He had never spoken of that particular hell, the biting, vicious cold, the stinging ice that tore one's breath from the body and snatched lives from frostbitten, terrified children. He was certain Ivanov had covered the mouths and noses of several on the ground, killing them, rather than trying to save them as most of the others had done.
"He was brought into the school I was in briefly, when I was a teen," Lev admitted. "He was a bastard then. A kid died hard one night and everyone knew he'd killed him. He was removed a week later, but it was obvious he was protected by someone high up. Even the trainers avoided a confrontation with him."
"Don't underestimate him, Levi. I'm going to hunt him because he'll never stop, but when he's dead, if I'm right about this and it was Sorbacov who sent him, he'll send another because he'll always consider us a threat to him."
"I'll deal with whatever comes at us. The local sheriff, Jonas Harrington, knows everyone in town. He's a shrewd man with a few of his own gifts, so walk carefully around him. He knew me right away, but you take after our mother with your eyes and hair and I doubt he would recognize you. He met Ivanov and if I get word to him that the exterminator is back in town for some wet work, he'll find him fast."
"No local sheriff can handle a man like Ivanov and you know it, Levi."
"No, but he has connections we don't. Let him do the looking."
"It's risky," Stefan said. "Let him know up front that Ivanov is a straight-up killer. I'll keep hunting until I run him down. In the meantime, I can't tell Judith who I am or what I'm doing here until La Roux is in Russian custody and we return the microchip safely to Theodotus Solovyov."
"We might want to know what's on it, Stefan."
Stefan scowled at his younger brother. "That's treason."
"It's self-preservation," Lev protested. "If Solovyov had requested the list of known agents out of those schools for a reason, wanting to use us as bodyguards, or for something else, Sorbacov would have provided him with the information. Theodotus Solovyov has the highest security classification possible and Sorbacov would have had no choice. We both know how politics are played out."
"And it all ends up in the hands of La Roux who figures he can blackmail Sorbacov. La Roux has connections enough in Russia to plan and carry out an attack against Solovyov, he would have no problems trying to blackmail Sorbacov," Stefan added. "Sorbacov tries to have him killed, probably thinks that he can take him out in the prison and has him arrested on a gun running charge, but La Roux has too much clout."
"So you think La Roux released an excerpt, some small thing he had managed to read before he was arrested to tell Sorbacov to back off."
Stefan nodded. "That's exactly what I think. That's why Sorbacov tried so hard to get to La Roux. He tried to get him moved to Russia, but France wouldn't let him go. He was afraid to kill La Roux outright because he didn't know where that microchip was or if it would come to light later. So he sent me in to see if I could buddy up to him and find out where it was or who might be holding it for La Roux."
"No way is Judith doing that." Lev shook his head. "I'm telling you, Stefan, I know this woman. I've only been here a few weeks, but these women are tight, they share a bond as strong as a blood bond. Judith would never be involved in gun running or selling secrets of countries."
"I agree. But Jean-Claude La Roux is very, very obsessed with her."
"It appears that you are as well," Lev said dryly, a hint of humor in his eyes.
Stefan turned cool aqua eyes on him. "Never think for one minute that what I feel has anything to do with what that bastard feels for her."
Lev's eyebrow shot up. "You really are serious about her."
"I told you I was. I'm going to hunt Ivanov, and you're going to secure this farm. If I can remove the threat to you, it will give us time to prepare for the next one."
"You know I can't let you do that, Stefan. We'll hunt him together."
"And your wife? What do you plan on telling her?"
"I tell Rikki the truth, always. I don't remember everything about my past, but when it comes back to me in bits and pieces, I tell her. That's the deal we have and, even over this, I won't lie to her. She's dealt with Ivanov before and she did fine."
Stefan hesitated. "I can't tell Judith I'm your brother until the business with the microchip is done, which means I have to walk a thin line of lying. When I'm with her, I give her whatever is real about me, but she knows me as Thomas Vincent, an American. I don't want to put you in the position of lying to your woman or to Judith, but I can't do anything until I know those defense plans can't possibly fall into the wrong hands."
