The Troika Dolls - Miranda Darling [78]
‘David, I’m not in any danger. I’m not doing anything unconsidered. A fifteen-year-old girl has been kidnapped and no one is doing anything about it. How can I leave it alone?’
‘Just do,’ her boss bellowed down the line.
Stevie kept her voice calm. ‘I’m only finding out as much as possible so I can give Constantine the best picture of the situation, when he gets here.’
Silence on the line. When Rice spoke again, his voice had softened. ‘Constantine is already in Moscow. I sent him out with a team when I heard you had him on stand-by. I know exactly what you’ve been doing, Stevie. That’s why I’m so worried. We just couldn’t find out who you went to meet in that solarium.’
‘You’ve had me followed?’ Her voice cracked.
‘We almost pulled you out when the shooters hit those men in front of you. We thought they were after you.’
Stevie remembered the babushka who had knocked her flat. Her throat went dry. ‘I thought they were after me too . . . I can’t believe you had me followed. I don’t need nannies.’
‘You bloody well do, Stevie.’
Stevie flushed with anger. Rice didn’t believe she could handle it. While a small part of her was touched that he cared enough, most of her was furious that he doubted her judgement. What she wanted to do was shout ‘Call off your dogs!’ Instead she said quietly, ‘I think I know who’s got her.’
She had Rice’s attention.
‘Have you heard of Felix Dragoman, or the siloviki?’
‘Stevie, this is getting worse and worse.’
‘Maxim says the siloviki exist, and that Dragoman has ties to them. I think Anya will be used to pressure Kozkov in some way over the banking reforms. Maxim implied the siloviki could benefit from this, too. I need to know more about them, and Dragoman.’
‘I’m surprised they bothered with something so subtle. Usually it’s a bullet to the head.’
Stevie continued quickly. ‘Maxim was suggesting that Anya had been snatched by a thug who saw an opportunity. He’s holding an auction of sorts, selling his catch off to the person who wants her most.
Anyway, it wouldn’t be easy to replace Kozkov—and an assassination would look pretty bad to the rest of the world.’
‘Never stopped anyone before.’ Rice cleared his throat, reluctant. ‘I’ll see what I can find out. But you, in turn, have to extricate yourself from this mess. Take on the Hammer-Belle job. I’ll send Kozkov some more men if he wants them, but I want you out.’
Rice rang off without waiting for a reply.
Stevie put her phone down on the table and sat back. She was angry that Rice treated her like a child, ordering her around like that. But she had to admit, she was also grateful she had him as an ally. She would think about the Hammer-Belles and David’s orders later. Right now, she had Maraschenko to deal with: did he still have Anya, or had he sold her on already? Stevie was tempted to order a private assault team. If Anya was passed on, it could be a lot more difficult to get her back.
Her phone rang, making her jump slightly.
It was Valery Kozkov. The kidnappers had made contact.
9
The black Mercedes crawled through the city, hunting for a way out.
Irina had found a hand-delivered package in their mailbox that morning. She had known at once.
Inside the package was a satellite phone and a polaroid of Anya.
In it, Irina’s daughter was holding up the front page of the day’s newspaper— disputes over oil exploration rights in the Caspian—Irina had skimmed it only minutes before as she drank her early morning tea. Her legs had given way.
Valery Kozkov had called Stevie moments later and she’d rushed over.
The polaroid was intended as proof, Stevie had told the family, that Anya was alive and well and that whoever was holding her was willing to begin negotiations. It was, Stevie had stressed several times, a good sign.
‘And the newspaper tells us she’s most likely still in the country,’ she added, trying to offer comfort where there was very little.
In the photo, Anya had her eyes half closed. She was wearing a gold bomber jacket.
‘It’s