Chapter 6 - SHIFTING VARIABLES
The meatpacking plant smelled of rust, old blood, and damp concrete. Matteo had left his main force a block away, taking only Leo and three of his most lethal enforcers to infiltrate through the subterranean drainage tunnels. Surprisingly, he had allowed Sophie to trail them, flanked by two guards.
“She knows the building layouts better than we do,” Matteo had argued to a protesting Leo. “If they shift positions, she can predict the bottleneck.”
They emerged into the lower processing floor. Above them, through rusted steel grates, they could hear the heavy boots of Moretti soldiers pacing. And then, a sound that made Sophie’s blood freeze.
A sharp, terrified cry. Chloe.
Matteo signaled for silence. They crept up the metal stairwell, merging into the shadows of the catwalk. Below, in the center of the kill floor, Chloe was tied to a chair, her face bruised. Pacing in front of her was Vincent Moretti, and standing calmly beside him was Domenic.
“Where are the bearer bonds, Chloe?” Domenic asked smoothly. “You didn't leave them at the drop.”
“I told you!” Chloe sobbed. “I panicked! I mailed them to a safety deposit box! I can get them!”
Sophie’s mind raced, processing the variables. Domenic had 12 men visible. Matteo had 5. A direct firefight resulted in an 84% probability of casualties, including Chloe. They needed a disruptor.
Before Matteo could issue the order to breach, Sophie reached out and yanked the fire alarm pull station on the wall next to the catwalk.
The building erupted in a deafening, shrieking wail. Strobe lights flashed violently.
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“What the hell did you do?” Leo hissed over the noise.
“I changed the math,” Sophie yelled back, eyes blazing.
