Page 21 of The Allure of Ruins

“I hate you for doing nothing, but I hate him more.”

“Listen, Pax, I⁠—”

“Here’s what I want,” I began. “I want you and your FBI contact to come to the airport where I’m sitting outside the security checkpoint at terminal three. I will be here for two hours, so you better fuckin’ hurry.”

I hung up then. Exactly twenty-seven minutes later, he walked in, hands in his pockets, followed by a well-dressed tall Black man in a navy suit and two other men, one in a terrible, ill-fitting gray one and another in a Hugo Boss that fit him like a glove.

“You stay back,” I instructed Erast. “I only want to talk to him.”

The man strode forward, the confidence and an almost regal air rolling off him. He took a seat beside me, then pulled his credentials from his breast pocket at the same time so I could see the badge and the ID with his picture.

“I’m Special Agent in Charge Mike Lattimer,” he said, offering me his hand.

I took it and was amazed at how warm his grip was.

“You’re freezing,” he told me, replacing the badge, his brows furrowed. “You look a bit pale as well.”

No big surprise there. “I don’t want to stay,” I said flatly. “Promise me I don’t have to.”

“You don’t have to stay, Mr. Walsh, and from what Erast said, it doesn’t sound like I can even call you as a witness. You’ve had no access to Mr. Antonov’s business dealings. Isn’t that right?”

I nodded.

“You’re a victim who finally fought back. It’s impressive.”

“It was cowardly, but it’s done,” I said, unzipping my backpack. I passed him the hard drive. That must have caused Erast to move, because both agents ordered him to stay still.

“What is this?” Lattimer asked me, holding it in his hand.

“I have no idea. Erast probably does. There might be pictures or video of me being assaulted on there, as well as the others. If it’s just full of people like me being hurt, please use it as you see fit. I suspect, though, that there might be some actual murders on there, and maybe even some blackmail material.”

His face scrunched up a bit—probably because the idea of me and others being violated was painful for him to consider. I didn’t know, but I felt like it was a safe assumption.

“Since I’m being truthful here, full disclosure, alongside that drive,” I continued, “there was a hundred thousand dollars in cash in the safe. There were also lots of passports, which I put in a bag for you.” I passed it to him.

He pulled one out, examined it, then his focus was back on me.

“I hope those will be helpful.”

“I’m sure they will be.”

“I’m gonna go stand in line now to get through security. I know you can find me if you want, but like you said, I’m no use to you. But if you could keep Genrikh Antonov poor so he can’t send someone to kill me, that’d be great.”

He nodded. “I will be sure to seize everything once I get back to my office.”

“Also, at his club, in the office, there’s a safe behind the safe. So make sure whoever goes in there finds the second one as well.”

Slowly, he looked over at Erast, who, as he was out of earshot, stared worriedly back.

“He didn’t tell you, did he?”

“No.”

“He’s a weasel, so watch yourself,” I warned him.

“I certainly will.”

“You’re a dead man, Pax,” Erast yelled over to scare me.