Mafia: A Survival Game

London was especially beautiful in rainy weather. Walking slowly down the street without an umbrella, I enjoyed the rain. Passers-by, on the contrary, were in a hurry to hide from the weather. Stopping at a small coffee shop, I decided to drink something hot. It was still about an hour before the scheduled meeting. Going into a cozy cafe, I made my order and waited for my drink to be brought to me. I sat down at the far table by the window and took out my phone. I dialed the number I needed and held the phone to my ear. – Hello? – Alexander, I have great news for you. The brooch belongs to me now, – I said, leaning back in my chair. – What?! Don't tell me you stole the brooch that Tom Hiddleston bought at auction a few weeks ago? – Okay, I won't tell you. – I thought you were joking then, Paige! Are you completely crazy?! – Alex, don't make any noise, – I frowned. – Kristina, do you understand what you've gotten yourself into?! He'll get you out of the ground. He is, after all, the head of the mafia of all England! And this isn't the first time you've stepped in and disrupted his plans! Tell me, are you tired of living?! – First of all, I would like to kill, I would have done it a long time ago. Don't worry, brother, I'm lucky. And secondly, I have already found a buyer, and he offers me twice the cost of jewelry. And it was worth my effort. – Kristina, I hope that you will not get into any kind of trouble from which you will need to be pulled out. You know that mafia games always end badly. – I know. Okay, Alex, I have to go now. I'm switching off. – Kristina, please be careful. After I dropped the call, I put the phone on the table. A minute later, a hot drink was placed in front of me. Lifting the cup to my lips, I took a few sips of coffee. Black, with cream and without sugar. The perfect combination. Lost in my thoughts, I didn't notice how quickly time flew by and my coffee got cold. After paying for the drink, I picked up my phone and left the cafe. The rain has already stopped. Catching a taxi, I gave the right address and went to the meeting. After paying for the trip, I got out of the car and entered the building with the sign: "Private dental clinic". It's a good cover for the residence of a mafia boss. Grinning, I entered the building. When I got to the reception, I turned to the cute-looking blonde sitting at the table. – Good afternoon. I have an appointment with Mr. Hamilton. – Yes, Miss Page, he's waiting for you. The second floor is the thirty–fifth office, – the girl smiled radiantly. Turning around, I headed in the right direction. The building was old, five storeys high and without an elevator. But, in the center of London. Climbing the stone stairs, I went deep into the corridor and stopped in front of the right office. I knocked and went in. – Miss Page, – the man said, putting the papers aside. – I was just thinking about you. Please, have a seat. I sat down in the offered chair opposite the table and looked at the mafia. Edward Hamilton had slightly less influence in England than Tom Hiddleston himself. He was rumored to be Hiddleston's father's best friend and even started out with him. – I brought you what we agreed on, – taking a box with a brooch from my coat pocket, I put it on the table in front of the man. – Now it's your turn to fulfill your part of the contract. Hamilton took the box and grinned, slowly opening it and looking into my eyes. There was something about this man that was close to me. From the first meeting, I could not get rid of the feeling as if I had known this person all my life.… Maybe that's why I took a chance and decided to get into Hiddleston's business once again. Despite the fact that I promised myself to stop doing this. Taking out the work of art, the mafioso held it up to the lamp, examining it. – Miss Page. Great job, – the bandit grinned. – I've heard a lot about your fearlessness and professionalism, to be honest, I didn't really believe what they were saying about you. But now, I'm completely convinced you're the best at what you do. Putting the brooch back in the box, the man leaned under the table and took out a black suitcase, handed it to me. I looked at the mafia and smirked. My work and the result spoke for themselves. I was the best thief in London and beyond. – Everything we agreed on is here. – Great, – smiling, I opened the suitcase, checking its contents. – It was a pleasure working with you, Mr. Hamilton. Standing up, I looked down at the man. Edward Hamilton, a man in his fifties. He is tall, brown-haired with tanned skin, an even nose, a square chin and bright green eyes. He exuded danger and power. Of course, something attracted me to him, and I couldn't figure out what. It's like something close and dear. We'll need to figure this out. – Miss Page, I like you. I think I will use your services more than once. – I will also be glad to work with you again. You know how to find me, – I smiled. – Of course, – Edward nodded. – Goodbye, – I said as I left the office. – Goodbye, – the mafia man said, watching the girl go. – Darling. When I went out into the hallway, I immediately dialed Alexander's phone number. – Hello. – Alex, I have the money. I need to meet you, – I went down to the first floor and turned the corner. – Okay, let's meet at "The Golden Tree" in half an hour. – OK. I turned off my phone and walked past the reception desk. – Miss Page, – the blonde called out to me. – Yes? – I replied, stopping and turning to face the girl. – Mr. Hamilton, he asked me to give you this, – the blonde smiled, handing me a sealed envelope. – Thanks. Goodbye, – I nodded. I turned around and headed for the exit, putting the envelope in my coat pocket. I'll see what's in there at home. Maybe a new assignment or a bonus? – Goodbye, miss. After leaving the building, I hailed a taxi and, giving the address, went to meet my brother.

