Not one of them moves.
I take the vory into a private side room, deep in the chapel. The light is low, spilling from a lone bulb overhead, casting longshadows over our faces as I lay out the plan.
“You want to use bait?” Anton balks.
“Yes.” I steeple my fingers on the desk. “It’s the only way to smoke them out.”
“Clever,” observes Kazimir. “But we’d need something worth dangling in front of them.”
“How about the girl?” It’s Zhenya, blunt as usual. “They went for it once before. Maybe—”
“No.” I’m already on my feet, voice low and lethal. It’s not a shout, but it strikes like one. “No one touches her.”
Zhenya blinks, then frowns. “It’s our best bet. Desya kidnapped her, didn’t he? It’s clear he wants her. All we’d have to dois—”
My fists slam into the desk, and the crack echoes thr
