The cold night swallowed them whole the moment they stepped out of the tower.
Snow drifted from the sky in thick, swirling curtains, hushing the world as if even Moscow itself held its breath. The city lights flickered faintly through the storm, blurred shapes in a sea of white. But Dimitri moved like a blade cutting through the dark, unyielding, controlled, lethal.
Natalia kept close beside him, her breath misting in the air, her heartbeat already syncing with his. The weight of her gun against her thigh felt heavier tonight, not because of fear, but because sunrise was no longer simply a moment in time.
It was a countdown.
A promise and a threat.
And they were walking straight toward it.
Yuri rushed after them, pulling his coat tighter. "Boss, the men are gearing up. I can have two armored cars ready in five minutes."
"No cars," Dimitri said, not slowing. "He expects that."
"You are going on foot?" Yuri frowned, eyes darting. "With the storm, you won't..."
