He knew the MDF had its own arm of intelligence operatives, people whose jobs were to focus their attention on the shadows in the world that concerned metahumans and the Splice chemical that killed too many, leaving far too few survivors. Last summer had proven to Alexei, once again, that spies couldn’t be trusted.
Which was why he was drinking his coffee across the dining room table from Sean, watching the other man work. Alexei was only thirteen months younger than Sean, but he liked to believe he was wiser. He hadn’t made a career out of lying to people the way spies did, after all.
“Are you going to sit there and watch me work all day?” Sean asked, not looking up from his laptop.
The computer had been separated into its functional parts, with the screen lying flat in the middle of the table to project multiple windows of information into the air while Sean tapped away at the lit-up outline of a keyboard on the opaque surface of the control pad. Alexei eyed Sean through the multiple holoscreens situated between them and took a sip of coffee.
Real coffee, Alexei had come to discover, was amazing. Alexei was going to make Kyle sneak some beans out of the condo his brother shared with Jamie so that he could hoard them at his own apartment. He’d gotten over his need to hoard food after joining the Army, but old habits were hard to break in certain circumstances. Alexei would gladly unearth it again if it meant he got more of this drink after the mission was over.
“Maybe,” Alexei finally said. “What you care?”
“I don’t,” Sean said calmly. “It’s just going to be boring for you. I’m reviewing what the UMG gave us last night on the Reborn IRA and it’s going to take hours. Only place I’d be other than right here would be the bathroom.”
“Fine.”
Sean looked through the holoscreens rather than at them, meeting Alexei’s gaze with exasperated brown eyes. “You’re not seriously thinking about watching me take a piss, are you?”
Alexei shrugged. “Have nothing I not see before.”
Sean didn’t immediately yell at Alexei for that comment or tell him to fuck off. Kyle would’ve, but then, his little brother had been guiding Alexei through the cultural nuances of America for years, telling him what was acceptable and what wasn’t when it came to social interaction. Even now, there were words or phrases or actions Alexei didn’t understand, because he hadn’t grown up with the context, hadn’t been raised to consider it a normal turn of phrase or response.
English came easier to his sisters than for him, because they’d been so much younger than he was when they’d immigrated. Valentina had barely been twelve months old when their asylum request was granted. Her English was better than her Russian now, but their parents had still raised her to speak both languages. Tatyana had arrived in Boston young enough that she soaked up English more easily than Alexei who, at eleven years old, experienced a hefty dose of what he knew now was culture shock. He’d been an American for almost twenty years now. Long enough that Alexei couldn’t use the excuse of not knowing any better and get away with it.
He still tried.
“What?” Alexei asked, putting a little bit of confusion into his voice. “Jamie say team not go anywhere alone.”
Sean stared at him. “Does that honestly work for you? The whole dumb foreigner act?”
“Not know what you mean.” Sean’s look of pure disbelief made Alexei shrug unrepentantly. “Be surprised.”
“Look, Dvorkin. I’m not your enemy.”
“You handler.” Unspoken was spy, but Alexei was pretty damn certain the other man would know what he meant. “Have own agenda.”
“The only agenda I have is the MDF’s. I’m not going to do anything to jeopardize it. I’m certainly not going to get in contact with the Reborn IRA, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Alexei took a sip of his coffee to hide the fact that he was worried about Sean doing exactly that. Kyle used to laugh at Alexei for worrying about everything that could go wrong. Jamie’s penchant for having a backup plan for his backup plan was one of the first things Alexei had learned and liked about his captain.
“You complicate mission.”
“I honestly didn’t know Tomas would be there,” Sean said, sounding tired and a little frustrated. “I did what I had to do to keep our cover intact. It makes things a little more complicated going forward, if only because the MDF needs to get in contact with the CIA about my cover for this mission.”
Alexei narrowed his eyes. “CIA always problem. Not trust.”
He almost got Sean to bite with that little statement. Sean opened his mouth before closing it again with an audible snap. When he did finally respond, what he ended up saying surprised Alexei.
“Thanks, you know, for stopping Tomas from punching me in the face,” Sean said.
“Is no problem,” Alexei replied a little warily. “Not mind punching assholes.”
“Rubbing his face into the table seemed like overkill for your cover, though.” Sean paused for a second before firmly shaking his head. “Actually, no. I take that back. Tomas deserved everything you did to him.”
“Why he hate you? Because you leave?”
“Maybe. Probably. My cover at the time was built for Cillian’s camp, not Emmet’s. Cutting my losses was interpreted as a betrayal, judging from what Tomas said.”
Alexei pointed at the information Sean was digging through. “Should probably write up own report for Jamie on old cover. Need to know.”
“It’s on my list of things to do today.”
Sean went back to reading through the documents in the file. Alexei got up to pour himself another cup of coffee, taking the last dregs in the pot and grabbing a packet of cookies from the cupboard, before returning to the table to watch Sean work.
“You really don’t have to stay,” Sean muttered a few minutes later.
“I’m watch.”
