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Krakow, Poland
Thursday, 28 January, 11:48 p.m.
––––––––
Not even Aidan could get Kuhn to give us a name. Instead, he had repeated Jefferson's words: 'All roads lead to Bergia'. Kuhn hadn't lasted long. The icy water of the Vistula River had washed his lungs in a similar way we had cleansed Sanchez's airways. We dried the concierge of the underworld with a blanket. No one heard him scream, as I had gagged him with his own tie. Ethanol and a single flame from a lighter took Kuhn to meet the reaper. It didn't bring back Abigail Davis or her parents.
This killer was the master of all manipulators; unlike any I've ever come across. Psychopath, sociopath, or narcissist? I wasn't sure. An undeniable fact: people feared him enough to take his name to their graves. Nothing we did persuaded them to fear us more. Sanchez remained bound to his apartment in Madrid. Neither he nor the killer had made contact with each other.
Aidan asked Ivana to contact Piotr and set up a meeting.
"He left for Toro about an hour ago. It's important he maintains his cover." Ivana leaned against the door of her hotel room.
"There's no cover. He's helping Szymon murder innocent people and blackmailing paedophiles into helping them find victims." I glanced down at the blood spattered and torn dress. "I'll buy you a new one."
She shook her head. "It's old, don't bother replacing it. I can't contact Piotr. She surprised him here. And she's not aware of my existence beyond what she might've heard about the BSS." Ivana shrugged and yawned at the same time.
"Are you talking about Ylva?" Aidan asked, sounding almost as tired as I felt.
"She's in love with him. If he doesn't ask her soon, I'm pretty sure she's going to propose to him." Ivana's face hardened. "I don't blame her for her grandfather's sins, but I won't allow Piotr to marry anyone if not for love."
"Were you and Ivar married?" I asked, placing my hand in Aidan's.
"Not on paper, but in our hearts."
Aidan stepped forward and covered her shoulder with his free hand. "He'll be safe soon. Wherever you want to go, which ever names you want to take, I'll make it happen."
She smiled up at him. "Thank you, but let's get him out of Russia first and then we can discuss the possibility of our future."
We said goodnight and as Aidan and I stepped into the suite, I turned to him. "Vladimir's family; we need to get them out of Russia too. They'll need new identities and a future."
Aidan pulled me against him and held me tight. "Always thinking about everyone else. How are you holding up? You've allowed the darkness to come out to play a lot over the last few days."
"A long time ago a brilliant and gorgeous, man told me in order to do my job, and be his wife, I need to compartmentalise. He said I need to see an invisible line and not let one persona into the other's world. I will carry his wisdom with me into my new role with Fortius. When I'm home, I'll be Mrs Aidan Walker, and Ainsley's mommy. Out in the field, or in the command centre which doubles as your office, I'll be Finley Williams-Walker."
"Sounds like this man knows what he's talking about. Fin, I'm worried about the toll this is going to take on you in the long run. We fight daily to not get sucked back into the darkness; Ainsley needs us to stay focused."
"Are you talking to me or yourself?" I drew a deep breath and pressed my ear against his chest. "We're all surrounded by darkness every day. The difference is, we see it and we fight back. We can't change who we are, Aidan. If I don't work for Fortius, I'll find another way to fight the evil in this world. At least as part of this organisation, and family, we can keep an eye on each other and do whatever it takes to avoid letting anyone slip into the abyss."
Aidan pressed his lips to my hair and without letting me go, steered me to the bathroom. We duck walked, and for a few precious seconds I forgot evil circled us. Mikolaj had gone after the daughter of an Interpol agent and destroyed Abigail. I didn't need the bodies exhumed. I knew the agent didn't kill his wife or commit suicide.
"When are your parents going to tell your brothers and the other operatives?" I asked as Aidan and I stepped into the shower. Neither of us had the energy or desire to do anything more than wash the day off of each other. The smell of Kuhn's burning flesh clung to us.
"As soon as we get back."