"That statement really worries me right now.... Please refrain from doing such a thing. Anyway, you're in big trouble, so make sure your second chance works this time." The Village Chief was really worried about what Eri might do in the future. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm just kidding, you know? Why would I do that to innocent people, not even soldiers? Relax, Chief."
Their conversation continued until they finally reached the department store. They had almost every item that was suitable for a branch from a remote island like this. Without wasting any time, Eri and Village Chief Sumika headed to the farming and gardening section. There were lots of tools here, like hoes, watering cans, forks, and many seeds. "Since summer is here, I suggest getting some tomato seeds." The Village Chief handed a bag of seeds to Eri. "If you want to start at a very basic level, I suggest you use seeds. But I also recommend the seedlings that have already been grown in some poly bags over there."
"Maybe the ones in the polybags are good. Starting with seeds is too hard for a beginner like me." Eri began taking tomato seedlings, corn, and cucumber. "Some flowers would be nice too." She added as she picked up some sunflower and rose seeds. "Now for the hardware – gloves, a hoe, and some fertilizer. Since Eri isn't doing large-scale farming yet, she bought the necessary amount. She arranged for the larger items to be delivered. After filling in the address, she was good to go.
"Still raining outside. What should we do?" Eri asked as they walked out from the department store towards the basement parking lot. "How about we drive around the city? We can search for something to eat. It's almost noon anyway."
"Sounds good. Let me drive. You can show me around," the Village Chief handed Eri the key and started the old car. "It might not be as big as Germany's capital city, but it's still good, no?"
"Yeah, I think so." Eri and Village Chief Sumika drove around as she showed Eri some good stores, landmarks, and even spots that could be used for dates. "Who knows, you might find a potential date here?" She added, and Eri just rolled her eyes in response. After having lunch, both of them headed back to the farmland Eri had recently purchased. The previous owner, Murato, had already headed to Tokyo. "Let's put the things in the hut and then head back to the village. I have something to do this afternoon." Eri simply nodded and followed the order. "Where should I drop you off? Your house?"
"Yeah, that's good. I had a great trip today, thanks Chief," Eri said as she headed to her house after bumping fists with the Village Chief. She enjoyed being around Eri. Apart from making her feel young again, Eri's presence allowed her to reminisce about the days she spent with her old friend Misha, Eri's deceased mother. She also took care of and watched over the girl to prevent any trouble. She had known Eri since her difficult times in the military and didn't want her to do something foolish.
"Where have you been, mother?" Sara, her only daughter, greeted her in the living room with an irritable expression. "Relax, kiddo. I just took a trip to the department store. I showed Eri around the City."
"Eri? Who is that?" Sara's forehead twitched in confusion. Despite being the OG kid who knew everyone in the village, she had never heard the name Eri before.
"Eri is the new person in town. Can't blame you, since you spend so much time in your room. You have a lot to do anyway. She's Misha's daughter, you know, the friend I told you about before. You met her when you were five."
"Aunty Misha? I know her. But I didn't know she had a daughter. So she's the one living in that haunted house?" Sara sat down on the sofa, followed by Sumika. "Of course. She's the owner now. She's probably cleaning up that house."
"I can't imagine someone living in that wreck. I mean, the vibe is terrifying, especially since it was abandoned. Old man Collins had a lot of money. He should did some renovations before he kicked the bucket. Want some tea?"
"No thank you. I have something to do at the community center. See you at dinner. Well, make it dinner for me, will you?" Sumika put on her coat again, grabbed her laptop and some documents, and headed out.
"Of course, mother. And take care. You're not young anymore, remember?" Sara expressed concern about her mother's health, to which Sumika responded with a dry laugh. Sara went back to her room after a notification popped up on her laptop, indicating that she needed to get back to work.
At home, Eri decided to take care of her AR-15. She had so much to do that she hadn't even had time to tend to her rifle. She wanted to escape her nightmares, but she couldn't escape the guilt. Taking care of her gun was a way for her to remember how sinful she was.
She loaded the rifle, aiming it at something to ensure the scope worked just fine. She attached a suppressor since she couldn't test it with a naked barrel; the other villagers would hear the sound. She tapped the trigger a few times and made a clean shot at some branches on a tree around the house. Afterward, she placed the rifle back and put on her jacket. As she looked around the house, she realized it needed some repairs—moss was hanging around, a few fences were broken, and there was a shattered window. "Forget about the farmland. I need to do something about this wreck," she thought.
