Twenty Six

Twenty Six

"I'm just... stressed," Amy walked back to the bed, muttering her excuse. There was an unsure pause at the end, and then came an "alright then" from Richard.

"See you soon?" he asked.

"Yeah, definitely," she muttered, before ending the call. She stared ahead for a while, sorting out the thoughts in her head. Mikhail's words still echoed in her mind, but now Richard's offer was there as well.

"Stay close to me, Amy... For my sanity."

And then here she was, promising Richard a visit. Both ideas contrasted finely in her head. She could decline, but that didn't seem the right thing to do to someone traveling all the way to LA just to say a proper goodbye.

"I don't owe Mikhail anything," she muttered to herself, standing up, the book clutched under one arm.

The sky had begun to darken outside, the corridors now reflecting more shadows than light. She stepped out of the room, planning to go to the library where she could read through the night with a cup of coffee. But somehow, she found herself walking down the stairs, a blanket tucked under one arm, arriving at the main hallway.

She sat beside the head seat around the round table, curling up with her blanket. From this position, she could see the huge double doors perfectly.

"I'm not waiting for Mikhail," Amy whispered to herself. That was the last thing she would do. There was just something about the way he said he might be committing dual murders tonight that got her attention.

Like he did it all the time, and yet, he also said Viktor was a worthy opponent.

So maybe... She trailed off, part of her not willing to acknowledge the real intentions behind her actions.

Well, just maybe she wanted to see Mikhail come back in one piece.

Reaching for the switch, she dimmed the light, enough to read with, flipping past the pages of the book till she got to the one she had stopped at, shifting on the seat, making herself comfortable.

Mikhail's cars drove out in groups of fours.

Mikhail led, his black Tesla speeding into the night.

There were four men in each vehicle, making that a total of 16 men all fueled for the attack, well determined to bring down at least one of their enemies even if they had to fall themselves. Inside Mikhail's car was him, just behind the wheel. Daniel sat next to him in the passenger seat. He had a laptop in one hand, pulling it open and already scanning for their location.

Killian and another man named Carlos were at the back seat, securing the arms and ammunition.

They drove for an hour. Then, pulling out his phone, Mikhail observed the image in it, confirming it with the one that was in front of him before parking a safe distance away.

"We're here," he said, stopping the engine.

"Tell the rest we're here."

Mikhail was issuing orders to Daniel, who was typing away on his laptop, relaying the information to the rest of the group.

"Ready?" Mikhail stepped out of the car, pulling out his spare automatic from his pocket and handing it to Carlos.

There was a chorus of hushed "yes sirs." The first group moved stealthily, circling around the building slowly.

The building in question was hard to make out in the nighttime, looking somewhere between a bar and some other recreation center at the outskirts of the town.

The remaining trio of cars parked further down the road, the men stepping out quietly, nearly not making any sound against the damp bushes. Mikhail pulled out his phone, his fingers typing fast on the screen, sending a series of messages to them.

"Send the backup if anything goes wrong," he said to Daniel as he walked past him, motioning for them all to follow, keeping well to the shadows.

Another group split out, securing the perimeters while his group entered through the main building.

They were at the Velvet Chalice. A place where Mikhail had learned that Viktor liked to stay and play his games.

Just as well, Mikhail thought, a light smile forming on his face, although there was nothing pleasant about it. He was a master at beating people at their own game. And tonight wouldn't be any different.

The Velvet Chalice was alive with music and couples grinding on the floors. It could have been a dance party for all he cared.

Mikhail put on his black mask, blending perfectly into the crowd. He moved ahead, his eyes scanning through the crowd as he searched for one person in particular, moving through the throng of dancers.

Daniel flanked his right side while Killian took his left, both men doing a perfect job appearing like they were here for the party. Pressed black suits and glittering masks, the whole atmosphere radiating off them despite the guns concealed under their jackets.

"The plan is simple," Mikhail muttered once more. Viktor owned this place. That simply meant that the bastard was somewhere watching, and Mikhail was banking on that.

"Take the VIP section," he nodded in Daniel's direction. "Make it look like an accident at first."

He watched his men disappear, determined to cause enough of a disturbance to draw the bastard out from whatever hole he was hiding in. Kyle strategically bumped into a waiter carrying the expensive champagne, sending bottles crashing to the floor. The glass shards scattered even into the private booths. There was a scream around that area, the music stopping.

Mikhail smirked under his breath, watching the chaos unfold. At another side of the room, Daniel started an argument with a bouncer, the voices high enough to create the perfect tension.

Making his way to the bar itself, Mikhail ordered a glass of whiskey, his eyes searching, waiting for Viktor to come out. He was somewhere. He brought the whiskey to his lips, savoring the burning sensation as it went down his throat.

To complete this game, he decided. Wherever Viktor was, he was probably watching through the security cameras. He thought, his eyes finding one of the little cameras poised at the corner of the room. He raised his drink in a mock toast to the cameras. Then, with deliberate slowness, he removed his mask, setting it on the bar, leaning back.

Let Viktor see, he decided. It was officially game on.

From the corner of his eye, he could see the chaos unfold brilliantly. Some of the guests had already begun to use the exits. Fair enough. One by one, guys were now running like they had seen a ghost, or maybe plural ghosts.

Daniel met him from the other side of the room, a little smile on his face.

"It worked," he said.

Mikhail didn't reply right away. "Wait for it," he said, his eyes locked on the staircase that led up to the roof

Somehow he knew what he was waiting for. He counted the seconds slowly, wondering how much longer it would take. And then finally, the creaked leather boots began echoing off the tiles, sounding slower until Viktor was right in front of them.

"Well, well, well." Viktor gave a lazy smile, standing at the foot of the stairs, looking at Mikhail. Fire crackled just behind his eyes. "I knew I had to come down when you were here," he said, stepping down the stairs slowly. Two bodyguards flanked him on either side in flesh and blood. He finished with a dark smile.