February 1908
"Here's the list, photographs, and descriptions of the known revolutionaries across the Empire. Some have already escaped the country, but make sure our people memorize everyone on this list. The moment any of them are identified, notify me immediately. We might be able to curry even more favor with the Okhrana if we help them arrest some."
Alexei tossed the folder containing the revolutionaries' dossiers onto the table in front of him, where Anna sat across from him. He then picked up another folder from his side before continuing.
"This folder contains the names, positions, photographs, and physical descriptions of Okhrana personnel, from the head of the organization down to the departmental level. Of course, it only covers the St. Petersburg branch and the central headquarters. The other regional divisions are still beyond our reach for now."
He tapped the folder lightly with his finger before continuing.
"What I want is for some of our minions to begin monitoring their every move. I want records of everything, corruption, who they associate with, what they eat, their daily routines, their favorite color, and even the smallest habits. This assignment will take time, so assign only our most experienced minions to tail them. I don't want any mishaps to occur and expose us."
As he finished speaking, Alexei shifted his gaze toward Ivan, who stood quietly in the corner of the room.
Ivan gave a firm nod. "Yes, Master."
Although he remained calm on the surface, inwardly he was stunned. He had never imagined that his master possessed such an extensive intelligence network.
Even after more than a year of painstaking work, Ivan and the minions had managed to gather only a limited amount of information within St. Petersburg. They had not even uncovered the true leader of the Steel Knuckles Syndicate. Yet the information his master had just produced was on an entirely different level. It was not merely more detailed, it was intelligence far beyond anything Ivan had ever hoped to obtain.
He had previously discussed their master's true identity with his brother and sister and their best guess had been that their master was a member of the nobility with considerable influence in St. Petersburg. Now, seeing the confidential Okhrana files and the comprehensive dossiers on revolutionaries spread across the table, he became even more convinced that their assumption had been correct.
Unlike Ivan, Anna made no effort to hide her curiosity after recovering from her own shock.
"Master," she asked, "where did you obtain all this information?"
The more she thought about it, the less she could understand her master. She had always believed that her master's greatest enemies were the revolutionaries. After all, nearly every order he had given focused on identifying, eliminating, and driving revolutionary elements out of their territories.
She had never expected him to turn his attention toward the Okhrana as well, especially when they occasionally cooperated with the organization. Investigating the Okhrana's personnel, from its headquarters down to the departmental level, was, in her eyes, no different from making an enemy of them. If the Okhrana ever discovered they were being watched, they would undoubtedly retaliate and sever all ties with them without hesitation.
No matter how she looked at it, she simply couldn't understand her master's intentions after hearing that he intended to investigate the Empire's own secret police.
Alexei merely shrugged as he leaned back in his chair.
"I paid someone to obtain it for me," he said casually. "It cost a small fortune, so we'd better make the investment worthwhile by catching a few revolutionaries soon. As for spying on the Okhrana's personnel, I know it's a long-term undertaking. I'm not expecting any meaningful results from that front anytime soon."
Orlov had done an excellent job compiling the personnel records of the Okhrana in just a matter of days. Alexei had to give the man credit where it was due. In fact, he had even promised Orlov a promotion once he possessed real authority within the organization, alongside Sokolov, a promise both men had accepted with great enthusiasm.
Still unable to satisfy her curiosity, Anna picked up the documents and flipped through them.
"I understand why we're working alongside the Okhrana to fight the revolutionaries," she said. "But why are we investigating their personnel? Wouldn't that make us their enemy if they ever found out?"
Alexei had anticipated that question, so he answered without hesitation. "I have a friend who suspects that some members of the Okhrana are involved in corruption and other illegal activities. He asked if I had any way of uncovering the truth. I only told him I'd see what I could do, I never promised anything."
He crossed his leg before continuing. "In any case, what I really wanted was their personnel list. If we happen to uncover some dirt on a few of them, we might be able to secretly blackmail them and gain something in return. Information and secrets can be just as valuable as gold and silver, after all."
