Crimson Nightmares

Chapter Twenty-one

He woke up. He's awake. He really is awake! He is going to be recovering for a long time but at least he can talk to me. Chuuya said he would wake up. Now he is. I stared at the ceiling of my apartment wall. Boddles of alcohol were scattered on the floor from past nights, but today I am happy. Maybe, I should clean this up. I grabbed a flask of blood and purged it down my throat. The cool liquid relaxed my mind. Relieving any stress and replacing it with a calm section of peace. I grabbed a garbage bag. This is going to take hours to clean. I started picking up the empty bottles. sighed, taking a moment to enjoy the silence of the apartment. We won't always be in the line of fire.

I was interrupted by the sound of my phone ringing. It was Aram.

"Hello, Aram. What's up?"

"We're all at the base. Everyone's waiting for you. You should hurry."

"I'll be there in a few minutes.

I grabbed my coat and headed out the door, still feeling a bit disoriented from the previous night. As I walked, I could feel the cool light of the moon. I managed to find my bike keys, shoved them in my pocket, and climbed onto my red motorcycle. The engine roared to life, and I rode off towards the base, feeling the wind whip past my face.

I parked my bike and walked into the base, greeted by the familiar faces of my fellow mafiosi.

Aram looked up from his desk and noticed me entering the room. "Elizaveta, you made it. Good." His voice had its normal calm but seductive tone.

"Oh, of course, boss. What can I assist you with?"

"Come in the meeting room; we will discuss further then." I fellow him in the large, dark-red room. There was a long black table in the center, with one chair on the front and six chairs spread out on the side. Chuuya, Isidor, Myron, and Aleksandr were already seated.

I took my seat and looked at Aram. "Thank you for calling the meeting. What's the situation?"

Aram leaned back in his chair, a shadow of concern crossing his face. "Gérald and Thaïs are still critical. We need to decide what to do next. There are a few options on the table."

I listened intently as Aram outlined each option, considering the pros and cons of each. The pressure was on us to make the right decision, and I knew that the life of a man who had become like family hung in the balance.

Once Aram finished, the room fell silent. The tension was palpable, and I could see the internal struggles playing out on my companions' faces. We had a difficult decision to make, and the consequences of our choice would be far-reaching.

"What do you think, Elizaveta?" Chuuya asked, breaking the silence.

I hesitated, not wanting an answer.

"I find that I am unable to make an uninfluenced decision."

"Mm, I see." Aram turned to Isidor. "What do you think, Isidor?"

"We should take a step back and reassess," Isidor said calmly. "We're all tired and overwhelmed, so let's sleep on it and reconvene in the morning."

I nodded in agreement. We all needed a break from the stress of the situation. As we left the meeting room, I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of worry for Gérald and Thaïs.

That night, I struggled to sleep. My mind was racing with thoughts of the meeting and the weight of the decision we needed to make. I reached for the flask of blood by my bedside, the cool liquid offering a temporary reprieve from my thinking.

In the morning, we reconvened in the meeting room. Aram began the discussion again, going over each option once more. We discussed the pros and cons of each option, trying to make the best decision for Gérald and Thaïs.

After an hour of debate, we finally reached a consensus. Chuuya stood up from his seat and announced our decision.

"We will follow option C. We will gather as much information as we can about the situation and strategize the best course of action to take."

I nodded in agreement. Option C was a safe choice, but it also offered us the most flexibility to adapt to any new developments. We needed to be prepared for anything.

As we left the meeting room, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. We had made a decision, and now we could focus on carrying it out. I knew that our choices would affect not only Gérald and Thaïs but also our entire mafia.

Over the next few days, we dedicated ourselves to gathering information and planning our moves. Chuuya and I spent countless hours in the surveillance room, watching over enemy groups and making note of their every move. Isidor had hacked the security cameras in the enemy mafias. It was a really compelled job, trying to control and document different mafias. I visited Gérald and Thaïs often, but the mafia left me with little spare time. Thaïs was going through physical therapy to help with her leg, while Gérald was still bedridden.