Old Allies

The men who burst through the hotel door weren't killers. They were saviors.

"Mr. Sokolov, Mr. Moretti, you must come now!" the leader yelled, his accent thick. "Petrov's men sent us. There are assassins in the building!"

Viktor paused, his gun still aimed at the man's head.

"How do we know this isn't a trap?" Luca asked.

The man pulled back his sleeve, showing a tattoo of a bear with three stars – the Petrov family symbol.

"Alexei's brother Ivan sent us. There's no time!"

Gunfire exploded in the hallway. Decision made, Viktor nodded.

They escaped through the service lift, then through kitchen areas smelling of cabbage and garlic, finally emerging into the freezing Moscow night where three black cars waited.

"Separate vehicles," the man directed. "Safer this way."

Viktor grabbed Luca's arm. "We stay together."

"Then you both come with me," the man said. "I'm Dmitri, Ivan Petrov's right hand."

As their car sped through snowy streets, Luca studied Dmitri. "Alexei is dead. Why help us?"

"Because Ivan Petrov says the enemy of his enemy might become a friend," Dmitri answered. "And because you carry the seal."

Viktor's hand moved to his pocket where the jade seal lay. How did they know?

The Petrov house sat behind high walls on the outskirts of Moscow. Guards with machine guns patrolled its boundaries. The car went through three checkpoints before stopping at the main entrance.

Inside, the house was warm and smelled of spices and smoke. Dmitri led them to a big study where a man stood looking out a window, his back to them.

"Ivan Petrov," Viktor said. "It's been a long time."

The man turned. He was younger than Alexei had been, maybe forty, with a neat beard and cold eyes.

"Viktor Sokolov. The American." His gaze moved to Luca. "And the Italian. Strange bedfellows."

"We're partners," Viktor said strongly.

"So I've heard." Ivan pointed to seats near a crackling fireplace. "My brother is dead because he helped you."

"We're sorry for your loss," Luca said. "But we didn't kill him."

"I know who killed him." Ivan poured three cups of amber liquid. "The same people who are hunting you. The same people protecting Nikolai."

"Who?" Viktor asked.

Ivan gave them each a drink. "Show me the seal first."

Viktor put the jade seal on the table between them. In the firelight, its green surface glowed.

Ivan's eyes widened slightly. He reached for it, but Viktor covered it with his hand.

"Information first."

A smile flashed across Ivan's face. "Your father taught you well." He sat back. "Nikolai has powerful friends – old KGB, new FSB, government officials. People who've been part of The Network for decades."

"What exactly is this Network?" Luca asked.

"A system built by the greatest crime families across continents. Your fathers were founding members, Viktor. They created something that transcended borders, governments." Ivan leaned forward. "Something that made men like us more than just criminals."

"And Nikolai wants to control it," Viktor guessed.

"No. Nikolai wants to sell it to the highest bidder." Ivan's face darkened. "He's offering access to people who shouldn't have it – terrorist groups, radical political factions. He's breaking all the rules."

"Why would he do that?" Luca asked.

"Money. Power." Ivan shrugged. "Or perhaps because he knows something the rest of us don't."

That night, Viktor couldn't sleep. He stood by the window of their guest room, watching snow fall on the Petrov farm.

"What are you thinking?" Luca asked from the bed.

"That my father never told me about any of this. The Network, the other families. Why keep it secret?"

"Maybe to protect you."

"Or maybe he never trusted me to carry on his legacy."

Luca joined him at the window. "You have the seal. That means something."

Viktor turned to face him. "Tomorrow, Ivan is gathering the other families. It will be dangerous."

"When isn't it?" Luca smiled. "We've faced worse."

Viktor touched Luca's face softly. "Not like this. These are old-world criminals, traditionalists. They won't understand... us."

"Then we'll make them understand."

The meeting took place in a private dining room at the Petrov mansion. Five family heads sat around an ornate table, each with their most trusted servant beside them.

Ivan introduced them one by one: Baronov of the St. Petersburg syndicate; Kuznetsov, who controlled the Black Sea ports; Orlova, the only woman, whose family ran the Siberian operations; and Voronin, an old man whose territory stretched to the Far East.

The mood was tense as servants brought course after course of traditional Russian food – borscht, blini with caviar, roast duck.

"So," Baronov said after the main course, "the son of Sokolov returns from America with an Italian lover and asks for our help. Why should we give it?"

Several men chuckled. Viktor's face remained emotionless.

"Because Nikolai threatens all of us," he said quietly. "And because of this." He put the jade seal on the table.

The room fell silent. Orlova leaned forward, her eyes sharp.

"The true seal," she whispered. "I thought it was lost."

"It passed to me when my father died," Viktor said.

Voronin, the oldest, shook his head. "It should have gone to someone worthy. Someone who stayed, who didn't run to America."

"I didn't run," Viktor's voice hardened. "I was sent. To survive. To return when the time was right."

"And is the time right, young Sokolov?" Orlova asked.

"Yes. Nikolai has betrayed the code. He's selling access to outsiders."

The families traded worried glances. This was serious.

"What do you propose?" Kuznetsov asked.

"An alliance," Luca spoke for the first time. "All of us, working together to stop him."

"And why should we trust you, Italian?" Baronov sneered. "You're nothing here."

A waiter approached with dessert plates. Something about his movement caught Luca's attention – a small hesitation, a hand drifting toward his jacket.

Without notice, Luca lunged across the table, tackling the waiter just as he pulled a gun. They crashed to the floor as the weapon fired, the bullet hitting the ceiling.

Guards ran in as Luca pinned the would-be assassin. The man bit down on something, foam instantly filling his mouth.

"Poison capsule," Orlova said. "He's already dead."

She looked at Luca with new respect. "Quick reflexes, Italian."

"The question," Voronin said, "is who sent him? Who knew we were meeting?"

All eyes turned to Ivan Petrov, the host. His face had gone pale.

"Not me," he insisted. "I would never—"

"Check his shirt," Viktor directed the guards. "Look for a tattoo."

They ripped open the dead man's collar, showing a small black spider inked on his neck.

"The Black Widow," Kuznetsov hissed. "Nikolai's personal assassin squad."

"He knows we're working together," Viktor said. "He's afraid."

"As he should be," Voronin stood, raising his glass. "To the son of Sokolov, who carries the true seal. And to his Italian, who sees what others miss."

One by one, the family heads stood, raising their glasses.

"We will help you hunt Nikolai," Orlova stated. "But we want seats at the table when The Network is restored."

"You'll have them," Viktor promised.

As they drank to their new alliance, a guard rushed in, whispering excitedly in Ivan's ear.

"What is it?" Viktor asked, observing Ivan's shocked expression.

"A message just arrived," Ivan said. "From America. Your penthouse in New York has been attacked. There are reports of many dead."

Luca's glass slipped from his hand, breaking on the floor. "Tony? Anya?"

"Unknown," Ivan answered. "But there's more. The jade seal you showed us..."

"What about it?" Viktor asked.

"According to this message, it's not the only one. There are seven seals, and Nikolai already has three of them."

Viktor and Luca traded alarmed looks. If Nikolai got control of all seven seals, The Network – and all its power – would be his.

And no one, not even their new Russian friends, would be able to stop him.