While Luca was preparing to meet Yuri, Hobbs, David, and the others had already recovered more than half of the gold. Most of it belonged to Luca's "share," while the rest was Yuri's portion. Along the way, they also arrested a number of Yuri's subordinates.
But interrogation got them nowhere.
These men kept their mouths shut like steel vaults—death, life imprisonment, none of it mattered to them. McClane even bent the rules and tried a bit of "off-the-books persuasion," but it was useless. At this point, he was convinced that even if they captured Simon, the result would be the same—nothing would come out of his mouth.
Now, all they could do was hope Dove of Peace could pry something loose.
"The doves and Simon are missing!" Hobbs said as he walked in. "Has he contacted you? You should know where Luca is."
Unable to locate Luca, Hobbs even started to suspect that Luca might be deliberately lowering their guard just to slip away with Simon. He admitted to himself that he still didn't know Luca well enough to fully trust him.
Denham immediately caught on—he'd had the same doubts before stepping onto Luca's ship.
"They're in the New York suburbs," Denham reassured him. "He's made progress and gained Simon's trust, but there are complications. Simon's background is messy, and the men under him aren't just mercenaries—they might be something closer to a resistance force."
"I see," Hobbs said, his tone turning serious. "The guys in custody don't act like people working for money. I'll contact the CIA and our counterparts in Germany—they should have more information."
The room grew heavy.
At this point, too many variables had entered the picture. Simon's motives were becoming increasingly complex, and nobody wanted to get dragged into whatever mess was brewing overseas. Fortunately, their true target was still the gold.
As for Simon and his men—given their crimes, no one would shed a tear if they were eliminated. Dead men didn't complicate investigations.
Hobbs continued, "How long does Luca need? Can he give us a timeline?"
David replied quietly, "According to Dove, to fully gain Simon's trust, we need to give him hope—let him taste a little success first. Hobbs… are you willing to take that risk?"
Hobbs planted both arms on the table, his thick forearms like steel beams, then slowly turned his head—smooth and solid like a polished egg—scanning every face in the room.
"You're asking me to gamble with hundreds of billions of dollars," he said flatly. "If Simon escapes with the gold, none of us walk away from that. Not you. Not me. Not Luca."
He paused, then shook his head—before nodding once.
"I don't like gambling. I want certainty. So we give them a bigger stage. The moment Simon shows himself with the gold—we close the net. Everyone, including Luca… don't disappoint me."
---
Central Park, Manhattan.
Only now did Luca realize that Yuri's luxury penthouse wasn't far from his own place. Both overlooked the park, both offered stunning panoramic views—but the price difference was night and day. Yuri's residence was on another level entirely.
Luca walked into the building like he owned it, took the elevator up, and stopped outside Yuri's door. He knocked.
A moment later, the door opened.
A striking, elegant woman stood there—mature, poised, effortlessly beautiful. The system panel flickered to life:
__________________________________________________________________________
[Character Card Discovered: Ava Fontaine Orlov (Unlocked)]
[Rank: D]
[Source: Lord of War]
[Skill: None]
[Bond: Strangers]
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yuri's wife. Former top model—magazines, commercials, even a failed run at Hollywood before she settled down.
She looked Luca up and down, curiosity clear in her eyes.
"I'm a friend of Yuri's," Luca said politely. "Sorry for dropping by unannounced."
Ava nodded and asked him to wait, then turned and called Yuri.
When Yuri appeared, his first instinct wasn't recognition—it was alarm.
Interpol? FBI? Someone finally tracked me down?
Damn it… these people stick like glue.
But Luca's next sentence flipped the switch.
"Mr. Orlov, you don't recognize me? Luca Greco. Mariggio is my uncle."
Mariggio. The Lucchese family.
Yuri froze for half a second, then broke into a smile. "Ah—Mariggio brought me to your club before. So this is a return visit? You should've told me you were coming—I would've had wine and cigars ready."
__________________________________________________________________________
[Character Card Discovered: Yuri "Lord of War" Orlov (Unlocked)]
[Rank: S]
[Source: Lord of War]
[Skills: Arms Transport; Lord of War]
[Bond: Strangers]
__________________________________________________________________________
Yuri Orlov was one of the top private arms dealers in the world. While his own ambition played a role, his real advantage came from a relative—a Ukrainian general.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall, countless Soviet soldiers were left without pay, without purpose. Meanwhile, massive Cold War arsenals sat abandoned.
