Chapter 9 - NO MERCY
I didn't surrender to the lobby guards. Instead, I base-jumped off the penthouse balcony, using a tactical parachute to land on the roof of an adjacent building. I hijacked a motorcycle and tore through the city streets, pushing the engine past its redline.
While riding, I activated the dead-man switch on my wrist computer. I triggered the financial wipe. In an instant, billions of dollars of Arturo’s illicit funds were drained from his offshore accounts and dispersed to thousands of anonymous charities worldwide. I didn't care about the money. I cared about leverage. Without money, Arturo's mercenaries would turn on him. Loyalty in our world is rented, never owned.
I crashed the motorcycle through the gates of the convent. The serene courtyard was filled with Arturo’s men. But as I opened fire, their radios erupted with panic. The financial wipe had gone through. The mercenaries realized their boss was suddenly broke.
"The money's gone! Don Arturo is bankrupt!" someone shouted over the comms.
"I'll double whatever he promised you if you walk away right now!" I yelled from behind a stone fountain. "Stay, and you die for a broke man!"
Half of the mercenaries lowered their weapons and ran. The die-hards, Arturo’s personal guard, stayed to fight. I didn't give them a chance to breathe. I moved like a reaper through the sacred grounds, my bullets finding their marks with terrifying accuracy.
I kicked open the heavy chapel doors. Arturo was standing at the altar, holding a gun to Isabel's head. Sofia was huddled on the floor, clutching the baby carrier.
"It's over, Arturo," I walked down the aisle, my weapon lowered but ready. "Your money is gone. Your men are fleeing. You have nothing."
Arturo’s face was purple with rage. "I will kill them all! The bloodline ends here!"
"No, it doesn't," a small voice echoed. Sofia had managed to slip a small dagger from her boot—a trick I had taught her just days ago. With lightning speed, she slashed Arturo's calf.
He howled in pain and stumbled, his aim faltering.
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That was all I needed. I raised my pistol and fired a single, perfect shot. The bullet struck Arturo directly between the eyes. He collapsed backward onto the altar, dead before he hit the ground.
The echoing gunshot faded into silence. I dropped my weapon and ran to them. Isabel collapsed into my arms, weeping into my chest. I pulled Sofia into the embrace, burying my face in her hair. From the carrier, baby Mateo let out a loud, demanding cry. I laughed, the sound rusty and unfamiliar in my throat. We were alive.
