Andrei reloaded quickly as Mastrosimone began charging him. He had a shot lined up and saw the man's chest in his scope... and then a volley of bullets crashed around him and he was forced to duck down. Andrei popped up and shot- once, twice- but he must have missed. As Mastrosimone drew closer, the rest of the shooting stopped- whatever guards were left didn't want to hit the charging man. Roaring, Andrei swung the stock of his rifle at Billy, who barely managed to block it from breaking his nose. Andrei felt the gun get ripped out of his hands, and then the two men faced each other with their fists raised.

Andrei tried a practiced sequence: a flurry of blows to the face to make the tall man put his hands up and defend himself, then a crushing body shot to bring him to his knees or knock the wind out of him. And it all proceeded as planned- except when Andrei went to deliver the kidney shot, he found Billy shifting to make it a glancing blow.

Andrei never had time to react to the thunderous punch heading down and connecting with his face. He staggered backwards for a few steps, stunned.

Billy watched as the man in front of him staggered, he used the opportunity to lunge at him. A single quick motion and Billy would have this guy. He stepped forward and reached out to grab... air. It was far too quick, the other man was suddenly just not there. He might have been faster than Aurora.

No sooner had that thought crossed his mind than the entire world went to a bright flash of light and pain. The next thing he knew he could taste blood, and he could see it. What little of the world he could see he knew he was seeing though eyes that were going to swell soon. Whatever he did next he would have to do it quick, and it would have to be decisive.

Billy watched through what he could of the remains of his vision as the man, or creature, he wasn't entirely sure which at the moment, charged him. He put one foot back and bent his knee ever so slightly. This was the one move he used himself, the one thing he knew how to deal with, and so he did. As Andrei's body connected with his own, he dropped his knee and took the full force of the man as he rolled back and flipped both of them through the air. It was a brief moment of weightlessness and then Billy felt the familiarity of the ground again, only this time, it was underneath Andrei.

At this point though he could only make out a shadow of a man, and so he swung, hard and fast as much as he could. He could feel his fists connecting with something for a brief second, though whether ground or flesh he did not know. It was strange how soft the both of those things were when you could not see. His blows were stopped suddenly though when he felt a stirring from under him. A scrape against his inner thigh warned him of the impending doom, and so he rolled over off of the man, thankful that he did not have time to put on pants for once.

In that moment his mind realized one thing. It was just this guy out here, just this one. If he could just stall him for another thirty seconds Charlie could come up here with whoever was left and finish the job. So just stall the guy, stay up. That's all.

Separated by a dozen feet and a gulf of hatred, both men glared at each other through the haze of pain and exhaustion. As one, they began to charge toward each other, putting everything they had into giant, wild haymakers.

Andrei's connected better, dropping Billy to the ground. Breathing heavily, Andrei went for his rifle; as he worked the bolt action, Billy tried to climb up again and got a kick from a steel-toed boot for his trouble. 

Andrei finished loading, raised the rifle quickly and Billy, and- Charlie's bullet tore through his skull. 

Charlie himself arrived a few seconds later, panting. 

"Boss! I couldn't shoot him before... you were too close. Are you alive? Boss? Billy? Shit... get him back in the house. And someone call the fucking fire department. Now!"

Billy closed the trunk of the car and winced once again clutching at his ribs. The fucker, the guy whose name he never got, the guy who would have killed them all, just one guy, left him with a hell of a cut.

"Charlie, you drive the rear car, Oscar you're up front. Will, you're riding with Brigitte and Charlie, and I've got Gav."

Two other cars were going with them, one in front, one behind, all the same make and model, all to keep anyone watching from knowing which was full and who was going where. In the end they would all be together, but they needed to get there as safe as possible. Only two of these cars was going to the bunker. His and Wills.

Billy looked back at the house again, there was no real substantial damage, except to the guest house. Gavin would be upset by that, but not for long. He never kept anything of value now anyway, at least, it didn't seem that way to Billy. As he sat down and watched the house receed into the mid day desert sun he looked down at a sleeping Gav. He touched one finger to his nose then.

"Don't break yours little man, cause it hurts a hell of a lot when you get it set again."

Will watched the stars as they drove north, speaking calmly in French the way he'd been doing since the gunshots started and they'd run for it. But he only needed half his brain to speak to the worn out child. The other half was asking questions.

Is this the life I want for myself?

For any family that I have?

Aurora is in... am I? Do I have to be?

He fell asleep with his head against the window, Brigitte leaning against his arm and sleeping.

The Skies Above Russia - 1 Hour Until Landing

"It's really not that hard," protested Gavin, as Tara glared at him. "You just pull the rope! And then you sorta glide."

"And what if we get impaled by a tree? Or land in the middle of a town?", countered Tara.

Aurora joined in, saying "Dad... we don't need to jump out of a plane. I love that story as much as anyone. But we don't need to-"

"You...", he pointed in sequence at both Tara and Rora, "are no fun anymore. Fine. We'll land and take this wonderful 'bus' of yours."

Tara had a small smile as she flipped through her papers; her demeanor had changed substantially since the revelation that treachery, rather than a lack of intellect or skill, had been the reason for her near-total defeat. 

"Okay. Now that that is settled... three leads."

She cleared her throat.

"And by three leads... I mean these are all various stages of being shots in the dark. It's also important to note that Francis did not have access to this information or any way to filter it. Because finding Volkov was my top priority, I had everything involving him sent directly to me. He had no way to contaminate this... although the fact that he knows we're headed to Russia may impact these leads. Some that could have been goldmines might be totally shut down, but there's nothing we can do about that."

"The first one I'd recommend pursuing is trying to find Alena Petrov. At least two of my agents had connected her with having something to do with Volkov's past... but they all disappeared before they could confirm any real information, although they were chasing leads on bigger things from her when she died. She's an older woman, lives alone in North Moscow. Because I had agents meet with her and return to report, it seems safe enough to have at least one conversation with her before disappearing. Like I said, I'd want to talk to her first."

"The second lead involves investigating whether anyone can place Volkov from his training. He seems to be between 20 and 30, so there must be people out there who were involved with his training and maybe even connected the dots to his next career. I've got a read on a recently retired Russian Special Forces instructor. He shouldn't be hard to get to, but might be tricky to persuade him to divulge anything. My initial thought is that we pretend Aurora is pregnant by this amazing, deadly special forces soldier. Problem here is that I've never been able to catch a real picture of Volkov; all I get is "dark hair" and "very handsome"... which isn't much to go on. I haven't been able to find any records of a "Volkov", so it's likely he took that name after any military service- if it happened at all. We could also check with the Bratva, the Russian Mafia, and see if they know anything... but I've got no contacts there. In fact, I've got enemies. That's one that could backfire- odds are they defend him, since he carried out so many beneficial hits for them. But if they ever did turn on him and give us his real name, if they know it, it could obviously be helpful. Still... I think the most likely result of us talking to the Bratva is that we need to worry about them hunting us as well."

"The third lead... I'd like to save it for last. There's a bar in North Moscow that I've sent six people into. None of them reported back. Obviously, it seems like there's something there that could be helpful... but we'd almost certainly be walking into a pre-established trap, if the trap is still loaded. Moscow was my first network to go dark, so I'm flying blind in terms of recent news."

"In terms of getting to Moscow, we land in Leningrad, buy some new clothes, swap our money for rubles, and take a bus. Questions? Comments? Thoughts?"

Gavin looked at Aurora.

"I see no reason not to follow your gut on this one,"  She said to Tara.  "You've been looking at this information longer than Dad and I.  We can go in the order you've set up."

She paused before adding, "I gotta say though, I'm reminded of something mom once said... 'Dragons hoard gold because the thing you most need is always to be found where you least want to look.'  If the bar is nothing and there's no real prize to be won, why bother setting up a trap?"

She shook her head trying to pick apart her own logic. 

"I mean, it could be that your guy pointed out to Volkov that you can't resist a puzzle and you'd keep sending men there, allowing him a steady means to drain your resources... but fuck, the logistics of having people at the bar, during all open hours for days and weeks and months on end?  All for a trap to catch people who were easier to dropped in other ways?  Seems like a lot of resources better spent elsewhere since this guy is efficient at killing."

She shakes her head.

"The woman... she's been spoken to her before.  Unless we're willing to go to a whole new level with information extraction, why is she going to tell us more this time than previous times?  Are we ready to go to the next level with an old woman who might know nothing and be an innocent party in all this?  Last time I checked, even with our family's lives on the line, we didn't do business that way."

She looked first to Tara and then to her Dad and then back to Tara.

"She might be a waste of our time & maybe we hit the places we feel know we've not really gotten anyone into before?  Minutes may be everything here if Volkov is just behind us.  Assuming he left as soon as possible who can say if we even have hours before he's there... to say nothing of his network?  This is his turf.  For all we know they have photos of all of us and are going to be on the lookout for people matching our descriptions.  One American might be ignored, three - two women and a man - matching our descriptions?  I can spot a man with a gun yard away... even the slowest child can be taught how to spot a killer at a distance.  And we know how easy it is to turn a city full of desperately hungry people into an impossible to escape information network."

"With that in mind, I don't suppose you stock scissors and hair dye on this plane?  It might be time to consider some changes."

Tara nodded at Aurora, a small grin breaking out on her face.

