The Bed You Make
Chapter 11, conclusion
In some ways, Yuri Petrov was certain that he would never understand Americans. They seemed to go through life with a carelessness that was frightening. Much of it had to do with the wealth and power of their country. But Americans also possessed the childlike belief that their ‘goodness' as a nation somehow insulated them from the dangers of the world. Yuri shook his head. He was less than five feet past the entrance of the building and already he'd counted three places he could wreak havoc and still escaped undetained.
Out of the corner of his eye Yuri Petrov spotted Police Commissioner Mac Scorpio standing by the elevators. Mentally he ran the young Australian's professional dossier against that of his older brother Robert's. Yuri had encountered the former Police Commissioner just before his employment with the Cassadine family began. Mikkos Cassadine had lured Yuri away from the Russian secret police specifically for the purpose of dealing with Robert Scorpio and the WSB.
Unlike his comrades in the NKVD, Petrov was deceptively mild-mannered. Quiet and polite to a fault, he scarcely drew a second glance from passersby. His eyes, however, told a totally different story. Few people ever got close enough to Yuri to see the warning his dark eyes gave. He was a dangerous man.
The elevator bell chimed and Commissioner Scorpio disappeared into the elevator. Yuri casually headed for the stairs. He already knew the Commissioner's destination. His interest at the moment was to discover all the flaws in the building's security. He wanted to know every corner and shadow. Such knowledge was important to his employer.
Yuri added two more factors to his review of the building. The stairwell he traveled was poorly lit and isolated. It would be both a bodyguard's nightmare and an assailant's dream.
Yuri emerged from the stairs and set off down the hallway. He did not turn his head left or right, but moved as though he had a familiar destination in mind. American security forces tended to ignore those who moved with quiet confidence. They only noticed the insecure or awkward.
His dark eyes took in every detail of the journey nonetheless. He paused for a moment to brush an imaginary fleck of dirt from his pants leg. The act allowed him to confirm the voice of Mac Scorpio behind the office door before which he stood. Yuri straightened up and made his way to the far end of the corridor. He took a seat on a bench there and positioned himself so that he could see the entire corridor, as well as the office where Mac Scorpio waited.
Calmly he took a cellular phone from his pocket and made a call. “Yes,” he said, “it is as expected. I have put my men into place. We will be ready when she arrives.” Yuri stiffened. “One moment, Master Stefan. The situation has just changed.” He watched Detective Alex Garcia lean out of the shadows at the other end of the corridor. “The Detective you mentioned has just made an appearance. What would you have me do?”
