Mikhail
I glance at my watch—seven hours and thirty-seven minutes left. Time's running out. Rurik, Pavel, and Zakhar take off to look for Alexander, and their determination is evident in every stride. As I search through his abandoned house in Maryland, my heart pounds in my chest as I kick down the front door. The stench of sweat and fear assaults my senses, making me hold my breath in disgust.
"Mercy?" I call out, my voice betraying the urgency I want to suppress. And then I see her.
She's tied to a chair, face bruised and battered, but otherwise very much alive.
"Get away from her!" I shout at the man towering over her, his hand raised, ready to deliver another blow.
"Who the hell are you?" he snarls, turning towards me. I don't hesitate. I pull the trigger and watch as the life dr