He paused for a moment before looking at Anna with a faint smile. "Any more questions, Madam Anna?"
Anna had a nagging feeling there was more to the story than her master was letting on. However, she also knew that pressing the matter further would only earn her another vague answer. In the end, she simply shook her head and continued flipping through the documents.
"I'll have my trusted secretaries make copies of these and distribute them to our people," she said. "Would you like the Jackals to receive them as well?"
"Not yet," Alexei replied. "Have the minions memorize the information first, and brief them on everything I just told you regarding how it should be used. The minions are our most trusted people, so they won't ask where the information came from."
"As for the Jackals, we'll pass the information on to them in about a month. The minions will have priority access. Once they've memorized everything and begun their assignments, the Jackals can receive the same intelligence afterward and begin the same assignments as the minions."
Oskar had reported the previous month that he had uncovered several spies within the Jackals' ranks and was still in the process of identifying more. Realizing that completely preventing infiltration was nearly impossible, Alexei had changed his approach. Instead of giving the Jackals sensitive intelligence immediately, he decided to delay the flow of information to them to prevent any mishaps or at least that's what he hoped for.
Ivan nodded in understanding. He stepped over to Anna's side and glanced through the numerous names listed in the dossier before asking his own question.
"Should we reassign some of our men who are currently watching the other gangs around us to keep an eye on the people on these lists instead, Master?"
"Of course not," Alexei replied immediately. "They should continue with their current assignments. I don't want us to be caught off guard by a surprise attack or anything similar."
He paused for a moment before asking, "Why? Don't we have enough minions to keep watch on everyone on the list?"
"We've just finished training our latest batch of recruits and have already begun recruiting another," Ivan explained. "Our numbers are growing much faster than before, but even so, there are simply too many people on these lists for us to monitor all at once. On top of that, we have to keep enough men here in reserve so they can respond quickly whenever trouble breaks out somewhere."
"Hmmm... that's troublesome." Alexei fell silent for a few moments as he considered the problem. "For now, assign people to monitor as many targets as possible. The rest can be covered gradually as our numbers continue to grow. That should be sufficient for the time being."
He then added in a more serious tone, "And keep the recruitment process as strict as ever. I don't want a single spy infiltrating our minions' ranks, especially not at a time like this."
"Understood, Master." Ivan gave a respectful nod before returning to the corner of the room.
Anna closed the folder containing the Okhrana's personnel and opened the one containing the revolutionaries' dossiers. She casually flipped through the pages, but when she reached the last one, she suddenly froze. A familiar name caught her attention.
"This... Grigori Antonov is still alive? And he managed to escape?" she asked, her voice rising in surprise.
Hearing the name, Ivan walked back to her side and looked at the page she was staring at.
Alexei nodded gravely. "Yes. That's something I wanted to tell both of you as well. We need to tighten our security in case Antonov decides to retaliate against us. He knows we handed him over to the Okhrana, so he'll undoubtedly seize any opportunity to take revenge."
"Why didn't the government simply hang him?" Anna asked, looking up from the documents.
Alexei shrugged. "I don't know. Apparently, many of the revolutionaries they arrested were sent into exile in Siberia, where security was far more relaxed. That's where Antonov managed to escape. The latest report places him in the Grand Duchy of Finland, where he fled the Empire together with another man on that list."
Anna lowered her gaze back to the dossier and quietly read the other name aloud. "Lenin."
She let out a long sigh before rubbing her temples. "We should've killed him instead of handing him over to the Okhrana."
"Aye," Alexei agreed. "But it's too late to dwell on that now. What we can do is prepare for any retaliation and strengthen our security."
He then turned to Ivan, who had fallen into thoughtful silence beside Anna.