He didn't know if he was asking or demanding, but he knew he was placing Lev in an untenable position. If Judith fully belonged to him, he wouldn't want to lie to her about his past or about the danger surrounding them. There had to be trust, a bond between a man and a woman that was sacred, or what was the use?
Lev shook his head. "I can't lie to Rikki. I can tell her that something from my past has come up and would she mind waiting a few days before I discussed it with her. I do want to tell her Ivanov is in town. He might confront her again and I want her prepared."
The protective note in his brother's voice convinced Stefan once and for all that Lev loved his wife and marrying her wasn't part of an elaborate cover. No one could be that good of an actor. The fact that Lev would risk asking her to wait to hear information pertinent to their lives spoke volumes. Stefan wished for that kind of open relationship with Judith. He'd never shared any aspect of his life with anyone since his parents had been murdered. His disclosures to Lev were the closest thing he'd managed to date. What would that feel like--to trust someone enough to place your life in their hands?
Stefan sighed. "You do what you have to do, Lev, but I have no choice until I know the microchip is secure. And don't go after Ivanov without me. You have no idea how dangerous he is. You may have had a brief encounter with him once, but I grew up in the same school with him. He didn't like anyone getting the better of him. Everyone learned very quickly to allow him to be number one in all things, or you didn't wake up in the morning. He killed at least five children I know of and the instructors knew it as well. They had cameras on us twenty-four hours a day."
"He definitely murdered the boy in our school. We all knew it. And it was no training exercise. The boy was in his bed."
"If one took him down in a combat situation, or stayed under water longer, learned faster, anything could set him off."
"Did you let him win?"
"My barracks consisted of a very tough bunch of kids. We set watch and constructed warning systems. Even then my talents were strong and I always knew if he was close by. I'll confess, I taunted him, tried to get him to come after me to give me an excuse to kill him, but he's cunning and he never took the bait."
"But he hates you."
"With every breath in his body. I have no doubt that he pulled strings to use me to draw you out. That would be his idea of revenge. Make me the instrument of my brother's death. He would make certain I knew you were dead before he killed me," Stefan said.
"Is it possible he really has gone rogue, that his need to kill you has finally eaten him up until he's made the break with Sorbacov?"
"He's always been Sorbacov's pet." Stefan rubbed the bridge of his nose thoughtfully. "Unfortunately, I think we have no choice but to proceed believing Sorbacov is purging the ranks and has sanctioned the hit."
"Sorbacov knows us. Wouldn't he send a team?"
Stefan shrugged. "Maybe he has and no one else has surfaced yet, but it's doubtful. He'd want to do this as quietly asas possible without anyone knowing or raising an alarm. Ivanov is completely loyal to Sorbacov, not to Russia, not to anyone else in the government. I think Sorbacov is his only contact with reality. He wouldn't break it. No, Sorbacov sent him to kill us and doesn't want it to get out. Hell, every agent he has would turn against him if it came out."
"So by giving you the green light to hunt Iva
nov," Lev mused, "Sorbacov is betting on his pet assassin to do his job before you do yours."
"That's my belief. I'm waiting word on La Roux's prison escape. They should be getting him out any day and once the microchip is safe, my duty to them is done and I'll tell Judith the truth and hope she understands."
"Stefan, I'm not your little brother anymore," Lev said. "Don't try to protect me."
Stefan let his gaze drift over Lev. He had grown into a strong man, very reminiscent of their father. He carried the natural muscle of the Prakenskii family and the same eyes Stefan remembered his father had. Lev had the inevitable scars of their profession and training, but to Stefan, he would forever be his younger brother, one he loved and yes, one he protected.
He stepped forward and for the first time allowed himself to be in a position of vulnerability. He caught Lev by the shoulders, providing a huge target to his younger brother if Lev was inclined to kill him. They both knew this was the moment of truth. Lev could get rid of the threat to his new family and no one would ever be the wiser, or he could step into the embrace and accept Stefan back into his life.
