The meeting (I)

Dark.

"Come on Claus, cover me…" I say to my best friend and right-hand man.

Before I go out behind the car and shoot the motherfuckers who decided to come attack me.

"Just do the Dark shots," he replies, looking at me with annoyance.

He smiled when he noticed how much it overwhelms him to have to shoot, he's not that good with weapons, at least not like the rest or Max. I look over my shoulder through the window of the armored van in which we came to have a clearer idea of ​​the location of the men attacking us.

 Without a doubt they are Griffin's men, their disorganization and lack of control in the situation confirms it for me. Before leaving behind the truck to confront them, I make sure Claus is okay. Once outside the protection of the gunshot truck, one of the subjects to my right falls with a shot to the middle of the eyebrows. 

His partner tries to cover but he is not fast enough so he ends up the same as the other. The one next to it falls to the ground with a shot to the chest and I turn to see Claus come out and cover my back.

 “It's all they have sons of bitches,” He yells at them while he attacks two others, who also fall to the ground wounded.

My men fire back at us and we quickly cut them off leaving a pile of bodies on the pavement. A few minutes later the chaos that had been unleashed ends and the only thing that can be heard are some moans from some wounded men, some of theirs, others of ours.

I glance around, shaking my head at the sight of some of my dead men on the ground. I hate to take casualties, each of these men have been trained and expert killers. I motion for one of them to take over as I walk to the other side of the street where Griffin's men are writhing on the concrete.

One of them is lying on one of the tires, his head hanging to the side, blood pouring from his chest. I'd have a little empathy for them if they didn't come from where they do. Griffin has been on my mind forever and every attempt has ended the same.

Before I crouch down in front of the subject, Claus draws my attention by showing another subject crawling away from us. I walk in his direction and noticing that I'm following him, he tries to get away more quickly. His moans increase as he pushes himself further.

When I reach him I give him a push with my leg and he falls on his back, his abdomen and chest are bleeding so he must have several wounds, it is obvious that he will die if he is not treated soon. I look at him coldly, wetting my lips before smiling.

His eyes looking at me with terror and why lie, I am fascinated by the sensation that that look causes in me. Just the one that gives you the power to decide between who lives and who dies. I approach him without taking my eyes off him, he knows his destiny, he knows that the moment he raises his weapon against me, it would only have an end. Saying absolutely nothing I raise my gun and point it at him, he closes his eyes tightly pleading, tears coming out of them.

“P-please… no, d-don't… m-kill me… I-I have a…” I don't let him finish, a bullet goes through his head.

It ends up hitting the ground, resting on a pool of blood that expands as the seconds go by. A quick execution. The coup de grace, right between his eyebrows. It's one of my favorite ways to execute these rats, they deserve no more than this. I smile sideways.

When I retrace my steps to continue with the guy I left behind, he's already dead. I sigh and continue inspecting the place, surely the authorities won't appear for a while or I'll call them personally.

Walking among the corpses behind one of the trucks I find a boy sitting on the ground, his back is against the truck, he cries desperately but silently, he doesn't have a single scratch. A gun is in his trembling hands. The panic is evident in him, he is just a boy but he chose the wrong life. I crouch down in front of him, meeting his gaze but avoiding mine completely, I raise my weapon and place it on his forehead. 

"If you answer correctly, I might spare your life…" I murmur, he just sobs harder but manages to nod as Claus laughs at my back.

"Griffin sent them?..." He doesn't respond immediately so I'm forced to press the barrel against his forehead and this time he barely nods.

He smiled broadly at his answer because although he was almost sure it was his thing, he couldn't help but laugh. His attempts to reach me are more and more frequent, with more men, but the result is still the same, a complete and utter disaster that ends in a perfect and great carnage.

"Are you afraid of dying?..." I ask him taking the safety off my gun, he nods repeatedly and I press closer to him and whisper

"Good, because from today you will live with the stigma of knowing that Dark didn't kill you, but remember, I never forget a face that I let live next time you won't be so lucky." He breathes a little relieved but he still looks scared, I get up , at that moment Claus approaches us and sees him with a mocking expression and snaps at him.

“Don't be so calm, Dark doesn't leave loose ends, you have a purpose,” I look at him seriously and then I see the man again, he smiled mischievously.

