Draft version - Russian Roulette - Family secrets

Ch. 69: Does Mackenzie know?

"It's done, we got 3 out of 8."

3 of 8 was still 5 too few.

Gareth was in his office with Phoenix, Vasili and Cracker listening to the report from Horse over the encrypted phone line.

They had gotten wind of an online sale of some women, they suspected Grychenko to be the man behind it, and Vasili had put Horse onto it to get in and pose as a buyer. Three of Gareth's men, under the supervision of Dimitri, were out getting the girls they had bought.

It was the reason why Vasili had wanted Gareth back home. Gareth had to be there to make decisions on what to do if they succeeded in what Vasili and Horse had planned.

Horse had managed to set up three fake accounts to buy three different girls. It was all he had managed to do at such short notice and to them all it felt like a hollow victory. Still, three women had been spared a life of horror and Gareth had made sure they were being set up with a new life in one of his other cities under his protection.

It pissed Gareth off that it was happening in his city, he was not able to stop sex trafficking, he knew that. Women would disappear from time to time, but lately there had been a lot of women mysteriously vanishing. It had not been bad before Grychenko had moved in on him, in a way it seemed like Grychenko was taunting Gareth knowing how Gareth stood on the matter.

"You did good, Horse," Vasili said when Gareth remained quiet.
"I'm sorry I couldn't do more. I would have needed more time to create false profiles and make them seem legit. I'm setting up dummies as we speak for further use."
"Good job," Gareth finally voiced. "I have a feeling we'll need them soon. Can you set up a few live profiles on some men too? I'll have Cracker send you the info on the new faces."
"Sure thing, boss." Horse cut the connection and left them to discuss among themselves.

Live profiles were some of Gareth's men willing to go in undercover to a real auction and bid on the women. Most auctions were held online on the dark web, but some were exclusive and held live, those were the scariest kind; it was the prettiest and most innocent women and the sickest bastards alive who bought them. Gareth's men would need plausible background stories and money. They would be checked thoroughly before getting an invite for an auction. And still it was dangerous going in, if they were suspected they would be killed. They did not need to be exposed as fakes, just the suspicion and they would be gone.

It was a difficult balance, Gareth needed trusted people to go in, people he knew could handle themselves and stick to the cover story given to them. He also knew he could not send in his best people because Grychenko most likely knew who his core men were.

So far Grychenko had not made any obvious moves on any of Gareth's organizations. It was like he was toying with them. Like he was waiting on something specific and all they could do was wait and hope they were prepared when it went down.

At least the break ins had stopped and Grychenko kept it at going to Gareth's strip clubs from time to time to show his face and never let Gareth forget that he was there lurking in the shadows.

"I've been thinking." Gareth was not really looking at any of them, he was zooning out staring at nothing outside the window. "What do you think about setting up a meeting with Grychenko? I mean, he's coming for me either way, maybe we can avoid a bloodbath."
"You think that's wise?"

Cracker was the first to comment while the others chose not to engage. Their silence did not speak to how they felt about Gareth's suggestion.

"Wise? Probably not." Gareth laughed a cold humorless laugh. "It's something my dad did, it's my responsibility, I can't let so many people get in the line of fire without at least knowing why."
"We'd all stand and die with you. That's not an issue."

Phoenix who was usually a man of few words, fewer than Cracker even, spoke passionately for once. He had known Gareth since university, and though not in any way Russian or part of any mafia affiliation beforehand he had embraced Gareth's life and jumped in head first never looking back, never having regretted his decision. If it came to it, he would, like any man Gareth had, die at his side.

"I know. I'm trying to think outside of the box here. He wants me, and I can do jack shit about it until I know why. He might be an irrational psycho. I still think he'd rather want me face to face than play stupid games."

There was silence in the office for a while.

Vasili cleared his throat. "I'll contact them and see if he's interested."
"For the record, I'm not ok with this," Cracker stated firmly and got up and left the office.

The room was eerie quiet after Cracker had left.

Gareth could not blame Cracker for his reaction. It was not exactly because he felt like walking into a meeting with Grychenko and find out why that sick shit had gotten his panties in a bunch. It was necessary, everything rested on Gareth; his men's lives, his businesses and his obligations to his family name. It was imperative he stayed alive. And waiting for an attack getting more and more vulnerable as time went by was irking him to no end.

He was not delusional enough to believe it would be a civil meeting and he dreaded what information he would get from Grychenko, whatever it was, it was important enough for Grychenko to want revenge and that was enough for Gareth to be concerned.

For hours and hours Gareth had been on the phone with his mother and pushed for her to tell him everything about his father. Any little detail she could remember about his personality, people he knew, his business affairs. Anything, and still there had been nothing remotely interesting enough to be revenge worthy and nothing at all that connected Reginald with Grychenko.

"Don't mind him," Phoenix said, though he felt the same way too.
"I'm not saying it's the right approach, maybe Grychenko will turn me down anyway, I'm just trying to do something instead of sitting here with my head up my arse."

"Does Mackenzie know?"

Subtle was apparently not Vasili's forte that day.

"No, and she's not to know. I can't have her stressing about something like this. We have no idea what's going to happen, and she's in no danger. Grychenko has not made any threats or efforts to show he knows about her, he would have if he knew it would get to me, I'm certain of it."

Both Phoenix and Vasili nodded to that.

If Grychenko wanted to scare Gareth he would go after Mackenzie and since he had not, he probably did not know about her. Or if he knew, he would know she was protected by not only the Russians but the Italians too. It did not look like Mackenzie was a pawn in Grychenko's game with Gareth.

Gareth looked out the window. Maybe he would be the one to have to give up Mackenzie before she could give up on him. He would do it for her safety. Even if that meant her hating him for the rest of their lives.

To keep her safe, he would break his own heart.

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