111 GETTING THE CIA TO DEAL WITH KGB
"He's a player, alright," Leo observed.
"Who are you people?" Madoug asked, fear creeping into his voice, especially as he glanced at Grangya.
"Lorelei- Battle Angel"
"This complicates things. If we're dealing with fucking human players, they have tools that could catch us off guard. We'll need to adjust our strategy," Grangya said thoughtfully.
"Can he send messages to allies outside?" Leo asked.
"He'd try, but inside an enemy Guild's domain, his messages likely won't get through," Grangya replied.
"Shall I begin extracting the truth now?" Bara asked, casting a dark look at Madoug.
"Go ahead, my dear. I'd love to join in on the fun with you," Grangya said, smiling.
"Well, you ladies enjoy, while I plan for our Guild war," Leo said, leaving them to their dirty work.
-----
[At a diner near the K.G.B. headquarters where the gangsters had their last meal.]
The heavy clink of the diner bell echoed ominously as Mendiace pushed open the wooden door, its once-bright surface smeared with streaks of dark, drying blood. The sharp tang of iron filled his nostrils, mixing with the lingering scent of stale coffee and grease.
The diner was bathed in a flickering, sickly yellow light, casting warped shadows across the carnage. His polished leather shoes crunched over shattered glass and sticky pools of crimson, each step growing heavier as he took in the horrific scene.
Above him, his men hung grotesquely from the ceiling, their lifeless bodies mutilated beyond recognition.
Arms twisted at unnatural angles, heads lolled to one side, and entrails dripped like grotesque streamers. The rhythmic drip-drip of blood echoed in the stillness, pooling onto the black-and-white checkered floor.
The walls were no better—splattered with gore, as if a violent storm had erupted inside the diner. Amidst the chaos, bold red letters scrawled in a jagged hand demanded his attention:
"C.I.A. FUCK K.G.B."
The message, written with a mix of fresh blood and paint, stood stark against the cracked walls. The letters dripped and smeared, the rage behind the artist clearly expressed.
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"Jeez!!" Mendiace gasped as he looked up.
More than a hundred bodies—his gang members—were strung up from the ceiling, stripped and mutilated beyond recognition.
"Get those bodies down," Maelad ordered, and the men carefully lowered them to the floor for inspection.
"Who could've done something this horrific to us?" Mendiace asked through gritted teeth.
"Look at the walls," Malass said, pointing.
They turned to see a message scrawled in blood across the wall:
"C.I.A. FUCK K.G.B."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Mendiace demanded.
"KGB vs. C.I.A.? Seriously?" Maelad asked.
"I know what C.I.A. is in our world, but what the hell is it doing here, painted on the bloody walls?" Mendiace growled.
"Another human guild is muscling in on our turf? This fucking 'C.I.A.'?" Maelad asked, frowning.
"We'll hunt down this C.I.A. and slaughter every last one of those bastards," Mendiace swore, fury and vengeance blazing in his eyes.
-----
[Back at Court la Mood]
"What's the fucking plan now that we've essentially declared war on the KGB?" Grangya asked Leo.
"No, we haven't declared anything. As far as the KGB knows, the 'C.I.A.' declared war on them," Leo replied.
"What's the difference?" Bara asked, puzzled.
"While we may despise the KGB, our hatred hasn't reached that extreme," Kasshyek chimed in. "Yes, they killed some of our people when they attacked, but we wiped out all their gangsters in response in a horrific manner."
He paused to reflect on the horror.
"But why did you have to kill everyone in that dining hall? We have already captured Madoug. Our soldiers were trembling when they were asked to mutilate those bodies."
"Next time, my warriors will do the mutilation. You cocks are worse than pussy cats", Bara said.
"We have no choice," Leo said. "Those men had to die to send a message. I know a little about gang psychology. When rival gangs attack, they don't leave survivors. Leaving anyone alive would have pointed to—a weaker enemy, and most probably not another gang."
"Eventually, they'd trace it back to us here at Court la Mood, and realize we took Madoug? We are their only recent enemy with the ability to do this," Grangya added with understanding.
"Precisely."
"Ruthless, but I can't say I mind," Grangya approved with a nod.
"But why pretend another gang is after the KGB? Will they even believe it?" Princess Bara asked.
"To protect Court la Mood," Leo explained.
"I don't see the connection," Kasshyek said, frowning.
"The KGB suffered heavy losses in that last fight with us in Court la Mood. They won't just let that slide. As a gang, they have to come back with greater force to show they are relevant and a bully," Leo said. "I want to avoid that kind of endless retaliation with them."
"And how are you planning to avoid the KGB, if they're set on revenge?" Kasshyek asked.
"By giving them a deadlier enemy to focus on—the 'C.I.A.' If we make them believe they're up against something bigger and deadlier, they'll ignore us, the smaller threat, at least for the moment," Leo explained.
"But the C.I.A. doesn't exist," Grangya pointed out.
"It will—in the minds of the KGB," Leo said with a smirk. "The massacre in the dining hall was only the first step."
"What's the next step?" Kasshyek asked.
"You'll see," Leo replied.
-----
[In the private pavilion of Dame Rosa la Amber- Court la Mood.]
"Amber, may I call you that now? We've been together three times already," Master Bloomers asked.
"Of course, you may call me whatever you like," Dame Rosa la Amber replied with a warm smile.
"Amber."
"Bloomers."
"My mind has been so troubled lately. It feels like this is the only place I can find any peace," Bloomers confided as his head rested on her supple breasts.
"What's weighing on you?" Amber asked her hands massaging his temple.
"Oh, you couldn't help with it," he sighed.
"Talking about it might ease the burden a little," she encouraged.
"True," he said, pausing. "It's these local gangs—they're getting worse every day. Their demands for 'protection fees' are draining us."