Chapter:12 One Down, Three More To Go

Charles, anticipating the worst, closed his eyes, preparing for the inevitable. Instead, he heard a soft snort that turned into a peal of laughter.

"You seriously thought it would be that quick?"

Anastasia's laughter echoed through the room, a disarming contrast to the tension that had gripped the air just moments before.

Charles, perplexed, opened his eyes to find Anastasia smirking, the M9 still in her hand, but now pointed away from him.

"Amina, lift him up,"

she ordered, gesturing for Charles to stand.

Amina complied, hoisting Charles back to his feet, his confusion evident on his face.

"You think I'm just going to execute you on a whim, Charles?"

Anastasia continued, her laughter subsiding into a knowing grin.

"No, that's not how I operate."

Charles, still catching his breath, couldn't hide his bewilderment.

"Then... what is this?"

he stammered.

Anastasia smirked before turning to Lizzy, 

"Wondering why I asked you to stay behind and witness this rather entertaining drama?"

Lizzy, who had been a silent observer, nodded cautiously, her eyes flitting between Anastasia, Charles, and Amina.

"You see, there is something about you that I find quite... endearing."

Anastasia moved out from behind her desk and circled Lizzy, her gaze sharp and calculating.

"I've been in this business long enough to know that loyalty is more valuable than blood. Charles here,"

she gestured towards him,

"Blabbered around and got himself involved in something unpleasant."

Charles, still trying to grasp the situation, looked between Anastasia and Lizzy, his confusion deepening.

"Lizzy,"

Anastasia addressed her directly,

"you've been with us for a while now. You've proven your loyalty, and despite being a rather useless burden to our group,"

Anastasia's tone was measured, her eyes searching Lizzy's face for any sign of retaliation or discomfort.

"I have decided to trust with something important. Something... personal."

Lizzy's expression was unreadable.

Anastasia raised her hand, the M9 held in her palm but by the barrel instead of the grip,

"Finish him."

Lizzy's eyes widened, and Charles, who moments ago had resigned himself to an imminent demise, now stared at Anastasia with a mixture of disbelief and terror.

"Finish him?"

Charles repeated the words, his voice a mixture of shock and fear.

Anastasia, however, chuckled, a sound that sent shivers down Charles's spine. She turned to Lizzy, her gaze intense.

"Lizzy, you've shown unwavering loyalty, and for that, I reward you with a choice."

Anastasia gestured with the M9, indicating Charles.

"And it goes like this, you can either walk out of this office right now and we will forget you were even here."

She pointed at herself and Amina with her free hand,

"Or you can put a bullet through his head and get a better job that I had in mind for you. The choice is yours."

Lizzy stood frozen, her gaze shifting between Anastasia, Charles, and the M9 in Anastasia's hand. The weight of the decision hung in the air, and the room seemed to hold its breath in anticipation.

"Walk out now, and you're free to go,"

Anastasia reiterated, her voice calm but with a dangerous edge.

"Or prove your loyalty in a way that secures your future with us."

Charles, still recovering from the shock of the unexpected turn of events, pleaded with his eyes, silently begging Lizzy to choose the path of mercy. Amina, standing by, remained stoic, her expression unreadable.

Lizzy took a deep breath, her mind racing through the implications of each choice. The loyalty she had displayed thus far was about to be put to the ultimate test. She reached out and picked up the M9 from Anastasia's hand, it felt much heavier in her hands than it had looked on Anastasia's.

"No, please! Wait, please!"

Cried out Charles as he saw Lizzy raise the gun to his head,

"No, no! I—I beg of you! I didn't mean for things to get this dire—I don't want to die yet, not like this! Please, I can't die! Please! Please, Anastasia, please! You've been a great boss. I swear I can change, Anastasia, please, I can fix the mistake that I made. Please, I didn't think the Italians were going to do this. Please, I'm still loyal to the family, please! Please! Please!"

He groveled and begged but ultimately the decision was made, either he would die in Lizzy's hands or be made an example in the family meeting along with three of his fellow traitorous scums. 

