Chapter 7 - The Concrete Tomb
Gunfire echoed like thunder in the unfinished casino.
I rolled across the cold concrete, my fingers wrapping around the grip of my weapon just as bullets chipped the floor inches from my face.
I fired twice at Hector’s position on the balcony, forcing the cartel boss to duck behind the concrete railing.
"Eleanor, get down!" I roared, firing another shot to keep Hector suppressed.
Eleanor had already dropped to the floor, crawling desperately toward a heavy steel support beam.
The two enforcers I had fought off recovered quickly, drawing their weapons and advancing on my position.
I scrambled behind a massive stack of drywall, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs.
I was pinned down, heavily outgunned, and my wife was trapped on a balcony with a furious cartel boss.
"You are dead, Moretti!" Hector screamed from above. "And I am going to carve that forty million dollars out of your wife's flesh!"
I needed a distraction. I needed chaos.
I looked up at the massive, temporary scaffolding supporting the unfinished ceiling directly above the balcony.
It was rigged with heavy industrial lighting and thick steel cables.
I didn't aim at Hector's men. I aimed directly at the primary winch holding the scaffolding in place.
I emptied my magazine into the winch motor.
Sparks showered the balcony, and the motor let out a deafening, mechanical shriek.
The heavy steel cables snapped violently.
The entire scaffolding structure collapsed, raining thousands of pounds of steel piping and industrial lights down onto the balcony.
Hector and his men scrambled backward to avoid being crushed by the falling debris.
The distraction worked perfectly.
The two enforcers on the ground floor were temporarily blinded by the shower of sparks and falling metal.
I sprinted from cover, tackling one enforcer to the ground and violently twisting his weapon from his grasp.
I didn't hesitate. I shot him twice in the chest, then quickly eliminated the second enforcer before he could raise his gun.
I grabbed a fresh magazine from the dead man's vest and rushed toward the concrete stairs leading up to the balcony.
I took the stairs three at a time, my lungs burning from the exertion.
When I reached the top, the balcony was a war zone of twisted metal and shattered glass.
Hector Vargas was trapped beneath a heavy steel pipe, his leg crushed and bleeding profusely.
He raised his weapon, aiming blindly through the dust.
I kicked the gun from his hand and pressed the barrel of my weapon directly against his forehead.
"The deal is off, Hector," I said coldly.
Hector glared at me, spitting blood onto the concrete.
"You won nothing, Lucian," Hector sneered. "My men will hunt you and your traitorous wife to the ends of the earth."
I pulled the trigger, ensuring Hector would never hunt anyone again.
I turned away from the body, frantically searching the ruined balcony for Eleanor.
"Eleanor!" I shouted, panic rising in my chest.
"I'm here," a quiet voice responded from the shadows.
Eleanor emerged from behind the steel support beam, her wool coat covered in dust, but remarkably unharmed.
She looked at the devastation around her, then looked at me.
"You saved my life," Eleanor stated, her voice laced with confusion.
"You are carrying my child," I replied, holstering my weapon.
"No matter what you have done to me, I will never let anyone harm you."
Eleanor stared at me, a complex mixture of gratitude and profound sadness in her eyes.
"We need to leave before Hector's backup arrives," I urged, grabbing her arm.
We rushed down the stairs and out into the howling blizzard, jumping into Victor's stolen SUV.
I drove recklessly through the snow-covered streets, heading for a secondary safe house in Queens.
The silence in the car was suffocating.
"Why did you steal the cartel's money, Eleanor?" I finally asked, keeping my eyes on the icy road.
"If you wanted to destroy me, handing the ledgers to Hector was enough."
Eleanor looked out the passenger window, watching the snow fall.
"I didn't steal the money to destroy you, Lucian," Eleanor whispered.
"I stole the money to buy our freedom."
I frowned, completely confused by her logic.
"Hector was going to kill us both the moment the transfer cleared," I pointed out.
"I know," Eleanor agreed softly.
She turned to look at me, her eyes filled with a terrifying, calculated resolve.
"But I didn't donate the money to charity, Lucian. Arthur lied to you on the phone."
My grip tightened on the steering wheel.
"Where is the forty million dollars, Eleanor?"
May you like
Eleanor offered a sad, chilling smile.
"I wired it directly into the personal offshore account of the FBI Director."
