Chapter 4 - The Blue Watch Closes In
The peace of the Brookline estate was shattered on Tuesday morning.
Josie was in the garden with Mila, teaching her how to plant small red geraniums in the terracotta pots, when the sound of shouting erupted from the main house.
"Stay here," Josie told Mila, her heart instantly leaping into her throat. "Stay behind the stone wall with Mateo."
Mateo, who had been standing near the rose bushes, immediately drew his weapon, his eyes scanning the tree line as he moved to stand over the little girl.
Josie hurried into the house, her boots muddy from the garden.
In the library, Viktor was standing before a massive array of security monitors. His face was dark, his jaw clenched so hard the muscles in his neck were visible. Beside him stood three of his senior captains, their expressions equally grim.
On the central screen, a live feed from one of the docks in South Boston showed a warehouse engulfed in bright, roaring flames. The black smoke rose into the gray morning sky like a giant, dark fist.
"He struck the third terminal," one of the captains said. "He brought thirty men, Viktor. They had automatic weapons. They took out the night watch and set the diesel tanks on fire. We lost six men."
"Dimitri," Viktor said, his voice a low, lethal hiss.
"He’s moving fast, boss," the captain continued. "He’s telling the other families that you’ve lost your mind, that you’re hiding in Brookline with a maid and a sick kid, and that you’re no longer fit to run the port. The guys from New York are starting to listen. They don't want a turf war disrupting their shipments."
"He thinks he’s won," Viktor said, his eyes locking onto the burning warehouse on the screen. "He thinks because I’ve been quiet, I’ve forgotten how to fight."
He turned to his captains. "Get the trucks ready. We’re going to the harbor."
"Viktor, wait," Josie said, stepping into the room.
The captains turned to look at her, their expressions hard, but Viktor raised his hand to silence them.
"This is not your concern, Josie," Viktor said, using her first name for the first time. "Go back to the garden."
"It is my concern," Josie said, walking toward him. "Dimitri isn't just trying to take your business, Viktor. He’s trying to erase the only evidence of his crime. He knows Tate is dead. He knows you have the drawing. He knows that sooner or later, Mila’s memory will bring the federal agents to his door. He’s not going to stop at the docks. He’s coming here."
Viktor stared at her. He knew she was right. Dimitri was a cold, calculating sociopath. He would never leave a witness alive, especially not a six-year-old girl who could identify his custom watch.
"We need a trap," Josie said, her hazel eyes bright with a sudden, desperate clarity. "You can't just go to the harbor and fight him in the open. That's exactly what he wants. He wants you out of this fortress so he can corner you."
May you like
"And what do you suggest?" Viktor asked, his eyebrows rising slightly.
"Give him what he wants," Josie said. "He wants me and Mila. He thinks we’re your weakness. Let him think he’s found us."
