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36 Three Skulls (Flashback)
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Shadow of Yesterday 37 The Inevitable Confrontation
The present day…Hugo sat in the hotel room, staring out of the window. Gabriel’s words echoed in his ears. It had been a while since Hugo had killed the Bratva leader’s son. There had been no retaliation from Ivan. When Camila disappeared from his mansion with the American architect, he had doubted that there was a Russian hand behind it but his doubts faded when he found his Camila reemerge as Jessica in a remote town in Nebraska. He had ordered his men to secure her house so he could meet her in person. He awaited the confirmation and stared at nothingness outside the window. Everything was dark. Only a handful of neon lights and screens were visible. His phone buzzed. It was a call from an unknown number. There were rarely any people who dared to call him on his phone directly. He stared at the flashing number for a while before answering it. There was silence on the other side. Then he heard a familiar voice. “Hugo Ortiz?” Jessica’s voice emerged. Hugo sprang up to his feet in s
Shadow of Yesterday 38 Volkov’s Army
In the middle of the night, the hardware store owned by the Bratva was deserted. Everything was dark except the room upstairs. Vladimir sat at his table in his makeshift office and awaited the call from his men. His eyes were fixated on the phone. Every passing minute added to his anxiety. The plan was fool proof. It had taken them a week and a lot of resources to come up with it. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to get on his boss’s good side. Hugo Ortiz was wide open and all Vladimir had to do was to score. Hugo was going to meet his woman at her house tonight. This piece of information was enough for Vladimir to arrange an ambush. Drops of sweat formed on his pale forehead. His focus was disturbed by a pained groan emerging meters away from him. The source was Gabriel who was tied to a chair, barely holding on to his life. The old man was bleeding from head to toe. Vladimir didn't like the distraction. “Can you please shut the fuck up?” Vladimir yelled and threw a paper wei
Shadow of Yesterday 39 Retreat
The driver pulled out of the neighborhood and looked around for a hospital. A few bullets had collided with the back of the car while most of them missed the target. Hugo had a mixture of emotions on his face. At one moment, it was rage then it was puzzlement but the pain was there all the same. He had been shot at multiple times in the past but had always somehow avoided taking a bullet. This was the first time that a bullet had found its way to him. It was probably because he had been too blinded by the excitement of meeting his lover that he forgot to take care of his security. There were little to no enemies of his that were left breathing but he was in a foreign territory and there were just too many moving parts to take care of. Thinking about his security reminded him of Gabriel and what he was going through. The driver realized that going to a hospital may be dangerous and decided to ask. “Should we go to a hospital?” He asked Hugo. “No. To Varga’s place,” Hugo replied after
Shadow of Yesterday 40 It’s Not Your Fault
When Hugo finally woke up, he had to squint his eyes to bear the sunlight in the room. His head was spinning like a top. It took him a while to recognize the room he was in. As he tried to sit up, he received a painful reminder of the events of the previous night. His arm was killing him. He jolted with pain and lied back down. His groan was audible enough to attract Juan’s attention outside the room. He dashed inside to see if everything was alright. He found Hugo trying his best to endure the pain without causing much drama. Juan had hired a nurse to take care of Hugo as long as he needed. The nurse followed him inside and checked the IV. It was still half full. She injected a painkiller into the IV and started checking the monitors. Juan had prepared well. The room that looked like a military operated armory just hours ago, could now be mistaken for a hospital room with all the medical equipment lying around. Hugo was trying his best to find the least painful angle. “The vitals
Shadow of Yesterday 41 Straight To The Point
Adam stood there with his heart in his mouth. His world had already been shaken by the recent events but the revelation from Dr Gupta somehow made it even worse. He took a seat and tried to catch his breath.“Are you sure?” He finally managed to ask.“The guy who sewed him up was my classmate in med school. He got a shitload of money for giving him first aid. The details were gory but everything made me wonder who the guy was. My doubts became reality when he finally gave me the name,” answered Gupta gravely. “Oh my fucking god! Where did it happen?” Asked Adam with an air of overwhelming panic in his tone. “He didn't know it for sure but he got the hint that some meeting had taken an ugly turn,” Gupta replied. Adam fell silent for a second. “How is he?” Asked Adam, genuinely worried for his health. All hell would break loose if he were to die before Jessica got her answers. “He’ll live. The bullet didn't hit any vital organs or arteries. He’ll be up and running in a week but jud
Shadow of Yesterday 42 Not The First Time
Meanwhile, Adam tried his best to come up with the right words before knocking on the door. No set of words in the world could possibly numb Jessica’s anger down. He let out a defeated sigh and knocked. The door abruptly opened the next second and Jessica stepped out of the room with a straight face, staring into Adam’s soul. Adam braced himself for another barrage of abuses and insults. He knew that he deserved it but only wanted it to wait until the uninvited guests had left. “Do I look presentable?” Jessica suddenly asked, straightening her clothes. Adam was taken aback. “There’s a couple of cops who want to talk to…” Adam tried to explain away but he was interrupted by Jessica.“I’m not blind. I saw them getting out of their car,” Jessica said and headed towards the stairs. Adam hesitated for a moment before following her down the stairs. Jessica knew that the arrival of the cops could never mean anything good in her already dismantled world but her anger suppressed her fear. S
Shadow of Yesterday 1 The Locked in Couple
The sun rained fire and there was no sign of clouds in the sky. The corn field danced with the wind and added to the beauty of the farm. The day was hot enough to make the birds flee for shelter yet it couldn't stop little Sofia and Eleanora from playing in the open. The heat didn't seem to bother them at all. They ran around in circles with their ragdolls. The corn was ripe for the harvest but old Bruno knew that the yield, like the next several harvests, would go into repayment of the debts he owed. He sat on his porch with his sickle and tried to gather enough strength to get up. Old Bruno was sure that one of these days his back would betray him. He saw his girls run around recklessly and feared for their safety. He called out to them but they didn't care to respond. “Camila! Come out!” he called out to his older daughter to come out of the house. A beautiful teenage girl came running out on her father’s voice. “Get them inside. They’re gonna hurt themselves!” Bruno said and sto
Shadow of Yesterday 2 Back to Normal
The next morning, Jessica was ready to leave for work. As expected, the sun shone brightly and the snow was starting to disappear. She took a long shower. She took a moment to breathe and leaned into the mirror above the sink. She stared at her reflection for a minute, the faint scar on her forehead, just below her hairline reminded her of the terrible accident she had a year ago. She shook it off. In a matter of seconds, she was ready for work. She walked downstairs and found Adam on a phone call. He had a habit of pacing around while he talked on the phone. Jessica had found him in the most bizarre places doing the oddest of things during a phone call. Sharp rays of sunlight penetrated the windows and landed on the carpet. The room felt welcoming after a long time. The noise outside made no secret of the resumption of everyday life in the town. The TV barked like always. She sneaked into the kitchen and prepared a modest breakfast. A misshapen sunny side up and a strip of bacon that
Latest chapter
Shadow of Yesterday 42 Not The First Time
Shadow of Yesterday 41 Straight To The Point
Shadow of Yesterday 40 It’s Not Your Fault
Shadow of Yesterday 39 Retreat
Shadow of Yesterday 38 Volkov’s Army
Shadow of Yesterday 37 The Inevitable Confrontation
Shadow of Yesterday 36 Three Skulls (Flashback)
Shadow of Yesterday 35 Thin Air (Flashback)
Shadow of Yesterday 34 Needs (Flashback)
