Chapter 8 - THE ULTIMATUM
The warehouse turned into a slaughterhouse. My men, fueled by loyalty and the sheer brutality of my command, overwhelmed Carlo's defenses. But Carlo was a cornered rat, and cornered rats always have a final trick.
"Hold your fire!" Carlo shouted, his voice amplified by a megaphone. "Hold your fire, or she dies!"
The shooting stopped. The smoke began to clear.
On the catwalk, two of Carlo's men dragged forward a battered, bloody figure. My heart stopped. It was Sofia, my younger sister. I had sent her to Switzerland years ago to keep her out of the life, to keep her safe. I had paid millions to ensure her anonymity.
"Surprised?" Carlo sneered, holding a gun to Sofia's head. "You think you're the only one with sleeper agents, Lorenzo? I had her grabbed from her chalet yesterday. You take one more step, and I blow her brains out."
My gun lowered slightly. The absolute fury in my chest clashed with a paralyzing fear. Sofia looked at me, her face bruised but defiant. She had our father’s eyes.
"Drop your weapons, Lorenzo. Tell your men to stand down, and surrender the witness to me. Do it, and I'll let Sofia go."
It was an impossible choice. Give up Serafina and Mia to be slaughtered, or watch my sister die.
"You’re a coward, Carlo," I spat.
"I'm a survivor. Ten seconds, Lorenzo."
I looked at Marco, making a microscopic movement with my eyes toward the overhead crane hanging above the catwalk. Marco subtly tapped his earpiece. My sniper team, positioned on the roof of the adjacent building, had been waiting for the signal.
"Five seconds!" Carlo yelled.
"I choose neither," I said quietly.
May you like
The glass skylight shattered. A high-caliber sniper round tore through the warehouse, striking the man holding Sofia in the shoulder, spinning him away. In that split second, Sofia dropped to the floor.
I raised my weapon and fired.
