Chapter 438: And When We Knock, We Smile

[FROLO]

After the accountant had been revealed to have been mutilated, the city didn’t even need to ask questions to know who had done it.

They knew that this was possibly just the beginning, which wasn’t comforting because no one had heard anything about Katya for over four weeks.

Even the Romanovs hadn’t said a word about him.

That was how unsettling everything had become.

But still, the city had to move on. The city had to live. And one slowly dying accountant who had been injected with methamphetamine was not going to slow them down.

The people were panicking.

Yet the president hadn’t changed his statement.

"The accountant was attacked by thugs and is receiving treatment. There is no indication that this was done by Sergei Moskowsky. As we all know, Mr. Moskowsky is the chairman of the Moskowsky Group Holding and is doing his job even at this moment.

"We need to refrain from pointing fingers where they aren’t needed. The government isn’t downplaying the fact that Mr. Moskowsky was tied to the team that murdered the governor;

"...or the fact that several of our best and brightest died by his hand or the hands of his associates. We are doing everything to charge the businessman appropriately so that lives are preserved," President Boris said in a press statement.

This time he didn’t mention Alek or the task force that was still actively torturing Katya and trying to get more information from the man.

It was useless, and they knew it.

Because Katya wasn’t in that video.

Katya wasn’t a terrorist.

Katya wasn’t the reason things had gone to shit. There had been so many factors along the way, and right now this was just one of the reasons things wouldn’t be as easy.

Still, the government had to reassure its people. It was all they could do because Sergei had declared war.

Not using his subordinates, but himself.

And he was not playing catch-up with them. Even so, they could not show the city that Frolo was lawless. That Frolo was really on the verge of collapsing. It would not be right.

"Do not panic. The government has and will always have the interests of the citizens of Frolo at heart. Regardless of what happens, do know that you can trust us and what we do for your sake.

"Live your lives. We will ensure your safety," President Boris said, and the people of Frolo listened.

It was all they could do at the moment, even when deep down they knew there was a real chance that things would not be easy. That nothing would save them from the monster they had all watched about.

But maybe if they all pretended that things were fine, maybe it would all be fine. Right?

Across the city, the situation was the same at the Hercules HQ. They had just come from training, and Sergei had also taken his shower.

He looked like he always did, which didn’t make it any better because, sure, they could read him.

But the man had not given them anything tangible since they were handed the arm to get prints from.

They had all been working nonstop to make sure that nothing was lost to them, but damn, was it unsettling.

Because within the silence, they knew the truth.

Sergei was grieving.

They heard him during the night when he had nightmares about Katya. When his body was too weak to fight the feeling of losing the love of his life.

They heard him when he begged for Katya’s forgiveness.

And even when, some days, he begged to be the one who took Katya’s place.

The one who hurt instead of Katya.

He’d wake up with no memory of his nightmares and continue his day as if nothing had happened.

But the six knew what happened at night.

They were there.

They knew it.

Maybe that was why the Myrtles left at night for their own mission.

Unsanctioned by Sergei.

Just Rastenkin and his psychos off for a mission.

Volkov and Rahim were to watch Sergei and cover up for them. But how would they be able to if Sergei woke up and demanded the truth?

Still, they had to try.

Because in all the eighteen years Volkov had served Sergei Moskowsky, he had never seen the man this defeated and determined.

Someone had to lighten the load for him.

And if that meant they had to, even at the risk of being the ones who Sergei killed first, it honestly wouldn’t be that bad.

Away from the Hercules HQ, the Myrtles had split into two teams.

Elara and Rastenkin went to Kenzo’s house. Or rather...

The secret family Kenzo was keeping.

The family that was well hidden in plain sight by the second-in-command of the Bratva leader.

Meera and Reeves... went to pay a visit to the thumbless Mrs. Smirnova.

They knew Aleksandr stayed the nights there because of how panicked he was that Rastenkin would come and hurt the woman again.

Then again, it was almost pointless on Aleksandr’s side because there was no place that Rastenkin would never be able to find him. The man was the Shopkeeper and would do whatever it took if he chose a target.

It was something that kept Aleksandr awake and desperate for anything. Maybe he would get what he was looking for. The peace that came with knowing the woman was alive.

But the lifespan of the said woman may have just started dwindling because, unlike Rastenkin, who loved playing psychological games, Meera didn’t have the time for it.

She was never patient.

And after what she’d already seen Sergei slowly fade into, she absolutely did not have any patience left in her.

"Do not attract attention," Rastenkin had stated as their rule of the night.

He knew they were all tempted to snuff the life out of Aleksandr, but he also knew that things had to be taken step by step.

It was only right that it had the maximum effect because if they were being honest with each other, it would take ages for Sergei to get up.

But they would do this for him.

Maybe that was why Meera and Reeves knocked politely on Mrs. Smirnova’s door. You’d think they were the most well-behaved neighbors of all time and not people who were here to play games with Aleksandr.

"Who is it?!" Mrs. Smirnova responded.

Meera almost giggled at the way Aleksandr was trying to suppress his scent in the room.

It was almost like he was trying to fool them, but the people trained by Sergei at the Psych Ward knew better than to trust a man who couldn’t get himself on the right side.

"Speak, or I’ll strangle your son," Reeves casually said to the neighbor they had dragged from her bed in the night.

With them was the neighbor’s son, whose mouth was covered by Reeves’ big hand.

The poor woman didn’t even have a choice but to follow what the maniacs who’d dragged her out of bed said.

It didn’t help that Meera and Reeves had masked their scents.

"It’s me, Lorna! Your backyard is open, and we saw two figures go in... Are you okay?

"Do we need to call the police?" Lorna, the woman, said through the peephole camera, looking nervous as hell while still maintaining her composure for her son, who was being held against her will.

"Oh, Lorna," Mrs. Smirnova said as she opened the door, a smile on her face, though she looked skeptical as hell.

"I’m so sorry," Lorna said, and before the woman could ask what for, Meera and Reeves showed up.

Right as Alek appeared behind Mrs. Smirnova.

"Doctor Marjan Malik?" Alek wondered, staring at Meera.