The Arsenal by Kennedy J. Robert

Author:Kennedy, J. Robert [Kennedy, J. Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Action & Adventure
Amazon: B0BQZJPV9M
Goodreads: 75581131
Publisher: UnderMill Press
Published: 2023-03-28T07:00:00+00:00

Victor pressed the borrowed phone to his ear, the girl he had charmed with a story of being mugged, standing nearby with her two friends giggling over how cute he was. He turned away, shielding them from the conversation. “Hello, sir, it’s Victor Stepanov.”

“Victor. You know you’re in a spot of trouble, don’t you?”

“Yes, sir. That’s why I’m calling. I want to do the right thing.”

“Then turn yourself in.”

“I’m willing to do that, sir. But on one condition.”

There was a pause, and any hint of false friendliness in Peskov’s tone was gone. “What’s that?”

“I want my family set free and put on a plane to America. Once they land, I’ll turn myself in.”

“Unacceptable!”

Victor almost lost control of his bladder as a wave of weakness swept through him.

“You’ll hand yourself over immediately, and depending on what you tell us, should we believe your family is innocent, then we’ll let them go.”

Victor squeezed his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Sir, with all due respect, you know my family is innocent. The lies that are being told on television are just that, lies. They were told in order to get me to turn myself in, and they worked. I’m willing to do that, but not before my parents and my sisters are safe.”

“If they’re innocent like you say, and yes, we know they’re innocent, then they have nothing to worry about.”

“Sir, you and I both know with what I did, my father’s position is forever compromised. I’ve seen what happens to people who cross the president. He’s finished. Everything will be taken from him and he still might end up in prison. I’m not asking that they be allowed to keep their wealth. All I’m asking is that they be allowed to keep their lives and start over somewhere else where they won’t be persecuted for my actions.”

There was a pause. “What actions?”

Victor gulped. If he didn’t know better, he had just detected a hint of surprise in Peskov’s voice. Did they not know? Was this all a bluff from their end? He had just assumed when he saw the broadcast that they had figured out what he had done. But perhaps they hadn’t. Perhaps something more was going on here and he was being set up as the scapegoat, and it was mere coincidence that he was guilty. But it was too late now. He had just admitted he had done something wrong, but it could mean he might have some leverage here, for they wouldn’t have had time to think about this scenario.

“I copied the response from China that I was tasked to translate then I made contact with the Americans, offering it to them in exchange for asylum.”

The string of curses that erupted from Peskov’s end of the phone confirmed this was an entirely unexpected revelation. “Why would you do such a thing?”

“Because what the president is doing is wrong.”

“Who are you to decide that?”

“I’m a citizen of this country, but I think my motivations are irrelevant at this point.

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