“When was she sold to Agapov?”
“Y-yesterday.”
“Thanks for your cooperation.”
I lower the gun and he sighs in relief. But it’s short-lived—the sigh dies on his lips when I headbutt him so hard that his eyes go glassy before rolling back in their sockets.
Disgusted, I mop his sweat off my forehead as I rise back to my feet. “Gag and chain him. Load him up into one of the jeeps. He can join Alan and Sobakin in the shed for now. Where’s Dimiv?”
“Downstairs, boss,” Stepan answers, pointing me in his direction. “We found a hatch door leading to the basement. Dimiv was exploring.”
I walk down and make a left. A grimy carpet is rolled up to one side, revealing an open hatch door. I shimmy down through the narrow opening and descend the stairs to the space below. I have to crouch to move beneath the low ceiling.
“Dimiv? You down here?”
“‘Round the corner,” he calls back.
I follow his voice to a pair of twin beds, each one holding a young girl whose restraints have just been soldered off thanks to Dimiv and two of my men. Both girls are dressed in matching cotton nighties and wearing matching terrified expressions. The one on the left has dark eyes and even darker hair. The one on the right is white-blonde with soft blue irises. Both are bruised to shit. I’d wager every penny I’ve ever earned that neither is even old enough to drive.
“We’re not here to hurt you,” I assure them. “We’re going to get you two back to your families.” The girls exchange glances. “But before we do that, I need to ask you some questions first.”
I keep my distance from both of them. They’re not likely to be very comfortable around men anymore. They have the unconscious bastard upstairs to thank for that. I intend to make sure he pays for his sins.
“Were there any other girls being held here?” They shake their heads in unison. “When were you brought here?”
“L-last night,” the brunette says softly. “I think. We were drugged. We woke up on these beds.”
Goddammit.
I turn to the side and Dimiv drifts towards me. “They moved Polly before they brought in the new girls,” I explain quietly.
“Did he talk?” Dimiv asks, lowering his voice to match mine.
“Yes. I have a name. Oleg Agapov.”
Dimiv’s eyes go wide. “Agapov? As in the same Agapov family your father ruined before I left?”
Fuck. I knew I recognized the name.
I turn back to the girls. “Do you have homes? Families who’ll be looking for you?”
They shake their heads. Most likely, these girls are from some sketchy part of town, bouncing from one foster home to the next. The kind of girls who slip so easily through the cracks in our world and fall into the hellholes beneath it. Common prey for men like Drozdov, men like Agapov, men like Sobakin. Rats that skitter in that darkness.
“Don’t worry,” he assures me. “I’ve got it covered. I’ll get them somewhere safe and we can make arrangements for them later.”
“Take Stepan with you. He’ll direct you to one of my safehouses on the outskirts of the city. They can stay there for the time being.”
Dimiv plants his hand on my shoulder. “We’ll find her, cousin. I won’t rest until we do.”
Nodding grimly, I step back out again. Now that the smoke has settled, the disappointment sets in. I’d been counting on finding Polly here today. Instead, we have another search on our hands. Another leg of this endless fucking hunt. Even worse, she’s in the hands of her final buyer. God only knows what the sick mudak plans to do to her.
I climb into my SUV and signal for the men to follow me to the estate. On the way there, I call Nikolai and fill him in.
He quickly arrives at the same conclusion that Dimiv did. “Oleg Agapov? Aren’t the Agapovs the family that Otets—”
“Yes.”
He hisses in a sharp breath. “Blyat’。”
“Are Alyssa and Lev with you?”
“Yes, I’ve been watching them play video games for the last hour. I’m ready to put a bullet in my head. Where are you now?”
“On the way home. I’ve got another ugly ornament for the shed.”
“It’s getting crowded down there.”
“I’m planning on making room. Alan’s served his purpose. He’s just taking up space at this point. Anyway, I’ll be home soon. Start digging up dirt on Oleg Agapov. We need to move fast if we want to get Polly back in one piece.”