Balthazar entered a meeting room where his attendants already gathered. The topic of today’s conversation should be the alignment of forces in the world. The events of recent years resulted in a significant loss of influence, and this greatly bothered him. During this period, many half-breed Demons came out of his subordination, having preferred not to assume any obligations. The reason for this was a clear example of the Angel ones, who were led by Gabriel. Everything was going worse after his attempt to use the Grail. It turned into the eradication of all present, including him and half-breed Demons, via Divine Intervention. His guys began thinking that Akela had missed, and Balthazar was no longer in good shape. “Where’s weak, there are breaks.” He looked around at those present and took his place.
“Let’s get started.”
“America, regions, Constantine?” Isabella, Balthazar’s assistant, announced the agenda. “From him, please.” No objections have been received. “Good.” Isabella opened the document on the tablet and began bringing people up to speed.
“They really want to get rid of Candy, and that’s … good.”
“Why?” Samuel asked.
“What does she mean to John?” Balthazar asked.
“He thinks she is the key,” Isabella commented.
“Explain it.”
“Before she was planned to be used, she wasn’t visible for several days. Giving an account of what happened, it’s not difficult to guess that it was processed as a medium.”
“Rumor has it,” Stephanie put in the word, “that she has visited both Hell and Heaven.”
“No way! It’s impossible,” the audience reacted.
According to Balthazar’s facial expressions, it was clear that, like most, he was skeptical.
“Suppose she was able to go to Hell, but to Heaven.”
“Theoretically, it’s doable,” Chris answered thoughtfully. “Her heart stopped: she went to Heaven. They talked to her there, after which they revived her. She tried to commit suicide and went to Hell, after which she was returned to life again. It’s the only way.”
The participants expressed their views:
“This is at the limit of physical capabilities.”
“Don’t forget, she’s a medium. By the way, she was in the protection program. She was protected.”
“The program ceased to exist with the death of Frank.”
“Does anybody really believe that the Pope gave her his pass to Heaven?”
Everyone laughed.
“Suppose she was in Heaven so that everyone would be convinced that she could become a guide for the Angel …”
“… who should have been to gather the Order of Light and half-breed Angel mired in feuds.”
“Exactly,” Balthazar agreed, “but in place of Michael, I’d have returned the authority of Gabriel.”
“What’s the reason?” Stephen protested.
“For them, unity and a strong hand are more important than serving God. This is a matter of survival.”
“She can walk between raindrops,” someone added about Gabriel.
“The only question is what did Candy do in Hell unless, of course, she was there,” Chris got the conversation back on track.
“Let me give you my opinion,” Michael raised a hand. “Okay. Gabriel leads us around a finger. We’ve already believed her twice. With Mammon, because of her slowness and trick with Constantine, we didn’t have enough time. In the case with the Grail, due to the fact that she didn’t want to fulfill the terms of the contract and become a vessel, we’ve lost its components and were discarded by Divine Intervention.”
“We’ve drawn lessons.”
”However! Is this obvious only to me? She thus wants to regain power, becoming above all factions. Gabriel enlisted the support of Heaven and Hell. Do you seriously think that she won’t be able to agree with Lucifer or Mammon? She’s unprincipled and always has been. She’s always driven only by a thirst for power.”
Many nodded approvingly, Michael continued.
“That’s why the half-breed Angels hunted her. She must be eliminated when she’s mortal. It’s apparently!”
Silence hung where everyone pondered what they’ve heard.
“The puzzle is folding,” Fernanda added, who had previously silently sat.
“By the way, we cannot kill her in terms of speculation only,” Balthazar spoke up.
“You’re trying to cling to the old world to which you’re used to, but everything has changed!”
“Shut up, Mike!”
“If we kill her first, it shows our real power. It’s for sure.”
“Exactly. We’ll stop losing our adherents and restore our influence.”
“I’ve said no!” Balthazar cut off.
“Balthazar, there are rumors that the proposal to leave you already reaches the functionaries of the “state” level. The more we delay, the weaker we become. They call themselves…”
“The Council of Eight. I know about them. I’ll find them and solve the problem.”
