Eltsina on the side of the face, fracturing both cheek and jawbone and sending her crashing to the floor, unconscious.
Kasakov grimaced and shook his hand several times. He faced the board members.
‘Gentlemen,’ he began, ‘I apologise for the deception, but I assure you the juvenile theatrics were necessary. I told just two people where I was vacationing: Tomasz and Yuliya. Yet someone tried to kill me there. I’m sure, after Yuliya’s little speech, you will now understand who that person was.’
Eltsina, jaw broken and barely conscious, managed to mumble incoherently.
‘Quiet, my sweet,’ Kasakov said. ‘You’ll have plenty of time to make noise later.’ He smiled and his shadow fell across the woman’s face. ‘And you thought what I did to Ariff was so very cruel.’
*
It was almost midnight by the time Kasakov and Burliuk arrived at Kasakov’s home. Sheets lined the floor of the hallway. Everywhere were piles of bricks, metal beams, screws, tools and stacks of four-inch-thick sheets of laminated glass and polycarbonate. Each window in the dacha was being replaced with the best bullet-resistant glass money could buy. Motion detectors and cameras were being fitted in every room. Kasakov’s dacha had always been secure and well guarded, but now it was being transformed into a fortress.
‘You’ll have to excuse the mess,’ Kasakov said to Burliuk as they reached the top of the staircase, ‘but I think you’ll understand it’s about time I upgraded my security. My guards didn’t try to take your inhaler, did they?’ Burliuk shook his head and Kasakov smiled. ‘Be glad they didn’t insist on giving you a cavity search.’
An armed bodyguard was stationed on the landing, overlooking the staircase. Another stood at the bottom. One either end of the long hallway. Kasakov led Burliuk inside his study and closed the door.
‘Take a seat, Tomasz.’
Burliuk did.
‘Izolda is downstairs,’ Kasakov said, taking a seat behind his desk. ‘She’s taken the assassination attempt surprisingly well, I think. She’s a strong woman, but I’ve already left her for too long with just guards for company.’
‘Take some time off,’ Burliuk said, ‘stay with Izolda. Take care of your wife, and let me take care of everything else.’
Kasakov smiled at that. ‘That’s my plan, my old friend. But tell me, Tomasz, what’s the latest with the North Koreans? I assume it’s bad news.’
‘I’m sorry to say they’ve withdrawn the MiG order and gone with the Indians.’
‘I thought they would,’ Kasakov admitted. ‘For all their bluster, those people are scared of their own shadow. It’s their loss, not mine.’
‘If only that were true. That deal was vital for us, not only in monetary terms but for our reputation. It will be a long time before we are trusted again. And who else is there to sell to? How many conflicts are fought with tanks and jets today? War has changed. This is the era of the terrorist and the guerrilla. Rifles and IEDs are their weapons.’
‘You’re right, of course,’ Kasakov agreed, ‘but I still don’t care. How much money and power is enough?’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘I’m retiring.’
Burliuk struggled to respond for a moment, before asking, ‘Since when?’
‘I’ve been thinking about it for a little while, but when I found out I was going to be a father the decision was made for me.’
‘ What? ’
Kasakov stood. ‘Izolda’s pregnant. We’re going to have a baby. Finally.’
Burliuk’s mouth fell open. He struggled with how to respond.
‘Your manners are terrible,’ Kasakov remarked. ‘This is usually the point where you offer congratulations.’
‘Sorry, Vladimir. Congratulations. I’m just shocked, that’s all.’
He stood and they embraced. Kasakov squeezed his friend hard, but Burliuk’s return hug was limp.
‘You’ve taken me by complete surprise.’
They stepped back from each other. ‘Not as surprised as I was, or Izolda for that matter. After the attack, Izolda complained of stomach pains. You see, when the shooting started I threw her to the ground. I thought I must have hurt her. We went to a hospital and they ran some tests.’ Kasakov smiled. ‘But she wasn’t hurt at all. You should see her, Tomasz. She’s so happy, so happy. All she’s ever wanted is to be a mother. Now, she will be.’
‘She’ll make a wonderful mother.’
‘I know. And I’ll do my best as a father. I won’t treat the child any different than I would my own.’
Burliuk’s eyes widened in surprise. ‘Excuse me?’
‘Did you not wonder why Izolda and I have been without a son or daughter for so long? We’ve never spoken of it, but I don’t believe you haven’t been curious. The reason is that I can’t father children, Tomasz. Of course, I never told anyone. Me and Izolda never even spoke of it until very recently, though she must have known for years, always afraid to bring it up for fear of my reaction.’
Burliuk was shaking his head. He used his inhaler. ‘If you’re not the father, then who is?’
‘My first thought was that it might be you.’
He coughed. ‘ Excuse me? ’
‘You should know me well enough by now to know I am no fool, my friend. I’ve seen the way you look at Izolda. The way you’ve always looked at her.’
Burliuk showed his palms. ‘Vladimir, I have never, ever — ’
Kasakov made another dismissive gesture. ‘I believe you. You’re in love with her, I know that. It was just a foolish idea, and one I dismissed quickly. I know Izolda thinks of you like a brother. She wouldn’t betray me with you. Someone else, yes. You, never.’
Burliuk’s eyes narrowed a fraction. He looked away.
‘I’m going to play along with the deception,’ Kasakov said. ‘I won’t let on I know the child isn’t mine. I don’t blame Izolda for what she’s done. If I had been strong enough to admit to my problem, we could have received help long ago. I’m doing this for Izolda. Not for me.’
‘Very noble,’ Burliuk muttered.
Kasakov stood in front of Burliuk and rubbed his friend’s arms. ‘Are you sad for me, Tomasz? Or for yourself?’
Burliuk said nothing.
‘It must hurt to have desired Izolda all these years while she shared my bed. It must hurt even more now that you know she chose another man, not you, with whom to lie. Maybe several men, for all I know.’
‘Vladimir-’
‘Don’t say anything. Let me speak. You’ve been at my side for all these years. My one true friend. You’re the only person in the entire world, besides my wife, who I could trust.’ Kasakov rubbed Burliuk’s shoulders. ‘It occurs to me that we still know nothing about who tried to kill me in Bucharest.’
‘Eltsina, surely. She said-’
Kasakov shook his head. ‘Only under the most extreme pain did she admit to hiring that sniper. However, her plan relied on you and I being discredited by the war with Ariff. Killing me before the war would not have achieved that. You would have been chosen to head the empire, not her. So, no. It wasn’t Yuliya.’ Kasakov squeezed Burliuk’s shoulders. ‘You, however, were most keen that I should personally go to Bucharest to negotiate with the North Korean broker. Why would you do that when they were willing to come to Moscow?’
Burliuk reached to again take out his inhaler. ‘Vladimir, I-’
Kasakov’s huge hands enveloped Burliuk’s neck and squeezed. Burliuk gasped and dropped the inhaler to grab at Kasakov’s wrists, pulling with all his strength. Kasakov’s hands didn’t move.
‘I spoke to your friend Danil Petrenko just before he disappeared in Barcelona,’ Kasakov said. ‘He told me about what went on in Minsk that time. About your deal with Gabir Yamout. You put him in touch with Petrenko and Yamout did you a favour. I wonder what that could have been. Maybe he put you in touch with a killer. One who could never be traced back to yourself.’
‘ No… ’ Burliuk managed to croak.
