Chapter 10 - Blood on the Marble
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The west wing of the estate was eerily quiet compared to the deafening war raging in the grand foyer. Alessandro moved silently through the dark corridors, his back pressed against the expensive silk wallpaper, his weapon raised and ready to fire at the slightest movement.
The moonlight filtering through the shattered windows cast long, distorted shadows across the polished marble floors.
He heard the subtle crunch of glass under a heavy boot.
Alessandro froze. He held his breath, listening intently. The sound was coming from the library, a room situated directly above the subterranean safe room where Chiara and Mia were hiding. Lorenzo’s men were actively searching for the bunker.
Alessandro slipped soundlessly into the library, melting into the deep shadows near the towering bookshelves.
Four heavily armed Falcone mercenaries were sweeping the room with tactical flashlights. They were wearing dark urban camouflage, their faces covered by black ski masks.
"Check the floorboards," one of the mercenaries whispered harshly. "The boss said the entrance to the bunker is hidden behind a false wall near the fireplace."
They were getting too close.
Alessandro didn't hesitate. He stepped out of the shadows, moving with blinding, lethal speed. He fired two suppressed shots, hitting the first two mercenaries precisely in the back of the head before they even realized they were no longer alone in the room.
The remaining two men spun around, raising their assault rifles, but Alessandro was already moving. He closed the distance in a fraction of a second, slapping the barrel of the closest man's rifle away with his left hand while driving his combat knife deep into the man's throat with his right.
The final mercenary fired wildly in a panic, the bullets shredding the antique books on the shelves, raining paper down around them like snow.
Alessandro dropped the dying man, ducked under the erratic gunfire, and fired a single shot directly into the center of the last mercenary's chest. The man collapsed backward, crashing violently into a heavy mahogany reading desk, breaking it in half before hitting the floor.
The library fell completely silent, save for the ragged, heavy breathing of the mafia boss.
Alessandro wiped the blood from his combat knife on the expensive Persian rug and holstered his weapon. He walked over to the hidden panel near the fireplace, checking the biometric lock. It was untouched. The heavy steel door leading down to the safe room was perfectly secure.
He let out a long, shaky exhale, the adrenaline slowly beginning to fade from his system. He had protected them. He had kept his promise to the little girl who had run to him in tears.
Suddenly, his tactical radio crackled violently to life.
"Boss! We have a massive breach in the servant quarters!" Nico's voice yelled over the static and the distant sound of gunfire. "Lorenzo is here! He brought a secondary team through the underground maintenance tunnels! They bypassed the foyer entirely!"
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Alessandro's blood ran completely cold. The attack on the front doors had been a complete distraction. Lorenzo Falcone hadn't come through the front gate. He had slithered in through the basement.
And the maintenance tunnels connected directly to the sub-basement where Serena was being held.
