The Phoenix Ghost

Collision

(I have been looking for you for over five years, Yev. I wanted to deal with our father together. I have always wanted my brother to return and regain the family I have left. Are you saying you will not consider coming home?)

Vasily's face held sorrow. Raven smiled gently at his brother for the first time,

'YA budu obshchat'sya s toboy, Vas. No vozvrashchayetes' v Peterburg? Net, ya ne mogu etogo sdelat'. U menya yest' sem'ya, deti seychas. V kontse kontsov ya khotel by uvidet' vas snova, khotya. Poznakom'te vas so svoimi plemyannikami i plemyannitsami, yesli vy mozhete prinyat' moyu zhizn' takoy, kakaya ona yest' seychas...'

(I will communicate with you, Vas. But coming back to St. Petersburg? No. I cannot do that. I have a family, children now. Eventually I would like to see you again though. Introduce you to your nephews and nieces, if you can accept my life as it is now...)

Vasily's face broke into a massive wicked smile,

'YA dyadya? Plemyanniki i plemyannitsy? Chert! Skol'ko u tebya detey?' (I am an uncle? Nephews and nieces? Damn! How many children do you have?)

Raven chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck,

'Sem'. Chetyre mal'chika, tri devochki. Septuplets, tri mesyatsa.'

(Seven. Four boys, three girls. Septuplets, three months old.)

Vasily's looked at his brother in wonder while several of the Blackbournes shifted in disgruntlement behind him. Septuplets was an understandable word even in Russian,

'Vy schastlivchik!' (You lucky bastard!) Raven's face was a touch arrogant and cocky,

'YA.' (I am.) Vasily roared with laughter. This was the brother he remembered! Raven's face became serious,

'Teper' ya prizrak, Vas. Tak chto obshcheniye ne budet legkim. YA rabotayu v otdel'nom filiale Akademii, s kotorym u vas yest' kontrakt.'

(I am a ghost now, Vas. So communicating will not be easy. I work in a separate branch of the Academy you have a contract with.) Vasily was stunned for a second time,

'Vy byli tak blizki uzhe god, i ya nikogda ne znal...' (You have been so close for a year now and I never knew...) Raven noticed the icy looks he was receiving from several of the Blackbourne team behind his brother,

'Svyazhites' s predsedatelem Akademii. On dast vam bezopasnyy marshrut svyazi so mnoy. Teper' u menya yest' dela s komandoy pozadi vas.'

(Contact the Academy Chairman. He will give you a secure communication route to me. Now I have business with the team behind you.) Vasily turned to look at the Blackbournes quickly before agreeing with his brother,

'YA budu. YA skoro pogovoryu s toboy snova, brat. Do tekh por.'

(I will. I will speak with you again soon, brother. Until then.) The two brothers exchanged a poignant look before Vasily turned to the tense Blackbournes,

'Thank you, teammates of my brother, for your time. Goodnight.' Vasily snapped a Russian command into his smart watch and left through the front door. For the two minutes it took to hear the heavy shutting of two car doors and an expensive engine announcing the departure of Vasily Ravensthal, the room was silent.

After a minute of total silence, Sean gestured for Victor to check the external security markers and for Silas to check the doors and windows of the room were not being shadowed by Bratva. Once he was certain they were secure he spoke to Raven who was still sitting quietly in the frame of their television,