Chapter 6 - THE LION'S DEN
The warehouse smelled like rust and old motor oil.
Dominic’s men arrived within the hour—three sleek black cars sliding silently into the garage. Five heavily armed men stepped out. They didn’t look like street thugs; they looked like corporate security, cold and disciplined.
The leader, a massive man named Luca, approached Dominic and handed him a fresh jacket and a new weapon.
“Sable locked down the Grand Aurelia,” Luca reported. “He’s got fifty guests in the ballroom. The police are outside, but Sable has politicians in that room. The cops won’t breach.”
“And the boy’s medicine?” Dominic asked quietly.
“Sable bought out the pharmacist. If the kid doesn’t get the shot within twelve hours, his lungs will start to shut down.” Luca looked at me with a mixture of pity and respect.
I sat on a crate, holding Matteo tightly. The fever was creeping back, his little forehead burning against my cheek. I looked at the $450 in my pocket—the money Dominic gave me—and realized it was useless. All the money in the world couldn't buy a cure if the devil owned the door.
“I’m going in,” Dominic said, loading his weapon with terrifying efficiency.
“You go in there, it’s a suicide mission,” Luca warned. “He has twenty men. You’re still fighting off the sedative.”
“He wants me. I trade my life for the hostages, and I make sure someone gets the medicine to Sarah.”
“No.”
Every man in the room turned to look at me. I stood up, gently passing Matteo to one of Dominic’s men, a quiet guy with kind eyes.
I walked up to Dominic. My uniform was torn, my hair plastered to my face, but I wasn’t shaking anymore.
“Sable doesn’t know what I look like,” I said. “He knows you have Elena’s sister, but he doesn’t know my face. The hotel staff all wear the same uniform. The police are letting negotiators send in food and supplies, right?”
Dominic’s eyes widened. “Absolutely not. You are not going back in there.”
“I know the service corridors! I know the vents, the blind spots, the security cameras that don’t work!” I stepped closer, pointing a finger at his chest. “My nephew is dying on that crate. You owe my sister. You owe me.”
Dominic stared at me. For a second, the hardened boss faded, and I saw a man desperate for redemption.
“What’s the play?” he finally asked.
“I go in with the next supply drop. I use the service elevator to bypass his guards in the lobby. I open the roof access for your men.” I swallowed hard. “And I find the medicine.”
“If they catch you, they’ll kill you,” he said softly.
“Then you better make sure they don’t,” I replied.
Luca handed me an earpiece. “Keep this hidden. Tap it twice if you’re compromised.”
As I turned to leave, Dominic caught my arm. He pulled the heavy onyx ring off his finger and pressed it into my palm.
May you like
“If anyone corners you, show them this,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “Tell them the Wolf sent you. It will buy you five seconds. Make them count.”
I slipped the ring into my pocket and walked toward the cars.
