She was ready once the elevator doors opened again. Valentina headed out into the reception area and walked over to a desk area where a young man was seated. She leaned against it and said, “My name is Valentina. I believe Sergei, the Coalition's ambassador, is expecting me.”
His brow furrowed, and he glanced toward the priority elevator she'd exited, but he didn't ask any questions. “Of course. I'll contact him right away and let him know you're waiting for him.”
She murmured her thanks and studied the monitors surrounding the desk. Some of them appeared to be security feeds, and she wondered how much they were tied into the restricted areas. Alec would probably share some information with them, but they'd most likely still need to access those areas to find out what they weren't being told. At least some of the urgency was gone and they could take more time to explore the towers once the missing shipment issue was resolved.
The young man glanced up from his screen. “The ambassador will be down shortly. I believe he's expecting someone else too?”
She nodded, gesturing toward the main doors. “My friend will be here soon. Tell me, what is your normal procedure when someone arrives?”
He glanced at the door, but before he could say anything, someone spoke from behind her. “I'll take it from here, Melvin.”
Valentina turned around, smiling at the sight of Brant. “Well, hello.”
He approached her with a warm smile. “Alec said you might need me for a meeting.”
Valentina considered him for a moment and then nodded. She hadn't been anticipating it, but it would make sense for him to be present. “Yes, your assistance would be appreciated. I need to know your normal procedure for an arrival.”
“Well, since you just arrived,” he began, obviously guessing her intent, “we took your helmet, jacket, and logged in your credentials.”
She pulled her jacket off, and he eyed the weapons on her. “Well, that should raise some rather interesting questions.”
Valentina glanced down at herself. “Is it a problem?”
He hesitated. “If I say yes, will it make much difference?”
She shook her head. “I cannot go into this meeting unarmed. If it'll make your people uneasy, I will keep my jacket on.”
“It's fine. You're going to be staying in the construction tower, so it shouldn't be an issue. I'm assuming your friend will also be armed?”
She nodded, and Brant took her jacket. He handed it to Melvin, who went over to put it in a nearby locker. Brant turned back to her, leaned against the counter, and smiled again. “I'm glad you changed your mind about leaving. I had a feeling those cookies might have convinced you.”
“In part,” Valentina agreed with a laugh. “Although, I had a blueberry muffin this morning. It wasn't quite as good as your cookies, but close.” She leaned toward him and whispered, “I admit I'm now curious to learn what else your towers have to offer.”
“I'll take you on a tour of my favorite restaurants,” he promised just as the doors opened.
Viktor strode in, the energy within the room immediately swirling with an undercurrent of danger. He wore the typical protective gear distributed throughout their camps, although his were in much better condition due to his ranking within the Coalition. Pulling off his helmet to reveal his short dark hair, he scanned the room for potential threats.
Valentina watched him immediately write off Melvin, but his eyes lingered overly long on Brant before meeting hers. She offered him a smile, and his brown eyes warmed in response. Melvin scampered out from behind his desk to take Viktor's helmet from him.
She walked over to Viktor, stood on her toes, and kissed his cheek. Before she could move away, he wrapped an arm around her and hugged her tightly against him. She returned the embrace, taking the opportunity to catalogue each of the weapons he had equipped.
“You're still as beautiful as ever, Valentina.”
“And you are still a flatterer,” she teased lightly and then gestured to Brant. “This is Brant Mason, a security officer here at OmniLab. Brant, this is Viktor, an old friend. Viktor's agreed to join me on a tour of the new tower this morning.”
Brant gave Viktor a curt nod, his earlier friendliness now gone and a cool businesslike persona in its place. It didn't take a body language expert to realize Brant had some serious reservations about the newcomer.
Viktor kept his arm around her waist as he swept his gaze over the room again. “Your towers are most impressive.”
“Thank you,” Brant acknowledged. “We hope you think the same of the construction. Many of the features will be similar to our existing towers.”
“Will you be giving us the tour?”
Brant glanced at her. “I will accompany you for part of it, but I believe your ambassador will be here shortly.”
She nodded and gestured to Melvin. “He has already contacted Sergei.”
“I see,” Viktor said, the slightest trace of irritation in his tone.
Brant's commlink beeped, and he glanced down at it. “Excuse me just a moment.”
When Brant stepped away, Valentina took the opportunity to study Viktor. He still hadn't released her, and she was tempted to pull away before Sergei arrived, but she couldn't risk alienating Viktor. “I'm glad you're here. Nikolai is concerned about the situation. I'm hoping you might be able to shed some light on everything.”
“We'll have everything resolved soon enough,” he promised, his fingertips brushing under the hem of her shirt. “I may have an opportunity for you to consider when we're finished with our tour.”
It took everything she had not to shove him away. Instead, she tilted her head and gave him a playful smile. “Will you give me a little hint?”
He grinned. “I think the anticipation may be more fun.”
Valentina wrinkled her nose and pretended to pout. “Very well, but I won't be happy with you if you take too long to tell me.”
Viktor chuckled. “I would never risk such a horrible fate.”
