the house wasn’t wired, Jozef wasn’t taking chances with the safety of his team. With the tight timeline they were on, they’d only had a few hours of surveillance, rather than the minimum of two days Jozef would normally insist on.

  Is he inside the house? Jozef asked.

  Terek lifted his shoulders in a shrug, his look of frustration mirroring Jozef’s, who was silently cursing his uncle for setting up such a disorganized hit. Twelve years earlier, when Krystoff had wanted to up the Koba game in the global market, Jozef had suggested putting together an elite team of mercenaries for hire. His team consisted of the best people he could find in the areas of security, explosives, surveillance, investigation and tech. He'd worked with them until they became a well-oiled machine. He always had a five-man team who travelled with him, a two-person tech team at home, and a secondary B-team in training. After years of taking jobs, Jozef had come to understand exactly what he and his crew needed for each job: time to plan, time to train, time to surveil, and the correct equipment. They’d had the opportunity to do none of that for this job, meaning they were forced to go in blind.

  Jozef hated the idea of doubting his uncle, the man who had adopted and raised him, but it seemed strange that he was being sent on such a rushed mission when he could have easily done the job after the engagement party. That would have given his team a few extra days, enough time to plan, and enough time for Jozef to make sure Shaun was well settled.

  He’d hated leaving her behind. She’d simply nodded when he told her and remained silent, a frown creasing her forehead. He could see the questions lining themselves up in her mind: where is he going, what is he doing, is he planning on killing someone? But none had passed her beautiful lips. Before he left, she’d told him to stay safe. He’d held those two words next to his heart, determined that he would do as she asked. He would stay safe for her.

  Halil and Havel will go through the front gate while Nikolay provides backup, Jozef signed to Terek, adjusting night vision goggles over his eyes. It was 2:00 AM, and the entire team would be equipped with goggles to help ease their entry into the house. They would also have the element of surprise if Vasiliy was sleeping. There was no light shining through any of the windows, though they could be covered with blackout curtains. I will go through the back gate while you follow.

  Jozef, Halil, Nikolay and Havel had discussed the plan in detail on the ride into Poland, but Terek had gone ahead of them and wasn’t privy to their discussion, which was why he was being given the safest position of rear backup.

  Jozef tapped out his commands into his earpiece, reiterating the plan to the others. He and his team had learned morse code so they could easily communicate with Jozef. The uses went far beyond Jozef being able to give orders to his men via radio coms, though; the entire team used a combination of morse code and sign language, which allowed them seamless and silent entries and exits from their jobs, stealthy communication, and a way to let the tech team know what was happening while they were on radio silence. The method was much less cumbersome and less visible than messaging.

  Once the entire team acknowledged Jozef’s commands, Jozef gave the order to move. Like a team of wraiths moving swiftly through the pitch-black night, they moved so fluidly through the trees they would have been invisible to the naked eye.

  Havel and Halil went through the front gate, breaching the perimeter first. Nikolay stayed at the gate to provide cover for the team while they were inside. Two taps through the radio told Jozef they’d made it safely to the front door. Jozef acknowledged and then pushed the back gate open, crouching as he went through, sweeping the area with his goggles. Nothing moved, no heat signatures. Terek came in behind him and they made their way through the shrubbery to the back door. Per protocol, they waited and listened for twenty seconds before letting Havel know they were in position.

  Three seconds later, they breached the cabin, throwing smoke grenades and moving through each room in rapid succession. Jozef met Havel in the hallway and together they moved through to the bedrooms, while the other two covered the front and back entrances so no one could come in behind them. Havel stood next to the first bedroom door, his gun up and ready while Jozef flung the door open, threw a smoke grenade and swept the interior. It was empty. They hit the next room, which was also empty.

  They paused, regrouping. The cabin appeared to be empty, and now they’d lost the element of surprise. If anyone was home, they would know that they’d been discovered.

  Havel tapped Jozef’s shoulder, catching his attention.

  Underground? Havel signed, his face reflecting his annoyance. Jozef felt the same way. If they’d had enough time for proper surveillance, this wouldn’t be happening. They would know Vasiliy’s routine, would know if he was home or not. They would have had time for a phone tap and surveillance, which might have given them an edge.

  Jozef had to think quickly. He couldn’t spend precious seconds trying to make a decision. He nodded at Havel, indicating that he should s
earch the front of the cabin while Jozef searched the rear. The team reconvened and started swiftly searching for a trap door or loose floorboards.