Angry soldiers plus overflowing weapon stockpiles created the perfect storm.
Yuri—and his well-connected relative—took advantage of it, quietly siphoning off weapons and selling them across the globe. That move laid the foundation for his empire.
Inside the study, Yuri closed the door—and the smile vanished from his face.
"Luca," he said coldly, "we could've talked somewhere else. Your club, for example. You shouldn't have come to my house."
Luca didn't bother with pleasantries.
"Simon mentioned you."
For a split second, panic flickered in Yuri's eyes—but it vanished just as quickly.
"So the Mafia's involved now," Yuri muttered.
"Just me," Luca corrected.
They sat down and exchanged information. Yuri quickly realized that Luca had helped Simon escape and was now involved in transporting the gold—using Yuri's planes and ships to move it to Africa.
Yuri had connections. Strong ones. The U.S. military occasionally used him to handle operations they couldn't do openly—selling weapons to certain warlords through unofficial channels. Once outside U.S. borders, no one could touch him.
But inside the United States?
Different story.
"When can you deliver the goods?" Yuri asked.
"When can you move?" Luca shot back.
"I'm ready anytime," Yuri said, spreading his hands. "But you need to deal with your tails first. I don't want unnecessary trouble. Once we leave U.S. territory, I guarantee the gold disappears. Africa's big enough to swallow it whole."
Luca smiled.
He had to admit—Simon had picked the perfect partner. Capable, connected… and greedy.
Unfortunately for Yuri, Luca wasn't actually on their side.
He was already thinking about how to neutralize this variable.
"Yuri, to be honest," Luca said, leaning back, "Simon and I are in a bad spot."
He explained everything—except one key detail: the informant.
Yuri's expression changed immediately.
"Damn it! You're being hunted by the police and you still come here?" He raised his hands. "Listen, I don't want any part of this. My deal with Simon was simple—pickup and delivery at a designated point. That's it. I don't even know what's in those crates."
Luca chuckled. "You don't trust your partners at all."
"This isn't about trust," Yuri replied. "If this were Africa, I could help you—maybe even get military escorts. But this is New York. If the Mafia can't handle it, I definitely can't."
"I'm curious," Luca said casually, "how much did Simon promise you?"
"I told you—I only make money from transport."
"Just transport?" Luca grinned. "What if I offer you a bigger cut? We cut Simon out—one less person to split the money with."
Yuri stared at him, stunned.
"Luca… you don't get to say that. You're the one who doesn't trust your partners."
"This isn't about trust," Luca repeated calmly. "From the beginning, I never intended to work with Simon."
He leaned forward slightly.
"Think about it. How do you think I walked into your house so openly? And how many cops do you think are watching this place right now?"
Knock knock.
The door opened. Ava stepped in.
"Yuri… a police officer just called."
Silence.
After she left, Luca smiled faintly.
"As you can see, my real partner is the Federation. I've given them everything. The fact that you now know this means they already have plenty on you."
He met Yuri's eyes.
"You don't have a choice. Work with me, and you stay out of prison. Think of it as a chance to make things right. Otherwise… you go down with Simon."
Yuri's strength seemed to drain out of him. He sank into the leather sofa, staring at Luca with a complicated expression.
"…You should be in Hollywood," Yuri said weakly. "That performance? Oscar-worthy. And you've got the face for it too—I'm serious."
"Appreciate it," Luca replied. "Now let's talk about what comes next."
Yuri let out a long breath. "I should've never answered Simon's call. Fine. You want the gold back—tell me how you want me to cooperate."
---
Three hours later, Luca left the penthouse.
Yuri and Ava walked him to the door. As Luca disappeared down the hall, Ava looked at her husband curiously.
"I've never heard you mention a friend like him. Oh—and he gave me a membership card to his club. Invited us to visit."
Yuri stared at the card in her hand, his thoughts tangled.
That young man's face lingered in his mind like a shadow.
In a strange way, Luca had saved him.
If not for this intervention, Yuri would've gone down with Simon when the case closed. Now, at least, he wouldn't have to worry about prison.
Still…
All that gold.
What a waste.
Yuri forced a smile. "Yeah… we'll go sometime. Together."
[Bond: Attention]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Support me on P Site/OrbisTranslate
As usual, each 100 Stones = 2 Bonus Chapters