"Please, Ana! I'll do ANYTHING—"

Amina landed another brutal kick to his belly, causing him to bend over once again. He gasped as the air left his lungs.

Anastasia nodded at Amina who stepped up to Charles and grabbed him by the back of his jacket, holding him steady. Lizzy, with her trembling hands, kept the M9 centered on his head.

"Ana, please, no!"

Charles' eyes widened, his heart racing. Sweat dripped from his forehead. He begged and pleaded, his eyes filled with despair.

Anastasia kept her gaze fixed on him, her expression unwavering. Amina held him in place, her gaze blank.

"Do you have any last words?"

"Please Ana, have mercy!"

She sighed before turning to Lizzy and narrowing her eyes,

Charles cried, his voice cracking.

*BANG*

The bullet tore through the base of Charles's skull, spraying brain matter all over the rug as his body tumbled to the floor. The shot reverberated through the room, leaving Charles's blood to pool on the wooden floor, spreading outwards like a crimson spider's web. Lizzy, frozen in shock, glanced down at Charles's corpse before looking back to Anastasia with a stunned expression. Anastasia remained unblinking, her gaze as cold as ever.

Lizzy's heart rate skyrocketed, and her hands began to shake as she was still reeling from the act she just committed, looked up at Anastasia with a dazed expression.

"No... I..."

Anastasia stared down at Charles' body, her expression impassive as the corpse bled out onto the wood floor.

Lizzy, who had been on the verge of a breakdown for a minute now, finally broke. She dropped the gun and fell to her knees, burying her face in her hands and sobbing hysterically. Amina, who had seen this too many times, turned away and went to pick up the M9 from the floor. She looked over to Anastasia for instructions on what to do next.

Anastasia seemed surprised by Lizzy's reaction but was also a little amused. She had expected her to show remorse, but not to completely break down like this.

"Well, I suppose that's that. Now get rid of the body and then come see me tomorrow. We have to discuss your new role in the family, you've just earned yourself a promotion,"

She turned to leave the office, heading for the door without so much as a second look. Behind her, Amina nodded in acknowledgment, scooping up the M9 and placing it back on the desk. She then turned to Lizzy, who was still on her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Lizzy,"

Amina spoke, in a monotonous voice,

"Pull yourself together. We have work to do."

Lizzy, amidst her tears, nodded and wiped her face. Amina extended a hand to help her up. As Lizzy rose, her gaze lingered on Charles's lifeless body. The reality of what she had just done hit her with full force, and she took a shaky breath.

Anastasia, unfazed by the emotional turmoil in the room, exited without a backward glance. The door closed behind her with a quiet click, leaving Lizzy and Amina alone in the aftermath.

Amina guided Lizzy through the necessary steps of disposing of the body, providing practical instructions devoid of sentiment. It was clear that, in their world, such events were not anomalies but rather routine occurrences. As they worked, Lizzy's mind oscillated between Charles's corpse and the weight of the new role Anastasia had mentioned.

Once the task was completed, Amina, still expressionless, addressed Lizzy,

"Clean yourself up. Tomorrow, you'll face the family with a new status. Anastasia sees potential in you, and that means you have a role to play."

As Lizzy and Amina wrapped up their dirty work, Anastasia stood outside the door, a cigarette dangling from her lips. She took a drag, exhaling smoke through her nose with a satisfied look on her face. This one was probably the third since she came out of the office. No matter how much she tried to deceive herself, there was no helping the fact that she wasn't a bloodthirsty psychopath. 

Yes.

Even if she had just forced someone barely an adult to gun down her former comrade, she was still better than many of the other occupants of this city. 

She slowly descended the stairs, the place still had multiple shell cases littered all over the steps, not to mention the obvious blood stains on the floor. The situation grew noticeably worse once she was in the bar, the walls were all stained with a crimson hue, and the floor had just been cleaned but the strong metallic tang in the air hinted towards what had transpired there less than half a day ago.