"Have the minions keep a close watch for Antonov and make him one of our highest-priority targets. Do the same with the Jackals. There's no need to withhold this information from them. If Antonov decides to strike, they'll most likely be his first target."
"Yes, Master," Ivan replied. "I'll have our men keep an eye out for him and inform Nikolai as well."
"Good." Alexei let out a quiet breath before changing the subject. "Speaking of Nikolai, how has he been doing lately?"
"He's been busy protecting our territory, particularly along the border with the Steel Knuckles Syndicate," Ivan replied. "They've been stirring up trouble around our borders lately. Fights break out every now and then, but so far, no one has been killed on either side."
"Hm..." Alexei fell silent for a moment. "The Steel Knuckles are probably testing our strength or trying to gauge how much we're willing to tolerate."
After giving it some thought, he made a decision. "Let's head over to Nikolai later. I want to hear firsthand what's really happening along our borders."
He paused before asking another question. "You still haven't uncovered who's behind this Kirelinko?"
Ivan shook his head. "They've been extremely careful, Master. I've been monitoring Kirelinko's movements for quite some time now, but I still haven't uncovered anything useful. Even the informants I planted haven't been able to obtain any high-level information. I'll need more time and will have to wait for them to make a mistake before I can uncover anything meaningful. My apologies, Master."
Alexei waved his hand dismissively. "You've done nothing wrong. They're simply more cautious than the others and have effective ways of protecting their identities. Just keep watching them. Sooner or later, they'll make a mistake and give us something to work with..."
"Hmmm..." He leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. "We may have to eliminate Kirelinko to force the people behind him to reveal themselves."
After a brief pause, he continued. "How about this? Find an opportunity when Kirelinko's security is at its weakest. Once that opportunity presents itself, we'll eliminate him. Understood?"
Ivan's eyes widened slightly at his master's decision to assassinate the man outright, but the surprise quickly disappeared. "Understood, Master. When the time comes... will I have the honor of carrying out the task myself?"
Beside him, Anna's expression immediately filled with concern. She reached out and gently tugged at her brother's sleeve, hoping to dissuade him, but Ivan didn't even spare her a glance.
Alexei considered the request for a few moments before answering. "I'll assess the situation when the time comes before making a decision. For now, focus on finding the right opportunity and inform me immediately once you've found one."
In truth, Alexei still preferred to carry out the assassination himself. He wanted Kirelinko's death to appear completely natural, and to accomplish that, he would have to be the one to do it.
Although visibly disappointed, Ivan eventually nodded in acceptance of his master's decision.
Anna also relaxed slightly and lowered her hands beneath the desk.
The three of them continued talking for a while longer before the discussion eventually shifted to their businesses, both legal and illegal.
Their legal businesses, particularly the taverns, had been performing exceptionally well. The substantial investment they had poured into them was already paying handsome dividends. In fact, they had managed to recover their initial investment after only a few months of operation and were now enjoying pure profit. The taverns had also proven invaluable for laundering a portion of the organization's illicit earnings from the gambling dens into legitimate income. Naturally, they did not launder all of their illegal profits, as a significant portion was still needed to finance the organization's underground operations.
For the time being, however, Alexei refrained from making any major investments with their growing capital. He was patiently waiting for the right opportunity to expand into the financial sector and, eventually, manufacturing.
Their illegal businesses were flourishing as well. The gambling dens, brothels, and other underground enterprises operated by the now-loyal businessmen were generating impressive profits. Under Alexei's guidance, they had cultivated a reputation for fairness while providing excellent security for their patrons. Of course, the reputation for honesty was little more than a carefully maintained illusion. The businessmen still employed every legal and illegal trick available to maximize their profits. However, the security was genuinely first-rate, thanks to the outstanding work of the Jackals.
Alexei had also introduced several new gambling games to diversify the establishments' offerings, and the businessmen had eagerly embraced the additions. Looking ahead, he could already envision transforming these scattered gambling dens into a chain of luxurious casinos once he possessed enough power to lift the restrictions and legalize their operations.