Lev hesitated for just a moment, searching Stefan's face, and then he gripped Stefan's shoulder, showing the same vulnerability. A small smile lit his eyes. "It's good to see you."
"Have you seen Ilya yet?" Stefan couldn't keep the eagerness out of his voice.
Ilya had been the youngest and probably didn't remember any of them. Their mother had tried to protect him, fighting to keep him when the men broke in and tore her youngest son from her arms. They'd all tried to protect the boy, but he'd been wrenched from them. Stefan always felt he'd let down his parents, not recovering his youngest brother.
Lev shook his head. "He was married a few weeks ago to one of Blythe's cousins, Joley Drake. Joley's a huge name in the music industry and apparently they didn't return from their honeymoon yet because she's doing a series of benefits for Japan and then more for the tornado victims here in the States."
"And he's friends with the sheriff?"
Lev nodded. "Close, I'm told."
Stefan pulled him close in a brief bear hug and then let him go. "Married life suits you."
"Rikki suits me," Lev corrected. "She saved me when I was drowning and I don't mean in the ocean, although that too."
Stefan understood what his brother was trying to express to him. Drowning in blood, in shadows, in the cold, was every bit as real as drowning in an ocean. He hadn't even known he was so far gone until Judith threw him a safety line.
"I have something else to do tonight before I leave, so do me a favor and call off your sentries," Stefan said. "I don't want one of your owls to slash up my face. Thomas Vincent would have a very difficult time explaining to Judith what happened to his eyes if your owl plucked them out."
"I don't have dogs yet," Lev pointed out. "I have to keep the women safe, especially now that Ivanov is back."
"Then show me to them and give me a pass," Stefan challenged, not willing to let it go. Lev may have accepted him as a brother, but he didn't extend that trust to the women.
Lev studied his expression for a long time before he nodded again. "I'm going to say this one time, Stefan, and I hope you understand. I would do anything to keep Rikki and her sisters safe. Anything at all, so don't betray my trust."
Yeah. His little brother had grown up.
11
JUDITH wasn't asleep. Stefan could see her pacing in the room he knew to be her bedroom, passing back and forth in front of the bank of windows overlooking her star flower garden. The light behind her cast her image easily through the uncovered window. Behind the gates of the farm, the women thought themselves safe from predators, but there he was, crouched low, once again in the shadows, a phantom come alive.
The surge of anger he'd experienced at his brother no longer surprised him. He realized Judith had not only brought his emotions boiling to the surface after so many long years of suppressing them, but surrounded by her gardens and so close to her home, every emotion would be amplified. Judith might try to contain her spirit, but the element was too strong and energy pulsed around her home and spread like warm honey throughout her enormous gardens. He had a wild urge to climb up to Judith's balcony and make certain she was too tired to do anything but sleep, with his body wrapped around hers.
The breeze coming off the ocean carried a hint of rain with it, along with the first fingers of fog creeping inland. Soft gray clouds drifted across the sky, slowly obscuring the moon and stars, as if drawing a thick veil over the night. Under his feet the earth pulsed in anticipation. Stefan felt it, that strong burst of energy, of joy, as if the ground exploded with excitement, and then seemed to settle into a throbbing rhythm. He'd never felt such a sensation before and he sank his fingers into the rich soil to enhance his ability to understand what was happening.
The air around him moved subtly, the breeze shifting slightly, enough to bring the clouds into position over the vast fields of vegetables and sweeping gardens of flowers. The air pulsed with power as well, a unique flow of energy that told him that breeze had been directed. He watched Judith as she came onto the balcony and stood at the railing, looking out over the farm as if drawn there by an unseen hand.
She raised her face to the clouds overhead, but didn't move, obviously waiting for something. The wind tugged at her long hair and pressed her thin tank tight against her breasts, so that the material cupped the soft curves lovingly. Her flowing skirt moved gracefully around her long legs, lending her an utterly feminine mystique that took his breath away.
