Chapter 11: Chapter Eleven.

"Wait!" Xena's voice rang out, sharp and desperate, cutting through the chaos. Everything seemed to freeze in place.

Viktor turned slowly, his dark, piercing eyes locking onto her. The weight of his gaze made her throat tighten.

"P-please." she stammered, her voice barely holding steady. "Release them too. T-this isn't right."

For a moment, his expression hardened, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face. Then, his lips curved into a sinister smirk as he leaned in closer, his presence suffocating.

"Not for free this time, little fire." he sneered, his voice low and dangerous. "I already released your friend. Don’t push your luck."

Xena swallowed hard, feeling Elena's trembling grip on her arm. Her friend's quiet sobs only made the situation more unbearable.

"Leave." Viktor said coldly, his tone final. "While I'm still insane. You don’t want to see my sane side."

With that, he turned, gesturing to his men. The girls were dragged further away, their cries echoing in the dimly lit room.

Xena's chest tightened at the sight. Every sob, every plea felt like a dagger to her heart. She couldn’t let this happen.

"How much?" she blurted out, her voice shaking but resolute.

Viktor stopped mid-step. Slowly, he turned back to face her, his expression unreadable.

"What did you say?" His voice was calm, too calm, sending chills down her spine.

"How much do you want?" she said more firmly, though her knees felt weak. "We’ll give it to you. Just… let them go. Please. This is wrong."

His men exchanged bewildered glances, their faces a mix of confusion and disbelief. The boldness of her words hung heavy in the air.

Viktor’s jaw tightened, his hands curling into fists at his sides. In a few measured steps, he closed the distance between them, his towering frame making her feel impossibly small.

"Are you really ready to pay?" he asked, his voice a low growl.

Xena hesitated, feeling Elena’s grip tighten even further. She glanced at her friend, whose tear-streaked face shook in silent protest.

"Y-yes." Xena whispered, her voice barely audible.

Viktor stared at her, his gaze unyielding and predatory. After a tense moment, he straightened, a dark smile creeping across his face.

"Release them." he commanded, his voice cutting through the silence.

His men hesitated for a brief second before obeying. The girls, though sobbing and trembling, were let go one by one.

Xena’s shoulders sagged with relief as she watched them stumble toward safety. She turned back to Viktor, only to find him already watching her, his smirk widening.

"Go." he said abruptly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"W-what?" Xena’s voice trembled in confusion.

"You’ve already paid the price, Xena Rossi." he said, his smirk dark and knowing.

Her breath caught. He knew her name.

"Until next time." Viktor added, his voice laced with promise. Then, with a wave of his hand, he and his men disappeared through the back door, leaving chaos and blood in their wake.

Xena realized only then how heavily she’d been breathing, the fear still coursing through her veins. Around her, the girls huddled together, their quiet sobs filling the room.

"E-Elena." Xena started, turning to her friend, but before she could finish, Elena threw her arms around her, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Xena, I was so scared." Elena whispered, her voice breaking.

Xena wrapped her arms around her tightly. "I know." she murmured. "But we’re okay now. We need to get everyone out of here."

Elena nodded, and together they helped the other girls to the entrance, carefully avoiding the gruesome scene of lifeless bodies scattered across the floor.

As soon as they stepped outside, flashing lights and chaos greeted them. Police officers rushed toward them, followed by medics and rescue teams.

Xena watched as the girls were ushered to safety, blankets draped over their shoulders, paramedics tending to their wounds. Relief and exhaustion hit her all at once, but the weight of Viktor’s words lingered in her mind.

"Until next time."

A shiver ran down her spine.

♡♡♡

The cab ride back to the apartment had been suffocatingly silent, the weight of the night hanging over both of them like a dark cloud. As they reached the apartment, Xena helped Elena inside, guiding her to the couch.

Elena sat curled up in a blanket, trembling, her eyes darting around the room as if the shadows might come alive. Xena handed her a glass of water, her own hands steady despite the storm raging within her.

