Chapter 114: The Cult Meeting

Chapter 114: The Cult Meeting
Stacy marched down the corridor. She observed that the men in the clubhouse were different. Most of the traitors were out while new men were filling in. It’s simply an observation, and would stay that way. It wasn’t something she should concern herself with. Chad and the men would take care of it all.

It felt good to be sheltered from the world of danger. Not really safe, but it’s good to know that there’s someone else to take care of the bigger tasks. However, something still felt wrong. She couldn’t possibly stay still until she figured out what it was. Better prevent than cure, as the price to pay might be too costly in this world.

She banged the door twice and pushed it open without waiting for permission. “Old man, we need to talk,” she was saying before she stopped short.

Hank was sitting at the head of the bed while men were scattered around the room, some standing and some sitting. They seemed to be in a meeting. The whole room was gaping at her as she froze mid-step.

“Oh, my bad,” she said but her face showed no remorse. “I can come back later,” she said, “please continue.” As she was walking backwards out the door, Hank jumped out of bed. “What’s it?” He asked as he walked towards the door.

“It’s important but not urgent. Can’t settle it quickly. I can come back after you’re done with..” her eyes darted to the men, “...whatever you’re doing.”

“You can come in. Sit a bit. We’re almost done, anyway,” Hank gestured for her to enter. Her eyes narrowed at the scene in front of her. “Are you sure that this is safe?”

“You’re Stacy, right?” One of the men asked. He sounded friendly, “you don’t have to worry. We have been following your father for the longest time. A few of us were even there when you were..”

His smile dropped. A tension settled in the air around the room. Everyone seemed to know what he almost said. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean it,” he mumbled before settling back down like a deflated balloon. From what she speculated, those were the loyal friends of Hank, those he would give the most important tasks to.

Her eyes scanned the room. So some of them followed her to the syndicate when she was nine? Too bad she couldn’t remember any of them.

“Not that kind of safe, ol’ man’s friend,” she leaned against the wall casually as she joked. “I thought your gathering looked awfully similar to a cult. Are you secretly practicing black magic or something?”

Thankfully, that lifted the tension in the room by a little. A few men chuckled.

“Yes. If you ask me, I think our Hank here is similar to a religious leader,” another man agreed, getting a few more laughs across the room. “I know, he meditates here everyday,” Stacy responded without missing a beat. She strutted to the spot Hank was sitting earlier and took her seat without being invited.

“Don’t mind if I sit here, right? There’s nowhere else to sit,” she asked casually. “Of course,” Hank didn’t even mind. A few men stood up, trying to offer their seat, but Hank shook his head. “It’s alright. I’ll stand.”

“Continue what you were doing. Don’t mind me,” Stacy flashed a smile at Hank, and then to the room. For a moment, nobody spoke. It was a moment of awkwardness.

Stacy sneered in her heart. ‘Don’t pretend to be friendly and easy going if you’re not prepared to let someone in your plan,’ she thought. She deliberately stayed to see how they would tiptoe around her. It would be fun to see them feeling uneasy.

“Where were we again?” Hank broke the silence. The men exchanged looks. “Um.. about the plan,” someone pointed out carefully.

“Right. How should we lure them out?” Someone else voiced. “As Hank said, we don’t have to. They will come. We have what they want.”

“I think their group is divided into two. One of them wants it while the other tries to destroy it so that it won’t be their weakness.”

She tried to not let her smirk show but the corner of her lips went against her will. It, them, one of them. They were really talking in code.

“We can’t be sure. George wouldn’t talk no matter what,” Hank said, “it could be that he’s here to get Cecilia out, not to take her life.”

Stacy could feel some of the eyes darting to her for a mere second to see her expression. It was almost funny. “That’s possible. But you know that man,” someone responded. “We know, but it’s his blood and flesh after all,” someone else said.

Stacy leaned back and folded her arms in front of her. “What’s the difference between getting her out of here and taking her life?”

Again, the whole room went silent. Men gaped at her. Hank watched with interest as he leaned against the wall with the same stance.

‘You don’t get it, don’t you?’ She thought, not saying it out loud and sound like a brat with no manners. “Getting her out of here is the same as taking her life,” she explained, “Nelly had been trying to keep her alive for as long as I could remember. Even the machine was invented by Will. I don’t see George coming with any equipment. Unless he has a way to keep her heart beating without the machines and drops she’s been getting here, it’s an attempted murder no matter how I see it."

After saying it, she shifted and laid down on the bed like she didn’t have a care in the world. “I’ll sleep for a while. Wake me up when you’re done, old man.”

“Stacy’s right,” Hank pushed himself up the wall, “and I believe what you said is possible, Barry. Knowing Gus, the probability of him wanting his own daughter gone is higher. Right now, we can only put all hopes on Mariana. She will come for her daughter. We should keep her alive no matter what.”