Chapter 77: An Act Of War
Olivia, standing at the opposite end of the table, remained calm but equally concerned. Her eyes scanned the maps, looking for any clue they might have missed. "We need to be methodical, Gen. Rushing in without a plan won\'t help Ezra. We need to understand what happened."
A knock on the door interrupted their tense silence. One of their lieutenants entered the room holding a USB stick. "I\'ve got something." The man said as he entered. "Footage from a coffee shop near the boogeyman\'s last known location."
Gen snatched the device from man and set it up, her eyes narrowing as the video began to play. The footage showed Ezra sitting at a table, talking to a woman in a white gown with a red scarf covering the lower half of her face.
"It\'s Stephanie," Gen growled, recognizing the leader of the Flower Shop girls. "What\'s she doing with Ezra?"
Olivia leaned in, her eyes fixed on the screen. "We need more context," Olivia said thoughtfully. "This doesn\'t tell us where he went or if he\'s still with her."
Gen\'s frustration boiled over. "Context? Are you kidding me? She\'s involved, I can feel it. We should storm the Flower Shop and recover Ezra before it\'s too late."
Olivia shook her head, her expression calm but firm. "We can\'t just go in guns blazing, Gen. Nothing in this footage indicates that Ezra is with the Flower Shop girls now. For all we know, he could have gone somewhere else after this meeting."
The two women stared each other down, the air crackling with the intensity of their disagreement. Gen\'s eyes flashed with anger. "And what if you\'re wrong, Olivia? What if he\'s being held there right now, and we\'re wasting time debating?"
Olivia\'s gaze didn\'t waver. "And what if you\'re wrong, Gen? What if we attack and find nothing, alerting them to our presence and putting Ezra in even more danger?"
Gen slammed her fist on the table, causing the maps to flutter. "We can\'t just sit here! We have to do something!"
Olivia took a deep breath, her voice steady but laced with a hint of desperation. "I understand your frustration, Gen. But we need to be smart about this. If we go in without solid information, we risk everything."
Gen clenched her fists, her anger giving way to a more profound worry. "He\'s our only hope, Olivia. We must find him, no matter what it takes."
Olivia nodded, her eyes softening. "I know, Gen. But we owe it to him to do it right. To be careful, to think things through. Rushing in won\'t help him. We need to find a balance."
"You and your fucking balance." Gen muttered. She was just about to reply Olivia when a thunderous explosion shook the room.
"What the hell was that?" Gen snapped, her eyes widening in shock.
Olivia didn\'t respond immediately, instead rushing towards the door. Gen followed, both of them sprinting down the hallway towards the source of the commotion. The base was in chaos, smoke billowing through the corridors and the sounds of fighting echoing off the walls.
As they burst into the main atrium, they found their forces engaged in a fierce battle with intruders. Bullets flew and blades clashed as the Black Spider gang members fought to repel the attackers. Olivia and Gen immediately joined the fray as they recognized the colors on display.
"Three Axe." Gen spat as she grabbed a baseball bat nearby, swinging it around and taking down any enemy that came within reach. Together with Olivia, they cut through the chaos, rallying their forces and pushing back the attackers.
Gen was having fun bashing someone\'s head in when Olivia\'s voice reached her. "Gen!" Olivia shouted over the din of battle. "This is a diversion! They\'re after our resources!"
Gen\'s eyes narrowed as she processed Olivia\'s words. Without hesitation, she turned to their forces. "Fall back! Protect the storage area!" she commanded, her voice carrying over the sounds of the fight.
Their gang members quickly shifted their focus, following Olivia and Gen as they raced towards the storage area where their resources were kept. As they neared, the acrid smell of smoke grew stronger. Rounding the corner, they were met with a horrifying sight: the storage area was already ablaze.
Flames licked at the walls, consuming everything in their path. On the other side of the fire, Aaron and Macmillan stood grinning, their eyes gleaming with satisfaction. A few of their human forces were behind them, weapons at the ready. Aaron gave a cheeky wave, his grin widening.
"Well, well, well, looks like we hit the jackpot," Macmillan taunted, his voice raised and dripping with smugness.
"Enjoy the fireworks," Aaron added with a mock salute, before they turned and disappeared into the smoke.
Rage and frustration surged through Gen as she stared after them. She turned to Olivia, whose eyes were cold and calculating, her mind already turning to the next steps. The ceasefire with the Three Axe gang was over. This was an act of war.
"We need to contain the fire and salvage what we can," Olivia said, her voice steady despite the anger simmering beneath the surface.
Gen nodded, her fists clenched. "And then we make them pay."
Olivia turned to their remaining forces, her voice rising above the crackle of flames. "The ceasefire is over. War has begun. Prepare for retaliation."
Immediately, the Black Spider gang members set to work, fighting the blaze and assessing the damage. Gen\'s mind was already racing with plans for their counterattack. They had been caught off guard, but they wouldn\'t stay down for long. War had been declared and the Black Spider gang would respond in kind, with all the fury and strength they could muster.
As the fire raged on, consuming their resources, Gen and Olivia stood side by side, watching the flames. "It\'s Macmillan." Olivia spoke. "Macmillan wouldn\'t have attacked unless he knew something we don\'t."
"Like where Ezra is." Gen stated before turning to Olivia. "Does this mean we can now go in guns blazing?"
A dark smile appeared on Olivia\'s face. "Gather the guns."