Lilith

Retribution

As the morning sun filtered through the hospital room's window, casting a soft glow on Leo's pale face, I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt mixed with relief. He was stable now, but seeing him like this made my heart ache. I brushed a strand of hair away from his forehead, willing him to wake up.

The door creaked open, and Aurora slipped into the room, her eyes red from crying. She rushed to Leo's bedside, her hands trembling. "How is he?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

"Stable," I replied softly. "The doctors say he'll recover, but it'll take time."

Aurora nodded, tears streaming down her face. "I can't believe this happened. I should have been there."

I hugged her tightly. "We did what we had to do. Leo's a fighter. He'll pull through."

She pulled back, looking into my eyes. "I know you care about him, Lilith. He means the world to me too. Just promise me you'll take care of him."

"I promise," I said, my voice firm. "I'll do whatever it takes to protect him."

Leaving Aurora with Leo, I stepped out into the hallway, pulling out my phone to call the others. Marco answered on the first ring.

"Any updates?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

"He's stable. The bullet missed his vital organs, but he's lost a lot of blood. The doctors say he'll recover with rest and care," I replied, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside.

"Good. We need to regroup and plan our next move. The Russians won't take this lightly," Marco said.

"I know. I'll head back home and meet you all there," I said, ending the call and taking a deep breath before making my way back to the house.

---

When I arrived at the house, the atmosphere was tense. Sal, Marco, and Vince were gathered in the living room, maps and documents spread out on the table. They looked up as I entered, their faces grim.

"How's Leo?" Vince asked, his voice rough.

"He's going to be okay. We just need to give him time to heal," I said, taking a seat at the table. "But we need to act fast. We can't let the Russians regroup."

Sal nodded, his eyes sharp. "We need to hit them where it hurts. But we have to be smart about this. We can't afford any mistakes."

"Agreed," Marco said, leaning over the maps. "We've gathered intel on Viktor Petrov's operations. He's got several hideouts, but his main base is heavily guarded. We need to be precise."

I looked at the maps, my mind racing. "We need to take out Viktor directly. If we cut off the head, the body will fall. But we need more information. We need to know his movements, his routines."

Vince smirked, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "I've got a few contacts who owe me favors. I'll get the intel we need."

Sal looked at me, his expression serious. "Lilith, you and Marco will lead the assault. Vince and I will provide support. We need to be coordinated."

"Understood," I said, determination hardening my resolve. "Let's make sure we're ready. We can't afford to fail."

---

As night fell, we geared up and prepared for the assault. We moved swiftly and quietly, making our way to Viktor's hideout. The building was heavily guarded, but we had the element of surprise.

We split into teams, each with a specific role. Marco and I took point, leading the assault team. Vince and Sal provided cover, coordinating our movements.