Chapter 5 - BLOOD IN THE WATER
The safe house was a heavily fortified cabin nestled deep in a pine forest, practically invisible from satellite surveillance. We had been there for three days, organizing my counter-offensive. I had managed to secure Sofia's grandmother, Elena, moving her from the public hospital to a private, heavily guarded underground medical facility. Elena had confirmed the truth: my father had an affair with a maid, resulting in a daughter. That daughter had tragically died of an overdose, leaving behind little Sofia to the streets.
I was not just fighting for a son now; I was fighting to avenge the family my father had thrown away.
On the fourth night, the storm broke. I was in the war room, reviewing the blueprints of Arturo’s main logistics hub—a massive shipping warehouse on the coast. If I destroyed his logistics, his cash flow would halt, and the capos would turn on him.
Suddenly, the perimeter sensors pinged. Red dots flashed across my monitor.
"Breach!" I shouted into the comms, grabbing my assault rifle. "Defend the perimeter!"
But the response on the radio was static. Then, a voice cut through. It wasn't my men.
"Gabriel," my Uncle Arturo’s raspy voice slithered through the speaker. "Did you really think a few trees could hide you from me? I have eyes everywhere. Give me the boy. Give me the street rat. And I’ll let you die a quick death."
"Come and get them, old man," I growled, crushing the radio.
I rushed into the living room. "Isabel! Get to the tunnels!" I pointed to the trapdoor hidden beneath the rug.
Before they could move, the front door exploded inward in a shower of splinters and fire. The shockwave threw me against the wall. Through the smoke, heavy boots stepped into the cabin. I opened fire, dropping the first two intruders, but there were too many. A bullet grazed my shoulder, spinning me around.
Isabel screamed as a mercenary grabbed her by the hair. Sofia, showing the fierce spirit of my bloodline, bit the man's hand with everything she had. He cursed and backhanded her, sending the little girl sprawling across the wooden floor. The baby wailed from his carrier.
Rage, pure and blinding, consumed me. I didn't feel the bullet in my shoulder. I drew my combat knife and closed the distance, slicing through the mercenary's throat before he could raise his weapon. I grabbed the assault rifle from his falling body and laid down suppressing fire, forcing the rest of the attackers out the broken doorway.
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"Down the hatch! Now!" I roared.
Isabel, bleeding from a cut on her forehead, grabbed Sofia and the baby, dragging them into the escape tunnel. I tossed an incendiary grenade at the front door to cover our retreat and dove into the darkness just as the cabin above us went up in flames.
