Chapter 64

Yaroslav

W e arrive to complete carnage. It’s an all-out war and even with Filip’s team and now the three of us, we’re still heavily outnumbered. We just need to hold them off as long as we can until the cavalry arrives. Filip and his men are holding a line outside, firing at any enemies attempting to enter the mansion. From inside I can hear the sounds of fighting too, no doubt Jackson’s men doing the same and dealing with any that have managed to get through Filip’s line.

The driveway is strewn with bodies. The metallic smell of blood lingers in the air and the deafening sounds of gunfire and glass breaking ring in my ears. Despite being outnumbered, Filip’s team had the element of surprise and were able to pick off several unsuspecting men from behind as they approached the house, only expecting fire from inside.

“Filip, what’s our status?” I ask as we approach him.

In between shots, he fills me in. “I counted fifty of Sharkozi and Innokentiy’s men. We’ve taken out maybe six so far. I can’t speak for how many the guys inside have taken out.”

Shit. That’s not good. Sharkozi must have known that Jackson was here to have come with so many reinforcements. Since it was only a recon mission, Filip came with a mere five men, plus our three that’s only eight. “How many in Jackson’s team?” I ask.

“I counted five,” Filip replies grimly.

“Thirteen against forty-four… I like our odds,” Andrey says with a grin.

“You crazy son of a bitch,” I say fondly, glad that he’s pumping us up in the face of seemingly unbeatable odds.

Andrey always was one of my better fighters, born and brought up in the US, as an ex-Navy Seal he’s beaten odds worse than this before. I’m grateful that he’s here. We might be a small group, but I guarantee we’re more highly skilled than Sharkozi’s motley crew. Filip’s one tough son of a bitch who’s a mean shot and skilled with hand-to-hand combat.

“What’s our plan, Pakhan?” Sergei asks.

“I need Andrey, Filip, plus one of Filip’s best men in close combat with medic experience,” I say and he nods his approval. “We will enter and extract Jackson’s team, we’re also on the lookout for Kim and her grandmother, Emma. They could be inside.” I pray to god they aren’t. “The rest will maintain our line until backup arrives, we have a strategic advantage here, it stops too many men getting inside.”

Everyone nods to confirm they understand their jobs. “Alright. Cover us!” I say to the remaining men as my team moves toward the house.

The opposition goes wild at our arrival, returning fire in a hail of bullets, but our team has the advantage. Whenever they expose themselves to fire at us, our team takes them out.

Through the chaos, I can hear a few men exclaim: “Is that Yaroslav Volkov? Innokentiy said he was dead?”

The exhilaration of the upcoming fight and adrenaline makes me laugh and I let out a loud howl like a wolf.

“The wolf is coming for you boys!” Andrey jeers howling too and sounding equally as pumped as I feel.

We take out the men guarding the entrance of the mansion with ease and enter. The corridors are quiet and our training sets in as we check each room.

“Clear,” we call as each room is checked.

Every time I hear that I feel an equal sense of relief and worry that Kim isn’t there.

As we enter the next room, my eyes immediately fall on an injured Jackson with one of his men tending to him. The man springs around, about to fire, as do my men.

“Hold your fire, they’re ours!” I bark, holding my gun up to show I’m not going to fire at the other man.

The man hesitates but seems uncertain as my men obey. “Yaroslav?” I hear Jackson cough out.

This is enough to put the other man at ease, he lowers his weapon, and I approach along with Filip’s man while the other two guard the door. The medic sets about treating Jackson’s wound. Although he’s clearly in pain, the fact that Jackson is still conscious makes me hopeful the injury isn’t too severe.

“How are you here?” Jackson asks.

“It’s a long story. Is Kim here? Her grandmother?” I ask rapidly, there will be time to explain everything later.

Jackson shakes his head, “No. She’s at the safehouse with David and Emma.”

I can tell there’s more to the story, but we don’t have time for that now. I’m just relieved to hear they’re all safe. As quickly as we can, we fill the men in on everything and they relay this via their comms to the rest of their guys. We decide that, for now, our best option is to stay put until reinforcements arrive. After only a short while but what feels like eons, one of Filip’s men outside radios to let us know that Thomas Gillihan and the other men we called have arrived.

“It’s go time,” Filip says.

With more of our men now inside, we delegate areas to search and head off leaving Jackson with the medic and taking his man. The gunfire reaches a deafening crescendo, but I ignore it, focusing only on the task at hand. I have it on good authority that Innokentiy and Sharkozi are in the building. Now we’re the ones who outnumber them, we can end this once and for all. I intend to take both of the bastards down myself.

I know exactly where the cowards are likely to run, from previous recons of the house, I know Bogdan has an escape route, that’s where they’ll go. Heading in the direction of it, I eventually encounter Bogdan. He’s running down a corridor with the door too far away for him to reach before I can get off a shot. But I don’t shoot men in the back, even scum like him.

“It’s over Bogdan,” I say casually.

Hearing me and realizing that he’s trapped, he turns around holding up both hands.

“Yaroslav, let’s talk this through, I’m sure we can sort out some sort of arrangement.”

The fact he’s talking tells me that the gun he’s holding is out of ammo. Otherwise, he’d have immediately taken his shot. Bogdan Sharkozi has no honor. He’s clutching at straws now he knows he’s lost.

With my gun trained on him, I decide to play along, “Even after we killed your wife?”

He shrugs, seeming to not care, “Wives are easy to find, good business partners on the other hand…

The heartless bastard. Deluded too if he thinks I will work with him after he made moves against me.

