Page 33 of Viripotent

“Don’t start that shit. Katya and Vitali still have my number saved as Dad 2, for fuck’s sake.”

Anastasia is already kitted out and ready to leave as we enter. stopping her pacing. The usual coked up socialite is nowhere to be seen as she loosens her muscles and I go to change. After ten years of this shit, I should be desensitized, my mind should shut off and treat it like a job, but it doesn’t. I could go another fifty and I’ll always have the images in my mind and my gut churns with disgust of what I’ve seen.It all floods in as I switch my persona like the other two have.

There’s no suit commanding respect. I look like a shadow with the specialized Vanta black cloth covering every part of my body other than my hands and there are no features that could possibly be seen, even under the harsh lights. Joining the other two, Stasi has stopped pacing and fidgets with anticipation as Dima passes the comms and relays whatever he’s found.

“They’re kept in a room on the second floor, the housekeeper’s bedroom is at the top of the stairs, and you’ll have a twenty-four minute window before reinforcements show up.”

Going through the recon that’s been done so far, I know it won’t take long. There are only four guards on each entry and two in the house, a lot can happen in twenty-four minutes when you’re motivated.

Turning to Stasi, I burst her bubble knowing she won’t like her role for the night.

“You’re driving. The housekeeper is a woman.”

She doesn’t argue, knowing what’s important and we all go silent leaving anything personal in the faraday box and going to the van kept in the adjoining property’s garage.

I sit in the back with Stasi driving and Dima takes the seat opposite me, I tap against my knee as Stasi’s rally driving past life comes out. Under her bullshit socialite image, she’s more dangerous than most of the men in the Bratva, it’s probably the reason she retains the façade so well. Right now, she’s not the same woman who was getting giddy on champagne a few hours ago at my engagement party and she cuts the lights before we reach the turn for the old farmhouse.

The lane is narrow and whoever previously drove down it managed to avoid the overgrowth spilling over the sides. Having an electric van ensures there’s no engine sound alerting anyone of our presence and Stasi stops before hitting any of the overgrowth. There’s a mile to be traveled by foot and she’s ready to reverse and go back to the street as Dima and I jump out.

I’m officially nothing but a void as I pull the mask over my face. The modified ski mask doesn’t have any eye holes. The urge to fuck with Dima and trip him as he passes me lessens as I remind myself of the fuckers inside. If they were halfway intelligent, they’d have thermal detectors instead of relying solely on their sight and cameras.

Stasi’s voice comes through, starting the countdown, when Dima steps on a shrub.

“Twenty-three minutes.”

Leaving him to do what he does best at a distance, I make my way to the back of the property through the overgrowth. It must be at least five feet high, and the rough blades scrape against my clothes. Bayu bayushki is a soft hum in my head, making me calm and focus. It’s all for her, everything I do, and I’ll make it back to her no matter what it takes.

Five guards stand shooting the shit, not caring about their positions and there are no outdoor lights, making my approach too easy. They’ve accepted the ploy of the dead fucks we left at the last house and think they’ve found the culprits.

Or we’ve actually managed to make a dent and they’re too inexperienced and signed up for the benefits without the fight that’s needed.I don’t take risks and get rid of two of them with a shot to the head, the remaining three look around wide eyed. There should be a camera on them to get their reactions, but the earpiece hisses with the time ticking.

“Nineteen minutes.”

The need to not draw attention to themselves and their fuck up has hesitance ending their lives. Dima’s shots are far too close to my ear. He does this shit on purpose to test his aim. And there’s one lucky fucker left too for my rage, so I don’t turn.

“Seventeen minutes.”

Taking a knife in each hand, the steel glistens, giving away my position as he moves closer to the edge of the overgrowth.He’s the biggest out of the bunch of dead fucks and his fingers aren’t tight enough on his weapon as he swings his arm, letting off shots.

“Fifteen minutes.”

I don’t bow and continue walking towards him as I step to the side, and he remains staring out into the overgrowth. It hits me as soon as I’m two steps away, the smell of alcohol, they weren’t inexperienced — they were careless. He chokes as I plunge a carbon blade into his throat and grab his wrist to remove the weapon. I smile, seeing nothing other than fear staring back at me as I twist.

“Twelve minutes.”

It’s not deep enough to kill him straight away and I let myself have two minutes of fun with the other knife. Carving deep slashes into his abdomen, I drag the knife up, feeling my blade hit his ribs, and it’s almost giddiness filling me. This is the closest I’ve ever felt to true peace, and the chuski dies, taking it with him.

Both Dima and I speak at the same time, showing we’re in sync.

“Done.”

There’s no response other than the countdown as Stasi tells us we have ten minutes. The lights are cut off and the dumb bitch inside clearly doesn’t know who she’s dealing with thinking something as small as the dark will stop me. Such a silly thing to do, she must have forgot monsters aren’t afraid of the dark. It’s where they were created and the only place they can call home.

Turning on the night vision, I keep my steps silent moving through the back of the house. I’ve already memorized the layout and could blindly make my way to the staircase. A struggle comes through the earpiece as Dima finds the bitch first and the gurgle has me smiling wider as I stay silent in case they’ve added anyone else in the last twenty-four hours.

Joining me once he’s confirmed there’s no one else, the lights come back with Stasi’s reminder.

“Seven minutes.”

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