Ch 5. Sand Slipping Through Your Fingers

Kostya had used a secret entrance to get inside because Oksana was certain that it had been only the driver at the front of the car in addition to the two gorillas accompanying her to the Consulate.

Her cousin smiled his slow cold smile and said: "Very disappointing, moja dorogaja" (my dear) What did I do wrong to deserve you siding with Mendoza, huh?"

"You didn't do anything!" Oksana knew her cousin had not betrayed her but had constantly breathed down her neck over the years and that had resulted in her desire to taste freedom.

But now she realized she had misread the situation because Kostya was a sociopath, who did not care if he had hurt her feelings or if he was threatening the life of her innocent daughter. The only feelings the man had were of his hurt ego and constant mistrust. So, the probability of him understanding her frustration with his constant control obsession was pretty low. Kostya valued the pecking order, and if one didn't know their place in it, too bad!

"Teresa called me and started making these overtures…I had no idea she would be offering me to betray you…I couldn't just say 'no' before I had found out more…You have to believe me, cousin!" Oksana really felt Teresa should have kept her mouth shut over the damn phone!

"So, if you really were caught by surprise, let's see if you can call your Mexican friend and have her join us!" Kostya checked his gun for no apparent reason but to show Oksana he was armed.

Then he went on: "Tell her the truth…that I have Samara…and that unless she shows and negotiates…your daughter will suffer!"

"Kostya please! Teresa has no real desire to harm you…You are her best customer…You have to believe me that she is being forced to do this!" Oksana's brain was churning.

Kostya mulled over this argument for a while: "Could be! In that case she'll have no problem joining us…and she'll know exactly how the person who wants me dead plans to attack!"

"What do you mean?" Oksana's face was as pale as a sheet of paper. How could he know about the consulate infiltration?

Kostya gave her a once over and added nonchalantly: "What did you think, moja dorogaja? That I don't monitor the servers? That my guys didn't see your tech provide blueprints of this building to a third undisclosed party?"

Oksana's heart fell in her stomach as she somehow found her voice: "I will need to have my hands free to make a call!"

"You do that!…Call this Teresa and then get ready to tell me exactly who is infiltrating the Consulate… So, that my niece has a chance to live!" Kostya snarled.

Teresa hung up with Oksana and texted James, but there was no immediate answer. Carajo! The car would be here in 15 minutes to take her to the Russian Consulate!

She could not afford Oksana and her daughter to be killed because of her! She refused to have more people die for her…and for Finch!

She just prayed to Malverde that James would see his text and would be able to help her!

The limousine slid to the lowest level of the parking garage and then stopped. Teresa was blindfolded and as she was trying to slow down her heartbeat, she kept remembering being led onto a boat in the jungle and off to El Santo's compound.

Her trusted supplier and now her best customer were all targets of the CIA, which made her the worst pawn by association!

Kostya removed her blindfold and pointed to the seat in front of her. He sat in the opposite chair and said in a slow deliberate voice: "Teresa Mendoza! We finally meet! Now, let's pretend for moment that I'm not …ahh…How do I say?...ahh…Mentally dehydrated nut, okay?" His thick Russian accent contrasted his attempt to speak fluent street English.

Teresa's eyes opened wide as she had not expected such an introduction: "I never thought of you as such!"

"You may have to convince me in …opposite, da?" He almost smiled. "You've made remarkable progress in this trade, and I have no doubt you have attracted attention of some local agencies…Because right now I am still believing what my dear cousin said…that you aren't eager to get rid of me…that you're being forced, da?"

Teresa needed took a second to formulate her response and that gave Kostya a chance to continue instead: "Or you're so greedy that you wanted my share of the market in the North East?"

"I don't feel money is worth the trouble to unsettle someone like you." Teresa said calmly. She needed to manage the man. He was full of doubts, but he didn't' sound delusional.

"So, how do you feel about money?" He eyed her suspiciously.

"I don't feel anything about it. I used to…but not anymore! I want to play the game fair, always have and always have tried to… and have suffered a lot for it. I guess that's just the way the world is." She decided to explore a philosophical angle with the Russian as she needed to gain his trust.

"Yes, having a lot of money has way less suffering attached to it…than having less of it!" He persisted.

"Money only comes in two kinds, yours, and mine." Teresa said. "And we both have more than enough to allow it…to sour our working relationship!"

