Without A Trace

Fifty-Six.

The girls and I walk towards the empty gambling room.  Our footsteps heavy on the wood as we walk to my office and head to the locked door that goes to the basement. I pull the key out of my pocket and unlock it, twisting the knob and pulling the door open. I take a step forward to head down the stairs before Anna stops me, "Boss goes first," she says cutting in front of me.

I shoot my gaze to hers, heat of anger flushing my face. I hold her gaze for a moment before I step back slowly and cross my arms across my chest. Ivy looks between the two of us, smuthering in the tension before Anna turns her back and heads down the stairs followed by Ivy and myself.

Anna makes her way down the damp dimly lit stone and concrete hallway. I strike a match against the wall before bringing the flame to my lips and lighting my cigarette. I snuff the match out and toss the burnt wood onto the ground while taking a drag off my cigarette.

"Cora Thomas said-", Ivy says fanning the smoke away my cigarette.

"Ivy," I cut her off authoritatively while shifting my eyes to meet hers, "Not right now."

"Just leave her alone Ivy, she's in a piss poor mood since shes having to sit on the sidelines for once in her life," Anna says as her tone bites through my ears.

I pinch the bridge of my nose and drag my hand down my face taking a soft deep breath. I take another puff off my cigarette and continue to follow Anna to the one storage room.

Anna pushes the door open and walks over to May, still recovering from her beating. Dried blood spattered around her face, her eyes swollen and her brown hair matted and now auburn colored from the blood staining it.

"Oh look, its the bosses bitch," May manages to choke out as she peers up to Anna.

Anna delivers a blow across her cheek. She reaches around and grabs a handful of Mays hair and pulls it so May meets her eyes, "I'm the fuckin boss now May."

A smile creeps across Mays face as she starts to laugh, "I give you cudos for finally dethroning that cunt. But I hate to break it to you, you wont fuckin last being thrown into that position of power. You're fuckin weak."

Anna pulls her pistol from her holster and cocks the chamber before pressing the barrel against Mays forehead, "You have about 30 seconds to tell me about the gala and Stellan before your brain matter ends up on the fuckin floor."

"Stellan, Stellan..." May taunt's stupidly, "Can't say that name rings a bell."

"25, 24, 23, 22," Anna counts down and watches the color start to drain from Mays face.

"All I know is the gala is in Petersberg and hes waiting for the Blinders to show up. Hes to put a bullet between Coras eyes," May finally spits out as Anna surpasses the number 15.

"Suficient (Enough)," I say to Anna. "Întrebați-o cum vor ști că sunt eu (Ask her how they will know its me)," I say meeting Annas gaze before shifting my eyes back to May.

"Eu vorbesc, stai jos și taci din gură Cora (I'm doing the talking, sit down and shut up Cora)," Anna snaps back to me. I clench my jaw and lean back against the wall, about to snap.

"The Edens know that Cora will bring Thomas down quicker than anything. So thats their plan, thats all I know," May pleads with Anna as she raises her eyes to look up towards the barrel before looking back at Anna.

"Good, thanks for the information," Anna smiles before pulling the trigger, casuing May to slump over in the chair as blood pools down at her feet.

Ivy sighs, "Come on, do you realize how fuckin nasty it is to clean pieces of brain off the damn concrete? You're doing that, I refuse to do it again," She says before kicking a piece of Mays skull away from her feet.