Alias- Forever And Always

42) Darkest Hours

Music for this chapter (on repeat): Barbastella by Hans Zimmer & James Newton Howard from Batman Begins Soundtrack, Silence by Hans Zimmer from The Thin Red Line Soundtrack, Breathe Me by Sia, 47 in St. Petersburg by Jesper Kyd, At the Farm House by John Powell, Nach Deutschland by John Powell, A Saturday in My Classroom by Gustavo Santaolalla from North Country Soundtrack, The Devil Inside by John Powell

FORTY-TWO

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Irina dialed his number for the first time, in a very long time.

"Hello?" His deep voice answered.

Irina blinked back tears when he'd answered, sucking in a shaking breath to hear his voice again and the reason she was calling.

"Vijay," She managed to finally get out, trying and failing to keep the emotion from her tone as her voice dipped.

"Irina?" Dubey asked immediately recognizing the voice and immediately concerned to hear the tears she was desperately trying to hold back. "Are you okay? Forget that, I know you're not okay. I'm sorry I asked. We've been watching the news coverage all day about the girls. I'm so sorry."

"Thank you." Irina answered quietly with a sigh, sitting down heavily on the side of her bed and staring at the photos of her daughters on her nightstand.

"Has there been any word?" He asked with a hopeful tone, wishing as was everyone else that a ransom demand had been made as that was a far better outcome than the likely other option.

"No. No ransom demands. Which is why I'm calling." She wiped the falling tears from her eyes with the back of her fingers reining in her emotions. "Vijay, I know that part of your Immunity Agreement was to steer clear of all things related to the Black Market but-"

"You want me to use my knowledge and connections to see if there is anything out there now about your girls?" He finished for her, knowing exactly why she would be calling him in this situation, his heart pounding to know that she had called himfor help.

"Yes." Irina swallowed hard speaking in a hushed whisper and terrified that her children may actually end up in the Black Market sex trade. "I know this is a lot to ask-"

"Say no more." Vijay cut her off with a sad smile in his tone, "I will do anything for you, Irina. I promised you that once, remember?"

Irina's eyes fell shut and she sighed heavily as more tears surged forth. "I remember." She answered him quietly, "I will make certain that you are not punished or your immunity revoked by helping in this manner. I would never want to do anything that would jeopardize your life and family." She knew the man was a husband and father now with fraternal twins not much younger than her own.

"You aren't asking anything of me I'm not willing to give. I will always be here whenever you need me, Irina. Always." He paused for a long moment before speaking softly again. "I will do what I can to help you find them. Give me a couple of hours and I'll get back to you."

"Thank you, Vijay." Irina answered him and heard the line go dead. She stared at the phone in her hands for a long moment in disbelief this was actually happening. That she was actually having to call Vijay Dubey and ask him to help her search for any information on her little girls that may have surfaced on the Black Market sex trade.