Whispers to Screams (Lesbian) (GirlxGirl)

Chapter 9

Despite it being Sunday, and near to no one was in attendance at the building, Valeriya decided to take a detour. She slowed her car down and took many of the side streets instead of the freeway, she wanted to appreciate this big, broken, but beautiful city for all it was worth before she left on Wednesday. Russia was a cold mistress, literally and figuratively, and she would do all she could to tame her. Killing Barinova was the icing on the cake, but taking back her home with a clear conscious would be that much more gratifying. After all was said and done, she felt like repenting for the atrocities she committed and was a witness to. Most of it couldn't be helped, sure, but after so long of doing these things to people she finally understood why Toni hated it so much. Valeriya finally understood why she wanted to quit, and while she never quite forgave her for trying to pawn off being an assassin onto her, she couldn't quite blame her. It wasn't something she was bitter over, for various reasons that were made obvious.

Overthinking to this day has become a regular nuisance, but it was necessary. In order to sort out everything going on with her mind and the fucked up things that stretched through the days that she bore witness to. A year and a half ago killing someone would of made her stomach turn, it may have even made her cry, but now she didn't think twice. If someone needed to be taken care of, she would do it. Not that she liked it, no, but sometimes it was a necessary action. Showing her dominance in her world at the compound meant everything, her workers from the bottom to the top sometimes needed to be reminded who ran them. Occasionally some of the newer hirees would try and show off, or say some crude comment that wasn't appreciated. Often times, Valeriya would handle them alone and scare them into obeying. She molded herself into two different people. Empire Show Runner Valeriya and Home Body Valeriya, the latter of which she preferred.

Her thoughts quelled themselves into silent whispers as she pulled up to the building, seeing the two guards stand at their posts at the front doors. This place really was maxxed out with security. Guards, a keycard system, coded number pads, several cameras, and a control room specifically for all that tech. She was awfully proud of it, but she was beginning to feel like it was failing. Someone had managed to get inside and turn her already hectic life upside down. Fucking thieves.

Valeriya stepped out of her car and locked it, heading towards the front door with her badge and keycard drawn for the guards. They all knew who she was, but she instilled that matter of urgency in them to check anyone and everyone at the front door. Her guards followed that order to a T and she couldn't be more proud. A year of hard work and negotiations really whipped this place into shape.

"Good afternoon, ma'am." The first guard greeted her with a smile and a bow of his head as she checked her identification.

"Afternoon, Rob." She smiled. "Is Clyde here? I need to ask him about the security breach and the tapes he had sent over."

Rob handed her I.D. card back to her and nodded. "He should be in his office, said he wanted to work late today for some reason."

"Oh?" She furrowed her eyebrows. "I'll go see him, then. Thank you."

"No, thank you. Always a pleasure." He smiled again.

Valeriya returned his smile and turned to give the other guard recognition, he was newer, but she hadn't received any complaints so far so he must have been doing fine.

"Have a good day." She said before heading inside.

More security guards littered the area, but none of her regular workers. She had handfulls of accountants, finance agents, mail sorters, information brokers (all of whom Reed had jurisdiction over), and many more. She must've had over a hundred employees now, and that felt amazing. Giving it all up was a hard decision to come to, but she knew it would be left in good hands. There was a lot to be done, but as she walked through the corridors to get to Clyde's office, she tried to push them away. Clyde was her head of the guard and he was damn good at his job, but maybe a little too good. A lot of strange things had been happening and she was almost sure he was behind it, to a degree.