In the Beginning (Volkov Bratva #1)

In the Beginning (Volkov Bratva #1)

London Miller




For H.

You believed in this when no one else would.





Foreword

The Volkov Bratva:

1. Forsake his relatives—mother, father, brothers, sisters…

Allow no family to come between your obligations to the Volkov Bratva.

2. Not have a family of his own—no wife, no children*

Have no family to be used as a weakness.

3. Never, under any circumstances work, no matter how much difficulty this brings*

Live only by means that are permitted by the Volkov Bratva.

4. Help other thieves—both by moral and material support, utilizing the commune of thieves Hold the Bratva sacred; they are your only family.

5. Keep secret information about the whereabouts of accomplices Never betray the confidence of a fellow Vor.

6. In unavoidable situations, take the blame for someone else, buying the other person time for freedom Provide an alibi for a fellow Vor.

7. Demand a convocation of inquiry for the purpose of resolving disputes in the event of a confrontation between thieves If problems arise with a fellow Vor, bring the case to the Counsel.





8. If necessary, participate in such inquiries


Provide evidence to support your claim against a fellow Vor.

9. Carry out the punishment of the offending thief as decided by the convocation Once the convocation has reached a decision, mete out justice.

10. Not resist carrying out the decision of punishing the offending thief who is found guilty, with punishment determined by convocation Never hesitate to mete out punishment after a decision is made.

11. Have good command of the thieves’ jargon (Fehnay) Talk the talk.

12. Do Not gamble without being able to cover losses

Do not bet more than you can afford to lose.





13. Teach the trade to young beginners


Pass along knowledge to up and coming Vor.

14. Have, if possible, informants from the rank and file of thieves Even men in the lowest ranks can serve a purpose.

15. Not lose your reasoning ability when using alcohol

Do not allow your choice of poison to skew judgment.





16. Have nothing to do with the authorities


Never help police.

17. Not take weapons from the hands of authorities; not serve in the military To serve in the military is to be considered a suka.

18. Make good on promises given to other thieves

Be a man of honor among thieves





*At a meeting between high ranking officials in the Vory v Zakone, these rules were redacted.





Prologue


6:30 p.m. November 15, 1997

Michigan

Home of Dr. Cameron Thompson

Dr. Cameron sat in the comfortable chair behind his desk—a gift from his wife for their third wedding anniversary—staring at the ceiling as he tried to quell the sense of foreboding in his heart.

Crayon drawings, both taped and framed, hung along the walls, bookcases, and even his desk. Even those pictures, ones that normally filled him with such joy and peace, could not take his mind from his worries.

Several weeks ago, he had mistakenly learned something that was never meant to be revealed, a secret that he stumbled across in the course of his work… a secret that would be fatal for someone like him. No one could have predicted this turn of events, especially when it was a freak accident, but despite constant reassurances, he and his employer did not see eye to eye on the matter.

Dr. Cameron knew that no matter how many promises were made, no matter how many times he swore to keep his mouth closed, he was a dead man. As a medical man, it was odd for him, knowing that at any moment, he would die. There was hope, of course, but not in this world. When he agreed to help the businessmen involved in the seedy side of the underworld, he knew that loyalty was important to men like these, especially when it dealt with their personal lives.

But if he had learned anything from his time in their employment, it was that information was power, so as a last act of preservation, should anything happen to him, he kept his own secrets, knowing that one day, this information would solve a crime that would be forgotten over time.

A crime, he thought with a bitter laugh. It was never easy planning the events after your own death.

Sighing, he rubbed his tired eyes, wishing that the grueling tension would ebb, if only for a moment. Dr. Cameron had been living like a man with one foot in the grave, but none of his coworkers, nor his wife, had noticed his strange behavior.

He was glad for that, knowing that if they had, they would ask too many questions, questions that he would be unable to answer without putting them all in danger.

If his wife had noticed, she would have realized that he had set up a college fund for Lauren, enough for her to attend any school in the country. He had even made sure his insurance was up to date, knowing that once he was gone, Susan would need it.

He fingered the gold band on his left hand, feeling the engraved words along the underside of it.

Until the end…

They were the same words that were inscribed on hers as well, the same words they had spoken on their wedding day. If he had any regrets, it was that he failed to keep his promise to her.

He stewed in silence, wishing—