“But, haven’t found them yet, have you? They can be a folding screen, a dummy to cover Gabriel’s plans.”
“Therefore, it makes sense to kill her and just watch how everything itself will go back to normal.”
“Let’s make it clear. I’ll destroy everyone who even tries to kill her!” He punched the table and showed the bestial grin. “Any actions regarding her only with my permission. Now, briefly about the influence.”
“This year, we’ve lost ten to fifteen percent of the influence in the States among all the half-breeds.”
“We’ll return our positions. Regarding the Council, switch over several of their members from our exes. We’ve got all the resources for this. Let them get something concrete about the Council: members, their plans, who’s the leader. As well, I need the intel in order to understand who’s behind Suicide Channel. Looks like they’re connected in some way. Mass media is our field of activity.”
He fell silent and continued.
“The thoughts that we need Gabriel in order to destroy the Council don’t leave me. What’s in the world?”
“Our influence is growing only in Japan, Malaysia, and the countries of Scandinavian.”
“Not a lot, but it’s okay. Where’s the medium now? Hmmm… What’s her name? Correct! Candy.”
“She’s with John and Angela.”
“Well. I want to talk to her.”
The staff went out, and Balthazar was left face to face with his thoughts. “Definitely, to get the big picture, you need to meet Candy.”
“Here’s my car,” Candy gestured towards Focus of the penultimate model. “Do you drive?”
“No. I trust my two.”
They got into the car. John sat in the back.
“It’s bad that the backpack drowned.”
“Was there anything important for you?”
“A lot of useful things… especially in our profession.”
Fortunately, a pocket flask was with him.
“John… Is it hard to be an exorcist?”
They left the parking lot and found themselves in city traffic.
“It’s difficult without drinking at all,” he drank from the flask. “Sometimes, you see enough not to fall asleep.”
“What about the family?”
“There’s no one, only a sister and a cat. To be in a relationship with someone like me is, without exaggeration, a mortal danger. People constantly die around me, whom I couldn’t protect.” John was silent; after a while, he added. “I don’t want this to happen to my family.”
“I see.”
He lost in thought, or maybe just fell asleep. Candy, having known the exact address, didn’t bother him.
Balthazar glanced around at the chairs where the assistants had just sat in. The status of the owner of SBC Broadcasting & Entertainment practically didn’t affect his desire to delve into the essence of the events. He continued to keep his fingers on the pulse of the news flow, making his own adjustments, from the perspective of what would be better for half-breeds. In general, he didn’t even care about which ones: angelic or diabolical; he knew that both of them looked back at what his channel tells and shows.
The furnishings of his office, like that of Gabriel, were ascetic. The wall was decorated with several paintings with biblical motifs. On the sides, there are several sofas for an extended rally, several plasmas with a direct broadcast of his channels in a mute mode. All this was in the center and on the right, on the left was a table for board games, in which he often looked for an opportunity to distract from reality.
He went to the table and took a deck, having started to shuffle it. “To kill or not to kill. Damn it!”. A lot connected him with Gabriel: both bad and good. He was not sure that her death would bring what his assistants said: the consolidation of the half-breeds around him. The feeling didn’t leave Balthazar that they were trying to manipulate him. His flair and life experience with a length of a thousand human lives suggested that she didn’t carry the level of threat that they were trying to attribute to her. “She’s mortal, so what can she do to me? Nothing … John is also mortal, but he brought many more problems. But … If Michael placed a bet on her and the price of her return is my head, then it all changes. But … doesn’t fit. Fucking John, Candy, and an angel-like creature. If Michael wanted to regain the power of the Gab, there wouldn’t have been this whole circus. If John hadn’t had time, Gab would have entertained Lucifer in Hell with jokes about how she dreamed of seeing his power on Earth. Ahhh! Damn it … Nothing fits. I need more intel! ”
The phone sounded with a message. It was from an assistant about where John and Candy were going. Balthazar replied, “Thank you.” Having looked around, he made sure that he hadn’t forgotten anything, took the keychain from the car, and went out into the corridor. Soon, he went down to the parking lot where the driver met him.