Kostya laughed, a short, sad laugh; then became dead serious: "We make money for the Motherland! We climb to the top to be safe… But on top of the pyramid, we need to either eat the smaller fish or be eaten ourselves…There's room for only so many of us! "

"I'm not sure what you mean! You and I worked just fine these past few months!" Teresa cocked her head slightly, her eyes falling on the scary cross tattooed on his neck.

"Let's see if I can explain it in different way," Kostya smiled again. His scarred skin and squinting blue eyes gave him quite a malevolent look.

"You came to this country to make use of is rich black markets, no?...Because for this huge black market to exist," he said slowly, as if confiding a personal secret: "the white market must be …too strict or not existing at all! You know this because you were a money changer, da?"

Teresa nodded and Kostya went on: "In the case of drugs, the government controls the set up and does not allow a white market to exist …because there's tons of greedy people out there… Greed has met control, and so black market has prospered! It's all about greed, and control!"

"You've put a lot of thought into this!" Teresa commented, impressed and genuinely glad that Kostya had engaged.

"Yes, I have…and because we must serve the Motherland, we cannot allow the American government…and its greed to control this trade, you see?" He answered still deep in thought. "And because there's no white market in this trade, we have to control the black one, no? To meet our needs!"

Teresa nodded understandingly as Kostya got up from the chair and looked down at her: "Now, Teresa Mendoza, tell me the truth! Is the American greedy government pushing you to betray your success and to lie to me?"

Teresa's face was frozen as she had perfected the lack of expression over the few years of her narco life, but her heart was hammering in her chest: "Why would you say that?"

"Because I know what you offered Oksana…if she can eliminate me. And if you don't want my piece of the pie, the only explanation remains that you are being pressured…or you are willingly cooperating with damn Americans!" Kostya's voice was angry by the end of the sentence.

Teresa wasn't able to formulate her response right away because the idea of offering him an alliance against Finch crossed her mind.

Kostya kept talking: "Make no mistake, I am angry because we Russians value family like you Mexicans do…and you pushed mine to betray me! You owe me, Teresa!"

She knew her goal was to exit the narco trade, but also to have no one on her back. So, she took a deep breath and said: "You won, Kostya! All I want is to exit without repercussions for me and my associates!"

The Russian's blue eyes narrowed slightly: "Da, I won…and I intend to take you businesses… and kill all of your associates…but I might spare you if you tell me the truth: Is the DEA or the CIA after me?"

"I have no such information!" Teresa knew that admitting to being Finch's ally was too risky a move, but the Russian who had tried to flush James out meant Kostya was onto something: "Oksana was tired of being under your thumb and all she wanted was her freedom!"

"I will deal with my cousin… You don't worry about her!" Kostya snapped. "You worry about what you're telling me….So, there's no plan to send a killer after me?" he repeated with a cold voice.

"Not that I am aware, no!" She could feel her teeth clenching.

At this moment Medved opened the side door and pushed Oksana forward. Her eyes met Teresa's for a second as she mouthed 'sorry'. For the first time in the last year Teresa understood what Oksana had meant when she had said that it was both 'bad and good news' to have caught Konstanin Federev's attention.

Teresa's heart jumped as Medved pushed Oksana down and she landed on her knees right next to Teresa's chair.

"You sure?" Kostya cocked his head at Teresa.

Oksana took a brief look at Teresa with moist eyes as Medved smiled a nasty smile: "I doubt you don't know. You lie to us is all!"

"Who is James Valdez?" Kostya's voice speaking out James's name startled Teresa. "And don't you lie to me, because I know he is here…I just need to confirm who is behind him?" Kostya's voice was ice, while Oksana kept staring at the floor.

"Give me her phone!" Kostya said to Medved, who had confiscated it upon her arrival and now produced it out of his pocket. "Last chance!" Kostya said as he scrolled down.

"He is the most important person in my life!" Teresa heard herself say.

"Good girl!" Kostya almost laughed. "Who does he work for?"

Teresa's eyes moisted as she felt the noose around her neck tighten. She slowly shook her head trying to come up with a strategy but being almost certain Oksana had divulged that detail as well.

"I asked you a question!" Kostya's voice was angry again as Medved pushed Teresa off the chair and she ended up kneeling right next to Oksana.

Teresa could see with her peripheral vision Kostya putting her phone to his ear.