"A good idea. Your mother always said I'd look good as a blonde. Although grey may be more appropriate. As for the rest of it," she nodded, "I don't disagree with you there. None of the leads are slam dunks. They're all I've got. If we see something on the ground that you think could provide more answers, say the word and we can check it out. Do you have any other ideas for how to learn anything about him?"

"As for you specific feedback... I don't know why the bar would be a constantly set trap. All I know is that it somehow managed to be, even with people coming at all times and from a variety of perspectives."

"And I wasn't suggesting that Gavin beat an old woman within an inch of her life."

Gavin shrugged, sighing, "Wouldn't be the first time..."

"I meant," said Tara, "that we could try to bribe her. I don't know if my previous agents ever got around to compensation."

When Rora glanced up at Tara, she was wearing a smirk identical to Gavin's. It was just more rarely displayed.

"And Rora... how will they know we're American? I've been bouncing around Europe since you were... six? I can pass as a native in French, German, Italian, and Russian. As long as the two of you," she said, looking particularly at Gavin, "keep your mouths shut and don't get caught speaking English, we may not have a problem as fast as you think."

She sighed.

"If only I was man... I could try to call one of those numbers, fake Francis's voice and plant false information. No, Gavin, there's no way you could pull that off. You're a brilliant bluffer, but only in English."

"I'd probably be seen through too.  Too bad Will isn't here though, he's passed himself off as Dad at least once."  Aurora snickered. "Back when I was in high school. He wanted to throw a party while mom and dad were out of town.  Damnedest thing I ever saw. He's really good actually. He got on the phone and called up some guys down at the loading dock and asked them to put aside a keg for me to pick up.  He had dad's tone and cadence of speaking down to an art. Made me wonder how many times he'd pulled that shit off."

She shook her head.

Gavin raised an eyebrow, although it was hard to tell whether he was more annoyed or proud.

“Anyway, you would be a cute blonde.  And… fuck it, maybe so would I.” She chuckled.  It was a silly thing to think about but when the world was dark you took your smiles where you could find them.  Losing Mom and Billy taught her that, though she wished she had learned it back when Grandpa Jack and Uncle Will died.  It would have made her life a lot easier.

“Alright, we got like an hour before we touch down.  Once we’re there, let’s just assume we’re in hostile territory then and they know we’re there.  That way all our surprises hopefully are good ones.”

For a moment, Aurora’s brow furrowed.  She wished she knew what to expect. She’d never been to Russia.  She’d never hunted anyone nearly as dangerous as Volkov and worst of all they knew so little about him that it felt like they were blind.  She understood now why her Aunt had fallen into despair. How could you not when faced with losing so damn often to someone you knew nothing about.

A light came on behind her eyes then.

"Does the Bratva hold to the same ideals the Cosa Nostra does?"

Tara pursed her lips, thoughtful.

"In a simple word... no. In a more useless answer- it's complicated. The Bratva has a code. Things that would apply here..."

She ran through the eighteen parts of the code she'd been made aware of, filtering through them as she went.

"They appreciate the defense of relatives... but they believe in the strongest protection of women and children. Normally, I'd say we could use this to gain their sympathy, but you must understand that this protection is evidence of inequality, not pure respect. They would not understand how I attained a position of power. Even if Gavin did all the talking, they would be skeptical of him for putting us in danger. If we do speak to them, it may be better for Gavin to appear like he's in charge."

Gavin's brow furrowed, as to question why she need to use a phrase like "appear like". 

"And with Dad on point, if they have any idea of who he is by reputation, we're fucked."  she lamented but kept thinking out loud.  "Hoping for honor among murderers might not be the best angle but it was in my head." 

She shrugged. 

"Cosa Nostra being as it is, a man willing to come within 100 yards of a pregnant woman or children would be taken down by his own.  I guess I was thinking about how you meant to use my condition to ply the military guy... why not use the same angle with the mobsters?  Whether by asking their help to find a father, an assailant, or a hitman who is coming for what should be non-combantants.  Rabid dogs are a threat to everyone.  If a man has a vendetta that's one thing, I suppose, but if you can make mobsters worry that a guy will turn on them... that their business might be affected by a guy that has done to your operation what he has... that he's the sort of fellow that might come for women and children?"

She shakes her head.

"I don't know enough about this organization to speculate.  I'm tossing ideas here..."  Her voice trailed off.

Tara pointed emphatically at Rora.

"That's good. I like it. I wasn't considering that angle- maybe because I've had so many negative dealings with them. I think it all depends on the person, really. If someone seems sympathetic to you, we can use it. If they're a hardass..."

Tara shrugged.

"It's good thinking. Anything else you want to ask or discuss before we hit the ground?"

She shook her head.  "Just gonna go take care of this hair if you have the actual dye here on plane. I swear you really thought of fucking everything when you stocked this flying fortress.  When we get back to Vegas, you'll have to stay a while and teach me everything you know..."  She paused and added, "Even if that takes you years."

She stood up and looked to Gavin.

"I'm glad we're together.  This is how things should always be."

The Russian air felt different as they snuck out of the plane. The airport in Leningrad wasn't used to have unscheduled private jets simply appear out of nowhere, and Tara feared that they'd attract far too much attention by strolling off the plane. Instead, she had her pilot, Teddy, change into one of Francis's old suits and walk off the plane to throw around more money than most men made in a year. Dressed in drab grey and brown clothing, hats that were appropriate for the cooler temperatures, and worn boots, Tara, Aurora, and Gavin slipped out of the plane in the early hours of the morning.

In a couple days, after blowing his money, Teddy would return to the plane and take off with it. He had instructions to park the plane and wait in Warsaw for a telegraph. If any of the Byrnes lived long enough to need extraction, he could be in the air and in Moscow, Leningrad, or Novgorod within a few hours.

The three Byrnes, now all with golden blond hair- and the start of a beard, in Gavin's case- hired a truck in the early morning to take them to Moscow. They slept in the back of the truck among the crates being transported, taking turns staying on watch. Eventually, the city came into view: a few tall towers and cathedrals stretching toward the sky defined the skyline, but they soon entered into the maze of the city. 

Exiting the truck, they walked towards the northern end of the city, trying not to look like tourists. They kept their hands in their pockets and their eyes downcast.

Tara, who'd of course done all the talking so far, picked up a newspaper and found them an old woman renting out her basement. Quietly, she explained to Gavin and Aurora that if the situation had been reversed, she'd be checking the hotels first. The basement had a separate entrance/exit and was spartanlike: a handful of beds, a living area with some chairs and a table, and- a rare amenity for a basement- a working toilet. The half-deaf old woman seemed uninterested in anything whether they could pay. Tara, not wanting to arouse suspicions, argued that her family was looking for work and that they could only pay for a single week to start, rather than a month, which the woman begrudgingly allowed them to do. Although they'd slept a few hours each in the truck, Tara agreed with Aurora that it was better to get a fast start.

They took everything of value with them as they headed towards the address of Alena Petrov. She lived in an apartment complex that seemed quiet; most people seemed to be at work. Tara, studying the apartment complex, narrowed her eyes as she spoke to Aurora under her breath.

"What do you think? Just have all three of us walk up and knock?"

“You said yourself that men are viewed differently. It’s very likely Dad will frighten her. And let’s face it if she has a different name and this is an alias, if dad knows her as someone else, she might recognize him and panic.   Maybe he should stay back and we should go up to the door. He can keep a lookout outside for any trouble and if he happens to recognize her and feels his presence would help he could come join us.“ She looked at her father for some sort of confirmation that her plan was a solid one. 

“And if you think there something we need to know you can always step up too?  I’m just thinking it might not be a bad idea to have some eyes outside the house as well after all we really don’t know who this woman is and what sort of connection she might have Volkov.”

Gavin nodded to Aurora. He'd crossed paths with dozens of Russians in his decades of work- many of them hadn't parted as friends. He'd let Aurora and Tara take point for this one. If fifteen minutes or so manage to pass, he'd swing up to see anyone they were talking to. He'd keep an eye out outside, leaning against in the wall in a hard to spot place where he could see the entrance.

Tara and Aurora made their way into the building, skimming the list of names and apartment numbers until they saw Petrov on the third floor. They quietly moved up the stairs, knocking on the door. Aurora tried the door- it was locked. With a quick glance at Tara, the younger woman broke out her lock pick and got to work. Pushing the door open, the two women entered; Aurora's hand was on the handle of the gun.

Conferring quietly, the two women decided that time was of the essence. Tara began looking through the kitchen and the sitting area, while Aurora checked the bathroom and bedroom. As she walked into the bedroom, a small rug looked strangely out of place. Who puts a rug on top of carpet?

She lifted the carpet quickly, noting the bloodstain. Someone had tried to clean it, but getting blood out wasn't that easy. Looking around more, she noticed that one of the dressers was in front of the closet. Calling Tara, she began pushing it aside. When the two women had cleared it, they saw a skeleton- not a body, but a skeleton. Whoever this was had been dead for a long time. The clothing looked like it belonged to an older woman, and it seemed like all the pictures that had been hanging up around the house had been tossed in with her. Quickly checking the pictures, nothing stood out. A happy looking Russian woman.

Aurora quickly turned her attention away, noticing the thin layer of dust on the bed- suggesting the place had been abandoned. The fridge, however, had food in it, and there were some items in the trash can.

"Tara- are those pictures the woman you thought we were meeting?"