"You'll give Griffin a message, okay?" He nods and as soon as he does, I shoot him in the leg, a cry of pain fills the place and he smiles, blood begins to flow from the wound while the man's moans make me want to kill him, so I don't have to listen to him “CLOSE THE P**A MOUTH,” I yell at him and immediately everything returns to silence… “you will tell Griffin that he can send as many men as he wants, but to have my head he has to come for her himself,” I see Claus smile and point his other leg and tell him I shoot, this time there are no screams, I turn to my best friend who whispers to me in a mocking tone.

"Are you in a good mood today, aren't you?..." I shrug as I keep my gun on my back.

“I just give him some motivation…” I answer simply, he laughs and shakes his head, one of my men approaches me and tells me

"Sir, Charlie, Scott, Tyler, Mitch, Aaron and Peter are dead…" I curse under my breath and nod.

"Okay, you know what you have to do…" I say looking at Claus who is playing with one of his knives, looking at me seriously.

"This time there weren't that many, although there were more of them..." He says pointing in the opposite direction where Griffin's men are.

"It's always the same result..." I say without looking at him, I take my phone and dial Jefferson's number.

“Mister?” He says when answering.

"Come clean," I tell her.

"Yes, boss..." he says and I end the call.

At that moment a black truck approaches us and parks a couple of meters away, Claus starts walking towards it, still playing with the knife in his hand, he deftly puts it in the knife holder in his pants and opens it for me. the door, he goes around the truck and enters from the other side, I enter and nod in the direction of the driver, who will take us back to the mansion.

Once in the mansion, Claus walks behind me, securing the perimeter, that attack, although it did not take many lives, was better organized than the previous one, the rumor is definitely true, Griffin has taken over the other organization so I'm sure there will be more attacks like this. I walk into my study with Claus following close behind.

"Dark, the deal went well, they want another shipment for next month and old Robertson wants to see you…" he says checking a tablet, I sigh and I reply tired.

"Well take care of the next shipment personally, I don't want any failures in that delivery and Robertson to go to hell, I don't feel like dealing with filthy rats this week…" Claus chuckles and whispers.

“He wouldn't like that…” I look at him for a moment and he shrugs and continues “I'm just telling you,” he says, turning his eyes away and looking at the Tablet again.

“Do you really think I care what Robertson likes?” He smiles and answers.

“I know you care about three hectares of pure shit Robertson, but he's coming here to bother you,” he says looking at me with a mocking smile on his lips.

“He knows that if he bothers me the only result he will get will be a bullet in the head…” I say looking at the screen of my laptop, Claus laughs and comments amused.

"Always so friendly..." I roll my eyes and at that moment a couple of knocks on the door interrupt us, it opens, April appears, one of the employees of the mansion.

"Sir, your bath and dinner are ready…" she says looking at me with respect, I nod without looking at her and she turns to leave, but before doing so she stops and whispers.

"Is it true that Aaron died?..." My eyes rise to meet theirs.

They are teary. Shit I forgot they were in a relationship, I sigh and get up, walk over to her, under Claus's watchful eye, put a hand on her shoulder and whisper.

“It's true, April, and I'm very sorry, but that's how this job is. Aaron was one of my best men, but the only sure thing in this life is death, he died doing what he likes and what he knew how to do best, I don't want to see you cry because he wouldn't want it that way, you also know the rules,” he I say brushing away a lone tear that slides down her cheek she nods and leaves the room.

"And what was that?" asks Claus somewhat surprised, I see it wrong and I answer him.

“Just because I'm a fucking son of a bitch doesn't mean I'm going to be a bastard with her. Just try to relieve her pain, I don't need weak and tearful women in this house, I need her centered, if not, we don't need her and you know what that would mean for her...” I say in his direction he nods and looks at the Tablet again and smile mischievously.

"What's wrong?..." I ask him, he shakes his head and snaps at me.

“Man, mind your own business, will you? Will you need me in the next few hours?” he asks, checking his phone, I shake my head and answer him.

“No, but I want you here first thing in the morning, you have work…” He sees me somewhat surprised and smiled at him maliciously, he smiles back and answers.

“Okay, see you,” he says standing up and walking towards the door he stops next to me and comments.

“hey Ratko, I know you've always told me that I shouldn't get involved with anyone, but I think I met,” I see him seriously and snap

"If you want me to die with a headshot, continue with your game…" I turn and leave the room, leaving him alone and surprised by my answer.

In this world, such a thing as love does not exist, such a thing as a relationship does not exist, in my world, in Darkness, there is only one thing, kill or be killed.