  It was Jozef who found the tunnel. Like a scene straight out of a movie, he leaned against a bookshelf as he was bending to flip over an oriental rug in the office. The bookshelf moved a few inches.

  Jozef turned swiftly, took hold of the top of the shelf and pulled. It swung easily out, opening into a stone stairway leading into an underground tunnel. Jozef tapped furiously on his earpiece, bringing the team running to the office. He gave Halil and Terek instructions to watch the entrance, while he and Havel descended the stairs.

  Now that they had an idea of where Vasiliy had gone, they moved swift and sure, back on target. The tunnel ran about a hundred yards from the house; a crude dugout reinforced with wooden beams every few yards. They swept through at top speed, running until they reached a door, which was slightly ajar, light pouring through. Jozef reached for a smoke grenade on his belt but was halted when he heard the sound of music drifting into the tunnel.

  He frowned as he was able to pick up the haunting sounds of an Italian opera. The whole scene felt like a setup, but he had to press on. This was his mission and he’d never failed to complete a mission.

  Rather than throw the grenade, he replaced it on his belt and carefully pushed the door open, his gun up and ready. What met his eyes was such an incongruently strange scene compared to what he'd expected, that he stood and stared for several long seconds, finally reaching up to pull his goggles from his face so he could get a better look. Havel covered his back as Jozef stepped into the room.

  “I’ve been waiting for you.”

  An older gentleman, probably in his 70’s, spoke without looking up. Vasiliy. Though Jozef had seen pictures of the man, he hadn’t met Vasiliy in person. He was a robust man, with wide shoulders and a round belly. He sported a snowy white head of hair and a beard that reached halfway down his neck. In his hand was a fine-tipped paintbrush. He was carefully applying red paint to what looked like a doll’s face.

  It took Jozef a moment to realize that he was looking at an underground workshop, not a safe room. The room was filled with tables piled high with all sizes of matryoshka, or Russian nesting dolls, in various stages of completion. One of the tables was filled with paints, jars, brushes and carving tools. A quick sweep of the room revealed a set of stairs beneath a trap door. Jozef guessed it would lead outside, set purposely away from the cabin in case the occupants needed a quick escape. It would have worked if Vasiliy had chosen to run. There was no one else in the room besides Vasiliy and there were no visible weapons besides the carving tools, and those were safely out of Vasiliy’s reach.

  Finally, Vasiliy dropped his paintbrush into a nearby jar, set aside the doll and stood, stretching until his back cracked audibly. Jozef could feel Havel move behind him, bringing his gun up so he was aiming at Vasiliy’s heart.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t know how to communicate in your language,” he said to Jozef, sounding genuinely regretful. “If you wish to speak to me before you kill me, we’ll need a translator.”

  Jozef was completely taken aback by Vasiliy’s attitude. Instead of acting like a rat on the run, he was holed up in a wood smith’s paradise, calmly facing death as though it was another to-do on his checklist.

  “What do you want to do, man?” Havel asked Jozef, breaking protocol and speaking so he wouldn’t have to put his weapon down.

  It was Vasiliy who answered. “I can move away from the table, if you like, and keep my hands raised where you can see them. I promise, I have no motive other than to speak to you before you kill me.”

  Though he was tempted to put a bullet in Vasiliy and be done with this strange job, he wanted to hear what the older man had to say. He nodded toward Havel, indicating it was alright to put the gun down. Havel did as Jozef asked, then said to Vasiliy, “Move there.” He pointed. “Hands up and out to the side, fingers spread. If you twitch wrong, I will put a bullet between your eyes. I guarantee I’ll be faster than you if you reach for anything.”

  Havel was the fastest man on their team. He was bigger than the rest of them, but able to move like a speed demon when he needed to.

  Vasiliy complied.

  Once he was standing in the middle up the room, his arms up and out to the side, Jozef relaxed enough to sign while Havel translated. What do you want to tell me?

  “Thank you for trusting me.” Vasiliy caught the look on Jozef’s face and added, “Yes, of course you don’t trust me. What I mean is, thank you for trusting me enough not to shoot before I get the chance to speak.”

  Jozef gave him the universal ‘hurry up’ signal, which Havel didn’t need to translate.

  “Right, right, of course,” Vasiliy said hurriedly. “You’ll be in a rush to leave.” He didn’t sound at all like a man who was facing death. Where was the begging? The bribery? Jozef wondered if he was less frightening than he thought. He glanced at Havel. Nope, the fatigue-clad crew, loaded with weaponry, would look scary as fuck coming through a door, weapons drawn.