"Don't know. I'd never been able to get a picture of her. I would have... except this was my first network to go dark. But... this doesn't look like the woman who was described to me. The woman in the pictures is blonde. One of my agents described a woman with dark brown or black hair."

Aurora walked over, grabbing a small picture and slipping it into her pocket.

"I don't get it," said Aurora, "Why stuff the woman in the closet. Even if this is the real lady and the person your people met was a replacement ... they could have put the body anywhere. The stench had to be unbearable. And your people met her here, yes?"

With a thoughtful frown, Tara replied, "They did... but who knows how long after this woman died? Dead bodies reek... but only for a short term. After that, when they dry out, it's like nothing's there. Perhaps they didn't want to risk moving the body and alerting anyone?"

Aurora paced, thinking out loud and saying, "It's the sort of thing I'd think you'd do if you were in a hurry though, right? Shove her and the pics in the closet so your people didn't know they weren't meeting the real her. Yet there is trash here, someone is still coming back to this place. We shouldn't linger., though. Let's get this back to right and get out. Talk to Dad. See if he has other input."

Aurora grabbed the photo and shook her head, saying, "Her secrets might still be here, but it's a risk to keep digging when we have other leads that might yield better, living results."

As Aurora and Tara exited the apartment, they started to move down the hall- except Aurora noticed someone watching out the peephole from the apartment across from Petrov's. She reacted instinctively, taking two quick steps and delivering a  jumping kick to the spot near the handle where the lock would be located. The impact was forceful, smashing open the door and knocking whoever was behind the door backwards; it also stung Aurora’s leg, which remained somewhat numb as she landed awkwardly.  

Standing slightly awkwardly, she quickly assessed the situation: one man had been knocked back by the door, which must have slammed against his head as he was looking out. A man wearing a surprised expression and carrying a shotgun raised his weapon to shoot- but Aurora was faster. She unloaded three quick shots into his chest; the shotgun blasted harmlessly into the ceiling. The first man was still down, rolling and trying to recover on the ground, but Aurora kicked his weapon away and stuck her own gun in his face. Tara entered quickly, closing the door behind them.

Tara looked at Aurora, waiting to translate. The man in question had his hands up near his head, although he was lying back on the floor.  He was dressed in the type of clothing they’d seen from regular passerby, and his face wore an expression of hope, resilience, and fear.

Aurora quickly made a nod towards the man on the floor and told Tara, “Check him for a second weapon.  Let’s make sure we’re not going to have any surprises while we chat with our new friend. Ask him if anyone else is here.”

Tara quickly relayed the questions to the man after checking him for a weapon and finding none. Quick bursts of Russian were exchanged.

“He says no one else is here,” said Tara, “but I’d do a quick sweep to be safe. He seems like he’s waiting for something. Keeps looking at the door.”

Aurora half-expects the door to come open in short order knowing damn well her father heard the gunfire.  “Dad will be here in a blink, assuming he hasn’t found this guy’s friends outside. We’ll have him do a walk through.  I’m not taking my gun off this fucker. Stay away from the windows just in case.”

She took a moment, only a moment because she was scared to wait any longer, to form her next question, “Let him know we have people outside too.  Let him know if he helps us, he might walk out of here. We don’t give two shits about him… but he can change that if he’s helpful. Ask him why they were watching that place.”

Tara once again questioned the man; as he replied, she translated, “He says that he was watching the room with orders to remove anyone who entered. That he was told Americans would probably be investigating it.”

“Easy to make that story up with Americans doing just that standing in front of him.  Who gave him those orders?”

The man glanced between the two women, weighing his life versus the potential to stall for more time. Eventually, he said only one word: “Volk.”

Tara’s eyes opened wider for a moment as she repeated, then translated, “Volk…. Wolf.”

Aurora smirked.  She lowered her gun.  She lifted her chin. “Tell him to go.”  She waited to see if the man would run, would he dive for the gun?  She knew she could hit him first if he did. But if he ran, if he tried to go to Volkov, he’d likely be killed.  Or, maybe he’d lead them somewhere. They had no leads, but they had a man with everything to lose.

“Or tell him he can stay and we’ll protect him.  If he helps us. Volkov will kill him now that he’s said his name.  He knows this. We are his only hope now. The Wolf won’t let him live after betrayal and we’ll die repeating his betrayal if he doesn’t help us.  If he helps my family, he’ll have a place with us… if he earns it. A wolf among wolves, if he has the courage to fight for it.”

A hail of gunfire exploded outside the apartment complex. Aurora instinctively shifted toward Tara before she realized it was all outside- near the entrance where they’d left Gavin.

“STAY LOW!”  She says trying to urge Tara towards the door.  “Tell me you know how to use a gun? Also tell him!  Tell him, but shorter! We need help here!”

“Of course. But nothing special,” replied Tara matter of factly.

Gavin appeared in the doorway. “We’ve got to go,” he said, “right now. Out the back.”

Aurora startles and doesn’t reply with words but thrusts the photo at her Dad.  “Her?” She looks at the man on the floor.

Gavin cuts off Aurora, saying, “We don’t have time. There’s a half dozen guys with guns coming in the front door. We need to go.”

He moves into the hallway toward the back exit. Tara follows him. Aurora glanced at the man on the ground for a moment and as her expression changes, he begins to speak- but he never has the chance. She shoots him and watches the bullet pierce his head before following Gavin and Tara down the hallway.

As they burst out of the backdoor, they entered a four way alley intersection, Aurora starts to turn left before Gavin grabs her arm and pulls her back; they head down the right alley, away from the direction Gavin had seen the men coming from. As Gavin leans his head around the corner, he quickly pulls it back- but it’s too late.

One of the bullets shatters the brick near his head, spraying fragments upwards. Aurora hears Gavin grunt in pain and, as he moves back toward the intersection again, she sees blood dripping down the right side of his face; his right eye is clenched shut. As they reach the intersection, they duck down the only alley they hadn’t tried yet. There are shouts behind them as they reach the street.

Aurora, moving much quicker than either Tara or Gavin, waves her gun in front of the first truck that passes them by. A gun, apparently, is universal language for “get the fuck out of the car.”

As the three Byrnes climb in, Aurora hits the gas and sends them moving forward, quickly turning away from their pursuers. Tara, after speaking to him softly for a moment, manages to stop Gavin from knocking her hand away. She takes a look at his face.

“CHRIST!  DAD! TARA?!?”  She doesn’t look away from the road but the worry in her voice is apparent.

“I’m okay,” muttered Gavin, as Tara simultaneously said, “He’s not okay. He’s lucky he didn’t take that bullet in the face, but the stone cut his face up. Looks like two deeper cuts, but I’m more worried about the eye…”

Throwing her torso through the gap between the seats, Tara rustled around and emerged with a bottle of water. Talking to Gavin the way someone would speak to a spooked horse, she steadied his head and started pouring the water, letting him wipe at his eyes occasionally. After a couple minutes of silence, Gavin audibly exhaled.

“I can still see,” he said, “although it’s blurry.”

“Well, could be a lot of reasons for that… don’t take it to heart just yet.  You’re tough as fuck and a few stones hasn’t slowed you down before. We’ll get the cuts stitched, you’ll rest your eye, you’ll be fine.”  she said with the same tone he’d speak to her in if she got winded while running or hurt while training. No pity. Facts. Caring, but steady and strong.  Inside, however, she was feeling anything but steady or strong.

“Where the fuck am I going?”  She finally spoke up. “I don’t think it’s wise we go back to the basement right off, if they did have a way to follow or watch us we’ll lose the only hole we have to duck into.  And, now, the blonde hair isn’t a secret… so much for that. Fuck.”

It was then she realized they probably didn’t know this damn city much better than she did.  For all Tara’s networks and Dad’s adventures, they hadn’t been here in a while. And anything they had of use, was probably gone.  

The best thought she had now was to get lost.  More people, not less, was probably safest. So, Aurora drove down the city streets hoping to become one truck among many.  Not yet knowing where she’d stop, but watching for some place she could pull the truck into and perhaps give them a few moments to breath before deciding where to go next or to find another vehicle to drive.

Aurora drove outside of the city for a half hour before she pulled off the main road at what seemed to be a metro station. Abandoning their stolen truck, the trio purchased tickets to return back to the city. In the bathroom, Gavin flushed out his eye more thoroughly. The bleeding on his face had stopped, although two thin red lines were visible on his cheek and his eye was very bloodshot.

“I’ve got a sewing kit in my bag back at the basement.  Thin thread. Better needles than the first time I did a stitching job.  Turns out that stupid home-ec degree comes in handy after all.” she smiled at her dad, trying to be funny.  

Gavin smirked at his daughter. “I’m fine, squirt. Really.”

“The scars will be amazing.  Just think of the stories you’ll tell everyone.  You can tell them you fought a bear.” She kissed his uninjured cheek.  “I think your eye will be okay, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, for now, doubtful you’re gonna be able to shoot with accuracy so let’s try not to have to shoot anymore today.  I know, best plan I’ve had all day, right?”

The weary Byrnes made their way back to their basement lair. Before Aurora started stitching up her father, Tara held up the picture in front of him.

“Do you recognize this woman, Gavin?”

Gavin studied the picture intently, searching every line of her face and every room in his memory. Eventually, he shook his head.

“I can’t be positive, of course… but no. I don’t remember her at all.”