Sergei took that moment to exit the elevator, and his body stiffened at the sight of Viktor's arm around her. His jaw clenched, but he continued to approach them, the small flame in his eyes even more noticeable in the reception area lighting.
“Viktor,” Sergei greeted the other man before turning to her. His eyes softened, and he searched her expression. Valentina took the opportunity to step away from Viktor. She brushed a brief kiss against Sergei's cheek in greeting. “Hello, Sergei.”
“It's good to see you again, Valentina,” he murmured.
She smiled at him and took a step back, making an effort to keep her face friendly when all she wanted was to get him alone again. “Viktor and I were just talking about how eager we are to see the new tower's progression.”
Viktor stepped forward, once again putting his arm around her. “Yes. Valentina mentioned you will be providing us with a tour?”
Sergei's eyes narrowed on Viktor's hand, and his mouth formed a thin line. “I'm surprised you're taking such an interest, Viktor. I believe you once called this sort of thing tedious?”
“Oh, you'd be surprised what I find stimulating, especially where Valentina's concerned,” Viktor said with a smug smile. “I thought she might enjoy some friendly company. We've worked together several times over the past few years, especially once you decided to take this assignment. After all, she needed a partner she could rely upon. We've gotten to know each other extremely well.”
Sergei paused, glancing at her and his expression became guarded. She kept her face pleasant, but she knew he was no longer acting. If the danger levels had become elevated when Viktor walked in, they were now apocalyptic. Sergei was downright pissed, and it wouldn't take much for his tenuous control to slip. Dammit. She'd need to adjust her tactics to manage both of them.
“I see,” Sergei replied in a clipped tone. “If you will follow me, I will show you the construction tower. I especially believe you may like the view from the top.”
Valentina looked around an
other set of rooms and was ready to hurt someone—probably Sergei for subjecting her to this hell. If she never saw another construction site, it would be too soon. They'd spent the past couple of hours practically counting every single one of the nails he'd painstakingly documented in his reports. “I think we have seen enough, Sergei. If you don't mind, I would like to go over some plans with Viktor. Do you have a private office we can use?”
Sergei paused, a wicked light entering in his eyes. “Are you sure? There's plenty more to see. I think Viktor might find it stimulating to see how we track inventory.”
Valentina clenched her jaw and thought of a thousand different ways she'd make Sergei pay later.
“For fuck's sake,” Viktor muttered. “We were finished two hours ago. Show us to this damn office.”
“Of course,” Sergei agreed, leading them down the corridor in the direction his office was located. He unlocked the door, and she walked inside, sweeping her gaze around the room. Nothing had changed since she'd been here a few days before and had stolen his notes. Even so, she pretended to look over the diagrams scattered on his desk as though seeing them for the first time.
Sergei walked over to stand beside her and pressed a button on the desk panel. The blueprint populated in three dimensions, and he rotated the view. “This is the completed design, and you can see our progress here.” He pressed another button, and the image flickered. They still had a lot more to do, but the accomplishments so far were impressive. She hadn't had the opportunity to see the full image when she'd been in his office downloading his files. The sight was staggering.
Valentina swallowed, wanting to tell him how impressed she was, but not wanting to say anything in front of Viktor. Sergei had accomplished so much while he'd been away from her. Part of her worried he'd be giving up his dreams to stay by her side, especially in the face of such a promising future. Maybe once they resolved these issues, Nikolai would consider remaining here. Although, she still wasn't sure how it would work with them sharing control.
Sergei pressed another button. “Completion will take a few more months than originally anticipated, but we'll be able to provide homes for many more of our people.”
“Yes, these delays are a concern,” Viktor acknowledged. “Perhaps someone else should take over to expedite matters.”
Sergei's eyes narrowed. “We've had complications due to resource restrictions. Considering the magnitude of this project, such a delay was unavoidable. Nothing like this has been accomplished in almost two centuries.”
“Exactly why I'm surprised such a project was put into your hands,” Viktor retorted, moving to inspect the rest of Sergei's office. “If you don't mind, I have a private matter to discuss with Valentina. You may leave.”
Valentina inwardly cursed. Viktor was doing his best to bait Sergei, and from all appearances, it was working. She blinked at Sergei, sending a silent plea for him to remain calm and trust her. He hesitated, his gaze meeting hers before inclining his head. “As it happens, I have a matter which requires my attention. I will return shortly. Please make yourself comfortable, Valentina.” Sergei left the room, closing the door behind him.
Turning back around, she found Viktor watching her. “You were rather unkind, Viktor. You know Sergei has accomplished the near impossible. He's exceeded all expectations.”
He raised an eyebrow and moved around the desk to stand beside her. “I'm surprised to hear you defend him. Didn't he leave you three years ago? After you were injured helping him in his last assignment?”
Unwilling to discuss it with him, Valentina started to turn away, but Viktor put his hand on her arm to stop her. “You never saw him for who he really was. I was hoping you would begin to see the truth.”
She frowned and looked up into his eyes. “What truth?”
“Only a fool would have walked away from you,” he said, searching her expression. “Sergei was different with you than he was with everyone else. He's always been overly arrogant and reckless, quick to anger and violent. He's never had any loyalty except to himself. Leaving you was proof of that.”
