Chapter 24 Moscow’s Red Fang
Moscow’s Red Square sprawled under a sky heavy with snow, its ancient walls and gilded domes cloaked in a bitter chill that bit at Lena Carver’s wounds shoulder, thigh, arm, and hip throbbing beneath blood-stiffened bandages. She crouched in the shadow of Saint Basil’s Cathedral, her Glock a cold weight in her hand, her green eyes scanning the crowds for Nexus DataCorp’s hunters. Sarah Lin stood beside her, her bruised face pale, her knife tucked into her sleeve, her loyalty still a riddle Lena couldn’t trust. Marcus Holt limped nearby, his breath fogging in the freezing air, his guilt over his sister Vera Holt and the betrayal of Elena Kessler etched in his weathered features. Kessler was secured in a Moscow safehouse, a crumbling Soviet-era flat, but her revelation of Serpent a council of five heads, with Dmitry Volkov, codenamed Viper, as one had raised the stakes. The text from Zurich Serpent’s coils tighten, Lena was a taunt that fueled her fire. Ethan’s ghost his reckless grin, his unyielding drive pushed her forward, no matter the cost.
The air was sharp with the scent of snow and street vendors’ pirozhki, Moscow’s pulse a low hum of tourists and police patrols. Riley’s decrypted data from Dietrich’s console had led them here, to a meeting in Red Square where Volkov, a Russian oligarch and Serpent head, was expected. Riley was in hiding, her last message I’m in Moscow, tracking Volkov hours old, her silence a gnawing worry. Agent Torres was a ghost, Clara Voss likely free, and the feds were dirty, leaving Lena’s cloud-stored recording of Clara and Hargrove as her only leverage. Nexus was reeling Port Haven’s protests, Hargrove’s indictment, its empire exposed but Serpent’s council was the true threat, with three heads still hidden.
Marcus broke the silence, his voice gruff, muffled by a scarf. “Volkov’s a ghost in Moscow oligarch money, Kremlin ties. If he’s in the Square, he’s got muscle.”
“Then we cut through it,” Lena said, her tone cold, steady despite the blood seeping through her bandages. She glanced at Marcus, his Port Haven betrayal a scar she hadn’t forgiven. “Kessler named Volkov. If she’s lying, Marcus, you’re answering.”
His jaw clenched, his eyes raw. “She’s not. I broke her in Zurich she’s terrified of Serpent. Volkov’s real, Lena.”
Lena nodded, her trust in him a thin thread. She turned to Sarah, whose knife glinted as she adjusted her sleeve. “You’re too quiet, Sarah. If you know Volkov’s moves, spill it.”
Sarah’s eyes flashed, defiant but weary in the cold. “I don’t, Lena. Ethan never reached Moscow. I’m here for him, same as you.” Her voice cracked, raw with something that might’ve been truth.
Lena’s grip tightened on her Glock, her instincts screaming trap. Her burner phone buzzed a faint signal, Riley’s voice crackling through. “Lena, Volkov’s at the GUM mall, east side, now. Private room, guarded. I’ve got eyes on him.”
Lena’s pulse quickened. “Stay put, Riley. We’re coming.” She hung up, her mind racing. The GUM mall, a glittering relic of Soviet opulence, was a stone’s throw from the Square. They moved through the crowd, snow crunching underfoot, blending with tourists in heavy coats. The mall’s arched glass roof loomed, its lights warm but deceptive.
Riley waited in a shadowed alcove, her purple hair hidden under a hood, her laptop glowing. “Volkov’s in a VIP suite, third floor,” she whispered, her voice shaky but sharp. “Four guards, private security. I looped the cameras for ten minutes, starting now.”
Lena pocketed a keycard Riley handed her, her eyes hard. “You’re with us, Riley. No running.”
Riley nodded, her fear tempered by resolve. They slipped into the mall, the keycard bypassing a service elevator. Lena’s wounds burned, her vision blurring, but her focus was iron. Marcus checked his gun, Sarah gripped her knife, and Riley clutched her laptop like a shield. The elevator dinged at the third floor, opening to a hallway of polished wood and hidden cameras Riley’s hack holding, for now.
The VIP suite’s door was reinforced, the keycard clicking it open. Lena kicked it in, gun raised, stepping into a room of dark velvet and gold trim, Moscow’s skyline glittering beyond. Dmitry Volkov stood at a table, a burly man in his 50s, his suit tailored, his eyes cold as the snow outside. Four guards flanked him, rifles drawn, their movements sharp, ex-military.
“Carver,” Volkov said, his Russian accent thick, his smile predatory. “You’re persistent, like your brother.”
Lena’s jaw tightened, Ethan’s name a blade. “Serpent. Names. Now.”
Volkov laughed, low and guttural. “You think you can touch us? Serpent is eternal.”
Before Lena could respond, the guards fired, bullets splintering the table. Lena dove behind a bar, returning fire, her shot catching one guard in the chest. He fell, blood pooling on the velvet. Marcus took out another, his aim steady despite his limp. Sarah lunged, her knife slashing a third’s arm, forcing him to drop his rifle. Riley hacked a wall panel, triggering a sprinkler system, water spraying to disorient the last guard.
Lena tackled Volkov, her wounds a fire, pinning him to the floor, her Glock to his temple. “Names,” she growled, her voice raw.
Volkov’s smile didn’t waver. “One Li Wei, Beijing. That’s all you get.”
Gunfire erupted outside Nexus mercenaries, breaching the mall. Lena cursed, her vision blurring, and knocked Volkov out, zip-tying him. “Move!” she shouted, dragging him to the service elevator. Marcus and Sarah followed, Riley clutching her laptop, bullets sparking as they descended. The elevator opened to chaos mercenaries in the lobby, shoppers screaming. Lena fired, clearing a path, her wounds bleeding anew.
They reached a stolen car outside, Volkov bound in the trunk. Lena floored it, Moscow’s streets a blur of snow and lights. Her burner buzzed unknown number: Serpent’s fangs are sharp, Lena. She crushed it, her knuckles white. Li Wei in Beijing was the next head, but two remained. Moscow had tested her, but Port Haven had forged her into a predator. She’d hunt the hydra’s council across the globe, for Ethan, for justice, no matter the cost.