Tara sighed. Of course not. That would have been too easy.

“Well,” said Tara, “it’s still only midday. Once you’re done stitching, we could still head out somewhere and try something else… or we could just lay low for the day.”

“Good to hear you got your fire back.”  she said to her Aunt as she threaded her needle.  “Let’s see how well he toughs this out… Dad, I don’t think I need to tell you that this is going to hurt like a bitch.”

Gavin chuckled, then sighed before saying, “Well can I at least have-”

Tara handed him the bottle of vodka before he could finish his sentence.

“Medicinal, of course.  Can’t forget that, but I’ll tell you, despite the quality Vassar education… I’m still no Mary Sue with the needlepoint.  I’ll do my best to make each stitch confidently and small.  If I ruin your good looks forever though, I swear it wasn’t in an attempt to ruin your future skirt chasing.”  She winked at him and waited for him to drink before she began.

Tara paced, thinking out loud. 

“My conclusion,” said Tara, “is that we found another trap. They kill the original Alena Petrov and don’t risk any detection by keeping the body inside. They set up someone else to pose as her, and have a couple of guns across the hall keep an eye on things. If anyone starts digging around for Volkov and finds her, then they can step in and finish things.”

Tara paused, thinking, before continuing, “... which suggests that Alena Petrov, the real Alena Petrov, might have a connection to Volkov. Obviously, it seems like we found the real Alena. But we could try to find information on her.”

“Volk means wolf… Mavra got any special meaning?  Or… can I assume it means something like Black or Dark?  If so, I’d say we got our confirmation this asshole is after Dad as his end game.  Assuming that’s true, then Billy’s right, loathe as I am to admit it.  He’s not come for dad yet because it’s about making him suffer.  That means,”  she drew a breath pulling the thread through Gavin’s skin smoothly, “Dad gets killed by one of his thugs’ sloppy shooting he’s gonna be pissed as hell.  He wants Dad to suffer.  That means killing people close to him.  Leaving Billy and the kids behind and forcing him to follow us to Russia due to that mole of yours, was probably the very best thing we could have hoped for.  It means, he’s here, not killing Will or Billy or the kids.”

Tara nodded her agreement.

“The Dark Wolf is hunting you and me.”  she said glancing to Tara.  “He’ll have his people putting their crosshairs on us.  It’s an ugly thought for Dad here, but it is good for us because it means we can predict some of their behavior.  If we don’t let that fact shake us.  Knowing what shots they will and won’t take means we have a very useful edge.  Rather… Dad does.  Not one bastard in his group wants to be the son of a bitch who takes the kill or pleasure from their boss.”

“If,” interrupted Gavin, “they know it’s me. I killed the first four walking up to the door, since the two of you were taking your sweet time in there.”

Aurora narrowed her eyes and pulled the thread a little tighter.  “Sweet time.”  She muttered.

Gavin’s mouth curled up in a half grin, half grimace.

“I thought you were baking a cake,” he muttered back.

“We were learning all about your biggest fan, and if not for those shitheads and their guns I might have had us an extra gun.  Instead I had to execute someone I’ll be trying not to think about tonight when I close my eyes.”  She sighed.

Gavin looked up at his daughter and said, “If it’s like you told me in the car, you did the right thing. He was more likely to shoot you in the back if you handed him a gun.”

“Jamaica.  I shot him because of mom’s story of the boy in the basement, the young fed.  I wasn’t going to take the same gamble she did.  Not with our lives in the balance here.  Volkov would have killed him anyway if I let him go. I did it fast.  He could have got worse.”

Gavin nodded.

Tara coughed, interrupting, “Turning to the future… I would recommend chasing this Petrov lead. I never felt great about swaggering up to either the military or the Bratva and asking about Volkov. Stealing records from the former would be difficult- and dangerous, and the Bratva already hates me. Besides, especially if the Bratva knows him… it’s hard to imagine them turning on their own to help a bunch of American gangsters. If the Petrov thing doesn’t pan out, we can always try those other routes after.”

Aurora tied off one thread.  “Any particular reason the Bratva hate you?  Or is the list long and sordid?”

“You know I don’t like foreign competition, Rora. They tried to get a foothold in Philadelphia three or four times during our time there- and another half dozen in New York. I always worked to keep them out, sometimes diplomatically, sometimes forcefully. But I think it’s more likely that they hate me for what I’ve done in the last twenty years. I was a source of trouble for them here and throughout Europe. When Volkov wiped out my network here, they were the biggest beneficiaries. I wouldn’t be shocked if they had a strong connection to him. Best case scenario, they’re rooting him on from the sidelines and wouldn’t help me,” finished Tara.

“I wouldn’t either.  In fact, I’d be counting on it considering the guns we just ran into.  I don’t think those guys were military trained… do you Dad?”  She started on the next cut.

Gavin started to shake his head and winced, instead opting to say, “No. They weren’t. If they were military or police trained, they would have gone inside the building in a diamond formation. I was able to hit them from behind.”

“Good.  Then they know they have a wolf by the tail. You’ve lost your network.  You’re not getting a foothold here again.  You’re done in Russia.  You’re not a worry to them.  Volkov though, he’s at their throats and if he could do to you what he did… imagine what he could do to any Bratva boss he decided had to go once he’s done with us?  What couldn’t someone like that do now that they’ve let him have command of some of their Soldato?  I think they got more to gain by helping us finish him now than by turning us over to him.  I think they should be hoping to fucking God you finish him off so they don’t have to.  That way they are out both you and him.  They win that way.”

Tara cocked her head, thinking out loud, “Possibly. I still think it’s unlikely. When Jack Mezzo saw Gavin getting more and more skilled, he didn’t see him as a threat- just a more potent weapon. If he came up through their ranks, I don’t think there’s going to be a fracture there. However, if he’s purely a hired gun… well, then you could be right. We could always reach out to someone and express an interest in helping removing Volkov. They could bite… or they could set up a trap for us.”

“Jack Mezzo loved you and Dad, that’s the difference.  Mezzo also didn’t have the network the Bratva has here in Russia.  And, I don’t mean to be disrespectful to either of you, but if there is anything I’ve learned by watching all of you at the top you have one thing in common…” She hesitated, “You’re all paranoid as fuck.  The right person puts something in your ear and the whole operation comes crashing down on the heads of even people you love… brothers turn on sisters, husbands kill their wives and mothers of their children… power ruins everyone.  We can use that.”

Tara shrugged.

“You could be right. I still think it’s unlikely. Even if they’d turn on him, I doubt they’d do it to help us.”

She paused.

“So. What’s the next move?”

She tied off the second thread and looked at her father’s face, holding his eyes for a long moment then she answered Tara, while still staring at him.  “I call my Billy next.  Make sure the kids are okay.  Then I clean up and change this bra.”  she sighed.  “THEN… if we don’t have a better plan, we put out feelers to see if they bite.”

“The only other option I can think of would be trying to find information on the real Alena Petrov.” 

Aurora thought for a moment, “What do you think the odds are of Volkov hunting for us in a library?”  She chuckled.  “Couldn’t hurt to see if the state-sanctioned papers had anything interesting for us to take a peek at… I know you wouldn’t mind reading a little but it’s a lot of footwork for no promised information on his military career, criminal ties, or Ms. Petrov but what the hell… I mean, unless you think you know who to talk with in order to learn more about Ms. Petrov in specific?  That and Dad could catch a few Z’s while we … er… you read.  It’ll be like the old days for you two, reading and sleeping.”  She stuck her tongue out at her dad remembering his stories about Aunt Tara reading him to sleep when he was young.

“For Petrov… I would probably start with local records. We knew she lived in the neighborhood. We could check churches, talk to older people… she’s around my age; I could pretend to be her long lost cousin trying to track her down.”

“You’re quiet.”  she said to her father, her eyes still not leaving his, watching his ‘bad eye’ for signs that it was tracking her and able to see as well as she hoped it could.  “You know I cracked you in the jaw, I didn’t best you in everything.  You’re the one of the three of us with the most hunting experience… how would you find enough info to track this son of a bitch?  If you were here alone, where would you start?”

“Learn how to speak Russian,” he quipped.

“If it were me,” said Gavin,  “I would have already gone to the bar. Tara said that’s where no one has come back from. There’s got to be something there. I think the Bratva is a bad move. Those guys who hit us seemed like their men… and there’s too much bad blood there, and we could be setting ourselves up for a trap. If we sit down with the Bratva, there’s a decent chance it’s a trap. I doubt there’s going to be a shotgun waiting for us if we’re trying to learn about a lady.”

“Except, there was, lucky for all of us you taught me to never kick in a door without my gun ready.”  she shrugged.  “So he’s good.  Prepared.  Bratva is off the table then.  Tara, shoot down the bar… what’s our best reasons NOT to follow Dad’s advice on this one?”

“That it’s a trap and we’ll die,” said Tara. “Or at least have to fight. I told you- I sent six people in there. There’s something there. But who knows? I suppose it would be unexpected, but it would also be unexpected for us to shoot ourselves in the head.”

Aurora chuckled.  “Our luck it’s a Bratva place.  They’re killing your guys because they’re your guys … might be nothing to do with Volkov at all other than he’s sometimes hanging out with them.”

Tara nodded.

“If we do have to go there,” said Tara, “I prefer we go with more information. Although… I suppose we could always split up. I could check local records and the churches. You and Gavin could check out one of the English speaking bars in the city. You could get lucky with someone there.”