“We’re ready to go, Sir!” He reacted cheerfully at the sight of the boss.
“Relax, Harry. I’ll drive on my own. Find out if journalists need you.”
“I understand. I’ll write in the chat.”
Having approached the car, he saw how it blinked affably with headlights, recognizing in him the real owner. Having set himself comfortable, he pressed the engine start button. On the control panel, there was a glued imp with a sign in the hands of “You’re the best,” to which he replied:
“I know.”
The car had an autopilot, which allowed its owner to ponder while driving.
The scene was a mall construction site. A building had already been built in height and has been a five-story box. The first who’s driven up was Candy and John. The rain has gone, and the afternoon sun was burning everything up, so Candy looked at John’s cloak questionably.
“Leave the cloak. It won’t go anywhere.”
“But what if? My flask is there,” she looked at him skeptically. “Although, you’re right. If there is what I think about, it’ll be much more convenient for me in a shirt.”
Her car was surrounded by workers, whom the cops drove from the premises, having cordoned off the entire territory. People from the crowd vied to ask John questions that he was used to ignoring. After Candy tried to answer them at least partially, all their attention turned to her. Thus formed a procession where John walked ahead, a brigadier was running around him, telling what a great guy this Jim was, it was not clear who had possessed him, that his wife called and asked tearfully… and so on. They were followed by Candy, who didn’t expect such a flood of questions raining from all sides. Having closed the procession, the workers gathered around Candy in a semicircle.
At some point, the brigadier said that they’ve decided not to call the media. What John responded to:
“You’re right.” That caused him to be surprised because he thought that John completely ignored him.
“This doesn’t mean that they won’t be any minute, given the fact that some began streaming on the phone,” Candy added.
So they approached the cordon. John, without saying anything to anyone, mechanically picked up the police tape and went forward. As if from under the ground, two cops appeared near him.
“Who are you? This is not allowed!”
“I see you’re new ones. Who’s in charge?”
The second cop passed something on the radio. A few minutes later, a captain appeared, introduced himself, and explained that an investigation was underway, and he wouldn’t let anyone in.
“Just shut up,” John stopped his tirade. His mood began to deteriorate. “If someone possesses him, he dies.”
The crowd gasped and began to discuss what they heard, and Constantine continued.
“I can try to save the poor fellow, but there are no guarantees that he won’t die in the process.”
“I can’t allow it!”
People from the crowd began to appeal to the captain. Meanwhile, Balthazar rode up to the place. Having parked, he got out of the car and headed for the crowd. His arrival didn’t go unnoticed by Candy and John. They looked intuitively at each other and understood without words. Balthazar caught up with them.
“Hello, John Constantine!”
“Get out the fuck of here! We handle without your assistance.”
“Hi, Candy!” Having ignored John’s reaction, Balthazar addressed her affably. His appeal caused her slight panic, as she was aware of who was standing in front.
“We’re strangers! I don’t know you!” She snapped.
“Indeed. So, what’s the heck?”
The replicas of the workers brought him up to speed.
“Captain, can I give you a word?” Balthazar’s motion of the arm invited him to step aside and talk.
A few minutes after talking with him, the disgruntled captain returned and said that he would let John in. John, without a single emotion on his face, headed inside. Candy tried to follow him.
“Only for John Constantine!” John stopped. Having left her alone with Balthazar was completely insane.
“She’s an apprentice.”
At that moment, she wanted to clap her hands with joy. “From a powerless victim, she turned into an apprentice!” Although she understood that this was not true, she was damn pleased.
“Okay… let her in too.”
She immediately sniffed from the annoyed crowd and, most importantly, from Balthazar’s gaze, which made her uneasy, over John’s shoulder. Balthazar calmly followed them. John turned around and added sharply.
“He’s not coming with us!”
“John, where are your manners? I’m a journalist!” He straightened his jacket. “Freedom of speech. The fourth power, you know.”
From such hypocrisy, John twisted the face in a grimace.