Valentina sighed. On the surface, it probably did appear that way, but she knew a different side of him. So did Nikolai and Yuri. Unfortunately, she couldn't rightly defend Sergei without arousing suspicion. “It doesn't matter. What happened is in the past.”
“Perhaps,” Viktor murmured and lowered his hand. “Now, tell me what you know about these missing shipments.”
“Not much,” she admitted, having already discussed with Nikolai what she would reveal to Viktor. “Part of a recent weapon shipment went missing. Nikolai agreed to meet with a representative from OmniLab to discuss some of the problems with our alliance. The meeting was ambushed, and the same types of weapons were used in the assault. My suspicion is the two are connected.”
Viktor's eyebrows rose. “And the attackers?”
“Escaped,” she said, letting her irritation show. “No casualties on either side, but the meeting was a failure. We don't have any real leads, except I heard a rumor about another missing shipment a few days before the attack. Nikolai reached out to Peter to see if you had any additional information, and he confirmed this wasn't an isolated event.”
Viktor nodded and leaned back against the desk. “Yes. At least three partial shipments have gone missing.”
“How many weapons?”
He frowned and rubbed his chin. “From all three? In total, less than a hundred. They were smaller weapon shipments, but we've also had food and medical supplies go missing. Those numbers were much more significant.”
Valentina nodded. “Nikolai's ordered a full inventory analysis to see if we're missing anything else too. We should have that information back in the next day or two. As far as the weapons are concerned, your numbers align with ours. We have less than a hundred missing. Combined with yours, the cumulative amount is substantial. Our people are trying to trace the last known location before the weapons disappeared.”
Viktor pulled out his commlink and placed it on the desk so she could view the screen. He tapped a button and said, “All three of our shipments left this manufacturing facility. We have confirmed their arrival here.” He pointed to a medium-sized facility on the map and then traced his finger to the next one and tapped on it. “Our weapons and other supplies went missing before they reached the next checkpoint here.”
She frowned, pulling out her commlink to record the locations. “I will check with Yuri to see if we can trace our shipment to any of those locations. Other than that, do you know if your missing shipments have anything else in common?”
Viktor paused and didn't reply right away. Valentina lifted her head to regard him. “You don't wish to tell me?”
He sighed. “I do, but I'm not sure you're ready to hear the truth.”
Valentina frowned, lowering her commlink. “I don't know what to say, Viktor. I would like to hear your thoughts, but I cannot force you to tell me anything.”
“Do you still care for Sergei?”
Her eyes widened in shock. “You cannot be suggesting he is responsible for the theft.”
Viktor crossed his arms. “I am. All our supplies were en route to provide support to our nearby camps. We were able to trace the missing weapons enough to learn that the recipient has a vested interest in OmniLab. Sergei has the most to gain in the face of a rebellion against the Coalition.”
She blanched. “Treason? You believe Sergei is leading a rebellion against our people? But why?”
“Power?” Viktor shrugged. “As he pointed out, no one else has accomplished such a feat to build another facility in almost two centuries. As our ambassador, he's here in a position of leadership. Once our residents move in, the balance of power within the Coalition will shift in favor of whomever is operating from this location. The longer he remains in charge, the greater his threat to our people.”
Valentina pressed her hands against the desk, needing the support it offered to keep her upright. She couldn't believe wha
t she was hearing. The potential implications were disastrous. “How sure are you about this?”
“Very,” Viktor admitted. “Peter has already approached some of the other leaders with his suspicions and put in a bid to take control of the construction. Once it's approved, he will run this tower as a permanent base. That's one of the things I wished to discuss with you.”
She swallowed, trying to put her emotions aside and think. If things had already progressed so far, they may have already issued orders to have Sergei permanently removed. Traitors were dealt with quickly and harshly.
Viktor placed his hand over hers. “Peter has authorized me to extend an invitation to you. He wants you to join his service.”
“What?” Valentina managed on a whisper. She'd been blindsided by Viktor's suspicions about Sergei and now he was suggesting she join Peter's service? Peter must be holding far more influence than any of them realized if he was making such a move against Nikolai.
Viktor knew the level of dedication she had to Nikolai and Yuri. They'd all been in the same training class together, and even though Viktor's team had gone their separate ways years ago, she'd been with Nikolai for over ten years. It never dawned on her this could be the opportunity Viktor would propose.
Viktor trailed the backs of his fingers along her bare skin and up her arm. “We work well together, Valentina. With Peter running the tower, he will need people he trusts by his side. No one has ever questioned your loyalty, and this would be a good move for you. There is much we could accomplish together.”
He moved in closer, crossing all boundaries of propriety. Her weapons were still within easy reach, but she needed to diffuse the situation without taking it to that level. She'd rather not kill Viktor, especially when he still had information she needed. And that didn't even begin to account for the diplomatic nightmare his murder would cause. Even so, her fingers were itching to draw a very clear line with her knife.
Placing her hand on his chest, she reminded him gently, “Viktor, I swore service to Nikolai. You know I'm loyal to him.”
Flames of Redemption Page 27