With the sun beginning to set, Eri walked to the local restaurant nearby. The place was frequented by old people, creating a somewhat noisy atmosphere. TV was placed on the counter, allowing customers to watch the news or a baseball game while they ate or drank. "Oh, Eri, welcome. I see you forgot about groceries again, didn't you?" The establishment's owner, a middle-aged woman named Hana who wore a chef's attire, greeted her. Hana had a friendly smile and was quite talkative, occasionally lending a listening ear to her customers' troubles, much like a cliche bartender.
"Yes, even though I went to the department store with the Village Chief this morning, I forgot to stop by the groceries. I had too much fun with her around the city."
"I see. Take a seat and order. I believe you're already hungry; otherwise, why bother coming here?" Eri sat down, took the menu, and decided on her order a couple of minutes later. "The rice omelette and a beer will do the trick."
"Right away," Hana disappeared into the kitchen. In the meantime, another customer struck up a conversation with Eri. He was Ichiro, the local lumberjack. Despite his intimidating appearance with a bushy beard and a towel around his head, he always looked grumpy. However, other folks said he was a good man. "I heard you bought some land. Was it Murato's?"
"Yeah, that's right," Eri answered, while Ichiro didn't change his expression. "Are you interested in farming? You don't strike me as the typical country girl, but you seem quite tough."
"Thanks, I'm quite confident in my stamina," Eri laughed a bit. "If you need something fixed, just call me. My home is around the hill to the north." Ichiro then gave Eri his number, taking a swig of his beer while the food Eri had ordered arrived. "Sure, I'll give you a call when I need something." Eri dug into her meal after saving Ichiro's number in her phone. After Ichiro left, the other folks chatted with Eri, asking how she was doing and such. Eri was glad; it seemed like it was turning out to be another good day.
On the other side:
Italy
"I will find you, my dear captain..." Katarina, a woman around 25 years old with Germanic blonde hair flowing in the wind, stared at a pocket watch containing a picture of her and presumably her ex-captain, Eri Weissman. "Signora Katarina, the mafia is here," whispered a man in a suit, one of her subordinates. She flipped the pocket watch and stowed it away. "Send them in."
In this upscale restaurant, a reserved room was arranged by the Italian Mafia group low level one.' They had booked the place following Katarina's request, even though she was the one offering the service. She led a mercenary group called the 'Black Serpent,' which gained a formidable reputation in just a few months by serving those who offered the most gold.
The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
"Lady Katarina, the commander of the Black Serpent. We finally meet."
"Cut the small talk. What do you want? Extraction, assassination, security, theft? Name it."
"I like this about you... You don't give a damn about anyone, even 'La Nostra.' You guys really love playing with fire, don't you?"
"Anyway, the job is extraction. We need you to safely deliver a 'package' to a designated location in the Alps Mountains."
"Well, we better get ready then. The payment needs to be up front. If you don't like that, you can get the hell out of here." Katarina said, putting her feet up on the table, showing zero respect for the Mafia. One of the goons didn't appreciate this disrespectful attitude, but Boss Vicenzo stopped him. He placed a suitcase on the side and opened it, revealing bundles of cash and gold. "The payment is here. My team will prepare the package for you to deliver. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir, clearer than crystal. Let's get moving, boys." Katarina slapped the back of one of Vicenzo's guys, and they led her to the package.
"What the hell is with that attitude? Damn mercenaries..." One of Vicenzo's loyal men muttered, frustrated with Katarina's behavior.
"Relax, Tommy. We're doing this for 'La Nostra.' We can handle this disrespect. Just follow the orders, clear?"
"Yes, boss. I'm sorry for that..."
"Commander Katarina, are we sure about taking this job? It seems fishy to me..." voiced one of her crew members. As expected, the package they were transporting contained a significant amount of drugs.
"We take the money, we do the job. The rest doesn't matter. Of course, I know this has something to do with 'La Nostra.' We messed with them a few weeks ago. How else could some underground, no-name Mafia have so much money to offer us? Territory fights? I don't think so."
"We use them, not the other way around. Remember that, Private." Katarina made an encouraging statement to boost morale. "Copy that, commander." After that, no one questioned their commander's decision.
As Katarina expected, the job turned into an ambush by 'La Nostra,' but she had already rigged the car with explosives, turning it into an unarmed vehicle of destruction aimed straight at the Mafia. "Look, they're eager to play with us. At least this will keep us warm in the freaking cold Alps."
Katarina and her men opened fire with their M4 rifles on the Mafia, slowly but surely causing 'La Nostra' to lose men, money, and drugs. The Mafia had hoped to capture the 'Black Serpent' today, but the price proved too high. "Men, hit men hit!!"