“Ha! I see, John, that you don’t like it but that is how our society works.
“A plug for every ass,” snapped John.
“Indeed, John. You’re right. This is who we are.”
“What the Hell you’re talking about! If they knew who you really are… Okay.”
The four of them entered the mall. Through a hall, the trinity and the captain went into the area where the supermarket should be located. Having passed through the hall reserved for the racks, they approached the doors of a warehouse. By the concentration of the cops, it became clear that their goal was close. Having approached the door, John turned around.
“Candy, you stay here, and you, a piece of shit, come with me.”
“No, John. I’ll stay here, well… I don’t want to interfere with your work,” Balthazar answered politely, but with an impudent grimace, having glanced out of the corner of his eye at Candy.
“Candy, come with me! Take the amulet,” he handed it to her. “Wear and try to be on the sidelines. Follow all orders immediately and without discussion,” and he added, having turned to Balthazar. “Are you going there too? Why do you need it?”
“I want to see you at work. Rumors have it that you’re no longer a juicy cake, and they reproach me that I pulled you out of oblivion.”
“Examination or what?”
“Only in your imagination. I have no doubt about you. Call it what you want.”
“The only thing I want is that when we go in, you’d be as quiet as a mouse. Am I making myself clear?”
“John, you’re such a miracle! Clear as a bell!”
Constantine opened the door and went inside. The room was a bare wall with a mounted ventilation system. A man of about forty was sitting on the floor in a far corner. His face wasn’t visible as he put arms around knees, having rested a head on top. John asked to turn on the lights, which was done immediately. The reaction to it was wheezing and aggressive sniffling. Candy turned to him:
“Are you okay?”
The man only croaked something inaudible in response. John began approaching him, having silently recited a prayer. Unexpectedly for everyone, he raised his face, having taken a completely distraught look at Balthazar, and hissed.
“Your friend?” John asked.
Balthazar showed with his whole appearance that they were unfamiliar. His silence was more eloquent than all his words. The man got to feet and slowly began moving, having reduced the distance between him and Balthazar. This behavior puzzled John. He’s used to threats raining down on him. The man approached Balthazar and spoke with an ingratiating gaze.
“The old world will fall. It’s doomed…” He laughed unnaturally and hysterically. Having turned to John, he added, “and no one can stop us.”
Balthazar managed to pull himself together and answered with indifference, having got ready to fight. The man turned his head to examine his face from different angles. John was preparing to knock him to the floor, and while he stood and fingered a keychain with creature symbols in his pocket, trying to understand who had infiltrated him. Suddenly for all, Candy asked the man a question.
“Are you gonna crush it?”
“Oh, no!” He was answering, not looking up from Balthazar. “We’re a legion. We’ll bring you Order.”
“Here we go again,” John muttered under his breath. He wasn’t the first, and he won’t be the last who wanted to get to Earth and begin to build a “brave, new world” on the bones of mankind.
“Now, I’ll deal with you, and then… then… thank you for bringing her here. I won’t have to chase her around the city. She must be returned… or killed…”
Together with the last words, he took a knife from his pocket and tried to strike Balthazar many times, which he easily blocked or evaded. John realized that when Balthazar attracted his attention, it was time to act. He tried to knock him down, but, at speed not characteristic of man, he avoided the exorcist. John and Balthazar looked at each other. At that moment, Candy unsuccessfully threw a three-gallon can of paint at him, which he repulsed with his hand. The can rolled on the floor with a rumble. He continued to harass Balthazar, having tried to stab him, but in the response, he blocked a worker’s hand and knocked the knife out. Candy threw it into the far corner. The man wasn’t taken aback and successfully punch into Balthazar’s jaw. At this moment, he missed John’s attack and rolled head over heels on the floor.
“Balthazar, wring his hands. Let’s tie him up.”
The man, having stood on one knee, shouted “as if!” and soared into the air.
“Well. You’ve got such good friends, Balthazar.”
“John, who’s it?”
“A guest who was not called.”