Aurora looked to Tara then, and then back to Gavin with an arched eyebrow.  She suspected she knew how her father would feel about letting Tara do anything alone at this juncture.  Even if it was searching records, her being alone was a non-starter even if she wasn’t the only one who could speak Russian.  Still, she thought to at least let him have input on the matter.  

Gavin shook his head slightly at Aurora.

“No lone wolves.”  she said to her Aunt.  “Call it prudent but also you’re the only one who speaks Russian.  He gets a shot on you and Dad and I are left to hunting him our way… and we all know how that likely ends.  They pick me off with a sniper and after I’m dead in front of Dad he gets reckless… Volkov is on the first plane to the US and Will and Billy are next.  No.  We don’t roll those dice.  Us three are strongest together.  So long as it’s three of us, we have a shot of coming out of this with every Byrne alive.  I like our odds together much better.”

She put away her sewing gear, a part of her go bag she never figured on ever owning - like so much that was central to her life now.  Many things that were so important to her would never have been in the picture for the young girl she’d been, nor the teen who aspired to be the woman she’d never actually be.  

“So, no Bratva because it seems Volkov has them either by money or loyalty or both.  The bar you’re adamant about and I could push Dad’s points here, but I don’t see a reason yet.  You both know what you know from years of experience.  I’d be an idiot not to listen to that and go with it.  The bar will still be there after we do the legwork you’re proposing, Tara.  Doubtful after all this time it will suddenly not matter.  Whatever Volkov has hidden there isn’t likely to be going anywhere and, quite frankly, if he’s used traps this well so far … we have to consider this probably how he plays the game.  So we need the information to spring the traps or we’re going to keep having to patch Dad up.”  She winked at Gavin and looked back to Tara.

“Do you really think these people will fall for you pretending to be a long lost cousin though?  Especially now?  I mean if they didn’t notice she’d been replaced… or didn’t care, why would they help?”

“His people? Not at all,” said Tara, “but random civilians? I think it’s at least possible. I just see our only options as being the bar or this… I agree with Gavin that those guns seemed like Bratva to me. Even if it doesn’t work, I’d rather roll the dice and turn over some rocks before we walk into the bar.”

“It’s not my forte, talking to people, but you’re doing the talking so… we have a shot.”  She nodded.  “Let’s plan on doing some digging with the idea that if we come up empty handed then the bar is our next move.  God help us.”  She shook her head.  “When this is done, I’m never again making fun of Will for learning languages to pick up chicks.  In fact, maybe I’ll work on another one.”

She turned from her Dad, “I’m gonna go find a phone.  If I’m not wrong on time of day … ah fuck it.  Someone will pick up.  He’ll be up feeding Gav by now anyway.”  She stalked off to find a phone.

---

In the bathroom, she tore off her shirt and soaked bra.  The pills weren't magic, she reminded herself, Gavin needed feeding and her body was attuned to him and his needs whether she was in the room or half-way around the world.  Her breasts were full and ached like mad.  Just the act of pulling off her bra was painful.  Putting on a new one she stuffed a bit of tissue, in the end, hoping to sop up some of the mess and keep her nipples from going raw.  It was a little pain compared to what he father had taken in the face today, but the real rends weren't on her flesh... but on her heart.

There had been a payphone, half a block down the street.  Calling collect she waited for the operators to connect her with what she was privately calling the Den or Lair depending on her mood -- today in her mind it was the Den.

"Hey hon."  she said, the phone tucked between her shoulder and her ear, straining to hear Billy clearly.  "No... we're good.  I can't talk long I just... I wanted to hear your voice and ask about the kids."  

Aurora wiped the tears from her eyes as Billy told her about the day they'd had, about Will playing with the kids and how much he missed her.  Everything back home was okay.  They were safe, just as he said they'd be, just as she hoped.  

"No.  Boring day."  She lied and hoped he believed it.  "Just a lot of digging.  No answers yet.  I'll call tomorrow when we settle in for the night."

She paused, her bottom lip quivering, her eyes squinted shut as she heard Lil' Gav crying in the background.

"I love you too."  She said hoarsely and reluctantly hung up the phone, pulling herself together before returning to the twins.  She wouldn't let them see her like this... they both already felt bad enough without her reminding them what state of mind she was really in.

When the Byrnes walked into the library, they spread out but stayed within sight of each other. Tara approached the woman behind the desk and had a quiet conversation in Russian; after she was done, the woman retrieved several large, handwritten logs for her. Tara sat down at a table in the corner and immediately started flipping through them. She was absorbed in her work, and after a half hour passed both Gavin and Aurora were increasingly drawing looks from the woman behind the desk. Eventually, they each grabbed a book and a place to sit.

They pretended to read for another hour- although it felt like five. Tara, frustrated, closed her book emphatically and returned it. She walked briskly toward the exit, followed by Gavin and Aurora.

The scene repeated itself three times throughout the day: at the town hall and the two churches that Petrov might have attended. Either she was never there or someone had carefully scrubbed the information.

At each location, Aurora became increasingly aware that if the information they sought had been scrubbed, they knew Tara well enough to know how she would hunt them.  This was no longer about finding something Tara’s way… but finding someone who was watching Tara work.

Volkov was a sadist.  He was enjoying her suffering, enjoying Dad’s suffering, and the only way to do that was to watch or have someone watching.  He couldn’t pat himself on the back for being so damn smart if he didn’t have eyes around this place and so that was the game Aurora now was playing.  Let Tara do the paces the man knew she’d take, and quietly hunt the hunter. Watching everywhere they went, waiting to find that person who watched too close, who might take a little too much joy in her quest.  Watch for guns, always the guns…

As the evening drew closer, Tara sighed, “It’s no use. I’m sorry; I was hoping to get something here… anything.” She blinked her tired eyes. “I recommend we end things for today. We’ve wasted enough time here with this. If only one of these had hit- or if we’d had more time to interrogate the man from the other apartment, we might have something more to go on.” She shrugged. “But, no use second guessing. I think we need dinner and some rest. And we should make it an early evening, since I assume we’re posting a watch and each of us will only be sleeping two thirds of the time.”

As they headed back, the sun turned golden during its inevitable descent toward the horizon, when she saw the glare of sunlight from the top of a building nearby. Aurora immediately shouted and started sprinting, as did Gavin and Tara. If it was a sniper rifle, she must have startled someone into holding their shot. Aurora and Gavin communicated quickly at the base of the building; in a situation like this, one person went up the outside and one person went up the inside to ensure that the target didn’t escape.

Gavin took the interior stairway, while Aurora took the fire escape. She could hear the man on the roof shouting, as if he was speaking to someone nearby. Then, Aurora heard the crack of a rifle; she couldn’t see where the shooting was coming from, but she heard the bullet slam into the brick several feet away from her. Not daring to stop and look, Aurora climbed the firescape as quickly as a leopard would scale a tree. A second and third shot missed. As she reached the top of the building, Aurora saw a man standing there holding a rifle- but he couldn’t have been the one shooting at her, could he? As the man’s head exploded from a rifle shot, Aurora ducked behind the small wall around the roof. Gavin burst through the door with Tara close behind him; seeing Aurora in cover, he grabbed Tara and tugged her to the ground as a shot rang out and struck the stone where her head had been a moment before.

They crawled over to Aurora, staying in cover.

“Sorry, I should have told you…”  She gasped. “Thought if we were all watching for them… they’d know.  You alright?”

There was silence. Gavin risked a glance over the wall. He couldn’t see anything, but he could hear sirens.

“They’re moving by now.”  She said. “Do we risk checking the sniper?  Probably won’t have shit on him but help us but…”

Gavin was already rifling through the man’s pockets by the time Aurora had finished her suggestion.

“... alrighty then.”  Aurora chuckled.

He tossed the wallet to Aurora; they could go through that in more detail later. Checking the rest of the pockets, Gavin removed a pack of cigarettes, which he tossed away, some spare ammunition, and a folded piece of paper with three artist renditions of Gavin, Tara, and Aurora- although these sketchings still had dark hair. There was writing beneath the portraits, but there was no time for that, so Gavin slipped that into his own pocket before heading towards the fire escape.

Aurora pocketed the wallet, looking to the street to see if she could see the other shooter fleeing.  She’d like one good look at the son of a bitch who almost took Aunt Tara’s head off so she could not feel bad about blowing his face off the next time she saw him.

“Time to go,” said Gavin, “I think a shootout with the police would put a real wrench in our plans.”

Aurora nodded in agreement.  “At least we did one thing right today, aside from relieving him of a sniper…”  Aurora smiled, knowing Tara would find some small comfort in this too, “He knows he’s not in control of the board anymore.  We see him and we’re matching him move for move. If this were chess, he’d know we had him on the run. That’s progress.”

They spent an extra two hours traveling in loops around the city on the way back to their basement lair. Eventually, they’d switched between cars, the metro, and walking in such diverse directions that they were all satisfied they weren’t being followed. It took a couple hours away from their opportunity to sleep, but it was obviously worth the trade.

When they got back to the basement, Gavin immediately went to the sink to check his face and eye in the mirror, and Aurora retreated to change her shirt again. Tara sat down at the table and opened up the “wanted poster” for the trio. She spoke out loud to both of them, who stayed within earshot

“Nothing of note here. Just our faces and basic information. I’m assuming this was handed out to Volkov’s men… associates… whatever they may be… as a way to keep them aware of us.”