"Carry the injured to the back. We can do this, boys! Push those assholes back. We earn the victory!"
"Commander, look out RPG!" One of Katarina's soldiers pushed her out of the way, taking the blast himself and getting injured. "Take cover!" she commanded. "Damn it! We're under heavy fire, commander. We need air support."
"Contact Lin Wei. She'll take care of that!"
"Commander, this is Phoenix 0-1, waiting for orders," Lin Wei's voice came through the radio a few minutes later after Katarina's command. She was the air support Katarina needed. "Phoenix, we're under heavy fire, requesting air support. I'll mark the location you need to hit."
"Roger that, commander. Waiting for your mark." Without hesitation, one of Katarina's men handed her a flare to mark the enemy positions. She tossed the green flare. "Confirmed visual from the mark, engaging," Lin Wei reported. The helicopter's minigun and a few missiles rained down on the ambush, forcing them to fall back after another push from Katarina's team.
"Phoenix, this is the commander. Good hits. The enemy is falling back. Requesting evac, over."
"Copy that, commander. I see a good spot for exfil. ETA 3 minutes, over."
"Roger, 3 minutes." Katarina and the rest of her team safely fell back with the assistance of the helicopter. "Looks like you saved me again, Wei..." Katarina said as she settled on the opposite side of the pilot's seat where Lin Wei was seated. "As always, Sergeant."
Katarina smiled; Lin Wei was a fellow soldier from the same squad as Katarina and Eri back then, with the rank of Sergeant, just like Katarina. That's why Lin Wei was one of the few people who could speak freely without pressure within the 'Black Serpent.'
"Still thinking about Captain W?" Lin Wei asked Katarina, observing her gaze fixed on the pocket watch. Captain W reference to her Captain, Eri Weissman had taken the initial 'W' as her alias.
"Of course I am. That traitor. She left us behind,in Russia, letting us suffer day by day. I can't forget that. She commanded us to slaughter an entire village, Lin Wei... Then handed us over to the Russian military to be used as missile fodder."
Katarina couldn't suppress her anger. "But maybe she's dead. We haven't found her in years. How can you be so sure she's still alive?"
"I just have a feeling, but I'm sure she's hiding somewhere," Katarina responded. "Very strange of you. You always think logically and never believe in something called intuition."
"Well, sometimes we must consider all possibilities. Even if she's really dead, I want to see her dead body before I can rest assured."
"What if she's been blown up by the missiles? Do you want to search for her tiny pieces?"
"She's the one who gave the order, she must be alive. Find Captain Eri Weissman, then I will kill her with my own hands, whatever it takes."
"Sure... But we can't stay in Italy anymore. 'La Nostra' has put a price tag on our heads. No doubt about it." Katarina looked at Lin Wei with a smirk on her face. Lin Wei knew she does that when she's about to do something crazy.
"Say Lin Wei, wanna be a Godfather?" Lin just made a difficult face, as if saying "Seriously? I'm a Chinese woman. You clearly need some pair of glasses." Lin Wei focused on her chopper rather than listen to Katarina right now.
"So you're saying we should take down 'La Nostra' and put your in charge of the Italian Mafia? Are you seeing things clearly? I think you really need glasses." Lin Wei released her pent-up anger toward the plan Katarina arranged when they returned to the secret hideout at the Italian border near Switzerland. "Alright, you don't want to be Godfather? Just say that; no need to get angry. "
"Come on, Katarina, you need to think this through straight mind. No, not just that. I think you've lost your sight here. What good is it to take down 'La Nostra'?"
"Look, we need networking here. I need to dig out the info from the Russians. I think Italy is a hub for that. We can handle the dark cover in this country, and we will get power, money, and everything. More important than all of that I need my Captain! You understand Sergeant!?" Katrina beginning to lose her cool and become unstable.
"Alright, Commander. Remember, I'm doing this for you. Okay?" As Katarina and Lin Wei discussed their plan and shared their deep-seated desire to find Captain Eri Weissman, their trust and bond as sisters in arms became apparent. Katarina had a calm moment after taking a shot of whiskey.
"So, Commander, how do you plan to crown me as the head of 'La Nostra'?" Lin Wei inquired.
Katarina leaned back in her chair, contemplating the audacious path they were about to embark on. "We'll start by dismantling 'La Nostra' from the inside. I've got people on the inside who've had enough of their rule. We'll exploit their weaknesses, erode their power base, and make it look like they're imploding. Once the old guard is weakened, they'll be desperate for new leadership."
Lin Wei nodded, her earlier resistance now turning into determination. "And that's when I step in?"
