I knew that I was one of the only people Chantry trusted to be seen like this by. Chantry was drunk and that wasn't a good sign at all, not that I had been expecting a good one.
"Is she dead?" I asked softly.
Chantry shook his head and looked up at me his eyes full of raw sympathetic pain, "No, but I wish to God that she was! It would be more merciful." He pushed the folder reluctantly across the table to me.
"His name is Ivan Zannar. A thoroughly all around bad character. Deshavi had the misfortune to steal a necklace of some worth from him. He's recovered the necklace and no doubt would've ended it at that, but for one thing."
"His son died chasing her." I said woodenly, as I read the file.
Chantry nodded, "You know what these Slavic crime lords are like Shalako. I….I… My heart goes out to you Shalako."
The report I was reading of this Ivan read more like a rap sheet of a demon than it seemed possible of a mere man. "Where is he now Chantry?"
"We don't know, but at the end of the week we know he expects to be in Las Vegas for a high-stakes poker game."
"Where's Deshavi?"
Chantry seemed to fold down upon himself and I reached across the table and shook him hard, "Where's my granddaughter?"
Chantry gathered himself. "Ivan sent off a wooden crate, special delivery yesterday, by plane to Russia. The plane landed in Siberia. We don't know what became of the crate after that. My suspicion is that he sent her to some secret hellhole prison located somewhere in the vastness of Siberia. Such places are known to exist. They'll keep her alive, as long as possible, to make the torture of her continued existence last."
I nodded.
In a way I was appalled inside. I truly had been out of the game for far too long. I'd forgotten what evil could be like. I stood up and turned to go.
"You can't rescue her on your own, you know that! It's already autumn and winter is early in Siberia. You'll have to wait for spring." Chantry said.
"There won't be anything left of her by spring and you know it!" I said bitterly.
"It's suicide to go after her Shalako! The Russians won't let you in, let alone help you find her and it will take too long to try to pull strings and grease pockets in order to secure her release, but I'll try if you want me to Shalako."
"If it was your granddaughter what would you do?"