“Humor us.  What does it say about us?  Please tell me it’s an old timey bounty poster and they offered a million dollars for the dangerous beauty Aurora Byrne.”  she chuckled trying to keep things light.

“That you’re 5’2 and at least 10 pounds heavier than you are now. I’m sure they were going off pregnancy information. If it makes you feel better, it also lists you as “Very Dangerous”, whereas it lists me as “Slightly dangerous”.

Aurora laughed.

Tara continued to study the paper, saying, “Gavin is also listed as “Very Dangerous”... although he does have a “Do Not Kill” tag. That would seem to confirm that Volkov is trying to-”

She paused, as she realized Aurora was in the process of saying the same thing Tara was.

Aurora stared at her soaked bra and her mind wandered.  Her laugh died on her lips and the smile faded away. Had they really gotten the better of Volkov?  Was he actually here? So far they’d just seen his men. There was no proof that the other Wolf had come personally.  There was no evidence, not really, that he hadn’t continued to hunt in America and now this paper seemed to confirm Billy’s horrible and stupid… no… smart comments.  Volkov *WAS* a sadist. Volkov *WAS* a monster. If she wasn’t a good person hunting a bad one… she wouldn’t be here. She’d be hunting the weakest wolves. The ones alone.  Aurora’s heart clenched.

“You know… maybe I should make my call a little earlier tonight.”  she said pulling on a new shirt.

“I’ll,” She came out of the bathroom, “just… go make the call and then we can eat something.  Save that picture, we’ll frame it when we’re done with this and whenever we tell the story to the kids, we’ll have horrible art to go along with the story.”  She forced a horrible fake laugh, Aurora always was a terrible liar.

She didn’t spare Tara a glance as she went out the door, nor bother to look in on her dad in the bathroom as she left.  As soon as the door was closed, as soon as she was sure they wouldn’t hear her feet change pace, her walk became a sprint.  That feeling that had been the need to nurse her son, became a pressing fear in the back of her mind. A sick twisting in her stomach she couldn’t shake even as she picked up the phone and began to dial to reach an operator who spoke English and could make the call connect.

One ring.  She was fine.  It was okay.  The guys were busy.  It wasn’t odd for one ring to go unanswered.  

Two rings.  Two rings.  No one answered on two, right?  Late at night, kids in the house.  Two rings go unanswered all the time… 

Three rings.  Aurora’s heart fluttered and she stifled a sob.

Four.

“No.”  she gasped.  “Please… Mom… come on… God…”  she called out to any power beyond this world she could think might answer.  She breathed names of the dead and every saint she could ever remember her mother’s priest telling her to pray to.

Five, Six, Seven.

“Ma’am…” The operator to tell her there was no answer on the line.  Aurora hung up the phone.  Numb.  She starred off into nothingness.  Maybe he bunkered them.  Maybe nothing bad happened… maybe it was a flaw in the line.  She should call again!

Aurora picked up the phone again and dialed once more.  This time her voice urgent and rude, demanding the operator put her through.  

One.
Two.
Three.

“PICK UP DAMN IT!”  she screamed, all thoughts of Volkov watching them and enjoying their pain gone as she slammed the receiver down hard enough to hear the material it was made from the strain.  She trembled with indecision.  Her logical mind warring against fear - she’d never had a moment like this… not since… the sound of gunfire in her memory.  Will’s screams.  She closed her eyes and covered her mouth to suppress her roar of frustration.  She had to go back.  She had to pull herself together.  She had to.

As Aurora returned to them, Gavin spoke before she could get a word in, “Bunkered. They’re just playing it safe. They’ve got a lot of protection there.”

Her eyes were red from crying.  She nodded, but she dared not speak.

Gavin, without saying anything, moved to his daughter and wrapped his arms around her. His voice was cold when he spoke.

“Tara didn’t find anything else. The bar is our only lead… I say we hit it tomorrow. Spring his trap. And get home.”

Aurora didn’t speak.  She just listened to the sound of her father’s heart and his words as he held her.

Tara closed her eyes, thoughtful. When there was a moment where both Gavin and Aurora seemed focused on her, she spoke softly. “I hate walking into a trap,” said Tara, “but I have to agree with Gavin here. Our only other moves would be hoping Russian special forces tells us something about a former soldier if he was even trained by one of them… or that we meet with the Bratva, which could very well be working with Volkov. The thing I want both of you to think about… let’s say it is a trap. Let’s say someone in the pulls a gun on us… or four people do. Is there something we could have done before to disrupt their plans? To turn the tables in our favor, even if we do spring their trap?”

Aurora nodded against her dad’s chest before looking to Tara.  “Yeah, I think there is.”  She swallowed the lump in her throat and wet her lips.  She slipped from her father’s arms and began to pace as she’d seen Bella do a thousand times in those moments when her mom had too many thoughts and not enough good answers.  

Unlike Bella, Aurora had a certain way about her pacing - soft counting.  Gavin had seen it a few times before.  She was a thinker, not like Tara or her mother, but she did have worries and too many bits of data flying through that head of hers and sometimes she just needed quiet.  Where the woods of Hollowpoint had always been a refuge for her to slip off into and quiet her mind - counting had worked in the past.  So counting is what she did now.  

“What do we know about the bar.  In particular… do we know the owner or bartender, or employees… I want to hit these bastards at home.  They’re protecting a location… not people.  People are our in.  What bartender doesn’t know all his regulars?  What bartender doesn’t know their secrets and information as well as he knows their favorite drinks?  Yeah, he’ll be scared of the people who come to his bar… but he hasn’t seen me yet and I promise you, right now, I’m the scariest bitch in all Russia so… if I can get that bartender, I will make him talk.”  
Aurora tried to remember every iota of information extraction she ever saw her birth father practice in front of her.  Every bloody detail.  She’d never wanted anything to do with Salvatore’s tactics until this exact moment and now she wished she’d been a better student.  She wanted to be there to see Volkov break, not just die, but break - the same way he was breaking Tara.  And she’d cut through everyone in this fucking country to find him if she had to.

Tara had started nodding when Aurora had first proposed her strategy. She commented, “I tried the paper trail… it was routed through about three different shell corporations. I couldn’t find the owner that way; the trail has been too well covered. Your only chance would be tailing someone in person. I had at least one agent, the last one, try to stake the place out, and it never went anywhere… but you and Gavin are better than he was.”

Aurora rubbed her temple.  “I’m pissed.”  She said softly.  “I’m loosely what you’d call compromised right now… I want to storm into that place and…”  She bit her tongue.  They knew what she wanted to do and colorful descriptions weren’t going to make her feel better.

“I’m game,” said Gavin, “We keep taking the long way around things. Doing things Tara’s way. No offense, Tara. It’s like when I fought you, Rora. I couldn’t win by fighting like myself. I had to try to surprise you. I don’t want to pussyfoot around this guy anymore.”

Aurora let out something of a mix between a laugh and a sob but she found herself nodding.  “These traps are set up for Tara… but the last one, that’s you.  Dad… the bar… it’s your trap.”  She whispered.  “I was going to keep quiet, do what Tara wanted, watch for an in while she did her thing because that bastard is watching her go through the motions and he’s waiting for us to get through all the hoops.  It’s the only thing that makes sense.  He’s getting off on watching us do what he knows that we’ll do… the trick is finding what he won’t see coming.  I just…”

“He thinks, what?” questioned Gavin, “That I’m going to walk in there and demand to see him? I’m tempted. But I can see where you wouldn’t approve of that.”

Gavin shrugged, and his eyes, especially the bloodshot one over his two newest scars, looked particularly cold.

“Approve, shit.  You should know me better - the bar was the first place I wanted to go, and now I want to more than ever… but it screams trap.  She’s right.”  She shook her head and gave something a snarl in frustration.  She knew damn well her father was right, in her gut she knew it.

“The bar is important,” said Gavin, “Tara kept sending people there, and they never moved. They covered its tracks, but they didn’t abandon the bar.” He paused. “I say we burn it down.”

“That he MIGHT not see coming.”  She admitted.  “But if we go there, it’s likely to be a gunfight either way and Volkov might not even be here - what if we’re chasing shadows, his men only, and he’s in the US…”  Her voice cut off in a strangled sound.  She knew they knew what she was worried Volkov was doing right now instead of leading them on a merry chase.  She grits her teeth and shook her head.

“Fuck it.  No.  I can’t get that way.  He wants that too.”  She looked to Tara then, wondering what the woman was thinking at that moment when she was nearly aligned to her father’s way of doing things.  

Tara swallowed. When she did speak, she spoke softly. “I’ve been wrong about Volkov from the beginning. He’s always been one step ahead of me. At least. Francis explains a lot, of course, and I feel confident that I’m not completely inept against Volkov. My own preference is to continue to gather as much information as possible before we walk into the bar. But how many more days like today, of watching me flip through books and speaking to people without finding anything but snipers, can we afford?” She sighed. “I don’t know what to do. We could try to burn the place down from a distance. It might provoke him. Do we want to provoke him? We could stroll into the bar with our guns out and demand to see him. Or… perhaps a middle ground. Bring some sort of incendiary explosive with a time delay with us, set to go off five, ten, fifteen minutes or so after we walk in… even if it’s a trap, we have the chance to create some chaos and time making a second move: a way to surprise them after the trap has been sprung.”

