The following afternoon
Thursday
West Ridge
I received a very disturbing phone call that evening.
"Help me, please!"
"Vladimir?" I growled in surprise.
"Anatoly, he has taken over the Bratva… He is coming for me. It is just me and Vasily. Please, I must get out of the City – I need your help, Hit Girl."
"We can do that, Vladimir," I confirmed.
"Avoid the Bratva – all past deals are off!" Vladimir warned.
"Trouble?" Dave asked as I dropped the call.
"You could say that!"
That night
Kick-Ass was driving Beast, with Jackal beside him.
I led on my purple superbike. Shadow was annoyed that she was unable to come, but her new combat suit was not yet ready. Shadow was with Battle Guy, in the Command Centre, providing support.
We had arranged to meet Vladimir and Vasily in a secluded part of the City. We would then escort them out of the City – from there, they would be on their own. As we approached the place, I could hear gunfire.
"Battle Guy, we have contact ahead!" I called over the comms.
Kick-Ass immediately overtook me, placing the armoured Beast between the gunfire and my motorcycle. As we approached, my cell rang.
"Hit Girl! We are under attack – it's the Bratva – they've found us!" Vladimir called.
I could hear the shooting in the background. Automatic gunfire as well as the sharper sound of pistol fire. As we turned the final corner, I saw three SUVs. Two were black and were stopped in the middle of the street facing us. Between them and us was another SUV, this one red and it was riddled with bullet holes. Behind this SUV, I could see two men, one of whom was returning fire with an AKS-74U assault rifle.
The two black SUVs had six men, all armed and engaging the red SUV. I could see two bodies on the street. Vasily seemed to be doing well! Kick-Ass stopped Beast near to the Red SUV and jumped out with Jackal. I stopped behind Beast and dismounted. Kick-Ass had his G36K up and he was engaging the black SUVs. Jackal was doing the same with his P90. I ran forward, cradling a G36C and knelt down beside Vladimir.
"Thank God!" Vladimir called over the noise.
The gunfire from the Bratva reduced and then ceased.
"Hit Girl! Our fight is not with you – we just want the traitor, Vladimir!"
"Nyet!" I yelled.
"Not clever!" The same voice called back. "This is not your fight!"
"He's right, you know!" Shadow said from the Safehouse.
"Vladimir is an important ally, Shadow!" I replied.
"Worth a war?" Battle Guy asked.
I paused to think this through. I owed Vladimir – he had helped us, more than once. Hit Girl had a reputation to uphold. I could not go back on my word – it would get out – it always did!
"Vladimir – get to Beast, now!" I ordered. "Vasily – you too!"
As Vladimir moved, the gunfire started again. He made it to Beast, along with Vasily. Kick-Ass fired a smoke grenade from his rifle before jumping into Beast and accelerating away.
I kept pace, on the protected side of Beast and we headed for safety, to the west.
The next day
Friday
We had been able to get Vladimir and Vasily to safety, outside of Chicago.
The Bratva had chosen not to pursue us through the City, which had been a blessing. Neither of the Russians had been injured, which was also good. Nevertheless, the success had its consequences. There now existed a state of 'cold war' between Fusion and the Bratva. We could be attacked at any time – or nothing might happen; we had no way of knowing!
This all just added another layer of danger to what we did for this City. We would need to be on the lookout, constantly; which was no different from normal. Constant vigilance was the rule for us and would continue to be.
At least things could not get any worse!
Three and a half thousand miles to the east
Palermo, Sicily
Vito Genovese was an 'old-school' Mafioso bastard. If you went to Vito and told him about some person who was doing wrong, he would have that person killed and then he would have you killed for telling on that person. At least that was how the story went; he was ruthless and as a result, he had few adversaries.
Vito stared angrily across the desk, at his brother-in-law Joseph.
Joseph Valachi was as bad as, if not worse than Vito. Vito and Joseph were originally from two opposing families, but then Vito had married Joseph's sister, Anna Valachi and created a monster crime family that controlled Sicily and had done so for many decades. Both families were old and went back hundreds of years, with a trail of potentially thousands of murders.
In front of Vito was the cause of his anger.
The newspaper La Sicilia had the headline: 'D'Amico decapitato da vigilantes a Chicago'.
"We cannot be seen to do nothing about this..." Vito spat. "This insult to our family!"
"I know that you were never happy letting your daughter marry that Frank D'Amico, but it was more convenience than anything else," Joseph said.
Joseph ran the day-to-day operations of the organisation. He was also the chief enforcer and he enforced with an iron hand, both in the name of his own family and that of Vito Genovese. Nobody dared to say no to Joseph Valachi and those that did...
"How could a jumped up group of vigilantes cause such damage over a period of less than six years! First Frank, then Angie and then their son Chris and now Ralph – what the hell is going on in those damn Cities!" Vito said, his temper flaring and his voice getting louder with each word.
