After about ten minutes, Aleksei returned with two sets of keys. He handed them over to Anastasia, explaining,

"The smaller bunch are the keys to the dorm's main door and other facilities, and the larger bunch are the individual room keys."

Anastasia briefly examined the two sets before nodding at him and strolling out of the meeting hall.

Downstairs, Diego had already dismissed the guards once the meeting had concluded and was awaiting their group.

"So, what's the plan now?"

Anastasia glanced at him, a contemplative expression on her face. The family meeting had been a partial success, she could see it through the system. But the decision taken was not that much of a success.

"Now, we get some shut eyes. Our next move would require a lot of preparation and planning."

She turned back to the group,

"You four, come with me, we will be staying at the dorms for the time being. As for you Aleksei, make sure everything here is secured."

Diego nodded, falling in with the other three beside Anastasia as they made their way toward the dormitory. Aleksei accompanied them to the car before returning to his office.

The night air outside was cool, and the dimly lit streets of Roanapur cast long shadows as they drove past the warehouses. It was a five-minute drive along the coast till they reached the dormitories. They were quite easy to spot, after all, five motel-like buildings, both finished and unfinished, were quite hard to miss.

The drive had been a short and yet uncomfortable one. Mikhail and Diego had taken up the two front seats causing Natalia to adjust inside the passenger's seat with Amina and Anastasia. But the drive had been only five minutes long and Anastasia managed to survive the stuffiness.

As they pulled into the dormitory's parking, Mikhail suddenly asked,

"So, the Indonesians eh? I thought it would be us hitting those Italians where it hurts the most."

Anastasia, leaning back against the car seat, regarded Mikhail with a measured gaze,

"Of course, we are the ones going to attack the Italians. Do you seriously expect the Indonesians to let go of an opportunity to get a foothold in the Gulf of Thailand? I tell you, the moment they get the opportunity to take over, they won't hesitate to gun us down."

Mikhail turned in his seat and stared at Anastasia with a raised eyebrow, considering her words.

"So, we are not going to work with the Indonesians? Then why propose that option in the meeting? "

Mikhail questioned. Anastasia smirked, her gaze unwavering.

"I was spouting bullshit. There's no way the Indonesians would ever help us or even use us as a proxy. They will see us as poor lambs that walked up to the butcher itself, we won't live past the negotiation stage."

Mikhail's expression shifted from questioning to one of understanding as he processed Anastasia's revelation. He chuckled, realizing the deception play of hers,

"Smooth move, Boss. Keep em' guessing, even if it's your own family,"

Anastasia smirked,

"Every now and then, it's all about steering the story. I wanted them to think I had a solid plan in the works to handle our issues. If, by chance, the info slips out, the Italians would think we're making a move that's probably a one-way ticket to trouble. It throws them off balance and off of our backs."

Diego added,

"Plus, it puts the kibosh on internal dissent. When the members believe we're actively chasing diplomatic solutions, it takes the edge off tensions within the family."

Amina, though, had her mind on a different track.

"But what if someone spills the beans on the plan? What if the Italians get wind that we're just playin' nice with the Indonesians?"

Anastasia's gaze got more intense.

"That's why we keep the circle small. Aleksei, he's the man for the middleman job, someone we can trust. The fewer folks in the know, the better. Aleksei's gonna hash out a deal with them, but not spill the beans on the proxy business—just talkin' about a drug deal."

The group entered the dormitory, walking through the dimly lit corridors to a common room, or rather it was the manager's office and lobby area through which ran the stairs and the main entrance. 

As they slouched around a coffee table, flopping onto plush cushions, the four of them unloaded their weapons and stashed them on a weapon rack in a small room next to the manager's office.

Anastasia scoured the fridge and dug up three stacks of beer cans. She pulled one out and plunked it on the table, settling back onto the sofa,

"We gotta play this game smart, Mikhail. The Italians might be a breeze for you, but the Triad and the Indonesians are a whole different story. The darn Triad's got over ten thousand men, and the Indonesians practically own half the navy."

