A VO

ilshchiki looked worse in dayli

curtains or cardboard. I climbed the stairs to the fourth floor, the elevator h

stairwell smelled like cigarettes

o

orary. In less than a week, if Friday went accordi

out a

space was barely bigger than a prison cell. One room that served as a bedroom, living room, and off

r a fake name that can't be t

indow, checking the street below. No unfamiliar cars. No men loi

But paranoia had kept

y and opened my secure folder. Inside were dozens of documents: fake passports, driver's licen

sappear into the digital ether. And someone new, I was thinking Elena Petrov

prepare for the meeti

ed on him. It wasn't much. I gu

, had studied economics at Moscow State University. Claimed

it was slightly blurred, taken from a distance. Professional, but not to

erfec

incts scream that

se I could access. No criminal record. Clean

't quite add up. The fact that Damien Romanov appeared squeaky clean-not that I didn't want him to-eit

bed it, heart racing,

orrow? I have dra

s, why? Because real friends asked questions. Real friends wanted to know where

f life where people didn't lie about everything, where trust wasn't a

rrow. Soon tho

lways busy. Wha

how close to the

do. The con with Alexei required perfect execution. One slip, o

ant that to f

iversity, worked as a freelance graphic designer, parents deceased, no siblings. It was a sad story,

ntity so long it

on the door

ved. I made sure of that. Even Katya thought she

wer. My heart hammered against my ribs as I appr

face that suggested violence was just a career choice away. Behind h

hiv

carrying through the thin door. "We know

Didn't even d

r debt. Sergei

man who'd made it very clear two years ago that I now owed him five hundred thou

clockwork, I sent the wire transfe

ck did the

d. "Sergei appreciates that. But he'd like to meet wit

ed like. A girl who'd tried to run from her debt ended up in the Mos

ut it. Sergei is losing patience. He'd rather have you as a wil

. I waited five full minutes befo

ears of careful anonymity,

Forget the three hundred thousand from Damien. I'd have to make do with what I had, find

othes from the closet wh

thinking about you all d

h

portunity I mentioned? The paperwork came through early. I can

he message, m

Not Friday

f Sergei completely and still have money left

s Godsent! An an

th almost no preparation. M

my go-bag and disappear into the Moscow crowds rig

ldn't be enough. Even if I made it to Prague or Berlin or London, Sergei would find m

my only

e last dance with a man

reedom. Re

moved acros

works perfectly. W

se was alm

e a reservation under my name. Dress code is formal

te, luxurious, very public. That was good, public meant sa

pratical, something forgettable and designed to help me b

t. After tomorrow night, I'd never I'd

re. Can't wait to fina

iny apartment. Tomorrow night, I'd walk ou

o tell. One more p

kov and Anastasia w