It was tense… more than tense, as the plane finally landed and, well, nobody said a word. Everybody just stared at James as he was looking out the window as the plane was being taxied, and then that was it. Ready to get off, though nobody stood up.
A moment of silence, a moment of stillness, that was it, as everybody just remained in their seat. Even the pilot didn't move from their seats, because well, they got a briefing about the situation… and also, they'd been through moments … if they need to dip, they dip, no questions asked.
Yeah, that plane was their safe place, but getting off it meant one thing… they could be fucked. That was the situation that James needed to be careful about, that he really just fucking flew into Maraci, with a fake identity, with his family, and the family on the line, with everybody's life on the line who came with him.
Get off the plane or just wait till the plane refuels and go back?
It was the first situation James was actually stressing about. Like, coming here, being on the plane was like a big hallucination or maybe it was the adrenaline, the emotion of yesterday, what happened, how he got fucking slapped, how his emotion came to the surface, how fucked up that day was.
But, he understood it well, that this is a situation where he needs to act as a boss, where he needs to push down his emotions and think as a mafia leader, as a Don, not as somebody whose emotion is controlling him.
"Sir?" The flight attendant walked up to him. "Should we—"
"Thank you, we're getting off." He said as he stood up, but his voice was firm. It was full of worry and what could happen to them… but also with determination. They came here and are not going to leave until he sees them.
"We're getting off, boys." Arine shouted through the plane, and in a minute, everybody was ready, standing and well, realizing that this is truly an adventure, as the door opened and the stairway rolled down.
"Have a fun time, sir." The flight attendant said her goodbye as James did his first step going down the stairs, but there was nothing.
No SUVs, no military, no police, just a bus waiting for them. It was calm, and hot as fuck.
"It gotta be at least 40." Mike said as he was dressed in plain black just like everyone.
"It is." James said as he reached for the suitcase. "Money will be with me if something happens to any of you." He grabbed it from him, and they, with a glance, started walking toward the bus, which was nothing unordinary, and took them from the airstrip to the terminal.
Everything seemed to go smooth, no fuck-ups, no shouts, flashbangs, just a normal day, and it seemed to be that's it, as they walked through the terminal without being searched or needing to go through the TSA.
"Wasn't it too easy?" Mike asked as he was looking around for any threats, but this whole situation was the threat itself.
"Yeah, something is up." James said as he too realized that there was no fucking way there isn't even one search, or one person asking them who they are or something. They just walked through the terminal.
"Maybe we… it was just us… overcomplicating it?" Arine spoke on the other side of James.
"Are you Franc Mihaly?" A voice with a heavy accent suddenly came from straight up ahead, interrupting Mike, and, well, they all stopped, because in front of them were no fucking police but something far dangerous then that.
It was a tall man, like 2 meters tall, in a suit, glasses, and blonde long hair… though that wasn't the worrying part, but the squad of marines behind him.
Fully stacked ones, AR in their hand, even grenades on some, and with the yellow and black flag with the white dragon in the middle… the flag of Maraci.
"Yeah, it is me." James spoke, trying to contain himself, the voice, to not seem stressed or worried about it, though meanwhile Mike and Arine were different.
They knew for a fact that the moment it goes wrong, they would be killed. Ain't no way they were going to throw up their hands against fucking ARs and even a light machine gun on one of the soldiers.
"Nice to meet you." the man continued. "Can I have a talk with you?" He asked as he stepped closer to James and offered his hand.
"Of course, though, can I ask what your name is?" He asked back, careful with it and wording like if he was really a politician as the man shook his hand and it was firm… to be truth he grabbed it hard, almost like he tired to overpower James, and well, he did, with his fuck-ass tall body.
"I am Darvik Vinhomen, Minister of National Defence of Maraci." He said as he just gripped even more of James's hand, though he wasn't just letting it go and he gripped it back hard, though it was embarrassing looking at each other's eyes, while Mike and Arine noticed that more soldiers came in the door.
"It is quite surprising to be welcomed by a Minister of Defence."
"Yeah it is, but it is Maraci after all, a wonderland." He said, though James didn't understand what he meant by it. "So can we talk in private?"
"Of course we can." He replied with a warm smile, and Darvik tilted his head and gestured toward a hallway and James just straight walked there and then into a room, which looked like a typical interrogation room, one table, two chairs.
And again just silence as they looked at each other, like it was a psychological warfare that Darvik wanted, but on James it didn't really work. He just looked… calm and nonchalant. Not a single stressed movement.
"Am I being detained?"
"Ohh, don't joke… no. Just wanted to welcome you to my homeland with a little talk. You know, our diplomatic relationship is almost nonexistent with many countries." Darvik said as he crossed his legs and leaned forward.
"Hmm, yeah I know about it as everybody else in the world." James said as he smiled. "But it's strange to be welcomed by a Defence Minister… it feels like something's going to happen that is not good for me nor you."
"Well it's only bad for you." He looked deep into James' eyes. "President William, out of nowhere, sent so many people to the embassy, and now even you… is he going to war? Does he want to come here to save himself, and you're just preparing the stage for him?"
"Not really. I'm just here to do some audit and inspection at the embassy, and nothing more. And President William is currently fighting against the criminals." James answered him in the best way he could to maintain his government official persona, though silence followed.
Darvik just leaned back and put a smile on his face, and not a second later, he just chuckled by himself.
"What is so funny?" James asked as he smiled too, to match him.
"Why Franc Mihaly… like they couldn't have made up a better name? Not one that is rare, that is almost nonexistent… and your real name is far more like, powerful and demands respect. Bellini. How cool of a name is it compared to mine?" He chuckled again. "Like Bellini, it is a mafia name, and pairing it with James… your parents did a great job with that name. James Bellini. Though Lucian topped you, his name was just perfection. Number one. Nobody will top that."
Panic… an emotional feeling that James hadn't felt in a long time… just the purest panic. He tried to hide it away, but his body didn't listen, and first his finger, then his leg started to shake.
The big plan just shattered within minutes. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ Novᴇl_Fire(.)net