John began to recite the curse in a whisper. Thoughts were swarming in his head, having made it difficult to concentrate. “What pulls them here? Is Earth a honey pot for them? Maybe Balthazar was right, and I was too long out of business?”
“Candy, light!” Balthazar cried out.
She looked at him, having turned for a moment into one big question mark.
“Light out!” John proved.
“We’ll be with him in pitch darkness!”
“This is exactly what is needed. He’s strong in the light! Now!”
“Yes!” She rushed to the exit.
Having caught this combination, the man rushed after her.
“Don’t let him get out of here; otherwise, you’ll have to chase him around the city.”
If before that, she just wanted to turn off the light, but now, she willed to close the door from the other side. Balthazar, in a jump, grabbed his leg when he ran past him, having held for a split second. Having shifted the center of gravity, he threw him against the wall, but Candy didn’t see that. Having run out, she hit the switch and slammed the door behind her. The cops read horror and animal fear on her face.
“What’s there? Do you need some help? Let us help you?“ The cops shouted excitedly.
Their tirade was interrupted by a crushing blow at the door. Only due to the fact that she stood firmly on her feet and, out of fear, continued to lean on the door with her whole body, she flew off just a few feet. At that moment, Candy became speechless. The door opened for a second.
“The door! Lean on it! Carry everything you see! Barricade it to Hell!”
Candy nodded approvingly, having made it clear that the way of thought was correct. She heard every word John said, despite the fact that everything was mixed up in this bustle. At this time, Balthazar had to use all of his demonic abilities in order to restrain pressure. The duel between them would definitely end in favor of him, but here it was necessary to act more carefully so that John could finish the reading, and the person eventually survived. Nevertheless, significant life experience told Balthazar that all this was abnormal to the point of madness. The infused creature masterfully controlled the human body, having used it on the limit of possibilities. He has been sure that he was far from dealing with an amateur. At this moment, he really wanted to share one thought with John to hear his opinion.
The last word was heard from Constantine’s lips, and the man has grounded to the floor. Fatigued and stressed, John fell to his knees, and Balthazar leaned against the wall. It took some time before they caught their breath. The calm knock on the door and the voice of Constantine made Candy realize that it was time to dismantle the barricades.
The door opened, and John was the first on the doorstep with black hands and a tired face. Balthazar appeared behind him: a torn suit, fists bruised in blood, bruises on his body, and that face. It was not often possible to see Balthazar, who wouldn’t radiate confidence and arrogance.
“What the hell happened there?” The captain exclaimed.
At this time, other cops rushed inside to find out what happened to the worker. To their surprise, after seeing the condition of John and Balthazar, the man was without scars and even bruises.
“He’s ok, boss,” they answered.
“Where am I? What happened to me?” The worker returned to consciousness.
“John … You know… Thank you for coming.”
“Yeah. Where can I wash my hands, and where’s any bar?”
“There’s a pizzeria around the corner.”
“Thanks,” Candy answered.
“John, I’ve got a topic to discuss,” Balthazar insisted.
“I don’t want to do it right now.”
“You have to, John. While everything experienced is still fresh. For your own safety.”
This remark interested Candy.
“He’s right,” she agreed.
“After all, do you continue to distrust me, John Constantine?”
“Yes, because you’re a son of a bitch.”
“Food at my expense,” countered Balthazar.
They headed towards the pizzeria. After putting themselves in order, the trinity gathered at a table. Balthazar prudently ordered John to drink, not only two pizzas.
“So, what did you want to talk about? I’m not burning with desire.”
“I know. John… do you trust Gabriel?”
“Like you.”
“What? How do you know how I am?”
“Only in the last few years, you’ve tried to cooperate twice.”
“Does it mean “No”? You don’t trust, right?”
“As always, you didn’t understand anything,” John answered with a grimace full of disappointment. “Are you a journalist? They are usually more intelligent.”
“Hm…”
“She tries to finish the job to the end if she takes up, which I cannot say about you. In fact, I don’t trust you, and as soon as I solve the problem, having got to the bottom of what is happening, I will send you back to Mammon. The war is not over yet. This is just a short truce.”
