Chapter 7 - ESCAPE TO THE CATACOMBS
"We have to move!" I yelled, grabbing Elena’s arm and hauling her back from the doorway. "The door is compromised. They'll swarm this room in minutes."
I reached under the desk, scooping Mia into my left arm while holding my rifle with my right. "Hold onto my neck, bambina," I told the little girl. She clung to me, burying her face in my shoulder.
I activated a hidden panel behind the bookshelf, revealing a dark, narrow stone staircase that descended deep into the earth. It was a Prohibition-era smuggling tunnel, connecting the mansion to a series of catacombs that ran beneath the property, leading out to the cliffside docks.
"Go down. Don't stop until you reach the iron gate," I instructed Elena, pushing her gently toward the stairs.
We descended into the damp darkness, the sounds of gunfire above growing muffled. The air was cold, smelling of ancient earth and the sea. I clicked on a flashlight, guiding them through the labyrinth of stone corridors.
"Are we leaving?" Elena asked, her voice breathless as we hurried along the uneven ground.
"I am getting you to the extraction boat. My private security team is waiting at the docks to take you to a secure island in the Mediterranean," I explained, scanning the shadows.
"What about you?" she asked, stopping abruptly.
"I am going back up," I said firmly. "Vittorio Falcone is in my house. The man who orchestrated the murder of my parents is standing in my living room. I am not leaving until his blood paints my floors."
"Lorenzo, no! They'll kill you!" she cried, grabbing my collar. "You promised to protect us!"
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"And I am," I swore, touching my forehead to hers in the dark tunnel. "As long as Vittorio lives, you and Mia will never be safe. They will never stop hunting you. I have to sever the head of the snake tonight. Get to the boat, Elena. I will find you. I swear on my life, I will find you."
Before she could argue further, a heavy metal clank echoed from the tunnel entrance far behind us. They had found the secret door. We were out of time.