Joseph paused, deep in thought for a minute, before replying.
"We could send in Anthony, from Detroit. We send him some men and start laying down the law – our law!" Joseph stated, his own temper flaring.
"Let me put some thought into this. Now back to our side of the world, back to Europe..." Vito went on.
A Mafioso storm of immense proportions was heading for New York and Chicago. Only no storm warning had gone out...
North Park Elementary School
Chicago, USA
This week had been hell on earth!
Being back at school, while fun, was torture. Every time that I glanced at Curtis, he was smirking! I was even getting strange looks his friends, Jake and Zack. Had Curtis told them about his kissing me? Yes, I had told Nikki and she had demanded to know what it felt like and how I had felt. She had also said that the kiss had explained the bruise on Curtis' cheek! I had felt really embarrassed about hitting Curtis; not that he had minded, apparently; he seemed to wear the bruise as a badge of honour.
My mind had also been reeling from the events of the weekend. I had killed half a dozen men and I had enjoyed it. I had felt alive; I had felt the adrenalin flowing through me. I had also slept well, in addition, which was more than a bit worrying! I had been expecting nightmares – the worst nightmares, but nothing. Was there something wrong with me?
"I'm a psychotic maniac!"
"No you're not," Curtis said, sitting down beside me.
I had not realised that I had spoken aloud. I needed to be careful. Talking like that in the school at lunchtime was not a very good idea.
"You two gonna start kissing?" Zach asked, sitting down across from me.
"Maybe I will!" I smirked.
"Bring it on, wild one!" Jake commented as he joined Zach.
"You gonna embarrass yourself again?" Nikki said as she sat down.
"I never embarrass myself!" I growled back.
The expression Nikki threw back at me said that she thought otherwise! I took a bite out of my sandwich and ignored them all.
That evening
I was also getting concerned with how Marcus would see me know that he knew I had killed – that I was to all intents and purposes, a mass murderer.
"Marcus, I know that you and Mindy often had fallings out, in her pre-teen years. I know that you have always detested her alter ego..." I started.
Marcus looked directly at me as he replied.
"You want to know what I think about having another daughter that kills people!"
"Kind of..."
"Megan, I love you as much as I love Mindy. I may not be entirely happy with the life that you have chosen and I was not happy with the life that Mindy had chosen for her," Marcus explained. "Okay, I did my best to dissuade Mindy, but she, like you, was too strong willed!"
I actually felt myself blushing.
"As I also tell Mindy – stay safe and remember that in most cases 'I don't want to know'!" Marcus finished.
I smiled and gave Marcus a hug.
The following night
Saturday
The fuckers ambushed us!
Wrong time, wrong place! The first bullets had pounded on Jackal and his motorcycle. He had skidded and crashed. I had skidded to a stop and dived for cover. The gunfire was intense. I returned fire with my G36C, giving time for Jackal to get into cover.
"Battle Guy, we've been ambushed!" I called. "Jackal check in!"
"I'm fine – except for some bruises and a bruised ego!" Jackal responded. "Got a feeling I'll be worse once Hit Girl sees what I've done to my Ducati!"
"Funny cunt!" I responded.
"Mist and Medic are five minutes out in Iron Hide!" Battle Guy responded.
"Have them go for Jackal first!" I ordered. "Jackal, set the self-destruct on your Ducati!"
..._...
The gunfire was getting heavy and my ammunition was getting low. Medic and Mist had been patrolling in another part of the City. Medic had complained about her daughter getting all the fun and had insisted on a night out. Shadow had been a little annoyed: "It's not all fun, mother!" I had good cover, Jackal had not; he was keeping down, behind his crashed motorcycle, and was returning limited fire from his P90. I was doing my best to stop anybody from getting near him.
"Ten seconds!" Mist called.
I heard Iron Hide before I saw it. Nevertheless, as it came around the corner, I was filled with awe at the sight of the huge truck as it sped down the street and the large reinforced bumper clipped the rear end of a Bratva SUV, flipping it around and crushing several gunmen as it slammed sideways into a building.
"Women drivers!" Jackal quipped.
Medic headed the truck directly towards Jackal and pulled up; shielding him, so he could jump up and yank open a rear door and climb in the back. I saw two Krysha moving to the rear of an SUV and removing something; I recognised the shape instantly.
"Medic! Get outta here – they have rockets!"
I heard the engine of Iron Hide roar as Medic floored the accelerator, sending the truck down the street and then turning right into cover. The Krysha looked mad at losing their prey, but instead aimed the rocket in my direction!
Not exactly, the first time that I had faced a rocket pointed directly at me!
I dived to my right, just as the rocket was fired.
It hit a small building behind me, dumping rubble into the street at the intersection and blocking my escape towards Iron Hide. I was cut off from the others and I was cut off from my Panigale. Last time, this fucking happened, I was shot!
Just as the Krysha started to move towards me, I heard the familiar sound of a high performance motorcycle engine.