The waiter brought two pizza and added to John, who continued:
“My friends are dying because of you.”
“It’s clear, John. No need to repeat.”
How much Balthazar didn’t try to find an approach to him, a trustful conversation unhappen.
“John, how do you think to protect Candy?”
“This shouldn’t bother you.”
“I’ll be with John.”
“Not the best option.”
“As a last resort, I will introduce her to Gabriel and Midnite.”
“She can count on my help.”
John choked on hearing. Balthazar didn’t expect to get her so easy to find out everything, but it was worth a shot.
“Is everything so bad?” John grinned.
“I’m afraid of you. I don’t need anything from you,” Candy lined up the defense.
“Fear is fine,” he answered Candy and continued with John. “I’m losing influence,” Balthazar said with a note of disappointment, having burned himself with a slice of pizza.
“Not surprising. There were so many failures.”
“Not in this case. A few years ago, a third force appeared, which gathers half-breeds of all stripes. They are called the Council of Eight.”
“Balthazar. This is all your feud. Humanity can only breathe a sigh of relief when the last of you leaves Earth.”
“It’s funny to listen to you. John, look around. There are millions of us, but thousands of exorcists, and just several ones who want to fight. Face it: you’re alone. You can’t take this weight on your shoulders. Just one Los Angeles is more than enough for you.”
“For now, people are like dolls in your toy theater, and you play them as you want.”
“Are we, John? You take it wrong. The Lord has decided that we’re a part of you. Without us, you won’t have the opportunity to prove to Him that you’re worthy of His mercy.”
“Again, this nonsense! We must become a force that can stand up for itself. I‘m sure He’ll change His attitude towards us.”
“This is unrealistic. While the Cold War is going on between Heaven and Hell, it’ll be waged everywhere and by all available means. The prize is not asked if it wants to be a prize. This is nonsense.”
Silence hung. They were again in different corners of the ring.
“I wanted to talk about the latter case, John Constantine. It didn’t seem to you that he came in only to reach you. By our arrival, he could already wreak havoc on LA’s streets. That would be logical… But he waited for your arrival with Candy. The fact that I ended up with you is just a coincidence.”
John was silent, pondering what he heard.
“You just brought her straight into his arms. Maybe the Council is involved in this?”
“Doesn’t fit. Angels will send half-breeds to Hell since there’ll no longer be a need for them. This will be an option if they survive the consequences of Angels’ coming. Definitely not.”
“Union, huh? They can agree.”
“Cannot. There’s no communication channel between them.”
Balthazar looked at Candy instead of an answer. From understanding what was happening, she felt uneasy. John understood everything but decided to play the role to the end, having portrayed doubt on his face.
“You don’t believe that an Angel has randomly entered into a person. Remember Isabelle. She also has been prepared…”
They were full, but a list of John’s duties has increased: a visit to the abbot, Midnite, and Suicide Channel.
“We have to go. Thanks for the drink.”
“It’s an interesting answer. Never mind. You’ve heard I wanted to say.”
Balthazar didn’t linger, having given John an opportunity to speak face to face with Candy. Having paid by the phone and left generous tips, he headed for his car.
“What do you think of all this?”
Candy was surprised that John was interested in her opinion.
“You know John, he’s polite, courteous, even with a waiter, generous tips. He struggled to make a good impression.”
“Yes, he’s courteous. How much he loves to piss me off.”
“It’s noticeable, but about the conversation… In his words, there’s a rational kernel.”
“Do you really think so? He’s a Demon, not half-breed like everyone else, but a real one. As soon as you stumble: you lose. He acts like this because… you know, I wanted to say because he’s at a loss, but now I’m not sure that this is not part of his game. Even if there exists a “third force,” it’d be just great for him if we removed it with our own hands, after which we again dig up the ax of war. By this time, you’ll have to get you out of business; otherwise, he’ll kill you. Balthazar has already killed three of my friends, and there’s no reason for him to stop.”
“I see. How complicated it is.”
“Everything’s very simple. We’ve got people from one side and half-breeds from another one. Let’s go; I’ll introduce you to Gabriel.”