****

"The Golden Tree" was a small building in central London that was owned by one of the mafia bosses. During the day it was an inconspicuous cafe, and at night it was the main hotbed of crime and big money. Now, it was about eight o'clock, and at that time the most dangerous people from all over London were coming here. Have a good time in the basement club or arrange new criminal cases. The police knew about this place, as did the secret services. But no one interfered, because everyone had their own people everywhere. And there were no clean and honest police officers or agents. Only those who stopped playing by the rules of the criminal world or allowed themselves too much were eliminated. But there weren't many of them. I sat down at an empty table by the window and ordered dinner for myself and a friend. Half an hour later, I noticed Alex entering the cafe. Alexander Kravts is a Jew and one of my best friends, as well as my sworn brother. A tall man with curly dark hair and blue eyes, he was well-built, which was not hidden even by a loose coat. – Alexander, – I smiled. – I'm sorry, Chris, traffic, – the man said, sitting down at the table. – I ordered dinner for us. – Thanks. So what did you want to talk about? – I have a suitcase with several tens of millions of dollars. I want to put them in your bank for safekeeping, – I said seriously, taking a sip from my glass. – I take it the deal was successful, – Kravts grinned, – But aren't you worried that your buyer bought a brooch and overpaid you for it? – No, it didn't seem strange to me. I heard that this is a very serious man and money is not a problem for him. – So you're going to tell me who this mysterious customer is? – Edward Hamilton. There was silence for a few minutes, the Jew looked at me attentively, considering the words I had said. – I know him. He is a very serious person. So you're in luck. But please be careful. They say that after he lost the woman he loved, he became very tough. He's very influential, don't cross him like you do with Hiddleston. – I'm glad you approve. And in general, he seemed to me to be a very... good person. You know, I feel something native about him. Something attracts me to him, despite the fact that the rumors about him are just terrible. I wouldn't mind working for him again, – I grinned. – By the way, how are you doing with Jane? – It's complicated. I haven't told her who I really am yet. She keeps thinking that I'm an ordinary bank worker. But I think it's for the best. I don't want to drag her into this life. I don't want to lose her, – Alexander sighed heavily. – Do you really love her that much? – Yes. – My friend, I think I'm losing you, – I laughed, looking at Kravets' serious face. – I'm sorry, I just can't understand you. I've never really loved before. I can't sympathize with what I haven't experienced in my life. – Yes, Kristina. Your mother should hear you now. Didn't you love her? – I loved her! I burst out. – And what would she say?! – That you're still a little kid, – Alexander replied calmly. – P-f, I'm already twenty years old. I stopped being a child when she passed away. Leaving me alone. And I'm not talking about my father at all. Yes, I don't even know his name! – I hissed, looking at my friend. – You're talking like an offended child, Kristina. Life is a harsh thing. – No. I just really missed her when I needed her so much, – I said softly, and my eyes filled with tears. – Well, don't cry, dear. You have me. You're my little sister, – the brown–haired man smiled, leaning over and taking my hand. – We grew up together, so don't say you're alone. I'm your brother, even though I'm named. But, I will always be there for you and help you, no matter how difficult or difficult it is for you. We can handle it. Together. I promise. – Yes, Alexander, I'm sorry, – I said quickly wiping tears from my cheeks, smiling. – I really appreciate it, you know. After dinner, I handed the suitcase to Kravets, and we drove home. After getting out of my brother's car, I went up to my house. When I entered the empty and dark apartment, I sighed heavily. After undressing, I turned on the light and lay down on the sofa in the living room. Looking at the ceiling, I was lost in memories. My mother was one of the MI6 agents, doing one of the government's assignments, she met her father, who was one of the members of a mafia and dangerous group at that time. They fell in love, but they couldn't be together. When Mom found out that she was pregnant, she wanted to tell her father everything, but she was injured on a mission and she almost died with me. Everything worked out, and we survived. But after that, Mom quit her job as a secret intelligence agent. When I was born, my mother tried to talk to my father, but he disappeared. That's how my mother began to raise me alone. When I turned ten, my mother was hit by a car right in front of my eyes. The driver was terribly drunk and did not deign to stop in front of a traffic light, overtaking cars in the oncoming lane. She suffered injuries incompatible with life and died right in my arms. On my birthday. She managed to push me away, but she didn't have time to jump back herself. Everything happened in a matter of seconds. I was left completely alone. I didn't have any grandparents. The father disappeared. They wanted to send me to a shelter, but that same evening, I was brought to the house of one of the families with whom my mother worked. As I later found out, it was a mafia family, the head of whose family my mother saved in one of the operations while still an agent. Although how they found out that Mom was dead remains a mystery to me. That's how I met and became a member of the Kravts family. Mr. John and Mrs. Kate raised me as their own daughter, despite the fact that they had their only son. Alexander, who was seven years older than me. I immediately became friends with a guy, and we started calling each other brother and sister. When I turned eighteen, I decided to live separately in the apartment that my mother and I lived in. Fortunately, the apartment remained mine, Uncle John took care of this in advance. After moving, I continued to visit my foster family and maintain good relations with them. And Alexander has remained my best friend and brother to this day. Getting up from the couch, I wiped away my tears and went to the shower. I urgently needed to rest and get a good night's sleep.