A/N: Thank you for all of the reviews! I hope the story meets all of your expectations.
They moved to the kitchen where Inna made tea and then sat at the table. To anyone on the outside looking in, they were two old friends, chatting and sipping hot tea. Unless they saw the gun resting on the table in front of Inna.
"What do you want?" Elizabeth asked quietly.
Inna sipped her tea. It needed honey, she decided and reached across the table to grab the jar.
"Your husband and I have some unfinished business," Inna said as she poured a generous amount of honey into her cup, "You are unfortunately a means to attain his attention."
"I don't understand."
Inna tasted her tea. Much better.
"It is true that I could corner your husband. Perhaps in his car after leaving the office or as he pulls into your driveway, but he would be more inclined to attack me given earlier circumstances."
"You mean when you shot…" Elizabeth swallowed hard, fresh tears gathering in her eyes. She couldn't bring herself to say his name, not in the same sentence.
Inna smirked, "Da. Anger and revenge are like blinders. They do not allow you to see the whole truth even if it stares you in the face. But if I have you by my side, he will be less likely to act recklessly and more likely to listen."
"How can you be so heartless?" Elizabeth asked, "What kind of sick person gets off of other people's pain?"
Inna leaned forward, eyes narrowed and sharp. Her voice was low and dangerous as she spoke.
"Do not pretend to understand me, Mrs. Burke. You are perceptive, I will give you that, but in this case, you have a limited perspective. Making assumptions could cost you your life."
"I thought you needed me."
Inna leaned back and smirked, "No one is indispensable."
The front door opened and Peter stepped inside. Elizabeth moved to stand, but Inna waved the gun at her as a warning. Peter saw Satchmo first, a crease of worry spreading across his brow. Then he saw Elizabeth sitting at the table, angry and terrified, across from the woman he hated most in the world.
Anger sparked in his eyes as he surged across the room.
"You! What are you-"
Inna raised the gun, "Easy, Agent Burke. Think before you act."
Peter stopped, surprised.
"Da, I know who you are. Mikhail, remove him of his firearm, please."
Mikhail stepped into the house, softly shutting the door behind him. He crossed the room and pulled the gun from Peter's holster, then stepped back, keeping it at the ready.
"My associate has been following you since you left your office."
Peter glared at her, "What are you doing here?"
"I am getting to know your beautiful wife," Inna said, "Such fire in this one."
Inna sipped the last of her tea, taking her time. It wasn't often she got to enjoy a good cup of tea.
"What do you want?" Peter asked, the anger in his voice growing, "Is your bloodlust not satisfied?"
Mikhail shoved his shoulder, "Watch your mouth."
"Easy, Mikhail," Inna admonished. She looked at Peter, "I was doing my job, Agent Burke. You are lucky I did not tell Dimitri who you really are, or it would not be just your friend that was shot."
Peter ground his teeth, "Why didn't you tell him?"
"All in good time, Agent. First, you and your wife are going to take a ride with Mikhail and me. When we reach our destination, I will explain it all."
"We aren't going anywhere with you."
Mikhail cocked the gun. Inna rose, keeping her own gun in full view at her hip.
"I think you misunderstand me, Agent Burke," she said, "It isn't a request."
Mikhail drove the Cadillac to the building with Peter sitting beside him. Inna sat in the back with Elizabeth, the gun still resting on her knee. Serge was waiting for them on the stairs when they walked inside.
"Speak only Russian," Inna said.
"I thought we were going to bring them in," Serge said.
"Yes, but for now do as I say," she answered, then smacked the back of his head, "Do not question my orders."
Mikhail chuckled as Serge rubbed the back of his head. Peter pulled Elizabeth close, looking between their kidnappers, obviously confused by the less than threatening atmosphere.
"Where are they?" Inna asked as they headed for the lift.
"On the third floor," Serge answered, shutting the doors and pressing the button.
"Is he awake?"
Serge nodded, "Sofia has taken a liking to him."
Inna rolled her eyes. Of course she had. The child would do anything to annoy her.
The third level had been converted to their rooms, each of them claiming a corner and putting up curtains to gain some sort of privacy. The middle had been devoted to a type of living room. Sofia was sitting on one of the couches, watching cartoons.
"What are you doing out here?" Inna asked.
Sofia flipped the channel, "Lanka kicked me out. She said he was a prisoner, not a play toy."
Inna beckoned her off the couch and turned off the T.V., gesturing for Mikhail to sit Peter and Elizabeth where Sofia had been. Inna took her normal seat in the recliner and lit a cigarette. She'd only just taken her first drag when Sofia crawled into her lap. She glared at the girl.
"Shouldn't you be asleep?"
Sofia didn't answer, but started twirling her long blond hair around her finger and tying knots in it. Inna sighed. It was a nervous habit the child only did when she was having nightmares and didn't want to say anything.
"Serge, help Lanka bring our guest out here."
Serge nodded and headed for the back of the level. With Mikhail standing guard, Inna finally put her weapon down and began rocking the recliner.
"Agent Burke, welcome to our humble abode," she said.
Peter glared, "Are you going to explain what's going on now?"
"Possibly. I'm sure you have quite a few questions."
Peter scoffed, "You think? For starters, how do you know who I am? And why didn't you tell Dimitri today? And why did you-"
He stopped looking at Sofia. Inna smirked and chuckled.
"Believe me, Agent, nothing you say can surprise this child. Tell me, were you going to ask why I killed your friend?"
Peter clenched his fists, anger swelling in his chest, "You didn't have to do that."
"I did. If I did not, then Luka would have, and he would not have been so kind as me."
"Kind!" Peter roared, surging to his feet, "You put two bullets in his chest! How the hell is that kind?"
Mikhail stepped forward, "Sit. Now."
Slowly, Peter obeyed, still seething. Inna just kept rocking.
"There it is," she said softly, "There is the reaction I did not see this afternoon. For a moment, I thought I had read you wrong, Agent Burke."
Peter said nothing.
"Your anger is healthy. Your desire for revenge even more so, but I believe you will be, how do you say, singing a different tune in a moment. You see, Nick Halden is dead."
Before Peter or Elizabeth could react, Lanka and Serge appeared from around a curtain. Lanka held the curtain back as Serge, propping up their guest, stumbled into the room. Peter stared, open mouthed and wide eyed, while his wife gasped, fresh tears filling her eyes. Inna came very close to smiling.
"But Neal Caffrey is very much alive."
A/N: Next chapter begins to explain how Inna "killed" Neal and what this pack of Russians is up to. Review please!