Page 6

“I’ll be careful,” I say.

The door to the study opens without a knock, the sudden invasion of cooler hallway air washing over my skin. I don’t flinch, but my back stiffens a fraction as Uncle Mikhail steps into the room. He’s dressed in a charcoal suit with no tie, the top button of his shirt undone.

Alexei doesn’t acknowledge him right away in a subtle show of dominance. The single lamp throws long shadows across the desk, leaving half of him swallowed in darkness while he finishes a note in neat, meticulous script. His fingers tighten around the pen, strained knuckles betraying his irritation at the interruption.

He lifts his head at last, every trace of irritation buried beneath perfect control. “Uncle Mikhail. What do you have for me?”

Mikhail places a single sheet of paper between Alexei and me, the heavy stock watermarked with the family’s secure internal seal.

Block-cipher headers mark the top of the page, followed by two full sections blacked out with thick redaction bars. At the bottom, a final paragraph remains visible.

As I scan it, key phrases jump out.

…deliberate and sustained effort… reposition against Vartanian corridor interests… favor-based operational model… deliberate camouflage.

My thoughts accelerate as I compare the wording to what I witnessed at the club, but I say nothing as I look up at Mikhail.

“We’ve had this for two days. The source is one of our embedded contacts.” His attention slides to Alexei. “I thought it should be brought to your attention immediately, given our current… situation.”

A muscle twitches in Alexei’s cheek. “The timing is interesting.”

“I thought so, too.” Mikhail allows himself the barest curve of amusement. “It confirms what we’ve been hearing anecdotally for months. That Blue Note is positioning itself to move on our holdings.”

“It’s a single report,” Alexei says. “With significant redactions.”

“The redactions are necessary,” Mikhail replies. “To protect our source.”

I catalogue the micro-expressions that cross both men’s faces. Mikhail stands with his weight shifted slightly forward, his shoulders squared, expecting resistance. Alexei does not move beyond the quiet rhythm of his breathing, but a colder focus settles over him, bringing Mikhail to mind with uncomfortable force.

“The references to our distribution network are concerning,” Alexei acknowledges. “If they’ve identified our corridors⁠—”

“Then they’re planning to cut them,” Mikhail finishes. “Or leverage them.” He taps the document once with his index finger. “That they’re working to establish influence points rather than confront us suggests they’re playing a long game.”

My mind races. If the Blue Note is positioning to move on us, my approach needs to change. The infiltration becomes higher risk, but also more valuable.

“I’ll have Lev verify,” Alexei says finally. “His contact is already established.”

Mikhail’s attention shifts to me for the first time. “The timing of this mission was more fortuitous than we knew.”

“It was not fortuitous that our family’s business was leaked,” Alexei states in a cold tone. “Your lack of keeping a stable handle on the group you oversee necessitated this investigation into the Blue Note.”

Mikhail stiffens. “Which is why I offered to clean up the mess myself.”

“Levon is less circumspect.” Alexei’s expression hardens. “We do not need this group of street thugs knowing that we’re looking into them until we’ve made a decision on how to move forward.”

“Of course,” Mikhail acknowledges with a slight incline of his head, but the gesture lacks conviction. “Though I wonder if a single point of contact is sufficient for verification of this scale.”

He leans forward, resting his palms on the edge of the desk. “Perhaps we should consider a more… comprehensive approach.”

The suggestion stops short of directly challenging Alexei’s authority, but tension still hums through the room.

Mikhail gives away nothing openly, but he never quite meets Alexei head-on. He’s maneuvering through a long game of his own, one rooted in family instead of territory.

“I’ll take it under advisement,” Alexei says, giving nothing away.

Mikhail straightens and adjusts his cuffs. “I’ve left a copy of the full document in your secure drop. The unredacted copy, of course, for your eyes only.”

He turns to me. “Be careful, Levon. If the Blue Note is planning something, they’ll be watching for exactly this kind of approach.”