The rain began to fall over the flower garden softly, with a gentle, almost tender touch. It took a moment for him to hear the music in the drop, a clear pattern emerging, like a quiet symphony building slowly toward a crescendo. Judith wasn't directing the rain, one of the other women was, but she was definitely boosting the power of that element, her hands graceful, palms up as she faced the farm.
Stefan's breath caught in his throat. He was witnessing the combined power of elementals at work. The effect was shocking, mesmerizing and awe-inspiring all at once. He was used to psychic occurrences; every member of his family had natural talent. But this . . . this was a demonstration in the use of elements in everyday life for practical purposes.
Rikki, his brother's wife, was a water element, and Stefan was certain she was the one directing the rain over various parts of the farm. One of Judith's sisters no doubt was an air element and her light touch on the wind was masterful. The earth responded to another sister, earthworms churning, aerating the soil, working and thriving in the compost heap, welcoming the rain, answering the spirit binding the elements together from somewhere deep inside. The earth took the water deep beneath the soil, spreading it like veins running beneath the rich loam, carrying life-giving fluid to every plant. He felt the last element, fire, join the others, not with fire but as a bright flame driving their combined dream of a prosperous farm forward.
Water rained heavily in the forest, gently in the vegetable gardens and even more tenderly over the flowers, the chords of a weeping guitar. Through it all, the wind carried the sounds of a symphony, moving through the trees and gardens as the air element played the light notes of a flute. The drum of the fire element set the rhythm for all of them. The earth provided the melodic piano keys and Judith's spirit acted as the conductor.
Stefan's heart joined the rhythm. If he tried to tell anyone else about this unique phenomenon, no one would believe him. It was the most beautiful, invigorating thing he'd ever witnessed--no, experienced. He was right there, drawn in by Judith's powerful spirit. Stefan realized their combined dream wasn't just about using the elements to make their farm prosper, it was the way all five elements wove a tight bond together, sustaining one another, sharing courage and commitment.
Sitting quietly and absorbing the energy, he felt the very subtle notes of a male woven through the water element and knew his brother had somehow merged with his wife while she drew the water from th
e clouds. Another female presence was there as well, one he nearly missed. The sixth sister was powerful in her own right, although there was a subtle difference. She was no element, yet she seemed to be a part of each of them. Lev had said she was difficult to figure out, and Stefan could understand why. With her touch, the wind moaned like a violin and danced through the trees, tugging playfully at leaves and kissing the bright flowers.
Around him, nature itself responded to the surging power, bathing in the pounding rhythms, owls flying in the drops of rain, circling above the tree tops while on the ground, fox and deer emerged from the forest as if drawn to participate. It was only then that Stefan realized he was absorbing the powerful energy into his own body. Every emotion multiplied and enhanced. He could feel strength running through his muscles as power poured into him in the same way the rain poured over the farm. Fast. Slow. Easy. Hard. He absorbed all elements, feeling each of the energies mixing with his own psychic talents.
Stefan flexed each muscle carefully before easing his way across the field of flowers, careful to stay on the narrow path so there would be no signs of his passing. He couldn't afford to get too wet, not when he was going into Judith's house. He didn't want her to come across wet tracks on her cream-colored carpet. He moved around to the back of the house where the wild gardens of tall grasses and shrubs looked like a small jungle in the rain.
The entire lower floor was dark. It was more difficult to avoid the tall, bushy plants with leaves reaching out to capture prey. He slipped through them, taking care not to brush up against them. Leaving leaves or grass on her carpet would be every bit as bad as wet tracks. He bypassed the first and second studios, angling through the overgrown plants to reach the darkened French doors of the third studio.
Heavy drapes covered the doors, a big contrast to the other two much more inviting studios. Very carefully he put his palm an inch away from the outside of the glass, feeling the room. His warning system went crazy, every nerve, cell and muscle in his body shrinking back. His heart went crazy, accelerating, and his lungs burned for air. Even the hair on the back of his neck stood up. The power of the elements had amplified his natural radar, but even taking that into consideration, there was something extremely dangerous in that studio.