Saira SwitzJefferson:

"Ready our troops?That's it?"

Without looking back at Zoe,I nod,
"Yeah."

I keep on looking at the portrait hanging from the wall in front of me without really looking at it.

Whenever Ethan's in the frame,confusion follows.

I want to trust him.
After everything he has shared but the night of yesterday is still so fresh in my mind.
Him standing there,side by side with Rudy,Lavinco's crony.

Could this be another ploy then?

Or is this another trick to get me killed?

The sound of fingers snapping repetitively shakes me from this thoughtful trance.

Blinking,I try to focus on the present,the portrait where the mermaid is seen clutching her throat for air as she is dragged by two fishermen from the clear blue waves to the shore.
The mermaid seems like she's choking.

"Sairs,now is really not a good time to become a sullen ghost.Talk to me."

Finally,I look back at her,my best friend of all these years and more to come,
"You heard the trillionaire.Ready our troops.Maximum security on every direction.Don't let the children out of their rooms.Tell everyone to take precautions."

Her stunning blue eyes follow me as I quickly slide a jagged knife under my belt and snag a gun in the holster.
"And you are going to meet him,then?Even when you know this could all be a trap."

I let out a deep breath,
'The Queen and King of the Underworld trust him.That's enough for me.But if he turns out to sell me out",I swallow hard,knowing I would do it,no matter how much I had grown used to him and his ridiculous behavior,"one bullet should be enough to stop him from ever betraying someone again."

Saying nothing,Zoe comes up to me and hugs me tightly,"If he does betray you,he will have to face the wrath of the Underground Warriors."

I shake my head,"Don't follow me.None of you.I can handle it on my own.Just be on your guard.I will be fine."

She rolls her eyes,"Sure,you will be fine but I would breathe a little easier knowing there's back up if anything goes wrong."

I flash a smirk,my eyes glinting with anticipation,"Zoe please.I am the back up,the front up and the line up.I don't need nobody there."

"Except me."

I hold out my right hand and wave it lazily at her,emphasizing on my index finger,where the ring with the emerald stone allows me to connect with her,a wired-in transmitter.

Zoe and I use this every time we go in solo missions.

"Except you."

______________________________________

Taking my helmet off,I shut the engine down of my motorbike and leave it with the other bikes.

Flipping the keys,I make my way to Hollow Cage,after sparing a backward glance at the old chemical manufacturing factory,Stevensons and Co Industrial Plant as the sounds of my heeled boots echo throughout the entrance.

The restaurant is dark and chic,green and yellow lights dimmed everywhere with people sitting in twos and threes.

It doesn't take me that much time to find the trillionaire.

Because he happens to be right in the center,where a small crowd is seated,shouting himself hoarse at the large television screen,where the national football game is broadcasted live.

How infuriating.

How Ethan-like behaviour.

But I must not lose my temper.

I.must.not.

The nonsensical words that are spewing out of his mouth does nothing to lessen my annoyance and growing anger,it aggravates it further.

"No!Don't give that ball to Patrick!Oh you moron!
Fucking run,you slow snail!"

Grounding my teeth,I steer myself away from these restless cricket supporters and fall to the far booth where the noise isn't as overwhelming.

Seriously,is this how a diligent businessman who has made history behaves?
I scowl harder at the thought that he was the one who invited me in the first place here after he was seen with Rudy,the puppet of the man who wants to take over the underworld.

What is this new charade?

How uncouth and selfish and no respect at all...

"Ah Saira darling,you look glamorous."

Slowly,I move my head up to see the trillionaire,in all his glory,sliding  down to sit across me and carelessly slinging a shoulder on the back of the chair next to him.

"How was the match?You seemed very adsorbed in it."

He opens his mouth,the teasing mirth clear in his blue eyes but I cut him off.

"No,by all means,continue yelling words of support with the rest of the patriots.Go ahead.You should be there watching and cheering them on until your voice gets hoarse."

The trillionaire doesn't say anything,a smile creeping out although he tries to hide it.

He clearly sees I am not finished.

"And while you are at it,you can even bellow your dissatisfaction at how Patrick plays."I snap,my arms crossed.

Shaking his head lightly,he starts talking after looking back at the rowdy crowd.

"This place,Hollow Cage has been kind of a respite for me since I was a teenager.These people are the regular customers.I am one too.So we bonded over our shared love of sports and the special roasted beef that only Hollow Cage can offer,of course."

Narrowing my eyes,I scrutinise him.

Donning a black jacket with a white tee underneath and black pants with white Adidas sneakers,he seems more like a famous young actor from Hollywood instead of the most famous businessman.

