Chapter 8 - The Federal Raid
Tears streamed down my face as I stared at the real USB drive in my hand.
Vincent had walked into a slaughterhouse with a piece of plastic just to save us.
I leaned forward and screamed at the taxi driver.
"Take us to the FBI field office, right now!"
The driver hit the gas, terrified by the blood on my face and the panic in my voice.
We skidded to a halt in front of the towering federal building.
I grabbed the girls and sprinted through the revolving glass doors.
I bypassed the metal detectors and screamed for anyone to help me.
Dozens of armed federal agents drew their weapons, surrounding us immediately.
A tall woman in a sharp pantsuit stepped through the crowd, lowering her badge.
"I'm Special Agent Carter," she said calmly. "Put your hands up."
"I have proof that Dominic Vesceri murdered Sofia Moretti!" I yelled, holding the drive high.
"And he is about to murder Vincent Moretti on 4th and State Street!"
Agent Carter's eyes widened at the mention of the city's biggest mafia targets.
She snatched the drive from my hand and plugged it into a lobby security terminal.
The video of Dominic and Lorenzo tampering with the brakes played clearly for everyone to see.
"Scramble the tactical teams," Carter ordered into her radio instantly.
"Lock down a ten-block radius around State Street."
She looked at me and the two terrified children.
"Get them to the safe room," she told another agent.
I refused to move.
"Take me with you," I demanded. "He is dying because of me."
Carter didn't have time to argue.
She grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the armored SWAT trucks outside.
We raced through the city streets, sirens blaring heavily.
We arrived at the crash site in less than three minutes.
The intersection was completely deserted, except for our flipped sports car.
Dominic and his men were gone, and Vincent was nowhere to be found.
There was only a massive pool of fresh blood on the asphalt.
"They took him," Carter growled, drawing her weapon.
I looked at the blood trail leading toward a massive, abandoned meatpacking plant on the corner.
"They didn't go far," I whispered, pointing at the heavy steel doors of the plant.
Carter signaled her tactical team, and they moved silently toward the building.
They breached the doors with a battering ram, swarming into the freezing, dark interior.
I followed closely behind Carter, my heart pounding in my throat.
We rounded a corner and stepped onto a catwalk overlooking the main factory floor.
Down below, Vincent was chained to a heavy meat hook, bleeding profusely.
Dominic stood in front of him, holding a crowbar.
"You gave me a fake drive, Vincent," Dominic roared, swinging the iron bar.
Vincent spit a mouthful of blood and laughed.
Before Dominic could strike again, Agent Carter fired a warning shot into the ceiling.
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"FBI! Drop your weapons!" she screamed over the loudspeaker.
Dominic froze, looking up at the catwalk with absolute hatred.