Ignoring his proposal, I point out what we both know. “You’re out of ammo. I’m not.”

I see the cogs turning in his mind, considering how to respond, if he should pretend he isn’t.

Sensing his best course of action, he drops his gun to the floor. “You’re right. Are you going to shoot me unarmed like a coward? Or will you fight me one-on-one like a man?”

With the challenge laid down, there’s no way I won’t accept it. I’m not scared of him. I know in a fight I will win.

“Alright, let’s do this,” I say, dropping my weapon.

Bogdan knows full well I’m the better fighter, I’ve got years of experience on him. He’s still wet around the ears, barely in his twenties. A daddy’s boy who bit off more than he could chew. I doubt the kid’s ever even been in a fight other than training. I might almost feel sorry for him if I didn’t know what a cruel and ambitious little prick he is. Besides, if you want to run with the big wolves, you’ve got to accept the consequences.

I’m unsurprised that he chooses flight over fight. He turns on his heel and runs. I could pick up my gun and shoot the stupid motherfucker, but I decide to give chase. It’s more fun to win fair and square. I easily close the gap and grab a hold of him.

“Please!” he cries pathetically.

“For fucks sake kid, fight like a man, your old man would be disgusted,” I snap back.

I’m not about to kill a man who’s surrendering and refusing to fight, as much as I might want to be rid of Bogdan Sharkozi, I have honor and morals. I drag him outside to where the remaining bulk of his men are still fighting.

With him in front of me as a shield, I call out. “Stop! This ends now. I have Sharkozi. The coward challenged me to a fight and then ran. Innokentiy is nowhere to be found. These are the men you foolishly chose to follow. Surrender now or die with them.”

A murmur goes around the men. No one is quite sure how to react.

“He’s a liar!” Bogdan shouts, finally finding his bravado now in front of his men. “I’ll fight him right here!”

I know I’m safe to let him go. The men leading might be dishonorable cowards, but the others won’t disrespect a direct one-on-one challenge by interfering. He falls to the ground and scrambles to get up, dusting himself off and holding up his fists ready to fight.

“Finally,” I say with a grin.

Sharkozi is playing right into my hands. To kill him publicly and win like this will reassert my dominance. If he’d fought me back when we were alone, I’d have still done so and won. But then people would always question how it went down. Now, there will be no doubt. The sounds of men jeering and shouting encouragement egg us on. For a moment, the gunfire ends and it’s just the two of us.

I let Bogdan come at me, easily dodging his right hook and returning it with one of my own. The blow lands and stuns him. I rapidly release a series of jabs many of which land. Bogdan continues to try to fight back but I easily dodge and block most of his counterattack. In a flurry of fists, I make contact with his face with a sickening crunch, and he falls to the floor.

I give him a moment to compose himself and get back up, wanting this to be a fair fight. As he gets up and advances on me, I realize too late that he’s clutching something in his fist. The blade of a knife glints as he swings at me. I block it just in time, but it slices through my arm. The crowd watching let out sounds of shock and anger at his playing dirty. Some of them crow, not caring he’s fighting dishonorably. I’ll remember those men.

I’m bored of dancing around now. It’s time to end this.

We dance around each other, me avoiding the sharp thrusts of his knife. I kick out, making contact and winding him. It buys me precious seconds to close the gap and grab the wrist the knife is in. With the knife now in my hand, I don’t waste time. Quick as a flash, I draw it across his throat. Bogdan seems confused for a moment, not realizing what just happened. Then, his hands go to his throat and his eyes go wide. I stare him in the eyes as the life flows out of them. Mine is the last face Bogdan Sharkozi will ever see.

The crowd falls silent, stunned at what they’ve witnessed. I can sense Sharkozi’s men growing anxious, realizing they’ve lost.

“Look who I found, Pakhan,” I hear Andrey call out from behind me.

Turning, I see him with Innokentiy by the entrance of the house. Andrey’s gun is pointed at the back of his head and Innokentiy’s eyes are wide with fear. I stride over toward them. Seeing his fallen ally lying dead, Innokentiy senses things have gone very badly for him.

“Nephew, this is all just a big misunderstanding…” Innokentiy starts to stutter.

“Enough,” I say, taking the gun from Andrey and pointing it at Innokentiy’s temple. “Every man here knows and values the bond of family. One which you broke. First when you killed my parents, then you tried to kill me by blowing up my car, and then you dared try to cross and torture me, to take over as head of the Volkov Family. You’re not worthy,” I sneer. As per the Volkov code, your punishment is immediate execution. Do you have any last words?”

Innokentiy seems genuinely shocked that I’m not going to let him live. “You can’t… kill me and you’re declaring war against the Petrovs!” he declares, his Hail Mary.

“The Petrovs would kill you themselves once they find out about your mistress, Helena Sharkozi.”

Innokentiy’s eyes widen in horror, and he opens his mouth to speak again, but I’m done with his excuses, with hearing him try to weasel his way out of his punishment.

“We’re done here,” I say as I pull the trigger.

Innokentiy drops down dead at my feet.

I speak to the crowd. “For those of you still standing, you can surrender or die. For those who betrayed me, you’ll pay with your lives.”

My men immediately spring into action following my words. Some men try to run, especially the few once loyal to me, but most surrender.

I still have one man I want to kill myself. “Where is Vova?” I call out.

“Dead,” someone replies, pointing to a body.

I walk over and see my former best friend and trusted man lying dead, a bullet in his head. I would have liked to have been the one to kill him. But he’s gone. All those who opposed me are.

It’s over. We’ve won.