My pulse beats steadily in my throat. My hands don't shake.
"Five."
"Breach."
The explosive charge detonates, blowing the heavy wooden door inward in a violent shower of splinters and thick smoke. I step through the ruined frame before the dust even settles on the floor.
The library sits empty. Moving fast, I cross the large room in four long strides to reach the closed war room door ten feet ahead. Angry Georgian voices shout inside.
Dato’s voice rings out - loud and agitated. "…don't care what Levan ordered! Three days is way too long to wait. Romanov is planning a strike right now, I can feel it. We move tonight. Load the weapons and get the men ready…"
An older, calmer voice interrupts him. "Your uncle said to wait. You disobey him and…"
"My uncle isn't here!" Dato shouts over the warning. "I'm in charge of this operation - I say we attack tonight!"
Stepping back from the heavy door, I process the argument. Levan ordered his nephew to wait three days, yet Dato chose to ignore the command. Good to know.
I don't bother knocking. Kicking the door wide open, I step inside the room with my gun raised.
Twelve armed men stand gathered around a long wooden table covered in maps and assault rifles. Dato stands at the head of the room with both hands pressed flat against the wood. He cuts off mid-sentence as his head snaps in my direction. His dark eyes widen in pure shock.
I shoot the guard standing closest to the door in the center mass, dropping him dead to the floor.
The entire room erupts into chaos. Men scramble desperately for their weapons while chairs scrape loudly against the hardwood. They shout panicked warnings as I push forward. Firing two quick shots, I send two more bodies crashing to the rug. Bohdan steps into the room behind me to cover the left flank while Marko takes the right. Deafening gunfire fills the confined space, thickening the air with the harsh smell of cordite and fresh blood.
A guard raises his heavy rifle toward my chest. I put two rounds into his heart before he can even aim. Another man lunges at me from the blind side. Sidestepping the clumsy attack, I grab his extended arm and twist hard. The bone snaps with a loud crack, and I shoot him directly in the face at point-blank range.
Dato backs away toward the far plaster wall. Completely unarmed, he screams at his dying men to protect him. I walk straight toward his trembling form, stepping carelessly over bleeding bodies to shoot anyone still twitching on the floor. A desperate guard fires at me from behind an overturned chair. The stray round hits my armored vest. I barely feel the impact before shooting the man three times to end his life.
Bohdan clears the final man on the left side of the room. Marko drops the last two on the right. The violent space falls quiet. The only remaining sounds are ringing ears and ragged breathing. Eleven dead bodies litter the floor. Dato remains pressed flat against the wall, his hands raised in surrender.
Holstering my warm gun, I walk to the head of the long table. The large chair Dato occupied moments ago remains upright. I grab the heavy wood, dragging it aside to climb directly onto the table and sit at the head. My heavy boots rest on the polished mahogany while thick blood pools on the floor beneath me.
Dato stares in horror.
"You were saying something." My voice cuts through the ringing silence in the room. "Right before I walked in. Finish your sentence bitch."
Dato stares down at the bleeding bodies of his men. His jaw works, but his dry throat refuses to form the words.
"Take a seat, bitch."
He swallows hard, his chest heaving under his ruined suit. "Alexei, listen to me. I swear to God I…"
"I didn't ask you to swear." I kick a dropped rifle out of my path. "I told you to sit down."
Stumbling toward the nearest chair, he collapses onto the seat. Cold sweat soaks through his expensive suit, and his hands tremble without stopping.
Leaning back, I cross one ankle over my knee and pull out my phone to scroll through my missed messages. Zoya sent a photo from inside the bunker. Her bare feet rest propped up on the metal bench. The caption reads:Bored. Hurry up.
A genuine smile touches my lips. I type back:
Almost done. I’ll be home soon vedma.
Read
Sliding the phone back into my pocket, I turn my full attention to Dato and start laughing.
He looks furious.