and puts in the proper code. A moment later, he pulls the metal door open and steps aside. I take a deep breath and walk through the door.
Immediately, I notice two things. This entire room looks like it’s built to survive a nuclear attack. It’s lined with the same tough-looking metal as the exterior door, and in the corner is a small collection of boxes, each labeled with various food names. Most of them are canned foods.
The other thing I notice: sitting in the middle of the room, tied to the chair with tape over his mouth, is my father.
I choke back a gasp and cover my mouth.
Matvei brushes past me after he closes the door and laces his fingers together. “You know,” he begins, “I knew you would cause me some problems, Victoria. Something deep inside me told me to keep an eye on you. You were more dangerous than you looked. And I was right.”
“What are you talking about?” I ask, unable to look away from the fear etched into Dad’s face. He looks absolutely terrified, especially with a new gash just above his eyebrow that slowly bleeds down the side of his face.
“The laptop that I spend most of my time working on has a few modifications. Dmitry thought I was being paranoid for getting some new features added, but it seems I was right to be wary. You see, when that laptop leaves my office, there’s a tiny kill switch that I had implanted in the battery. You take it past the threshold of my office and the battery fries itself.”
It’s starting to fall into place now. He knows about the computer, and he knows that it was me.
I’m fucked, plain and simple.
I want to kick myself for foolishly believing that this was something I got away with. He didn’t let it go. He knew this entire time and he was just playing with me. I finally pull my gaze away from Dad to look at Matvei.
“Matvei, I promise that I didn’t—”
“You didn’t what?” he growls, his anger just barely contained. “You didn’t sneak into my office and take my laptop? The only two people that would’ve had access to that room are you and Nikolas, and I really don’t want to think that Nikolas had anything to do with this.”
I can’t involve the boy. He was only doing what I said because I talked him into it. He was only doing what a grown-up instructed.
Wracked with guilt, I quickly say, “I didn’t mean to ruin the computer. I just … I needed to check in on my dad. I was scared that you’d done something to him, so I wanted to use your computer to see if I could find anything about a man being killed or left for dead.” I know even as I’m saying it that it sounds like a pile of bullshit. I’m trembling with fear.
Matvei’s smile doesn’t reach his eyes. “Do you really think I’m that stupid, Victoria?”
I don’t say a word.
Matvei pulls a gun from the inside of his jacket and I stifle a scream.
“Please, don’t!” I cry, putting up a hand. “I’m sorry, Matvei. I should have never touched your computer, I know that. I’m so, so sorry.”
He flicks open the cylinder of the revolver and places a single bullet in the chamber. “No, Victoria,” he says, smiling. “You’re not sorry. Not yet.”
Dad flinches when Matvei presses the barrel of the gun to his temple. I want to dive at Matvei and smack the gun from his hands, but I know that if I even make an attempt, he’ll kill Dad for good. He’ll make me watch.
“Please,” I sob, my eyes blurring with tears.
“How about I cut you a deal, Victoria? If your father’s brains aren’t sprayed across these walls after three rounds, I’ll let him walk free.”
The words won’t come out. They’re glued to my throat, choking me, making it hard to swallow or even breathe. This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening.
Click.
The noise cuts through everything and I realize that he’s pulled the trigger. I hold back a scream, refusing to look away. Dad flinches, shaking harder than I’ve ever seen. He stares at me with sheer terror on his face.
I imagine life without Dad. The emptiness I’d feel, how truly alone I’d be. There’d be nothing left to fight for. The only reason I’m here is to help him and protect him from this monster standing in the room next to us.