Aurora nodded.  The three of them had done their best to put forward all they knew and this man, a man none of them thought they knew or understood really, somehow had continued to have an upper-hand.  Perhaps it was the not understanding why that made it harder, not just being beaten.  Aurora supposed she’d almost prefer an enemy she understood the motives of.  Someone whose reasons made some sense, but at the moment this Wolf who hunted them was like a rabid version of her own father in every sense of the word, as if the universe had turned out a bad man who hunted good people … no… another bad man who hunted bad people because, if she was honest, the Byrne family was not good people.  

She’d killed a man yesterday in cold blood.  Her father told her that was okay.  Tara … how many had she killed with words and orders and never saw their faces or their families.  No.  All her life she supposed there was some honor in her family that others lacked, but the truth was they were no better or worse than any other members of the Cosa Nostra.  Perspective was everything and Volkov was the other side of the coin.  Her father was right.  They were fighting him like good guys tracking a bad guy.  They were busy playing hero… Volkov wasn’t doing that.  She didn’t need to fight like her Dad to best Volkov… she needed a hand full of sand.  But she have any?  

“I need to think like Salvatore.”  she whispered darkly and she sat down in front of the bottle her father drank from yesterday.  “This guy… he’s not our normal prey.  You’re right, Dad, we’ve got to surprise him.  Something fucking… that he’d never see coming.  Tara, he gave you those leads, we’ve walked into them all because he knows we’ve got nothing else.  We’re just… actors in his play.  This is a sick game to him.  We’ve been trying to understand him, looking for a reason, what if the reason is simply that we’re the best.  He wants to not just beat the best but destroy us… because we’re there.  It’s nothing personal.  There’s no rhyme or reason to be had other than the goal was there to be overcome and so… he’s playing the game.  It’s not money.  It’s not power and that’s why the Bratva isn’t scared.  He doesn’t want their shit.  They’re beneath him.  But us… if he can beat us?”  she shook her head and poured the alcohol into a glass and watched it pool as she could recall her mother doing, thinking as she watched the liquid swirl across the glass.

“The bar is a trap, going there is playing his game.  We can’t do that.  All three leads seem wrong to me now.  I don’t want to give him a moment of pleasure.  I want him to panic.  I want him to fear… so… the only thing he can fear is losing.  That we have something he doesn’t know about.  It doesn’t matter that we don’t.  We have to bluff.  We have to lie.  We have to make him believe it and make him scramble to act.  When he reacts to the lie… he’ll mess up.  We need him out of his comfort zone.  The question is, what sort of lie makes him scramble to figure out what we’re doing and to try and counter it.  How do we make him think we got an ace in the hole?”

“To bluff someone or to lure them in,” said Gavin with a grimace, “you have to know more about them.”

She lifted the glass and drank slowly, trying to let the burn push away the bad thoughts - the images in her head of dead children and Billy never again holding her.  Instead, she pulled up the memories of Salvatore’s voice.  The boy in the basement without the fingernails.  The dark lessons her mother wanted her to learn but didn’t dare push too hard upon whenever she threw back her father’s words at her.  Why didn’t she listen to Bella more?!?  She put down the glass.

“He’s got the Bratva.  Means he’s got the cops probably.”  She exhaled.  “Who has power in Russia who isn’t the Bratva or the police… or the military, I know I’m reaching here… but I don’t know shit about these people.  Help me.  The church?”  She arched an eyebrow.

Tara shook her head, “Not since the revolution. The churches we visited today aren’t really churches anymore”

“Communist leaders then?  The socialists?  What if we kidnap one?  Put screws to them… turn the powers that be against him?  They’ll swing for money or fear… either I don’t care which but if we make him think we’ve got an in with someone in power… maybe he does something stupid.  Something he can’t afford to do?  God!  Mom was right… fuck my life.”  She seethed with anger at herself.

Gavin and Tara glanced at each other. Tara, rarely, spoke first.

“I think we need to sleep as best we can, even if that isn’t very well. I like the idea of trying to provoke him, but we’re flying blind here. We could try to send a message inside the bar. Tell him to meet us somewhere. Or burn it down. Or bring a trap of our own in there.”

Gavin was quiet, thoughtfully staring down at his hands.
Aurora pushed the glass away from herself.  She wasn’t Bella.  She wasn’t Sal.  All Aurora ever could be was herself and Volkov was waiting for that.  They were playing his game.  It was the only moves he’d left them with.  Aurora knew better than to think she’d sleep tonight.  The fear, the anger, and of course the worry that her father was already planning on acting all on his own…  

She looked at Gavin contemplating that he was already planning some stupidly noble action to try to protect Tara and Aurora from falling into the trap that was meant for him.  Of course, if she was him, she’d be thinking it too.  Hell, maybe the bar wasn’t meant for him at all… but her.  She was so like her father.  Volkov probably predicted Tara would tap her… set the bar up months ago with this in mind.

“Why not send me into the bar?” asked Gavin. “He doesn’t want me dead, anyways.”

“He doesn’t want you dead… he wants to destroy us.  You’re the end game, sure.  But it doesn’t end with you Dad.  He knows that.  He’ll keep you alive - he’ll want to see your reactions.  He’s not a man, he’s a monster.  He’s … like…”  She stopped herself.  

“It’s why I was trying to think about what he’d do.  I’m angry like that but… Volkov is like him.  It’s a dark thing, it’s not a place I like to go, but I just thought if I could remember something that he wanted me to learn that maybe I’d have some insight.”  She shook her head.  

“I’m sorry, but no.  I’m going.  If you want to come with me, I won’t stop you.  I stand by the idea we have a better shot the three of us than any one of us alone, but it’s more than that.  If he kills us… all three of us, maybe at least we go to hell knowing that if Billy and Will got to a bunker… he’s got no reason to go after them.  There’s no sport in it.”  Her expression was grim.  

“And… if they didn’t get out.  I don’t want to go home on any account.  I can’t do it again.  I just… can’t.”  She said, shaking her head.  “So it’s either we win and send him to hell… or… we do something to keep them safe and know that we did what we could.”

Gavin nodded.

“Okay. I can’t stop you. We’ll walk in, but we’ll try to bring a surprise or two with us, as Tara mentioned. But only under one condition, and if you don’t give me your word here, I’m going to try to knock you out again. If you have to choose between saving yourself or saving me or Tara, or both of us, you let us go and run. You need to be there for your family. Tara and I would like to be… but… it’s not the same. Agreed?”

Aurora had never, not once so long as she could recall, ever lied to Gavin when it mattered.  Maybe a small thing, here or there, cookies eaten - whether a chore was done - did she hit her brother?  Omissions mostly.  Not bald-faced lies.  She didn’t think she could, on any account, if she’d tried.  The man had an ability to see her soul she was convinced of it.  So she stood there, silent, for a long while.  He could likely see the weight of the ask on her heart.  

“When they came … it was our guards.”  She said softly, not looking at Gavin.  “Mom saw it first.  She took my gun.  She knocked me down.  I pulled Will behind the table.  I didn’t even notice she’d knocked it over.  The cake was everywhere.  The pots… exploding.  I knew something hit her, you can tell by the sound.”

She swallowed.  “Behind the table, we were taking shots.  Holding our own as we could but it was a lost cause.  I knew it.  I knew it in my very heart even before I saw the men coming from the front of the house.  When she kissed Will... “ 

She shook her head.  “She gave me the order.  Zero.  I knew what she was trying to tell me when she put her hand on my belly… on Gav.  She’d just found out.  She wasn’t asking me to just save Will from the moment because I was the only one who could.  She was asking me … one mom to another… to save her son from this… all of it.”  She shook her head.

“And I promised without a single word.  I just… know she understood.  I told her I loved her.  That’s all I had time to say, but I know she knew.”  A tear slid down her face as she finally looked at Gavin.  “I promise you.  I will do everything I can to get back to them and keep my word to Mom.  To protect her son… and mine… and my little girl.”

Gavin grimaced, as if he were in pain, listening to Aurora. When she was done, he squeezed her hand. “Good,” he said. His eyes sparked for a moment, hating to see his daughter like this. “Lots of people sprung his trap before, Rora. They weren’t us. Get your rest. We’ll sleep in. And then… we’ll go see if we can find out what the hell is going on here.”

Tara, exhausted, simply nodded her affirmation.

Aurora prepared to go to sleep.  She brushed out her hair, brushed her teeth, washed her face of the tear stains and tried to imagine Billy doing the same for the kids at the bunker in Seattle.  Were they scared?  Did he comfort them?  How?  It was better to think of them scared and wanting to go home than the alternative and since her brain was intent on gripping horrible imagery right now, that was the one she chose to send it back to again and again.  At least in that one, they were all alive and together.  

In the other room, she could hear Tara and her father preparing to rest.  Gavin was settling into the chair to sleep.  When his good eye met her amber gaze, he gave her a reassuring smile.  Aurora felt goose pimples spread across her body.  That 'Everything will be okay, Squirt' smile was genuine... if sad.  He meant it, without a word, he wanted her to know he was going to make everything okay - the same way he used to tell her when she was little.  Only this wasn't a skinned knee, or the time Bo ran off after a cat and was gone for two days.  Yet, she couldn't shake the thought that she knew what he was telling her right now, at this moment, it was a promise... and goodbye.

