Episode Nine
Cindy's fury echoed through the plane as she clashed with the two men in a fierce hand-to-hand combat. "You morons!" she yelled, her voice laced with defiance.
Just as the men overpowered her, stripping her naked, one of them shoved her out of the plane's door. The wind whipped through her hair, threatening to consume her. But Cindy's quick thinking and bravery kicked in.
A parachute enveloped her, slowing her descent. "Ah, yeah...I almost forgot," she laughed, relieved.
The plane crashed in the distance, a fiery explosion illuminating the sky. Cindy's mind flashed back to her earlier preparations: hiding a counting bomb behind an airplane seat and donning the parachute before the attack.
The parachute gently deposited her on the lush grounds of Abidjan's tropical forest. An old salon car appeared, and the driver leaned out, inquiring in a local dialect, "Bade Bade? Komes?"
Cindy, still shaken, replied, "I'm American. Can I take a ride?"
The driver's response was unintelligible, prompting Cindy to take drastic action. "Fuck. I can't believe I'm doing this," she muttered, pulling out her handgun.
Two shots rang out, and the driver slumped over. Cindy broke the car glass, unlocked the door, and dragged the corpse out. With a deep breath, she slid into the driver's seat and sped away into the unknown.
****************
The sun had set over Nicolas' Bungalow, casting a warm orange glow over the lush gardens. Two bartenders expertly poured wine into glasses, their movements fluid and practiced. Ethan stood tall, his eyes fixed on Nicolas as he prepared for their discussion.
"So, Ethan," Nicolas slurred, his voice laced with the effects of excessive drinking. "I called you, and I'm glad you responded with respect."
Ethan's gaze remained steady. "Yeah, what's this about?"
Nicolas' eyes gleamed with a hint of desperation. "Now that we're almost done with those fucking Joseans, I want you to get intel from Mark. I suspect he knows who's backing them, but he's refused to talk."
Ethan's eyes narrowed, his mind racing with the implications. He had no choice but to obey Nicolas, but a spark of resentment ignited within him. Maybe one day, he'd rise above Nicolas' rank.
"Do you understand me, Ethan?" Nicolas pressed, his voice laced with urgency.
Ethan forced a smile, his eyes locking onto Nicolas'. "Ah, of course, Nicolas."
As Nicolas took a step forward, a fit of coughing overtook him. "We'll celebrate this victory soon. The Montenegros have shown their weakness by using the Joseans against us. I want you to use this opportunity to crush them with every ounce of strength you have!"
Ethan phoned Don Emilio. " Hello, Don Emilio. I've got good news."
"I'm coming, Ethan. Where are you?"
"Nicholas promises. Don't be late, cuz tonight is celebration night. We've won over the Joseans."
"The next thing we will need to do is to focus on the Deputy governor."
"What of our allies?"
"They're doing pretty well. At least, I've payed the protection money for what Cindy did…"
"Cindy? What happened?"
"Oh, don't worry, Ethan. It's nothing. I just want us to celebrate our success this night."
The door slammed shut behind Nicolas, leaving Ethan to his thoughts. He made his way to the room where Mark was being held, his heart pounding with anticipation.
Ethan's footsteps echoed outside Mark's door before he entered, his gun drawn. "Follow me, we have somewhere to go."
Mark's eyes widened in fear. "What—"
Ethan's gun silenced him. "Shut up. You know what this is, don't you?" Ethan's eyes gleamed with a cold intensity as he tied Mark's arms and legs. Putting him tied at the front of the car's surface.
The car's engine roared to life, and Ethan sped down the highway, Mark's terrified screams echoing through the night air. "Please don't do this! We're going to crash!"
A truck hurtled toward them, but Ethan's quick reflexes saved them from a catastrophic collision. Mark's eyes went wide with fear.
"Okay, I know who's backing the Joseans! I'll tell you, just please don't kill me!" Ethan's eyes narrowed, his grip on the steering wheel tightening.
Ethan pulled over, the car's tires screeching on the asphalt. "So, talk."
Mark's voice trembled. "It's Rezaki. He sent his right-hand man, Rodriguez, to form an alliance with the Montenegros and sabotage our business deal. They were going to use Don Emilio's daughter as leverage."
Ethan's eyes widened, his mind racing with the implications. He chuckled, a cold, mirthless sound. He took his gun and wasted Mark, then drove the car, leaving the corpses carelessly.
That night air was alive with music and laughter as Ethan and Nicolas celebrated their victory over the Joseans. Nicolas raised his glass in a toast.
"To the Cruise! May our power and influence continue to grow!"
Several men arranged for the party at Nicholas premises. Tables, Seats and wine's were shared, in no time, the environment was crowded. Many secrets organizations and allies of the Cruise arrived at the party to join the celebration.
Ethan's eyes locked onto Nicolas, a hint of unease simmering beneath the surface. "Cheers to that."
After some time Don Emilio arrived, taking a step to the front of the crowd, Don Emilio praised Ethan, eventually making him a made man and increasing his rank in the Cruise Crime Family.
As they clinked glasses, Ethan's mind wandered back to the mysterious phone call with Don Emilio. What had happened to Cindy? And why had Don Emilio promoted him above Maxwell?
"How is it possible that Don Emilio will allow me to overthrown his son's position Within the family? Nikolas didn't even Surpassed Maxwell's rank, now just in a flash, I've Surpassed Maxwell. What's going on." Ethan eyes looks around the crowd, his mind uneasy
The celebration raged on, but Ethan's thoughts were shrouded in uncertainty.