Chapter 6 - The Bloodlines of Providence
Pier 42 was an abandoned textile warehouse jutting out into the black, freezing waters of the Atlantic. Rain poured from the sky in heavy sheets, hammering against the rusted tin roof.
Inside, two dozen armed Morello enforcers stood in a semicircle around Dominic Morello, a fat, cruel man in a fur-collared coat. Alyssa was tied to a wooden pillar in the center, weeping silently into her gag.
The massive sliding doors of the warehouse slowly groaned open.
A single set of headlights cut through the gloom.
A heavy black SUV pulled into the warehouse, its engine rumbling like a sleeping beast. The driver’s door opened, and Luca Ferretti stepped out alone into the rain. He wore a long dark trench coat, his hands resting casually in his pockets.
"You came alone, Luca?" Dominic cackled, stepping forward. "Or are your men hiding in the rain like rats?"
"I don't need an army to deal with a man who kidnaps children, Dominic," Luca said smoothly, his voice carrying clearly over the sound of the rain. "Where is the girl?"
Dominic gestured toward Alyssa. "She’s right here. Unharmed, for now. Where is the medic and the drive?"
The passenger door of the SUV opened.
Hope stepped out. She wore a heavy tactical vest over her sweater, her sleeves rolled up, her scarred arms fully exposed to the cold air. In her hand, she held the tiny silver crucifix, dangling it by its chain.
"I’m right here, Morello," Hope said, her voice steady, terrifyingly calm.
Dominic’s eyes widened as he saw the scars on her arms. "Look at that. The phantom medic of Al-Hasakah. You survived a mortar strike just to die in a warehouse in Boston."
"I survived a war, Dominic," Hope said, walking forward until she stood beside Luca. "You’re just a bully with a trust fund and bad taste in coats."
Dominic’s face turned red with rage. "Give me the drive!"
"Untie my sister first," Hope demanded.
"You don't make demands!" Dominic roared, pulling a nickel-plated revolver from his coat and aiming it straight at Hope’s chest. "Hand it over, or I blow a hole through you right now!"
Luca stepped sideways, placing his broad body directly between Dominic’s gun and Hope.
"Shoot me, Dominic," Luca said, his dark eyes locked onto his rival. "Shoot the head of the Ferretti family. See if any of your men leave this warehouse alive."
"You think I'm scared of you?!" Dominic shouted.
"You should be," Luca whispered.
From the dark rafters fifty feet above, three silent flashes erupted.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
Suppressors hissed. Three of Dominic’s men standing nearest to Alyssa dropped instantly, shot through the head before they could draw their weapons.
Chaos exploded.
Luca drew a hidden weapon from his coat, tackling Dominic to the concrete as the remaining Morello guards began firing blindly into the darkness.
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Hope didn't hesitate. She didn't freeze. The instincts honed in six years of combat medicine and tactical extraction took over.
She sprinted through the crossfire, sliding across the wet concrete floor, and reached her sister.
