LOGINRay drove through the not-so-quiet streets of Seattle in his Cadillac , his eyes occasionally moving to the side mirror. Two black SUVs followed closely behind him. His men. The meeting place had been chosen by the new Pakhan himself—a private establishment almost at the outskirts of the city. He chose the place, believing it was a neutral ground and perfect for where two different leaders could meet , none of them knowing what could be the conclusion of the gathering. Ray almost found the idea amusing.There was no such thing as neutral ground in Seattle.The City Council's headquarters was here, Its businesses stretched across the city, its connections ran through all government offices, and its men knew the streets better than anyone else.The Russians could choose any building they wanted.Seattle would still be his territory and he would always call the shots. Ray slowed down as the private entrance of the establishment came into view.His men followed him into th
Ray drove back home from the gallery. He didn't even spend much time there before he got a call from the new Bratva leader. They scheduled an urgent meeting to discuss a new alliance and a deal with the Russians. His father had sealed a certain arm deal with them before, but not with this new leader. The both groups had a change of rulership and there was need for a change of rules and deals. He got back and met his father smoking and staring at nothing in particular. Their own relationship was already so strained that he didn't even bother to ask why the old man looked that way in the afternoon. He scoffed a bit as he quickly strode into the elevator. He needed to get some papers needed for such an urgent meeting from his room. As soon as the elevator opened, revealing his own chambers , he walked to his door and opened it. Looking around , Lorna wasn't there until he paid attention to some water-bubble noise coming from the bathroom. His stiff shoulders dropp
Lorna's POV The message stared right back at me as I did too. For the first time in our friendship, Ava was the venting one at this point. She wasn’t the type to complain or talk about her issues no matter how I try to get them out of her. Ava was the emotional pillar in our friendship, it's always as if she never gets upset or maybe I barely annoyed her. But today's text from her was unexpected and it doubled the guilt I felt when I yelled at her in class. It was a long text, seemed like something she forced herself to type in annoyance. I couldn't even read it all, I felt her colliding emotions in the message - from shock, to anger, to sadness, to anger again, to a bit of concern, to reassurance and then to making sure I felt really guilty and yes, I did. She focused her anger on that word—”read the room” and I understood how that sounded for someone that genuinely cared about me. “God! What have I done? How am I gonna fix this right now?” I muttered to myself st
Ray couldn't believe it at first. What beef does a university student have with him? He thought to himself. He knew he'd become more famous since he took over the City Council. Enemies were bound to be against him, he was sure of that, but a student..? He drove faster to the Washington State General station and within minutes, he got there. Lucky enough, he didn't come with any entourage. Just him, and his Range Rover. “That was fast, Mr Ray!” Superintendent Dan jerked up from his seat as soon as Ray walked into his office. His voice laced with surprise and a surge of laughter. “Please..” the Chief of Police gestured towards the leather chair and added “have a seat”. Ray didn't utter a word as he sat rigidly on the seat , watching as the man sat down too. He glanced at the office, taking notes of the portraits of government officials on the wall. His eyes settled on a painting that was placed carefully on the bottom of the wall. He knew that art work because
Dave muffled against the tape on his mouth,..the inaudible sounds were laced with terror and fear as he widened his eyes, gazing at his brother who stood with a satisfied smirk on his face. He moved his arms relentlessly despite his hands being tied behind, wanting to escape the sight he'd already beheld. Jeremy walked towards Sergeant Samantha's corpse and skillfully pulled out the dagger buried in her back. He searched around her body for any mobile device because he never trusted that she was in this revenge path alone. Took her pistol , her hidden badge and her cellphone. “Relax Dave. I'm gonna untie you soon and we'll get out of here. Just need to …uhh..check .., you know, tie up any loose ends that'll point this back to me”. His words broke unfocused as he glanced through her phone, checking tracking apps and other stuff. Then, he broke the phone into two, threw the two halves on the floor and smashed it into pieces under his boot . Next, he took out a colored
“Empty yourself. Whatever hidden tool or weapon you have on you, drop it now!” Sergeant Samantha's voice rang from behind him. Jeremy could hear the cocking of a pistol and a dragging noise as she said those words. “Dropping my weapons when you still have one on you? Not happening “. He spoke mildly, turning slowly to face her. Her right hand gripped the pistol, pointing it towards him. The other hand held the back of Dave's neck , forcing him to face down as he knelt beside her with his wrists tied behind him. A silicone tape was placed over his mouth so he wouldn't talk. The sight of his younger brother unnerved Jeremy immediately. He didn't look beaten or battered, although his shirt seemed rumpled around the collar as if that part had been pulled a thousand times. His hair was disheveled and had particles of sand and dirt on it. He looked sweaty but his countenance was stoic. “I make the rules here, Jeremy. I directed you to this place and I have your brot
The morning came with a strange kind of quietness. It wasn’t peaceful , it was heavy and dense with the residue of chaos. Sunlight filtered through the massive windows of the villa, but no warmth came with it. The grand home of Don Draco felt like a battlefield recovering from an invisible war.A
I inhaled sharply immediately she said that. There was indeed more to know and the courage to continue the inquiry intensified. For all I knew, she must answer the question. I just needed one response. "What do you mean by that? I just want to know who Katherine is, that's all". The volum
I exhaled sharply and glared back at her. Only she knew what she was trying to imply, but I refused to mind her words. She unlocked the door immediately and ran downstairs. I waited for some time, even though the chaos seemed to have faded. I couldn't hear any more gunshots, but the v
Ray paused while eating immediately Draco said Valerie was going to come. I wondered who the lady was. It seemed Draco knew her or perhaps, she was part of the mafia. I learnt that ladies do join the Mafia. Maybe she was part of a sub-gang under the City Council. But, it wasn't so."Is she me







