Chapter 3 - The Ticking Clock
Carmine stood confidently behind the open door of the armored vehicle, flanked by four mercenaries holding automatic rifles.
His tailored suit looked perfectly pristine, a sharp contrast to the mud and blood covering my ruined tuxedo.
He spoke through the bullhorn, his voice dripping with a casual arrogance that made my blood boil.
He informed me that he had already seized control of my shipping ports, my casinos, and my private security firm.
The only thing he still needed was my biometric retinal scan to unlock the offshore accounts holding the family fortune.
I pulled Nora behind a thick concrete pillar, using the thick structure to shield us from the gunmen.
I yelled out to Carmine, asking how he could justify betraying the family that had treated him like royalty.
Carmine laughed coldly, claiming that this was strictly business and that I had grown too soft to lead the syndicate.
He then pulled a small digital tablet from his pocket and tapped the glowing screen.
The piercing cries of a terrified young boy echoed loudly through the subway terminal from the tablet's speakers.
Nora screamed Leo's name, her entire body shaking violently as she tried to run toward the armored vehicle.
I grabbed her arm and pulled her back behind the pillar just as a barrage of bullets chipped the concrete above our heads.
Carmine announced that I had exactly one hour to surrender myself and provide the retinal scan.
If I failed to comply before the deadline, he promised to leave the boy at the bottom of the Hudson River.
He tossed a burner phone onto the train tracks, ordered his men back into the SUV, and sped away into the dark tunnel.
The silence that followed was completely suffocating as the reality of our desperate situation set in.
I walked over to the tracks and picked up the burner phone, knowing it was fully tracked via GPS.
I looked at Nora, who was sobbing uncontrollably against the damp concrete wall.
I promised her that I would burn my entire empire to the ground before I let Carmine harm her son.
We climbed up the emergency access ladder, pushing open a heavy iron grate that led to a deserted alleyway.
The cold Manhattan rain washed the dirt from our faces as we stepped out onto the quiet street.
I needed transportation immediately, and I spotted a black sedan idling near the rear entrance of a luxury hotel.
I walked up to the driver's window, drew my stolen weapon, and ordered the terrified man out of the vehicle.
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We got inside, but as I shifted the car into gear, the burner phone in my pocket suddenly rang.
I answered it, and Carmine's voice whispered that I should have checked the backseat before getting in.
