comeback, especially if they were concerned they might wind up on the receiving end of a blackmail threat by them.”
Dean snapped his fingers as though his memory had been jogged. “There was a list or something, right? One that would expose every spy the Volkovs had positioned around the world, including not-yet-activated sleeper agents, right? Proof the Volkovs worked for the Russian government, too.” He paused for a second. “I would’ve assumed the Volkovs would have used that as leverage to prevent the Russian administration from turning on them. An insurance policy.”
“We think it’s possible Russian Foreign Intelligence got its hands on the book the summer of oh six, which may explain the domino effect of the fall of the remaining Volkov agents after that.” Kyle moved back around the table to face her once again. “It was known as the Daylight Ledger.” He repeated the words as they were actually known in Russian. “Not just a list of Volkov spies, but the name of every person murdered and by which spy. They may have begun collecting intel on the Russians’ new American assets as well.”
“Why was it called the Daylight Ledger?” Dean and his questions today. Normally she didn’t mind, but she didn’t want to be engaging in a conversation about the Volkovs right now.
“The rumor was that the list would shine the light of day on all those who wished to remain in the dark. It’d destroy lives. And powerful people,” Kyle explained.
“The list doesn’t exist. And if it ever did, the Russians probably managed to get a hold of it and torched the thing.” Winters folded his arms. “No way did the Volkovs sit on that thing for fifteen years and suddenly decide to use it.”
“Why wouldn’t the Volkovs make a copy of the list if it was so important?” Dean went on anyway, curiosity in his eyes. The man loved a good mystery. “You know, a backup plan for if the book ever did fall into enemy hands, they’d have another one.”
“The Volkovs were old school. Think Illuminati. They followed a code. Only one list, and only the leader Adrik Volkov had it. But the ledger was useless to anyone without the key to decrypt it.” Kyle’s intimate knowledge of the ledger was enough to put Ana over the edge. “Well, at least, that’s what I learned while I was in Hungary this past year. Word is Adrik Volkov’s nephew is now running the show and has the ledger.”
“Which explains the Volkov comeback,” Dean said with a nod.
“And what about the key?” Griff asked.
Winters shot an annoyed look at Kyle, one that said they were wasting time on what he believed to be a fairy tale.
“Grigory Volkov, Adrik’s nephew, if he is in charge, has remained underground. The fact he hasn’t fully emerged—”
“Suggests Grigory might have the ledger, but he’s still in need of the key,” Ana finished for her ex-husband, and her stomach was officially in the tightest of knots.
Kyle made eye contact with her, and his gratified expression said it all: We still make a great team. They had indeed been fantastic colleagues. “Right. If the ledger and key are real,” he said while glimpsing Winters, offering the if for his benefit, “it’d make sense for Grigory Volkov to remain hidden until he has both.”
Winters turned to Kyle, his stern no-nonsense face on display. “This is the Bureau, son. I appreciate all your insight into what you’ve learned about the Volkovs, but we’re not going to focus on some fantastical ledger like we’re in The Da Vinci Code. Our concern is the missing sources.”
Ana’s stomach dropped, but she resisted closing her eyes and gripping the arms of her chair. She didn’t need anyone getting a read on her.
“I agree with Deputy Winters,” Gray said, eyes moving around the table, the steely look on his face an indication he expected them to follow his lead.
Kyle offered a firm nod instead of words, but his eyes said it all to Ana, he didn’t appreciate being dismissed by Winters or Gray.
“So, Agent Jeter,” Halle said, seemingly trying to clear the sudden blitz of alpha male tension in the room, “do you believe the same assassin who may have been hired to take down Katya is also responsible for our other two missing sources?”
But no, that didn’t make sense.
The assassin couldn’t possibly have eliminated the other two targets. That “assassin” didn’t really exist. Ana had made him up. Then again, she’d never anticipated for Katya to disappear before