Page 16 of Canyon of Deceit
I grinned to talk him down from a refusal. “I’ve been in hostile situations plenty of times. I enjoy those broncs.”
“Some, like what I just mentioned, showed idiocy. This time you’re asking permission for a solo mission—to leave a team oftrained Rangers behind.” He jutted his chin, and a stare down ensued between two stubborn men.
“I’d like the opportunity to investigate what Ivanov claims.”
“I have no doubts... I will say you’ve always managed to accomplish where others failed. That said, I trust your ability to negotiate the impossible.”
“Thanks—”
“I’m not finished. You and I agree the crimes against Rurik Ivanov’s family are related to what he overheard regarding Edik Baranov.”
“Are he and his family in the US?”
“Not to my knowledge. Baranov has a pack of blood-hungry wolves after him. His uncle is Russia’s prime minister, so that’s another reason why the Russians want him dead. His uncle went public condemning his nephew’s traitorous actions. That doesn’t mean the Baranovs aren’t here.” He peered at the wall behind me, not looking but processing information. “Let’s find out everything we can about Ivanov, Baranov, and Falin.” He typed into his laptop. “I’ll let you know what I find if possible. Depends on the security level.”
“Thanks, Sergio.”
“Not so fast. I have questions. What have you researched?”
I shared Therese’s and my conversation after Rurik left the restaurant. I concluded with the slashed tires. Once ended, I air-dropped him a photo of Alina Ivanov with the description of what she had worn to school. I’d never held anything back from Sergio and had no intentions of starting now.
I let the info sink in and moved ahead. “Sending a drone won’t work with its limited charge, mountain ranges, and seven-mile span of control. I’m assuming the pilot who flew out of the Houston area and landed near Hobbs turned the transponder off. I’d appreciate it if you’d confirm any tracking of an aircraft, although with the transponder disabled, I doubt it can be identified. I ran a background on Alina’s babysitter, and her dad’s the university’s president. Crossing her off my list. I researched Rurik Ivanov and Jurg Falin, but nothing surfaced that triggered any alarms. Except—”
“Except what?” Sergio said.
“I found nothing about how his wife died, but it’s not lining up. His family life is off, and he’s married to a possibly dysfunctional woman.”
“The trackers on his daughter are a bit over the top.” Sergio took notes.
“He claims to have the ransom. Since when do college professors rake in that kind of money?”
“They don’t—normally.”
“Is there a link between Ivanov and Baranov other than what we know?”
Sergio huffed. “I’ll do what I can to find answers. Ivanov failed to keep his daughter safe. Our job is to find out who, what, and why. Ever hear what you fear most will happen?”
“Comes back to bite you hard in the rear.”
Sergio typed into his laptop and made the request to obtain the security-cam footage at Alina’s school. He added the video footage to all the entrances into the Guadalupe Mountains National Park with an emphasis on the visitor’s center at Pine Springs and Dog Canyon from yesterday late afternoon to today. I stared out the window of Sergio’s office, my past conversation with Rurik repeating his claims and pleas.
“We have an ID on the man who delivered the envelope this morning,” Sergio said. “Nick Peterson. No record. Physical therapist at a private hospital in The Woodlands. I’ll have him picked up for questioning.”
“I’d like to talk to him.”
“Sure. I’ll post Alina’s photo on the worldwide missing child database. The father won’t approve, and the Russian embassy might not appreciate it either. But it’s our job to report missing kids.”
“Rurik will view that as a betrayal of confidence. Can you hold off for forty-eight hours?”
Sergio squinted. “Why is this so important to you?”
Greedy men victimizing innocents always spiked my anger. “Goes back to what you and I already discussed. Where is Daria’s body? Why take the little girl to such a remote area? Why not lock Alinain a closet or bind and gag her somewhere? And how does Baranov’s escape fit into this?” Working alongside Therese pulled me in but not like the unanswered questions.
“The who holds the key to the why. The worst-case scenario of discovering a murdered little girl is a real possibility. Be prepared.”
I thanked him. “Finding an adult’s body is difficult enough.”
“Right. Rusty, if I had more answers, I’d feel more confident about your heading into the Guadalupe Mountains. Once I receive security-cam confirmation and we talk to Nick Peterson, I’ll decide if your requests are valid.”
