Chapter 11 - The Tip-Off
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"They're tearing the city apart looking for a dog!" the panicked voice yelled over the phone. "Rossi’s enforcer said if we don't hand over the Caucasian Shepherd by midnight, they're going to burn every building we own with us inside!"
Silas’s blood ran completely cold. He looked back at the massive, snarling beast in the steel cage.
"A blind kid's dog," Silas muttered in sheer disbelief. "Rossi is starting a mob war over a disabled kid's pet?"
It made absolutely no sense. But Gabriel Rossi was not a man who bluffed. If he was mobilizing his capos, the threat was real, and it was deadly.
"Move the merchandise," Silas barked at his men, panic finally leaking into his voice. "Get the trucks loaded! We're moving the operation out of the city tonight. The cartel buyer can meet us at the secondary drop in Indiana."
The warehouse erupted into chaotic movement. Thugs began throwing heavy tarps over cages of stolen exotic birds, fighting pit bulls, and smuggled reptiles.
"What about the big one?" a thug asked, pointing a trembling finger at Brutus’s cage.
"Tranq him again," Silas ordered, pulling a heavy handgun from his waistband. "If Rossi wants him that badly, he's worth double what I thought. We take him with us."
Back at the diner, Brier paced the length of the linoleum floor. The "Closed" sign was flipped, and the blinds were drawn. Posie was asleep in a booth, her head resting on Mrs. Fam's apron.
The door of the diner rattled loudly.
Brier jumped, grabbing a coffee pot like a weapon.
"Open up, it's Marco," a deep voice called out.
Mrs. Fam unlocked the deadbolt. Gabriel's massive enforcer stepped inside, smelling heavily of rain, cheap cigars, and fresh blood. He didn't look at Brier; he looked directly at Mrs. Fam.
"We got a location," Marco grunted, wiping a speck of blood off his expensive suit cuff. "One of Silas’s runners talked. They're operating out of an abandoned meatpacking plant near the old rail yards. Silas is panicking. He's loading trucks to flee across state lines."
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"Is Gabriel there?" Brier asked, her heart hammering against her ribs.
"The Boss is already en route with two strike teams," Marco said, his face a mask of grim determination. "He sent me to wait with you. Because when Gabriel is finished with Silas, you're going to want to be ready to bring your dog home."