"Yes, exactly. With 'La Nostra' weakened and in disarray, we'll create the perception that you're the rising star, the one who can bring stability and profit. We'll have our own people vouch for you, feed information to the right ears. Once they see you as the savior, we'll make the move to officially install you as the new leader."
Lin Wei sighed, realizing the gravity of the situation. "This is going to be one hell of a journey, Commander."
Katarina grinned. "Indeed, Lin Wei. But if we pull this off, we'll have the power, the connections, and the resources we need to find Captain Weissman and deal with her. We'll be unstoppable."
With their audacious plan in motion, Katarina and Lin Wei knew they were embarking on a treacherous path. Their determination and shared past would be their strength as they sought to reshape the underworld and uncover the truth about their elusive former captain.
Under the cover of the night, Katarina gathered her team to infiltrate another territory controlled by 'La Nostra.' "Evening, soldiers. We're moving out to hit 'La Nostra's' money-making operation in Florence after the audacity they showed us the other day. I trust we're ready to send them our regards, right?"
"Yes, Commander!" All the soldiers replied with stoic expressions, ready for the mission. "Very good. Grab your weapons and follow me. Each of you is divided into two groups. Scorpion 0-1, led by Sergeant Moss. Step forward, Sergeant!"
Sergeant Moss stepped forward as Katarina continued, "Now, the other group is Evo 0-2, led by myself. Are you clear, soldiers?"
"Yes, ma'am!!!" The soldiers responded in unison before getting ready, grabbing their weapons, and loading up into the chopper.
Florence
01:30 AM.
Katarina radioed the other squad she was leading. "Scorpion 0-1, this is Actual. How's your visual over?"
"Copy that, Actual. Still no visual on the target. The fog is obscuring our sight. Expect some errors, over." The night in Florence was foggy due to recent rain showers.
"Roger that, Scorpion 0-1. Stay sharp on your target. Over."
Shortly after, her squad reported a visual. "Actual, this is Scorpion 0-1. We have visual on the target."
As the mission to raid the factory and strike at 'La Nostra' commenced, the 'Black Serpent' mercenaries moved stealthily, eliminating guards and obstacles along the way.
"Actual, this is Sergeant Moss. C4 is already planted. We're awaiting your command."
"Roger that, Sergeant. Get your unit to a safe distance. My unit is almost at the destination."
"Copy, Actual. Stay sharp and hidden. Sergeant Moss out."
"Alright, Evo 0-2, our target is right there. Shoot anyone in sight. I repeat, everyone. Let's destroy them." Katarina unleashed a storm of bullets from her LMG, mercilessly spraying the betting shop with gunfire. Simultaneously, Scorpion 0-1 triggered the explosives, obliterating the chemical factory crucial for drug production. The other explosives hit the marketplace, stores, restaurants, every business 'La Nostra' owned. Katarina had also stirred up trouble with rival gangs, turning this into a gang war.
The chaos and destruction were meticulously executed, leaving 'La Nostra' in a state of disarray and confusion. It was another audacious move in their relentless pursuit of bringing down the criminal empire that had wronged them.
The chaos and destruction unfolded swiftly, creating a web of confusion and disorder within 'La Nostra.' 'Black Serpent' operated with precision, targeting the heart of 'La Nostra's' operations and disrupting their supply chain.
In the midst of the pandemonium, Katarina's team relentlessly pursued their mission. Her team, Evo 0-2, systematically destroyed everything in their path. Windows shattered, flames roared, and the sound of gunfire filled the air. They showed no mercy, taking down 'La Nostra' members and anyone associated with them.
Scorpion 0-1, under the command of Sergeant Moss, was equally effective. The C4 planted earlier detonated with thunderous force, reducing the chemical factory to ruins. Toxic plumes filled the night sky, adding to the confusion.
"Actual, Scorpion 0-1 here. The chemical factory is toast. The pl
ace is in chaos. Waiting for further orders."
"Good job, Sergeant Moss. Withdraw your unit and rendezvous at the designated extraction point. We're wrapping this up."
As the chaos intensified, rival gang members seized the opportunity to settle scores with 'La Nostra,' plunging the streets into a full-blown gang war.
Katarina's plan was working brilliantly. By pitting rival factions against 'La Nostra,' she aimed to weaken their grip on Florence and further destabilize their organization.
The night was far from over, and the battle for control of the city had just begun. The 'Black Serpent' mercenaries fought with unwavering resolve, determined to dismantle 'La Nostra' piece by piece and inch closer to their ultimate goal: finding Captain Eri Weissman and settling the score once and for all.