Chapter 6 - The Counterattack
"Don't move!" the lead mercenary barked, his laser sight sweeping across Gabe’s chest.
Gabe raised his hands slowly, stepping in front of Marcus and me. "Stand down. You're on private property."
"Save it," the lead man sneered. "Vance gave strict orders. No witnesses."
My heart pounded frantically against my ribs. I pulled Marcus behind my back, shielding his small body with mine as I squeezed my eyes shut, preparing for the worst.
BANG.
A deafening shot echoed down the narrow concrete hallway.
The lead mercenary dropped instantly, his rifle clattering against the floor. Behind him, Dominic stepped through the smoke, his expression icy and relentless. He fired two more precise shots, disabling the remaining two intruders before they could swing their weapons around.
"Gabe! Get them into the inner vault now!" Dominic commanded, rushing forward.
Gabe didn't hesitate. He pulled Marcus and me into the small, ultra-secure panic room at the back of the bunker and slammed the heavy steel door shut, locking the mechanical wheel into place.
Through the small reinforced viewing glass on the door, I watched Dominic stand guard in the outer corridor.
Another wave of mercenaries rushed down the stairs, led by a tall, silver-haired man in a tailored coat—Julian Vance himself.
"Dominic!" Vance yelled over the sound of alarm sirens ringing through the complex. "You should have stayed deaf and quiet! You could have lived out your life comfortably on a pension!"
Dominic didn't answer with words. He used the narrow layout of the subterranean corridor to his tactical advantage, moving with lethal speed and precision. For every step Vance’s men took forward, Dominic countered with ruthless efficiency, taking down enemy combatants one by one.
Vance pulled a secondary weapon, firing wildly down the hall. A bullet grazed Dominic’s shoulder, leaving a streak of red against his black sweater, but Dominic didn't even flinch. He closed the distance between them, disarming Vance with a swift, powerful blow to his wrist.
Dominic grabbed Vance by his collar, slamming the rival syndicate boss hard against the concrete wall.
"Three years," Dominic growled, his voice deep and menacing as he pressed the barrel of his sidearm beneath Vance’s jaw. "Three years you had your people put poison in my ear."
Vance gasped for air, his eyes wide with sheer terror. "Dominic... wait... it was business! Just business!"
"This is my business now," Dominic replied coldly.
He didn't pull the trigger. Instead, he slammed Vance’s head back against the wall, knocking him unconscious, just as heavy footsteps echoed down the stairwell.
Dozens of state police tactical units and federal agents spilled into the hallway, weapons raised.
"Federal agents! Drop your weapons!" a sergeant yelled.
May you like
Dominic calmly lowered his sidearm, placing it on the floor, and raised his hands. He looked straight through the viewing glass of the vault door, catching my eyes.
A faint, victorious smile crossed his lips.
