with the Petrovs since they’re the biggest Russian mob family in the world,” Dean said. “The Volkovs are Ana’s department.”
Ana’s mouth pinched tight, her focus falling to the table before her. No notepad there. She had every detail stitched into her mind from the moment the sources began going missing.
“The Petrovs were the FBI’s greatest concern up until the leader’s son died last year,” Kyle responded to Dean.
“Don’t tell me you’re really buying this ‘they’ve turned a new leaf’ BS?” Dean asked, adding air quotes for emphasis.
“We’ll have to give it time,” Kyle said. “But right now, the group that concerns me the most is the Volkovs, because as of five months ago, they re-emerged after having been dark for about fifteen years.”
Of all reasons for Kyle to be back in her life again . . . had he been looking into the Volkovs while in Hungary during his time there? Fuckity fuck. Why hadn’t she considered the possibility. Of course, his assignment had been classified, and he hadn’t told her why he’d been placed in Budapest when he left.
That awful gurgly feeling a person got when they were famished had Ana clutching her stomach.
“When Jeter reached out to Headquarters to warn us about the hit placed on a Russian ballerina in NYC, we realized the target was our unit’s source,” Winters said, interrupting Ana’s downward spiral. “But we were too late. Katya was already gone. Given Jeter’s close work with the Russians in Budapest, we requested his help.”
“We didn’t even believe the Volkovs were back and operating until we landed two new sources in the last few months, and they confirmed the Volkovs are discreetly operating again,” Griff noted. “We did place our other Volkov source down in Miami under heavy protection the moment we learned Katya vanished, just in case he was a potential target.”
“Remind me what happened fifteen years ago?” Dean asked. His expertise had more to do with Middle Eastern spies and terrorists, which was why he’d been assigned the accountant in connection to Hamas.
Kyle looked to Dean, but before he could speak up, Winters responded, “We believed the Volkovs were the right arm of the SVR following the days of the KGB and Cold War. But we’ve never been able to confirm that since the official line from the Russian government has always been that the two groups weren’t connected.”
“The Volkovs were a powerful Russian family that helped plant and manage Russian assets out in the field all over the world,” Kyle added.
“But back in twenty oh five and six, the FBI began cracking down on Volkov spies. I doubt the Russians would have cared if they weren’t worried the spies might expose the truth that their government bankrolled the Volkovs,” Ana chimed in, choosing to finally join the conversation, though it pained her to do so.
“Why do you say that?” Dean asked, jotting notes as he spoke.
“Because planting Russian sleeper agents into the U.S. was the old way of doing things,” Kyle answered for her, which he’d always done when they were married, and it had driven her crazy. “The SVR and the like found an easier way to gather intelligence.” His hands dipped into his pockets as he scanned the room, eyes going to Ana last. “Bribe or blackmail real Americans already in positions of power. It saved them a lot of time and effort. No more training Russians to take on cover stories and blend into American society like the Volkovs had done.”
Ana slipped her hands beneath the table, wrestling with the desire to speak up when she knew she had to conceal the truth behind tightly closed lips. “Shortly after the summer of oh six, the FBI could no longer find Volkov agents to arrest. Volkov spies had all but vanished, and the Volkov crime family seemingly ceased to exist overnight. Either killed or went underground.”
“Until five months ago.” Dean secured the chewed-up cap of his pen back in place and set it on top of his yellow legal pad. “I feel like there’s more to this story I’m not remembering.”
Halle looked up from her notes, gaze falling to Kyle as he circled the table to stand right behind Ana. “I would think as the Volkovs re-emerge, the new members would want revenge against the Russian administration for wiping the majority of them off the map fifteen years ago.”
Ana shifted in her seat, uncomfortable with her ex looming behind her. “The Russians would have the most to lose with a Volkov