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A hidden button at the back opens a false wall panel Behind it is one of the several weapon vaults on the property A digital lock requires a retina scan and thumbprint I open the door and step inside the walk-in safe just as Igor returns with Leonid, Diht guard shift Three cars with bullet-proof s and reinforced bodywork pull up outside, their headlights illuarden

I take an AK-47 froor “Take autorenades Smoke bombs too”

Leonid hands the weapons to the ear up while Dio, and in under athe property in four cars

Leonid and I sit in the back Yuri drives and Diun No one handles a car like Yuri He can le I don’t trust any other driver Plus, he’s good with a gun

Our convoy slips shborhood I don’t expect a war, but I take nothing for granted where these motherfuckers are concerned

The gang that uses the eight-pointed star e They’re a bunch of lowlife scus, but they’ll do any job for a price They’re not picky about the so-called freelance work they take on

After leaving the historical center behind, we head toward Kupchino and park at the back of a warehouse with an eight-pointed star painted on the wall That’s where the gang stores their merchandise I ca deliveries The attached building serves as their clubhouse, with the kitchen as a sorry excuse for a restaurant

I scan the surroundings before we get out Nothing stirs They’re not expecting a visit They won’t even see us conal, the men exit their vehicles Half of the Leonid goes ahead to scout the area, his gun pointed in front of him

For noe benefit froht, but as soon as we hit the area illu the side where there are no s The place is exactly as I reent s in the alley The bulb above the door burns Good A grin of anticipation splits my face That means the motherfuckers are home

Footsteps fall on the cobblestones Leonid’s beefy face appears around the corner He creeps up toin a hushed tone, “The warehouse and the back are euard There must be at least ten of them inside”

I take un from my waistband and tilt my head toward the entrance My men move ahead of me to the door We pass a small brokenthat’s boarded up from the inside—the toilet

At the door, I stop to listen The noises co from inside are faint The walls are thick There’s a distinct clanging of hter The cockroaches are dealing as usual

I hold up a hand, counting down on un On three, he shoots the lock open Four men cover his inward, hitting the doorman squarely in the face He stands frozen, a look of surprise trapped on his features, but he’s as good as unconscious on his feet After another beat, he falls backward like a dead weight Not taking any chances, Leonid plants a bullet between the man’s eyes as he steps over his body

The silencer ensures there’s minimal noise to attract attention, but the open door alar his fly as he walks His eyes grow large when he spots us He utters a cry, reaching for the gun in his holster, but he’s dead before he has his hand on the shaft

All hell breaks loose

Men fire at us fro us to take shelter in the kitchen It would’ve been easier to drop a grenade in the back room, but I want the man who attacked Katerina alive

Men in dirty aprons are skinning rabbits at a big table They look at us as if we’re ghosts The shortest one drops his knife and raises his hands The other two follow suit when Leonid rounds on theun An old woman with a nose and eyes buried in folded layers of skin shouts insults fro a wooden spoon