Mikhail nodded, a glint in his eyes.

"Nice, haven't had a good fight since Afghanistan. So, Boss, when do we start?"

Anastasia took a thoughtful sip from her beer, her gaze steady on Mikhail.

"We'll let things simmer for a bit. Aleksei will handle the initial negotiations with the Indonesians, making it look like we're desperately seeking proper backing. Meanwhile, we gather intel on the Italians, their movements, supplies going in and out, and take out that ship full of goods they have on one of their wharves."

She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, her eyes meeting each member of the group.

"Our strength lies in intel, we know something about them that they have been hiding from most of their own members. But we won't strike until we're confident that we can take it down in one swoop."

She turned to Diego who was cracking open his beer,

"Diego, you'll coordinate with Aleksei on the deal with the Indonesians, make sure to get started in at most five days. Amina, you have been living in Roanapur for roughly two months now, I need you to scout around and find which wharf they are keeping the goods at."

Diego grunted in agreement while Amina nodded as she flipped through a room book.

"Mikhail and Natalia, you both should start contacting your old comrades, and see who are combat-ready and looking for a job. Also, make sure to inform them about our line of work before they agree, I don't want a couple of moral preachers here/"

The twins also nodded their heads.

The room fell into a brief silence, the weight of their impending actions sinking in. Diego broke the quietude, his voice steady.

"What about the rest of the family? Shouldn't they know the real plan?"

Anastasia shook her head.

"Nah, half of them would panic the moment they get to know that we are taking the bull by the horns, and the rest would do something impulsive. For now, the fewer people involved, the better. We'll reveal the truth to them when we're on the verge of action. Until then, they'll think we're playing diplomatic games. It keeps the Italians on their toes, and it keeps our own in line."

Diego was about to follow up with another question when he suddenly sat up and checked the time on his watch.

"Oh, crap - it's already late. Hey, Boss, what's the plan for the night?"

Anastasia sighed, her expression neutral as always.

"We get some rest, of course. You said it yourself, we've got a lot of prep work to do before we can strike. So, grab yourself a beer and get some shut eyes for the night."

Mikhail and Diego shrugged in agreement before cracking another can of beer. The dormitory room was filled with the low hum of conversation as the group of four shared a few more beers.

As the night progressed, the group dispersed, choosing and occupying rooms according to their preference.

Mikhail and Diego occupied the room adjacent to the manager's office, it was close to the door and close to the guns. Amina bunked in with Natalia in a room adjacent to Anastasia's who was in a room on the second floor. 

As the night wore on, the city outside echoed with distant sounds of Roanapur's nocturnal activities. It was a shithole where gunfights were the norm, even now a couple of shots would ring out over the city's nightly hum. 

Anastasia closed her eyes, thinking about all the craziness she had just witnessed in a span of less than 24 hours. From the death of her comrades to the awakening of the system to the sudden appearance of elite soldiers who were loyal to her, followed by the execution of her childhood friend and bullshitting all her subordinates. 

Sleep was hard to come for her that day, not to mention all these 'crazy' she just saw to the returning headache from not only the concussion but also the large amount of smoking and drinking she had done the day.

Restlessness kept her tossing and turning on the somewhat modest bed that all the rooms in the dorm were furnished with. After what felt like an eternity, she decided to rise from the bed and approached the small balcony overlooking Roanapur streets, another reason she chose that particular room.

She pushed the door open and stepped outside. The air was humid, carrying the scent of the sea and the unique blend of Roanapur's urban decay. Leaning against the balcony railing, Anastasia looked out at the cityscape. The night was alive with a mix of neon lights, flickering signs, and the distant glow of streetlamps.

Her thoughts were all tangled up, and the heat and headache weren't helping. She stood there, facing the sea, as a cool breeze brushed against her face. Closing her eyes, she listened to the sea crashing against the earth, accompanied by the occasional distant gunshots. Suddenly, a creaking sound caught her attention...