Chapter 2 - The Ransom
The security room descended into absolute, suffocating silence as the horrible reality set in.
Clara collapsed weakly to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably into her trembling hands.
I did not offer her empty, meaningless words of comfort because men like me only deal in violent retribution.
Instead, I pulled out my highly secure encrypted phone and dialed the private number of my armory master.
"Equip every single soldier we currently have on the payroll with heavy assault gear."
"We are going to war tonight, and no one is taking prisoners."
I ended the call abruptly and turned my full attention to the real reason this nightmare had suddenly started.
Clara's worthless, thieving brother, Tommy.
My men had locked Tommy in the basement holding cell after catching him stealing from my personal cash vault.
I walked down the dark, damp stone stairs with Marco following closely like a heavily armed shadow.
Tommy was chained tightly to a heavy metal chair, shivering violently in the freezing underground air.
"Where did you send my stolen money, Tommy?" I asked, keeping my tone deceptively calm.
"I swear I was going to pay you back every single cent, Mr. Romano!" Tommy cried out pathetically.
"I owed the Petrovs a massive gambling debt, and they threatened to kill my entire family."
I pulled my heavy pistol from its leather holster and pressed the freezing barrel against Tommy's sweaty forehead.
"You stole from a mafia boss to pay off a vicious rival cartel."
"And now they have violently taken a three-year-old girl because of your pathetic, selfish cowardice."
Tommy's bloodshot eyes widened in sheer, paralyzing terror.
Suddenly, a cheap plastic burner phone began vibrating violently in Tommy's dirty jacket pocket.
I snatched the device, hit the green answer button, and put it on speaker for everyone to hear.
A deep, heavily accented voice chuckled darkly and maliciously on the other end of the secure line.
"I see you finally discovered our little unauthorized withdrawal, Alessandro."
"If you ever want to see the sweet child alive again, you will bring five million in unmarked bills to the old shipyard."
"You have exactly one hour, or we will happily send her back to your doorstep in a very small wooden box."
The line went completely dead, leaving a sickening, high-pitched dial tone echoing in the damp basement.
I looked directly at Marco and nodded once with absolute murderous intent.
"Load the cash into the bags, but pack the false bottoms with C4 plastic explosives," I commanded ruthlessly.
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As I turned to leave the dirty cell, a terrifying, bone-chilling realization suddenly hit my racing mind.
The Petrovs could not have possibly known about Lily's importance to me unless someone inside my own trusted inner circle had secretly tipped them off.