She thought about yelling at him, telling him he was a stupid stubborn old man, that he had as much to live for as she did, that she wasn't letting him or Tara throw anything away now.  She was furious with him, she loved him - didn't he realize that?  He hadn't left Bella alone at Hollowpoint just to throw his life away now - didn't he understand THAT was why she'd told him about Bella's final words to her?   

No.  He didn't.  He was thinking about her.  About how much he missed her and her dragon-like courage to charge headlong into danger to save their children and he was just dumb enough, just noble enough, and just good enough to want to follow her example.  If he lived, so be it.  If he died, well, she supposed he wouldn't cry too much over that fate.  He'd be with her and maybe Volkov would stop.  He was an idiot, every bit as much as Billy, for thinking it would work that way.  Volkov wouldn't kill him... he didn't get it.  He wouldn't have a choice unless he was prepared to commit suicide.  Granted... going to the bar alone might be, just that.  Suicide.

She swallowed and as she held his gaze a little too long she wondered if he knew that she knew his plan.  He did not flinch if so.  As if he was waiting to see if she'd talk him out of it.  As if he was wondering whether she had the strength to let him do it, to let him do for her what she'd allowed her mother to do.  She wanted to be wrong, but the longer they shared this silent moment with Tara talking about something she was only half-aware of, she was sure she wasn't.  It was Aurora who broke the stare-down first and she let her gaze go to the floor.  Eyes off him, she could hear the rustle of his blankets and the squeak of the chair he was 'sleeping' in as he settled in 'for the night.'

She lay down in the bed, fully dressed, her guns in arms reach.  She wanted to be ready for anything.  There would be time for the small comforts of soft pajamas another night.  Settling into the bed, she closed her eyes and let the thoughts take her out of the basement and away from Russia as the air in the small mildewy room became impossibly still. 

Tara was softly snoring within twenty minutes.  As Aurora rolled away from her father, so he could not see her open eyes, she felt the bulge in her pocket and winced in discomfort.  

The wallet.

She wiggled it out and opened it to, with squinted eyes by the moonlight coming in the window, she read the details held within.  A business card for the bar.  A civilian ID, a name, a home address... what manner of hitman kept ID like this?  Someone who wasn't military for sure.  She thought back to the rooftop.  She relived the moment Vasiliy's head popped open like a ripe grape being stepped on - a victim of his own people's work. 

The owner of this ID, this Vasily, had no clue it was coming.  Likely he was a true believer in Volkov. Aurora looked at the face of the man in the photo and she wondered about his life.  It was smart to hire men and women without families or ties to the community.  Volkov thought this man would break.  This man had something on him and they'd lost it with his death.  He had a story to tell and it died with him.

All night she'd been trying to think of some way, some means to scare Volkov into making a stupid mistake and now they were left with rushing headlong into the unknown the way she'd done once before in her childhood.  Her mind wandered, back to the zoo in South Philly.  She had a red balloon in her grip.  The sun was shining, she was running along the path, too far ahead of her mother.  Her mother called out her name but Aurora ignored her, desperate to win the challenge.  Just like now, she'd been hunting the wolf and she was running full pace along a path she did not know, heedless of the dangers.  

What were her mother's words that day?  She strained to remember what her mother had said, but the memory would not come so clear.  It was so long ago... a decade and one half.  She could feel Bella's hands on her shoulders, could see her large brown eyes taking in all the light, feel the breeze whipping the balloon about but her mother's words were gone with time.  She sniffled back a sob and a tear ran out of her eyes.  She remembered the lionesses on their rocks and how they watched.  What had her mother said about them... about her... surely she should remember that?  

She could recall Bella's fingers in her hair, reassuring her, building her up.  She was her daughter.  Aurora should know that.  Not a wolf.  Not a dragon.  She was like the lioness.  Strong.  Fast.  A hunter.  A provider.  A woman who protected her family - but Bella's words, the exact ones, would not come.  Just the feelings.  The knowledge.  Aurora felt the siren's song of sleep pulling on her, the promise if she dreamed, her mother was there... waiting.

She wiped her tear away and pulled the blanket tight about herself and she slowed her breathing.  She'd seen the man on the roof because she'd been the lioness all day... not a devil or dragon.  Volkov was hunting wolves.  He'd not been prepared for her.  Her Dad had done what he said already - he'd fought differently.  He'd made her.  Was that enough?  Gavin had never tried to make her into something she wasn't, he never wanted her to be just like him and today that might have paid off, if she'd been faster, or smarter... but the sniper was dead.  His secrets had gone to the grave with him...  

"Rory!"  Bella rarely used her pet name for Aurora anymore, just in moments when her emotions got the better of her and seeing Aurora sprint off to god alone knew where qualified as an emotional moment.   

"Slow down!  You can't go without me!"  Bella's voice was laced with fear and love as she grabbed hold of her and turned her to face her, the balloon was gone from her hand then.  The zoo disappeared and instead, they were standing on the streets of Moscow.  Her mother's lush dark hair became grayer, crows feet formed at the corners of her eyes and she wasn't kneeling down to talk to her... instead, the two women were standing face to face but her words were the same as they were that day all those years ago. 

"The wolf isn't going anywhere, Kiddo!  Now... slow down, map reading isn't about speed it's about using your noggin!  Do you even know where you're headed?"

She shook her head, "I don't have a map this time, Mom... Dad, Tara, we're lost... we don't know what to do!"

"Do you remember the story of how your Father came to be the Wolf?"  Bella said softly, brushing bits of Aurora's blonde hair out of her eyes.  

Aurora nodded.  "Jamaica.  The men there called him that.  It wasn't a name he picked for himself, but one that stuck.  That's how you know the name is true.  That's what you said..."

Bella nodded.  "Tell me what you know about Volkov's pack."

Aurora got flustered.  "I know ... they could be Bratva, I guess?"

Bella shook her head and tapped the side of Aurora's head.  "I didn't ask for what you guess, I want to know what do you KNOW about them?"

She paused and for a moment they were on the roof again, that poor man's head exploding in front of her, the same way the man on the floor lost his life to her gun.  She'd killed the man in the room because she knew the man was dead in some horrible way if she didn't.  "Volkov doesn't care about them."

"Do you think someone gave Volkov his name?  Do you really think someone like him earned it by caring about his people or does the shark care more for his prey than the other fish swimming with him?" 

Aurora whispered, "Francis..."  She was on the plane again, seeing the bitterness on the face of Francis, the hurt in his voice, the self-righteousness in his eyes as he slid his own throat across the knife.  He thought he'd turned from a spider to a wolf... but instead gone from the spider's web... into a tank with a shark. 

Bella smiled and put her hands on either side of Aurora's face and leaned her forehead against her daughter's.  "That's my lioness.  Watch.  Wait.  Find your moment.  THEN you lead the pride to hunt.  You, not the prey, set the pace.  Don't ever let fear drive you off the rocks before you're ready and NEVER alone.  Do you understand, me, Rory... this part is important... right now you have to remember, never EVER alone."

Aurora looked around then.  "I'm dreaming."  She suddenly realized.

Before Bella could reply, Aurora's eyes snapped open and she could hear him getting out of the chair.  She sat up and Gavin froze.  "Mom?"  She said to him.  "I saw her..." 

She picked up the wallet and fumbled with it, getting out of the bed and crossing the room to her father's side, speaking in an urgent whisper.  "All night I was trying to think of how we could fight him in some unexpected way or how to scare him into making a mistake, but we've done it already.  You didn't make me into you Dad." 

She offered the wallet to Gavin with a smile. 

"I'm not a wolf, he's hunting wolves and spiders... he doesn't understand how I think because he doesn't know mom.  He can't understand one big part of who I am.  THIS.  ME.  I'm how you're fighting unexpected.  I saw the sniper.  I was hunting him while he was getting off watching us... he didn't expect I could sit and watch him doing that to my family... but he doesn't know me."

She tapped the wallet.  

"He's no wolf.  He doesn't care about his men like Francis thought... he has them tricked into thinking he's someone he's not but he proved who he was yesterday.  He killed one of his own to protect his mission.  That sniper knew something dad.  He had to kill him to keep it from getting out.  And what sort of pro carries an ID with his home address?"

Aurora laughed.

"He's got people waiting for him... ties... connections maybe a wife or kids - but he has loved ones, and he might have talked to them!  If he was a true believer like Francis, he probably told people something.  You don't follow a crazy bastard like this without really believing in him!  Those people are waiting for him to come home tonight and ... he's not.  God help them they'll never see their Vasily again, but... we can bring him home, give them some small bit of respect that Volkov would never dream of giving them.  Closure.  We can do that because we know what it's like to not know what's happened and then mourn when you do... to love your family and wait for them to come home no matter how long it takes.  It's what wolves and lions do.  We take care of own.  We mourn the dead - together.  We can earn their trust by helping them with that and learn whatever he told them.  They will tell us the truth because we will do for them what Volkov won't, we'll take care of their loved one.  Then... they will help us hunt our prey by telling us what we need to know and we will find Volkov, and rip out his throat once and for all ... not just for our family, but theirs too.  It'll work because he isn't a wolf.  He'll never think to do it and he won't understand why we would either."

She put a hand on either of his forearms, intently staring into his eyes, her voice full of hope.  "Dad, this is how.  This is how we do it.  Our way."