Chapter 151: The Devil Arrives

Chapter 151: The Devil Arrives
Mikhail Sokolov touched down at JFK on a Tuesday morning.

Anya watched the airport camera feed from her office. Private jet. Diplomatic immunity. No customs inspection.

“He’s not even trying to be discreet,” Elena said behind her.

“Why would he? He thinks Kozar’s arrest was a fluke. FBI overreaction.” Anya zoomed in on Sokolov’s face. “He’s betting we’re reeling. Scared. Vulnerable.”

Sokolov passed through the terminal with three bodyguards. Ex-military types. Professionals.

“Car waiting at terminal five,” Roman reported. “Black Mercedes. Diplomatic plates.”

“Let him go. Keep your eyes on him.” Anya panned to a city map. “Where do you think he’s going?”

Twenty minutes later, they had an answer.

“The Plaza Hotel,” Roman said. “Penthouse suite.”

“How many people?”

“Six bodyguards total. Maybe ten in his immediate group.”

“Cameras on the building?”

“In place already.” Elena pulled up live feeds. “The FBI is on it too. Chen has a team staked out three blocks away.”

“Good.” Anya leaned back in her chair. “Now we wait. Let Sokolov make the first move.”

That move came eight hours later.

A message. Delivered by courier to Anya’s Brighton Beach apartment building.

The envelope was thick. Heavy cardstock paper. Inside, a single index card, the message printed in elegant handwriting.

“Miss Kozlov - I believe we have much to discuss. Tomorrow evening. Eight PM. The Plaza. Come alone. - M.S.”

“He’s inviting you to his hotel?” Viktor said as he read over her shoulder.

“He thinks I’m going to walk into a trap.” Anya set the card on her desk. “Maybe he is testing me.”

“Or maybe he thinks he has the upper hand.” Anya stood up. “Sokolov’s file says he’s never worked in America before. He’s underestimating us.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean he’s making Kozar’s mistake.” Anya smiled. “Good.”

“You’re not going, of course.”

“Of course I am.” Anya turned to face him. “But I’m not going alone. And I’m not going unprepared.”

She called Agent Chen.

“Sokolov invited me to meet at The Plaza tomorrow night.”

“Don’t go,” Chen said at once. “It’s a trap.”

“I know. I’m still going.” Anya ignored Viktor’s hard look. “I want you to have a team ready. Not in the hotel. But close. If things go south, I need extraction.”

“This is crazy.”

“This is intelligence gathering.” Anya’s voice was calm. “Knowledge is our only weapon.”

Chen was silent for a moment. “I’ll have a team ready. But be careful. Sokolov will not negotiate. If he thinks you’re a threat, he’ll take you out.”

“Then I better not appear like a threat.” Anya hung up.

Viktor exploded. “You’re walking into his hotel? After what happened to Kozar?”

“Kozar was arrested by the FBI.” Anya met his eyes. “Sokolov knows that. This meeting is intelligence gathering.”

“And if he tries to kill you?”

“Then the FBI has him on camera. Federal charges.” Anya walked to the window. “In either case, we win.”

“You’re risking your life.”

“I’ve been risking my life since I was exiled.” Anya turned back around. “This is no different.”

“Yes it is. Then you had nothing to lose. Now?” Viktor approached. “Now you have everything.”

Anya softened. Reached for his hand. “I know. But living in fear doesn’t work. Not with Sokolov. He respects power. If I refuse to meet, I appear weak.”

“And if you agree, you may well die.”

“Then I will die fighting.” Anya squeezed his hand. “But I won’t. Because you’ll be watching. The first sign of trouble, you go in.”

Viktor looked at her for a long moment. Then nodded. Reluctant but willing.

“Fine. But I’m staking out teams all around that hotel. The first sign of trouble, we’re coming in.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The next evening, Anya dressed in black. Skirt and jacket. Professional. She looked like a businesswoman.

The wire was hidden in her necklace. FBI tech.

“Audio clear,” Chen confirmed. “Video stable.”

Anya emerged at The Plaza. Cameras everywhere.

The lobby was opulent. Marble floors. Gold accents. Money and power on display.

Sokolov’s bodyguard met her at the elevator. Tall. Silent. Efficient.

He searched her for weapons. Found none. She’d left them in the car.

The ride to the penthouse suite was silent. Tense.

The doors opened to reveal a room even more opulent than the lobby. Floor-to-ceiling windows. Views of Central Park. Art on the walls. Expensive furniture.

And Mikhail Sokolov.

He was standing by the window. Glass of vodka in his hand. Watching the city below.

“Miss Kozlov.” He turned. Smiled. But it didn’t reach his eyes. “Thank you for coming.”

“Mr. Sokolov.” Anya stayed near the elevator. Escape route open. “You invited me. It would be rude to refuse.”

“Please. Sit.” He indicated a chair. “Can I offer you something to drink?”

“No thank you.” Anya remained standing. “I would like to keep this brief.”

“Of course. You’re a busy woman.” Sokolov stepped closer. Not threatening. Just sizing her up. “I wanted to meet you. The woman who dismantled Kozar’s operation. United the families against us. Remarkable work.”

“I do what needs to be done.”

“As do I.” Sokolov set down his glass. “Which is why I am here. To do what Kozar could not. Bring New York under Syndicate control.”

“Good luck with that.”

“I don’t need luck. I have resources. Experience. Authority.” Sokolov’s smile sharpened. “And unlike Kozar, I am not interested in negotiation.”

“Then why invite me here?”

“Professional courtesy. Before I destroy you, I wanted to look you in the eye. Understand what I am up against.” Sokolov regarded her. “You are young. Ambitious. Smart. In a different context, we might be allies.”

“But not in this one.”

“No. Not in this one.” Sokolov stepped back to the window. “You have seventy-two hours to disband the coalition. Surrender control of your operations. Leave New York.”

“And if I refuse?”

“Then I eliminate you. Your organization. Everyone who has taken up arms with you.” Sokolov’s tone was even. “No negotiation. No mercy. No exceptions.”

Ice in her veins, Anya kept her voice steady.

“You should know threats do not work on me.”

“This is not a threat, Miss Kozlov. It is a courtesy. A warning.” Sokolov turned to face her. “Seventy-two hours. You can use them however you wish.”

“I will use them to prepare.”

“For what?”

“For war.” Anya walked to the elevator. Hit the button. Escape route clear. “Because I am not leaving. I am not surrendering. And I am not afraid of you.”

The elevator doors opened.

“Goodbye, Mr. Sokolov. I’ll see you on the battlefield.”

She stepped inside. The doors closed.

Only then did she allow herself to breathe.

“Audio clear throughout,” Chen reported in her ear. “We got it all. Death threats. Attempted intimidation. Plenty for a warrant.”

“We won’t need one yet,” Anya said quietly. “Let him think he’s won. Let him make his move.”

“And then?”

“And then we take him down.”

Anya left The Plaza. Got into her car.

Seventy-two hours.

The clock was ticking.

Time to end this.

Once and for all.