Of course, he knew it would be an uphill battle. The Church still held considerable influence over the government and would undoubtedly oppose any attempt to legalize gambling. Nevertheless, he believed it was only a matter of time, provided, of course, that his family remained in power after the coming World War.
When Anna let out a yawn, Alexei took it as a sign that it was time to end the meeting. He rose from his chair. "We've finished consolidating the territory we took from the Ratcatchers. The next step is expansion, but we'll proceed gradually. I don't want us to overextend ourselves and give the surrounding gangs a reason to unite against us. Then there's the matter of the Steel Knuckles Syndicate. We need to deal with them carefully as well."
He paused before adding, "We'll hold a proper meeting to discuss our next course of action when everyone has finished their assignments."
"Okay," Anna replied, stifling another yawn as she stood and carefully gathered the documents from her desk. The files her master had provided were highly confidential, and she intended to personally oversee the copying and distribution of the information with the help of only her most trusted secretaries.
Seeing how exhausted she looked, Alexei nodded before turning to Ivan. "Let's go. Your sister looks exhausted. We'll let her get some rest."
Ivan nodded back before turning to his sister. "Good night, Anna."
With that, he made his way toward the door.
"Rest well, Anna," Alexei said with a smile.
Anna returned the smile and nodded. "You too, Master. Good night, Ivan. Take care."
Alexei and Ivan then left the office, quietly closing the door behind them. As they walked down the corridor, they passed several of Anna's secretaries, who were still hard at work despite the late hour.
Once outside the headquarters, Ivan led Alexei toward Nikolai's office, or rather, the headquarters of the Jackals, which was located only a few hundred meters away from their own. After entering the building, they passed several Jackal guards and went through multiple identity checks before finally arriving outside Nikolai's office.
When the door opened, they found Nikolai slumped over his desk, surrounded by stacks of documents illuminated by the warm glow of several kerosene lamps. He looked up from his paperwork and squinted toward the doorway, clearly annoyed at the interruption. However, the moment he recognized his visitors, he immediately straightened in his chair and rose to his feet.
"Master, you've arrived." He gave a respectful nod before gesturing toward the chairs opposite his desk. "Please, have a seat."
Neither Alexei nor Ivan stood on ceremony. They simply walked over and took the offered seats.
Once he had settled into his chair, Alexei glanced at the mountain of paperwork covering Nikolai's desk before asking, "You seem quite busy, Nikolai. What's with all these documents?"
Nikolai let out a weary sigh before sinking back into his chair. "I've been personally reviewing the income from the security services we've been providing to various establishments, Master. If I don't, Anna will have my hide the moment she finds even the slightest discrepancy in the accounts."
Alexei and Ivan exchanged amused glances before letting out a quiet chuckle.
Alexei couldn't help but sympathize with the man. Anna was exceptionally strict when it came to the organization's finances, and no one, not even Nikolai, was exempt from her scrutiny. "Well, you should take a break for now."
Alexei shifted in his chair to make himself more comfortable before getting to the real reason for their visit. "We actually came to ask about the recent clashes between your men and the Steel Knuckles Syndicate. How have things been on that front?"
Nikolai's expression immediately turned serious.
"Several of my men have already been wounded in the clashes, Master," he reported. "And if this continues, many more will end up injured as well. There have been times when I've had to lead the retaliation personally. If I don't fight alongside my men, they'll see me as a coward, and I risk losing their respect. Some might even begin questioning my leadership."
He let out a tired sigh before continuing. "I honestly don't know when this will end. Every injured man has to be compensated, and the medical expenses continue to pile up. It's becoming a significant drain on our finances. Anna will surely scrutinize the money I'll hand over this month as it will be significantly less than the previous month."
Understanding Nikolai's predicament, Ivan spoke up. "Don't worry. I've already informed my sister about your current situation, so I'm sure she'll understand."