Elena sipped the water tentatively before lowering the glass to her lap, staring blankly ahead. "There were so many dead people." she whispered, her voice hollow.

Xena heard her but chose not to respond, her silence a shield against the horrors they had just escaped.

"I lost most of my friends tonight." Elena continued, her voice cracking. She turned suddenly, her wide, tear-filled eyes meeting Xena's. "Why was he even there? And how did he know your name?"

Xena froze, the questions hitting her like a blow. She sat down beside Elena, exhaling deeply. "Trust me, Elena, I’m just as terrified as you are. I don’t know how he knew my name." She paused, her brows knitting together in thought. "The last time I saw him was… at the airport. Remember that day you asked me who I was talking to?"

Elena nodded slowly, the memory surfacing through her haze of fear.

"But… who is he?" Xena asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Elena swallowed hard, her face paling even more. "That’s Viktor Sokolov." she said, her voice trembling. "The Russian Mafia King himself."

Xena’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening.

Elena continued, her words spilling out like a warning. "He’s a dangerous man, Xena. He’s not someone who shows mercy. That’s why I don’t understand… why he did. For you."

Xena felt her heart hammering in her chest. She clenched her fists, trying to suppress the rising panic.

"He’s not supposed to be here." Elena added, her voice dropping. "Whenever he leaves his territory, it’s because he’s on a killing spree. He doesn’t spare anyone. He’s involved in everything—kidnapping, drug trafficking, underground auctions. He’s a criminal, a killer, a twisted, deranged man."

Xena’s fists tightened, her knuckles white.

"And he knows your name." Elena said, her voice breaking. "Xena, I don’t trust men like him."

"Elena, we could… we could report him to the police." Xena suggested, though even as the words left her mouth, they felt futile.

"Police?" Elena let out a hollow laugh, shaking her head. "There’s a reason he didn’t bother threatening us about going to the police. That man knows everything before it happens. If we even try, he’ll find out. And when he does…" She trailed off, her eyes brimming with fresh tears.

She began to sob, her shoulders shaking uncontrollably. "I’m so sorry, Xena. I put you in this mess. If it weren’t for me—"

"Stop." Xena interrupted, pulling her into a tight embrace. "This isn’t your fault. None of it is. We’re going to figure this out. Together."

Elena clung to her, her sobs muffled against Xena’s shoulder. After a few moments, she pulled back slightly, her red-rimmed eyes filled with determination.

"You have to leave here tomorrow, Xena." Elena said firmly. "It’s not safe for you to stay."

Xena’s stomach twisted, her mind racing.

"What about you?" Xena asked, her voice laced with concern.

Elena pulled the blanket tighter around her, trying to appear braver than she felt. "Don’t worry about me." she said softly.

"But he doesn’t know where we live." Xena said, as if trying to convince both herself and Elena.

Elena shook her head firmly. "Xena, no. You need to leave. Viktor is dangerous." She leaned forward, her tone becoming more urgent. "Did you even hear what he said back there? That you’ve already paid the price?"

Xena’s stomach churned at the memory of Viktor’s words, his smirk, the way he looked at her like he owned her.

"I don’t know what he meant, but I have a bad feeling about this. Something isn’t right." Elena continued. "You need to leave tomorrow, first thing. And don’t worry about me—I’m going to Paris."

Xena hesitated, her thoughts swirling with fear and uncertainty. She didn’t want to argue, and honestly, she didn’t have the energy to.

The terror from earlier still gripped her, and she was more than eager to escape this nightmare.

Finally, she nodded. "Okay." she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Elena reached over, taking her hands. "It’s for the best." she said softly.

Xena forced a weak smile, but deep down, she was terrified. She didn’t know what Viktor’s words meant, but she hoped leaving would put enough distance between them. If anything, she wanted nothing more than to leave him behind and never see him again.

Little did she know, Viktor Sokolov wasn’t the kind of man to let things end so easily.