  “I didn’t order my people to pick up your uncle.” Vasiliy spoke earnestly, the words sounding planned, as though he knew what he wanted to say once Jozef arrived and had been practicing. “I’ve been retired for three years, living in this peaceful section of Poland. I had no idea Krystoff had been abducted until my son called to tell me.”

  Jozef frowned his disbelief. Yet… some of what Vasiliy was saying rang true. The older man hadn’t been seen in public in years. Rumours had abounded through the Underworld circles that he was in hiding, embarrassed after being pushed out of the game by the other Vory. The fact was, Vasiliy had never been an effective mobster. He was weak.

  Or that was the rumour. Jozef was beginning to wonder if it was something else. Maybe Vasiliy had too much heart for the mob. His cabin was filled with warmth: quilts, books, music. His workshop showed a love of manual labour and fine carpentry.

  Jozef had been told his entire life that this man was dangerous but stupid. He’d never questioned it before, just like he didn’t question orders coming from his uncle.

  Did you send those men to my club to negotiate with us? Jozef demanded, while Havel translated. Did you get my message?

  Vasiliy looked confused. “I did not. What message did you send?”

  Several fingers, one head. Jozef didn’t need to expound, anyone in the mob would understand he was being quite literal.

  Vasiliy nodded thoughtfully, his face reflecting some surprise, but not shock. As though he was hearing about the club incident for the first time, but he wasn’t completely blindsided by the news.

  “I hope you didn’t kill anyone I like,” Vasiliy mused.

  Jozef was done messing around. You know why I’m here; I won’t leave without completing my mission. Tell me what you wanted to talk about, or we’re finished here.

  Havel translated.

  “You can protect her,” Vasiliy said, his voice going from calm to anxious. “She’s young and impetuous, but very, very smart; an incredibly talented genius. With every job she learns more, perfects her routine. She’s striking out on her own, but she is still too inexperienced to be allowed to run around unsupervised. She’s filled with anger and I worry that she will become reckless.”

  Who? Jozef was getting angry. He hated when people talked in circles; it made communicating so much more difficult. He wanted to tell the man to hurry up and fucking spill so Jozef could kill him already.

  “My daughter,” Vasiliy admitted.

  Jozef and Havel looked at each other. A daughter? Vasiliy only had a son. The families had been close enough at one time that Jozef would know if there was a daughter. Yet, he didn’t think Vasiliy was lying.

  Who is your daughter? Jozef demanded.

  “She calls herself the Phantom.”

  In the car, when they’d been bringing Krystoff home from Ukraine, his uncle had said something about a person calling themselves the Phant
om. And again, in the club, Krystoff had tried to get more information from Vasiliy’s men. Jozef had looked into it but had unearthed no leads on a so-called Phantom. So, the Phantom was a woman. Not a common thing in the mafia, where women typically didn’t hold positions of power.

  Who is the Phantom? Jozef asked, taking a few steps closer to Vasiliy. What is her name?

  Vasiliy shook his head. “That I will not give you.” When Jozef lifted his gun threateningly, Vasiliy didn’t flinch. He smiled sadly. “Until I can be assured that she will be safe from harm, I will not give you her name.”

  Jozef frowned. You stayed here, knowing we would hunt you down and kill you, just so you could tell me about your daughter, but then you refuse to give me her name. Will you tell me where to find her?

  “No,” Vasiliy said grimly. “Not until I know for certain she will come to no harm.” When Jozef gave him an annoyed look, he hurried to add. “She means more to me than my own life. She is brilliant and must be given a chance to live and thrive, to rule her slice of this world.”

  Jozef thought for a moment, then asked, what will it take to convince you she will come to no harm?

  Vasiliy looked at him quizzically. “Will you promise not to hurt my daughter?”

  Jozef thought about lying, but decided the truth was better in this instance. Vasiliy was being unexpectedly honest, Jozef could give him the same. I can’t make that promise.

  Vasiliy smiled broadly. “I knew I could trust you. It’s why I’ve been waiting years for you to come find me.”

  Jozef was deeply confused. Years? Vasiliy hadn’t even been on Jozef’s radar until Krystoff’s abduction.

  As if reading him, Vasiliy clarified. “I knew eventually she would do something to bring your attention down on my family. I wish it hadn’t taken maiming your uncle to get you here, but I’m not sorry to finally be speaking with you. I have heard many good things about your loyalty and determination.”

  Jozef had so many questions, he didn’t know where to start, but was interrupted by several sharp taps on his headset. Terek was telling him that Krystoff wanted a mission update. It was time to finish this and go home.