Nikolai let out a sigh of relief and managed a faint smile. "Thank you."
Alexei tapped his fingers thoughtfully against the desk before asking, "No one has been killed yet, right?"
Nikolai shook his head. "None so far, Master. It seems they're being careful not to take things too far, so we've exercised the same restraint."
"Hmmm…" Alexei frowned slightly beneath his mask before speaking. "I'm afraid this situation will have to continue for a little while longer, Nikolai. I've already decided that we'll eliminate the leader of the Steel Knuckles, Mr. Kirilenko. I want to see how the people behind him react. His death should create enough internal chaos to force them to focus on their own problems rather than ours. However, we'll have to wait until Ivan finds the right opportunity. He's still looking for a time when Kirilenko's security is at its weakest."
Nikolai frowned upon hearing that the clashes would have to continue for a while longer. However, the moment he heard that his master intended to assassinate the rival gang's leader, his eyes widened in surprise. "Really, Master? You're going to kill their leader?"
A faint smile appeared beneath Alexei's mask. "Yes. Removing him should throw their organization into disarray and, hopefully, expose the people pulling the strings behind the scenes. Also, they'll be too busy dealing with their own internal problems to continue provoking us along the border. Until then, you'll just have to endure the situation a little longer."
After receiving the confirmation, Nikolai couldn't help but smirk as he imagined the chaos that would erupt once the leader of the opposing gang suddenly turned up dead. "Don't worry, Master. I'll treat these border clashes as live training exercises. It should sharpen my men's combat skills and prepare them for even bigger fights in the future."
"Good." Alexei gave a satisfied nod before asking, "Is there anything else I should know?"
"Eh?" Nikolai thought for a moment before replying. "We've also been having occasional skirmishes with the other gangs surrounding our territory, Master. They're nowhere near as intense as the clashes with the Steel Knuckles, though. Shouldn't we start annexing some of them to expand our territory?"
Alexei leaned forward slightly and shook his head. "Not yet. Too many eyes are on us now, the neighboring gangs, the Politsiya, and even the Okhrana. If we expand any further at this point, they may feel compelled to act before we become too powerful for them to contain."
He paused for a moment before continuing. "Let's wait for the right opportunity. Besides, I already have a few ideas on how we can expand our influence over the smaller gangs without formally annexing them. I just need a little more time to refine the plan before I explain it to all of you."
Since his master had already made his decision, Nikolai knew there was no point in arguing. He simply nodded in understanding. "Understood, Master."
The three of them then spent some time discussing ways to reduce casualties among Nikolai's men and refining their tactics for dealing with the Steel Knuckles more effectively.
Once that discussion had concluded, Alexei shifted to another matter.
"Spread the word throughout our territory that there will soon be another round of recruitment for civilian workers," he instructed. "I've received reliable information that the Tsarevich is establishing a new sports organization, and it should begin hiring personnel in the near future."
He continued, "From what I've heard, he'll once again prioritize recruiting people from the slums, especially those who have stayed away from revolutionary groups and have no history of participating in strikes. That's the same policy he used when hiring workers for his factories and other businesses."
Alexei's tone turned more serious. "Make sure to thoroughly screen everyone who applies. The last thing we need is for revolutionaries or left-leaning agitators to slip through. Our reputation is one of our greatest assets. The businessmen know that workers recruited from our territory are reliable, disciplined, and free from revolutionary influence. That's precisely why they keep coming to us whenever they need labor."
Nikolai quickly jotted down the instructions on his list of tasks before replying, "Yes, Master. I think this news will make many people in our territory happy. I've noticed that quite a few of them still struggle to find stable work and don't truly like living the life of a gang member. Opportunities like this should give them a chance to earn an honest living."
"I certainly hope so," Alexei muttered quietly.
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A/N: Please don't forget to rate and review the story after reading. And if you want to read ahead. You know where to look.