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Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Wednesday, 27 January, 5:25 p.m.
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Lieutenant General Volkov had been photographed entering the property owned by Oleg Petrov. Two hours later, he left. Aidan had given explicit instructions – everywhere that Volkov went, an operative was sure to go. Another kept surveillance on Max, Oleg, soon to be blood eagled man. In my gut, I knew he didn't give up his destruction of children. Once a predator, always a predator.
I spent hours combing through the missing children reports for the Moscow area. The information posted on the website of a local volunteer group, and not an official government funded site. I closed the command centre's door and cried for a man sentenced to eight years in prison for beating a convicted paedophile to death, after saving a child from said predator.
This is the world we live in. Heroes are sent to prison, yet paedophiles get a slap on the wrist and returned to society to continue destroying the lives of even more children.
On one hand, a law-abiding citizen had protected a child and would spend eight years of his life in prison. On the other, a convicted sex offender had been sentenced for thirteen months and allowed to leave prison to work. Six days of the week. It didn't matter that this played out on different continents, or a few years apart. The fact remains – evil prevails.
A question kept mulling inside my head. Why would governments not do everything possible to protect their children? If they're opposed to the death penalty, life in prison will suffice.
I fell to my knees and prayed for this man who will spend eight years in a Russian prison. I begged God to keep him safe, and for his early release. He didn't deserve this. Neither did his family. Or the young boys he had saved, who learned the law isn't always on the victim's side.
Aidan walked in and sat with me on the floor. He didn't say a word. He understood. My heart will always be with the victims, and this time a man who was a victim of his country's legislation.
"Fin, we need to get ready," Rowan said from the door.
I wiped my eyes and savoured the warmth of Aidan's lips against my forehead. "I can't take them all out. There are millions of them."
The true pandemic of our time – human predators preying on children.
"One by one, my love. There are more people like us out there, and we must never lose sight of the end of this war. One day it will end." Aidan stood and helped me to my feet. He wrapped his arms around me and held me tight. "For now, keep your focus on hunting this serial killer. Getting to Biggie is the biggest step we've taken so far. Sanchez tried to get hold of him but said something about 'the phone being switched off'. His speech was a bit slurred from what I assume are the painkillers he received before being discharged. The cameras inside his apartment are handy."
"Promise me you'll let me do whatever I need to do tonight. If the darkness takes over, then and only then, may you order me to stop."
"I promise. Liam and I are heading out there with you. I'll be overwatch."
"Where's the party being held?" I asked and buried my face in his chest, drawing as deep a breath as my aching soul allowed.
"In the desert," Rowan said, still standing in the doorway. "Fin, are you okay?"
I shook my head; tears threatened to fill my eyes again.
"Do you want to slap Liam until you feel better?"
I laughed. "Great brother you are, Ro. I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. I'll get my head in the game and complete the mission. Tonight, a serial killer's helper. Tomorrow a paedophile."
"Channel your rage, Fin. Harness it and let it ground you. Soon we'll know what the hell is going on, the names of everyone involved, and then we'll hunt them down."
"Yes sir." I straightened my spine. Perhaps we could break into a Russian prison and set an innocent captive free, seeing as we were going to be in Moscow. "How can they organise an orgy in the desert, in a country where premarital and extramarital sex is illegal?"
Rowan shrugged. "I suspect they'll have people positioned at a distance to alert them if the police or any locals head towards where we'll be. Do you need help getting dressed?"
I smiled at my brother-in-law and closed the distance between us. Lifting onto my toes, I wrapped my arms around his neck. "Thank you. Now, Rob, let's get dressed. I've got a date with a big man, one who will fall hard for his role in the deaths of twenty-five people. I hope Eli doesn't call soon to inform us of another body."
I turned to Aidan. "Any news on Alicia Rideout?"
"She's stable and will make a full recovery. Liam asked Nina to speak to her again. Miss Rideout remembers nothing else. For the time being I think we leave her be. We also don't want to put her in more danger than she already might be. It's best if the killer believes she's dead."