Mikhail
The moonlight rises through the curtains, casting an eerie glow across the carpet. I sit on the edge of the bed, unable to sleep. When there's a knock on the locked door, I scramble to get dressed and then open the door. A guard stares stoically into my face as Maria hurries into the bathroom.
"Mr. Budanov wants to speak to you, sir. Alone."
I'm led down a hallway toward the front of the house into a room where Zakhar is in the study, poring over an old-fashioned roadmap. Ignoring me, his brow furrows in concentration as I stand by the table.
"You asked to see me?" I take a seat across from him.
"I have a lead," Zakhar says. "But it'll take a day to chase it out." He stares at me with a dark scowl, debating on what to say next.
Just as I'm about to respond, Zakhar's phone buz