So I ask,
"So everyone here is used to seeing the first ever trillionaire just walking around casually?No paparazzis?"

He answers while uncapping a bottle of water,
"Course they are used to it.Most of them have watched me grow from a drug addict to a successful entrepreneur.And about the paps,they are not allowed here.I made sure of that."

A few more questions pop up in my head regarding that but I shove it away.
There's more serious issues that need to be touched upon.

"Enough of the chitchat,then.Tell me,was the night in Mate Gala a scheme?A plot to get into Lavinco Ruth's plans like you said?Or are you a double agent or maybe,"I lean closer,my intertwined hands landing on the table,"you are in this just for yourself,for some selfish motive?And since when did you learn how to pick locks?"

He huffs out a laugh,
"Did we both not have the same classified training that every criminal prodigies must undergo?And yes it was planned all along.I have learned a lot by pretending to be one of the followers of Red Raven,Lavinco's gang.Now,we must hurry.The things I have learned when Lavinco invited me to his headquarters,"his eyes go dark,more sombre,"you will want to know and you won't like it one bit."

I lean closer as Ethan starts filling me in slowly with all the details,of the things he saw when he entered the Box,which is the famous name given to the Official Headquarter of Lavinco Ruth.Of how unnatural the soldiers behaved,stiff backed and robotic.
He tells me about the manic glint he saw in the madman's eyes,the rest of him fully covered in velvet red,the color of blood.
And so many more of the violent plans he has for the future of the Underground.As if the Underground needs him.As if he is the savior who is summoned.

And then Ethan tells me about the plan he had crooked up in his clever mind,the devilish plan which could go disastrously wrong and we would be at the enemy's mercy.

I pipe in with my own suggestion,
"Wait,if things do go wrong and they find out you are working with us,then it's better to have some enforcers."

"What kind?"

I smirk,"Leave that to me."
______________________________________

Without wasting any more time,we start heading out of Hollow Cage,Ethan fist bumping people as we walk closer to the slick black exit door.

He must have been a popular high school kid.

But didn't he drop out of school?

Okay never mind.

The huge black door automatically opens and lets us pass and I turn to Ethan as the door closes with a slight clack and the sunlight touches our face again.

"Okay,so should we go right now or gear up with some grenad-"

I never get to finish the sentence as there is a rippling sound of gunfire and marching footsteps.
Instantly,I crouch down taking my gun out as I see rows of men coming out from both the old Stevensons and Co industrial factory and the other buildings.

They must have been hiding there,waiting for us to take the bait,I think,my mind working on a frantic pace.

Before my finger can even pull the trigger and shoot,I hear another sound.
Click.
Tilting my face,I see Ethan holding a gun right by my side,but angling at me.

Not this again.

Before I can even get a word out,Ethan starts yelling.
"Hold your weapons!Do not fire!Remember she is the face of the Underground and Lavinco wants her alive!"

I grit out,"Lavinco will only get my dead body in a pyre!There's no way I am going with you all!"

Speaking that perfectly happy announcement,I land on my feet not paying attention to the fifty or so guns that were lifted and their gloved fingers touch the triggers,waiting to shoot a thousand tiny holes into me but still waiting for the signal from the bastard trillionaire.

Flipping my gun,I snap his shoulder with the hilt so that the gun slips away from his hand as he hisses in pain.

But Ethan is fast,whipping out another gun from inside his jacket and my eyes widen in incredulity as he points it at my chest and actually pulls the trigger.

As my eyes roll up and my legs give out,I can feel myself losing consciousness but all I can think of is,

There will be hell to pay and the idiotic trillionaire will be the first one to hang.

I will make sure of it.

______________________________________

A/N:GUYSSSS
HELLOOO
I AM BACK.
So first things first,
How are you?How's everything going?
This pandemic hasn't been kind so it's natural to feel frustrated or angry.
Feel free to vent in the comment section and my inbox is always open for my readers,you amazing people who are still here,still reading and following Saira's journey.
Thank you.(Though a simple ty is not enough).
My book has gotten picked and has trended in the tags so this has all happened cause you gave this story a chance.

I have no one but you all to thank.
Appreciate you all so much really.

Now,coming to this chapterrrr.
HAHAHAAH.
DID YALL LIKE THE CLIFFHANGER THO?
Saira's not gonee but when she wakes up,oh there's gonna be fuuuuun.
So yeah,stay tuned yall and this story really is coming to an end,
I kinda don't want it to end but you all deserve to see how this book finishes.

So that's that!
Thank you everyone for readinggg.
Ily'all.Truly.

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