A loud pounding awakened Sasha. The cottage is quiet during the holidays. What is so urgent? He tried to wait it out, but the pounding became even more incessant.

“What?” Sasha said as he opened the door.

Viktor stood there, giving Sasha an impatient and disapproving look.

“Boss wants you—now!” Viktor snapped.

“What’s this about?”

“Boss will explain,” Viktor said as he led Sasha down the narrow hallway.

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Sasha was staying at the cottage, Alexei was just down the hallway so didn’t have to walk far.

“Sasha, glad you could make it,” Alexei said upon their arrival to his office.

Sasha nodded.

“Since Gregor is no longer in our employ, you are the closest technical person I can trust.”

“I’m not a security person—I’m a strategist,” Sasha said.

“I know it’s not your forte, but I hope you are a quick study, because we need help securing the Colossal Machine from intruders.”

Sasha looked surprised. Alexei gave him the highlights of the situation.

“I shouldn’t need to tell you that this war not only threatens our livelihood, but it also sends a message to other Dark Web cartels that the Collective is weak, and weakness is bad for business,” Alexei said. “You and Viktor are my boots on the ground in this war. We need to strike first—while we can.”

Alexei noticed that Viktor had that mischievous grin that Alexei knew well. He enjoyed laying out some much-deserved punishment.