“Suit yourself, but you’re not watching me when I take a piss.”
Alexei shrugged and slouched in his seat, getting comfortable. Sean could argue all he wanted, but Alexei was going to keep a close eye on him whether he liked it or not. Which meant Alexei didn’t drift away from his spot very often over the next few hours, though he never did follow Sean to the bathroom.
He spent the morning reading up on the same information Sean was working on, figuring he should know who they were dealing with in case he needed to break someone’s face again. Alexei ignored the commotion of Jamie and Kyle leaving to put on another show that he didn’t need to watch and which would only make him lose his appetite during lunch. Everyone else must have felt the same way, because he saw Donovan, Trevor, Annabelle, and Madison running through a complicated set of hand signals on who had to go and who got to stay. Donovan and Madison ended up losing the argument and walked defeated out of the house after their charges.
Trevor and Annabelle’s victory was short-lived though. Thirty minutes later, Katie came out of the office on a call, sounding pleasant enough for whoever was on the other side of the line if one ignored the look on her face that said shit was going down.
“Lunch today will be fine. It’s not short notice at all. Great, we’ll see you soon,” she said to whomever she was speaking to before ending the call.
Alexei looked over his shoulder as he leaned his chair back to balance it on two legs. “Not sound good.”
“Put on a suit, Alexei. You too, Sean. We’re having lunch with Jansen,” Katie said.
“That was quick,” Sean said in surprise, already closing down his work. “It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours and they gave us a week.”
Alexei let his chair thunk back to the ground. “Shit.”
Katie nodded. “Get ready, all of you. I’ll build your shields on the drive over.”
“Build mine now, because I’m drivin’ and I don’t need to rear-end no one if I react badly,” Annabelle said, already double-timing it up the stairs.
Alexei followed Sean to the room they were sharing on the first floor. He’d opt
ed to bunk with Sean in order to keep an eye on the other man and hopefully steer his attention away from the way Jamie and Kyle were enjoying their role a little too much to simply call it a cover. Honestly, the things he did for his little brother.
Alexei stepped around the memory mattress rolled out on the floor by the bed in favor of pulling a suit out of his side of the closet. He got dressed quickly, not bothering with a tie because they were annoying, and added a couple gold chain necklaces instead. Alexei strapped the same ceramic knife onto his forearm before clipping a holster to his belt at the small of his back and securing his tactical handgun in it.
“You’re supposed to let Trevor and Annabelle be your protection,” Sean reminded Alexei as he finished buttoning up the jacket on a dark blue suit.
“Can protect self.”
“You’re not supposed to.”
“You made me Marine. Not go unarmed,” Alexei retorted.
That still rankled. He understood why they didn’t want to give away that he and Kyle used to be Strike Force operatives, but the fact that none of them were even Recon Marines under their covers was annoying. Downgrading his fighting skills for a cover was bound to backfire. In the middle of a fight, Alexei wasn’t sure he’d remember to pull his punches. His training was instinct and muscle memory at this point and near impossible to stop.
“Fine,” Sean said in exasperation.
Alexei made an impatient gesture at him to finish up. A few minutes later found them nearly running into Trevor on his way down the stairs. Dressed in dark jeans and a blazer over a collared shirt, armed—with more weapons than Alexei was allowed—Trevor jerked his thumb over his shoulder.
“The girls are finishing up. They shouldn’t be long,” Trevor said.
“Did Katie inform the others?” Sean asked.
“The boss knows. He’s not happy. Heard her telling him to go to lunch and let us handle the meet alone since he’s not supposed to come anyway. I think they’re still arguing.”
“Bet he not like,” Alexei said mildly even as his comms rang through his ears with a tone reserved for only one person. He answered, switching to Russian as he turned away from the others. “<
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Alexei cut the connection before Kyle could yell at him some more. When Kyle didn’t immediately call back to continue the argument, he assumed his brother was getting Jamie under control. Kyle, they’d all learned, was very good at that.
Annabelle came down the stairs a few minutes later. Katie arrived seconds later in a business-appropriate sheath dress and a pair of high heels that honestly looked like they could double as weapons, no longer yelling at their captain. She spared thirty seconds to finish fixing her hair into a loose chignon before double-checking that her 9mm was in her designer tote bag.
“Ready?” she asked as Trevor held the front door open for her
“Let’s go,” Annabelle replied.
They left with clear heads, knowing the UMG had agents discreetly posted around the home’s location to keep an eye on it in their absence. Lunch ended up being at The Grosvenor Hotel in Mayfair, a Victorian-style hotel filled with other businessmen and women taking clients out on the company’s account. The exterior was old and dated in a classic sort of way if you liked that sort of thing. Inside it was designed to impress, the marble flooring and paneling still holding up centuries after it was first built.
Only Trevor followed them inside, while Annabelle stayed with the SUV despite the valet’s assurance they could care for the vehicle. The Cavalier, a restaurant tucked away inside the hotel, was well-known for its revamped take on British classic food, with its chicken tikka taking pride of place on the menu. Alexei was glad about that, because if Jansen had made reservations at a place where only small plates with tiny bites were offered, he’d have probably punched the guy.
