Shattered Lies
Chapter 18
"The new doctor is working out," Sergei reports to Glava. "Dobry has a cast, but he can do his work." Sergei steps back two feet, alert for thrown objects. "But we've had another arrest. The cops got Adrik." Sergei steps back again. "And I hear about resistance."
Glava's eyes darken as his fists clench. "What kind of resistance?"
"From the story I got, the customers at Chaynaya Komnata attacked Adrik even before the cops showed up. They're forming some kind of association to keep from paying for your protection."
"Ty che, blyad!" Glava lobs his tape dispenser at artfully dodging Sergei. "We will put a stop to this. You tell Dobry and every one of our soldiers that no one resists. The penalty is death. Do you hear me? And make sure that they know that the terminations should be as painful as possible." Glava crumples a stack of paper from his desk. "Every zasranec who defies me goes down - permanently.
All Perlmutter can make out when Dobry takes a call while the doctor makes sure that his fracture is stabilized correctly, is that he's talking to someone named Sergei and all hell is about to break loose. Dobry is using a lot of words Sidney never heard from his mother.
Even so, Sidney's grasped enough that he knows he has to get a message to Murphy. It won't be easy. He's checked. The infirmary where he spends his days has cameras. He's willing to bet that it's bugged too. Calling from anywhere around a Bratva property is dangerous. Murphy's drop isn't far away but is outside Bratva's direct control. If he's careful, he can leave a message on his lunch break and hope that Murphy's people will pick it up quickly.
Murphy studies Perlmutter's scribbled note. Do doctors take courses in illegible handwriting? He can puzzle it out well enough to know that Perlmutter thinks something big is about to go down. Murphy had suspected that would be the case after Boris' arrest and Beckett and Palicki essentially rescuing Adrik from an angry mob.
From what Murphy knows of Glava, nothing will drive him over the edge more than losing his dominance over Little Russia. And when people are in that irrational a state, mistakes happen. Murphy has to take advantage of the chaos while minimizing casualties. He'll need every member of his force and everyone the N.Y.P.D. can spare to keep control of the situation.
Beckett has an entire squad ready to move in when the expected reprisal comes at Chaynaya Komnata. Palicki is with her, but Castle isn't. He had a meeting at Alexis' school, something about French enrichment, and his daughter still comes before crime-busting. If anything, Kate loves him more for that.
"The "l" word pops up in her thoughts on a regular basis now, but she's yet to say it out loud to him. She's not sure why. Maybe it's one of the few bricks in her wall that's left after he's been swinging a sledgehammer at it for two years. He must know. Doesn't he?
She can't think about that now. The massive black SUVs driven by the Bratva aren't the least bit subtle. As she calls in her people, Bratva soldiers pour out onto the sidewalk. She half expects then to goose-step their way to the tea room, but the thunderous pounding of their feet conveys their intentions in no uncertain terms. They'll receive an unpleasant surprise when they find out that the customers hoisting a cup of chai and nibbling on snowball cookies are all FBI agents or members of the N.Y.P.D. The Bratva forces will have just enough rope to hang themselves, and she'll enjoy pulling the lever on the trap door.
"Dad," Alexis complains "I didn't need permission from the school to pursue an independent study. I could have just decided on my own to do it."
"Except for getting credit for it," Castle reminds her. "I know that your applications for college will already be enough to bowl over any sane admissions officer, but you have to impress the insane ones too, and from what I've read on the parents' of teenagers blogs, they are rapidly increasing in number."
"You shouldn't read those. You're much cooler than any of the other parents."
"Maybe that's what bothers me. Am I leaving you too much to your own devices?"
Alexis puts her hand on his shoulder. "Dad, I've been worried about leaving YOU too much to your own devices. I wasn't the one who got shot trying to play hero."
Castle shoves his fingers through his hair. "Is that what you think I was doing?"
"Well, weren't you?"
"Alexis, I stepped in front of Kate because I love her. And I would have done exactly the same thing for you or Gram."
Alexis rolls her eyes. "Except that no one is shooting at us. Look, Dad, I know how you feel about Detective Beckett. Anyone who's ever seen the two of you together knows it. But I'm going to need a father for a while, OK? And not just to go to meetings at my school or to make me smiley-face pancakes; because I love you and I want you around. So, no more bullets."
"I'll try my best," Castle agrees, "but I need a hug to seal the deal."
Alexis wraps her arms around her father, settling into his chest to hear the reassuring beat of his heart.
From four blocks away, Jackson watches Glava through a high-powered scope. The man has a history of having the self-control of a two-year-old, but it looks like he's gone around the bend. He sent 25 percent of his soldiers out to be rounded up in a sweep by the FBI and the N.Y.P.D., led by the love of Richard's life, Kate Beckett.
Jackson's question is, what will this throwback to the madness of Rasputin do next? The Bratva forces have been reduced, which may lead to even more desperate action - the kind that Kate and Richard may get caught up in.
And there's a new wrinkle. A numbers guy has contacted the CIA saying he has information on the flow of money from Russia to the United States. From the summary Jackson read, he's some kind of failed securities trader, not the most reliable source. But Jackson's learned that valuable intel can come from the most unlikely places.
Jackson won't sit in on the interview. Very few people know his face, and if he's going to stay above ground, he needs to keep it that way. But he'll be observing. If the would-be tipster is the least bit reliable, he might be of help to take Glava down without an outright termination. That would be better for everyone - especially Kate and Richard.
Until then, Jackson can keep an eye on Glava, at least until the Bratva chief pours enough vodka down his throat to put him out for the night. Jackson might go see Rita then. She is one woman who understands him perfectly. No ties, no demands, no commitment, just satisfying sex. As he waits for the Russian asshole to drink himself into a stupor, her bed is something worth looking forward to.