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Boom!

An explosion rocks the house, blowing the roof tiles into the air Billows of orange burst through the s, creating heatwaves over the white landscape Fla with smoke

“Co left here” Physically or emotionally

“Do you want me to drive?”

“Go with Yuri and Igor I’ll follow” I need to be alone with Katerina

“Straight hoain

“Home” Katerina can stitch me up there “Meet us at the house”

“We’ll start interrogating Stefanov’shis way to the car where Yuri waits “We’ll deteret rid of”

Straightening, Igor puts out the cigarette and drops the butt in his pocket He givesinto the car with Dimitri and Yuri

I stand in the road as they pull off, watching their car until they turn the corner It feels a lot like the end, like closing a chapter that didn’t end happily After that last full stop lies hope A new page Tio of the past and move on

Galina is on her own, but she has what my mother didn’t have—her life and her children How she builds her new future is up to her In a warped sense, that has a ring of freedom to it

I owe Mikhail a call to tell hiet home

Impatient to be with Katerina, I close the distance with hurried steps Even as I grip the door handle, sirens sound in the distance

She givesdown her face as I get in beside her

I close the door and lay the gun in the console “Hey” Cupping her face, I drag her closer “It’s over You’re all right We’re going to be fine”

A shadow that moves in the back catches my eye In a flash, I understand Katerina’s reaction, that slight shake of her head

So in the back

A man sits up “Famous last words”

Fighting instinct takes over, but before I can dig ainst Katerina’s temple

My insides shake with fury The sight of that gun against her headthe gun before shooting out the man’s brains

Engulfed with helpless anger, I aze in the rearview nize him before he says, “The name is Ivan Besov It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Alexander Volkov”

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