“Gabriel… really? no way…”
“Yes. She’s a human now.”
“She?”
“Yeah, but she’s got an impudent and fighting character.”
John went to the bar and called Gabriel’s reception. Twenty minutes later, they were picked up by a corporate car.
The meeting was underway in an unknown place.
“Thank you for accepting the invitation,” a woman took her place at the table and addressed those present.
The meeting room, in which a man and a woman were present, was supplemented by holograms of the participants. The haste with which everything was organized testified that the issue was urgent.
“I’ve got intel that John was planning to spend a visit on Suicide Channel,” she continued.
“I don’t see a threat. Let him come and look at the half-breeds. Never mind.”
“We need to figure out how not to let him go,” another female voice objected.
“Let me explain.” The man in charge joined the conversation. “Does everyone have access to the intel? Fine! John is a litmus test. Gabriel and Balthazar are trying to play on his side. The only thing, I emphasize again, the only thing that they really expect from us is panicking and making mistakes. It’s by our actions that they’ll make a decision about who we really are. That’s real; there’s no reason to kill John now because, in response, we’ll immediately receive a crushing blow. Even in decline, they’re still too dangerous for us. Our goal is to look marginalized in their eyes.”
After a pause, he continued. Those present treated with understanding to the forced pause, having realized that he was forming a thought.
“According to the available info, they don’t have an understanding that Suicide Channel is somehow connected with the Council. We have to grow this fallacy. We shouldn’t look like a force that wants to claim power and dominance even in their nightmares.”
“We have to be a retirement club… to be only those who are tired of the dictates of this duet: “you have to obey or die,” right?”
“It looks harmless. Don’t forget, at this stage, our task is to paralyze their structures.”
“When the X-hour comes, there’ll be no one to give orders, or they’ll be executed by the people we recruited. We’ll control the entire decision-making chain from top to bottom. It’ll be complete paralysis and impotence. I realize that everything you want is power and revenge. You’ll get it all in full. Regarding the Channel, let them come; we’ll find what to do with them,” he continued after people discussing.
“What’s about that girl?” There was a displeased older man’s voice.
“You’re about Candy, right?” The woman who gathered the meeting answered.
“Yes, I am. This is a leak, isn’t it?”
“John stepped on her. It’s true, but she doesn’t remember anything that connected her with us.”
“For sure?”
“Absolutely. Otherwise, we’d now be busy with something completely different than talking with you.”
“So… just kill her!”
“Do you wanna force them to check others? We can’t take that risk!”
“I hope you were not mistaken.”
“I take these risks on myself. Don’t worry. We’ll be able to powder John’s brain. Our agreement is valid.”
The present expressed approval: someone nodded, while others blurred in smiles.
“I’m delighted that we have come to a consensus,” he returned to the conversation.
“It’s essential not to blow this thing,” someone added.
“A long game should be played with poker faces, turned off emotions, and a cold head,” she proved.
“The world will be ours, brothers,” he told them.
“The world belongs to us,” the present answered.
The holograms went out. There are two left.
“Have you promised them much?” The woman laughed loudly.
“We will have time. What do you think?” Asked a man’s voice.
They understood each other perfectly.
“I’m sure we have enough time before they grab each other’s throats. As long as they have a goal, no, even more, a dream – they’ll work as one. They’re with us because we were able to form understandable goals and ways to achieve them, unlike Gabriel and Balthazar.”
“The old leaders are leaving; the brand-new ones are coming. My only concern is that the company has to prevent information leakage.”
“The chance is not zero, but extremely low. The inner circle is tied to us with blood and the desire to take revenge. Further, along with the management structure, it’s more difficult than the strength of the opponents’ game will manifest itself. Will they be able to interpret correctly the data received from their informants or not? It’s up to them.”
“I’ve chosen them up. In the inner circle, there are no stupid and short-sighted,” she answered.
“Although… you’re right. Perhaps a few false traces should be given in order to understand if there are real leaks.”
The female voice belonged to the former liquidator of the Order of the Light, who used to be especially close to Gabriel, Megan.