<h4>Chapter 95: Shadows in Moscow</h4>


    The lights of Paris faded into the background as Dominic and his team boarded the private jet bound for Moscow. With Ivanov''s cooperation, they had their way in Kusov''s empire was vast, but not imprable. The next phase of their mission would take them deep into the heart of the Russian capital, where the stakes were higher than ever.


    Alyssa sat across from Dominic, her gaze sharp as she reviewed the intel Ivanov had shared. "Kusov''swork is tight, but Ivanov''s information gives us a clear path to his inner circle. His lieutenant, a man named Dmitri Korovin, is the key. He handles all the dirty work for moneyundering, arms deals, political bribes. If we can get to Korovin, we can destabilize Kusov from the inside."


    "Korovin''s heavily protected," Marcus chimed in, looking up from his tablet. "We''ve tracked his movements to a secured facility on the outskirts of Moscow. Getting to him won''t be easy."


    Dominic leaned back in his seat, thinking. "We don''t need to take him out, just shake him enough to start a ripple through Kusov''s ranks. If Korovin starts slipping up, Kusov''s empire will crack. We take advantage of that."


    Laura, who had been quietly analyzing the data, suddenly spoke up. "I''ve been looking deeper into Kusov''s political connections. He''s got a few key allies in the Kremlin, but one in particr stands out General Anatoly Smirnov. Smirnov''s been backing Kusov''s rise, probably with the promise of military resources and protection."


    Eleanor raised an eyebrow. "A general? Thatplicates things."


    "It does," Dominic admitted. "But it also gives us leverage. If we can expose Smirnov''s ties to Kusov, we can force them to cut each other loose."


    Alyssa nodded. "Smirnov won''t risk his position for long. If we create enough chaos, he''ll abandon Kusov to save his own skin."


    The n wasing together, but Dominic knew they were walking a tightrope. Kusov wasn''t just a criminal; he had the backing of powerful figures in the Russian government, and they couldn''t afford to make any mistakes.


    The winter air was bitter as they touched down in Moscow. The city was a fortress of steel and concrete, with cold winds cutting through the streets. Dominic and his team blended into the crowd, their identities scrubbed clean with forged documents and false backgrounds.


    Their first objective was Dmitri Korovin. Ivanov had supplied them with the location of Korovin''s securepound, a heavily guarded mansion just outside the city. It was a fortress, but like all fortresses, it had weak points.


    Alyssa, Marcus, and Eleanor took position outside the perimeter, scanning the guards'' rotations and monitoring Korovin''s security system. Dominic and Laura stayed in the van, coordinating the operation from a distance.


    "He''s inside," Marcus said, watching thepound through the scope of his rifle. "No sign of him leaving anytime soon."


    "Good," Dominic replied. "We''re not going to wait for him toe out. We go in."


    Alyssa''s voice crackled over thems. "I''ve got a breach point. Security is tight, but there''s a blind spot on the northeast corner. We''ll need to move fast."


    Dominic''s heart pounded as they moved into position. The snow crunched beneath their feet as they approached thepound. They were shadows, slipping through the darkness, unseen and unheard.


    Alyssa disabled the security cameras with a few quick keystrokes, and within moments, they were inside thepound''s walls. The guards were oblivious, their patrols predictable.


    As they moved through the grounds, Marcus signaled for them to stop. "Korovin''s in the main building. Top floor, west wing. There are at least six guards inside, maybe more."


    "We take them out quietly," Dominic whispered. "No rms."


    They moved like a well-oiled machine. One by one, the guards fell, silenced before they could raise the rm. By the time they reached Korovin''s office, the entire building was under their control.


    Korovin was seated at his desk, oblivious to the danger creeping toward him. He was arge man, his face twisted into a permanent scowl. Papers and contracts littered his desk—evidence of Kusov''s criminal operations.


    Dominic stepped into the room, his gun trained on Korovin. The man froze, his eyes widening in shock.


    "Who the hell are you?" Korovin snarled, reaching for a weapon concealed under his desk.


    "Don''t," Dominic warned. "We''re not here to kill you—yet. We''re here to send a message to Kusov."


    Korovin hesitated, his hand stopping just short of the gun. "What do you want?"


    "We want you to disappear," Alyssa said coldly, stepping into the room. "Tonight, you vanish. You never contact Kusov again. If you try to rebuild, we''lle back for you, and next time, it won''t be a warning."


    Korovin''s face flushed with anger. "You think you can threaten me? Kusov will bury you."


    Dominic''s voice was calm but firm. "Kusov''s empire is crumbling, and you know it. When he goes down, anyone tied to him goes down too. You can either get out now, or you can go down with him."


    Korovin''s eyes darted between them, weighing his options. Finally, he lowered his hand from the gun.


    "You''re making a big mistake," Korovin growled. "But I''ll disappear for now."


    Alyssa''s eyes didn''t leave Korovin as she spoke into herms. "We''re done here."


    The team moved out as silently as they hade in, leaving Korovin shaken but alive. It was only a matter of time before his disappearance sent ripples through Kusov''s organization. The cracks were starting to show.


    Back at their safehouse, Dominic poured over thetest intel. Korovin''s disappearance would destabilize Kusov''s operations, but they needed more. Smirnov was their next target—the linchpin that held Kusov''s political connections together.


    "We need to move on Smirnov fast," Dominic said, addressing the team. "He''s the key to bringing Kusov down. Without him, Kusov loses his protection."


    Laura nodded. "Smirnov''s smart, though. He won''t go down easily."


    "We don''t need him to go down," Alyssa interjected. "We just need him to cut ties with Kusov. Once Kusov''s isted, we finish the job."


    Dominic''s eyes were hard as he looked at the map of Moscow. "Then that''s exactly what we''ll do."


    The pieces were falling into ce. Kusov had no idea what wasing for him.