Really, all Alexei needed was one little excuse.
Jansen was waiting for them at the table they were led to; it seated four, and three of the leather seats were empty. Trevor posted himself near the exit and out of the way of the servers bringing food to guests and topping up drinks, keeping a weather eye on his charges.
Jansen’s smile was as oily in daylight as in the light of his club, Alexei decided.
“Ekaterina, I’m so pleased you could make this meeting on such short notice,” Jansen said as he stood at their arrival.
Jansen pulled out Katie’s chair for her and she smiled at him. “Thank you, Mr. Jansen.”
“What did I say about calling me Niko? It’s much easier to conduct business on a first-name basis.”
“Niko, then,” Katie agreed. She didn’t ask for him to call her Katie.
Alexei and Sean got situated in their spots, with Alexei putting himself next to Jansen-cum-Niko and across from Katie. It put him facing a majority of the restaurant and the exit, which left Katie to watch his six. It was as defensible as it could get, but it still made his skin crawl. Fucking Niko made his skin crawl.
Alexei picked up the tablet with the menu from the middle of the table. Niko hadn’t ordered anything yet other than a martini, so Alexei skimmed through the menu and chose what looked good. He passed the tablet over to Sean so he could pick his meal while Katie and Niko had a polite conversation that revealed absolutely nothing to each other.
For his part, Alexei slouched in his chair and opted to look bored, gaze trailing over everyone in the sleek dining room, picking out Niko’s bodyguards almost immediately. They’d taken up similar posts with Trevor, along with several men and women who screamed security. It told Alexei this lunch spot was favored by some wealthy people, or at least, people who wanted to be seen as wealthy.
“You order?” Alexei asked in a brusque manner, interrupting their conversation after Sean set the tablet down on the table. The food wouldn’t come until everyone had picked out their choices and sent the order along to the kitchen, and Alexei didn’t want to wait. He was hungry.
“Yes, we’re ordering,” Katie replied, ignoring the tone in his voice.
She chose something at random, and Alexei only knew it was at random because usually Katie picked her way through a menu for the best dish like it was a battlefield. He hoped she liked what she decided on. If not, oh well. He wasn’t giving up his steak for anything.
“I’m glad you could make this meeting on such short notice.” Niko took a sip of his martini. “Our mutual friend was quite impressed with how you presented your company last night. We did some research and came to the conclusion you may be exactly what we’re looking for in terms of, oh, flexibility.”
“We’re Marines. We’re used to being flexible on the battlefield. The mindset transfers well to civilian life,” Katie replied.
Niko gave her an odd look. “I thought you were out of the military?”
“Once a Marine, always a Marine.”
He chuckled at that, as if he found it amusing, when no one else at the table did. Alexei had never quite understood the near fanaticism Marines had with their branch of the military until he’d joined a team full of them, but he understood it better now.
“We will need an understanding of your company’s capabilities. We have a client, shall we say, who needs a particular security setup created for his business. We suggested your company could perform the work,” Niko said.
“What are the parameters?”
“Oh, this and that.” Niko shrugged before pu
lling a small solid state drive out of his suit jacket pocket and handing it over. “I don’t profess to know anything about computer systems. I much prefer people. They’re far more interesting. The instructions are on the drive.”
Katie tucked the solid state drive into her purse. “I’ll be sure to review it thoroughly after lunch. When the assignment is complete, who do I deliver it to?’
“Me.”
Katie tilted her head to the side, eyes narrowing. “I know we work through you, not for you, Niko. We’ll need to know who our client is if we’re to continue doing business together. You can let Oksana know that’s part of our terms.”
“Oksana is not the one seeking your employment.”
“Then you can let whomever it is know we may not do things strictly by the book, but I do like a clear chain of command for productivity purposes. So does Jamie.”
“Ah, yes. Your investor. A shame he couldn’t join us today.”
“He’s busy,” Katie replied as a server arrived to deliver their drinks.
Niko’s gaze slid Alexei’s way. “I’m sure he is. Jamie’s partner was delectable-looking, even if the man himself is a bit possessive. Like you, Alexei, don’t you agree?”
Alexei didn’t have to think very hard about what Niko was implying, and it made him bristle. “Not your business,” he growled, reaching for his beer.
Alexei didn’t look at Sean, but he didn’t need to. Sean picked up the thread of conversation without missing a beat.
“We’ve all become close since I was hired to work for them,” Sean said, the flat evenness of his Pacific Northwest tone replaced by the Brooklyn accent his old cover had cultivated. “That won’t impede us from doing our jobs.”
“Tomas didn’t seem impressed with your position last night, Riley,” Niko said.
“I’m not impressed with Tomas’ capabilities. Fair warning, he’s liable to shoot you and not give a fuck about the problems it causes everyone else. He’s something of a hothead.”
In the Ruins (Metahuman Files Book 2) Page 18