Chapter 4 - The Unlikely Savior
Aldo Bianchi stood in the dim light of the library, looking exactly as he had on the day of the betrayal.
His eyes were cold, flat, and entirely devoid of remorse.
"Let the woman and the child go, Aldo," Salvatore growled, aiming his weapon at his former friend.
"This is between you, me, and Gianni."
Aldo laughed softly, a terrifying sound that echoed against the thousands of old books.
"No witnesses, Salvatore."
"Gianni wants a clean slate when he takes over the family."
Nadia stood frozen against the heavy wooden doors, holding Milo so tightly the boy was practically entirely hidden.
"Please," Nadia begged in a broken whisper.
"He is just a little boy."
Aldo sneered, adjusting his aim slightly toward Milo's head.
"Then close his eyes, mother."
Salvatore tightened his finger on the trigger, knowing he had to shoot first.
Before either man could fire, a small, completely unexpected sound broke the tension.
Milo wiggled out of his mother's desperate grasp.
He stepped forward, placing himself directly between Aldo's gun and Salvatore's wheelchair.
Aldo frowned in confusion, lowering his weapon a fraction of an inch.
"Get out of the way, kid," Aldo ordered harshly.
Milo did not move, nor did he speak.
He simply reached into the pocket of his oversized sweater and pulled out the small, chipped wooden soldier.
He held the toy out toward Aldo with both hands, offering it like a peace treaty.
The sheer, profound innocence of the gesture completely stunned the hardened assassin.
Aldo stared at the broken toy, his cold eyes widening slightly in sheer surprise.
That tiny fraction of hesitation was all Salvatore needed.
Salvatore fired his weapon twice.
The bullets struck Aldo squarely in the chest, throwing the assassin backward into a massive bookshelf.
Heavy, leather-bound volumes rained down on Aldo as he collapsed to the floor, completely lifeless.
Nadia let out a choked sob and ran forward, pulling Milo away from the dead man and burying her face in the boy's hair.
"Are you hurt?" Salvatore asked, his voice rough with adrenaline.
Nadia shook her head wildly, unable to speak through her tears.
Salvatore wheeled himself over to the fireplace, quickly pressing the hidden stone mechanism.
The entire wall groaned heavily before sliding open, revealing a massive, heavily stocked weapons vault.
He grabbed two tactical shotguns, a bandolier of shells, and several heavy hand grenades.
"Take this," Salvatore ordered, handing one of the shotguns to Nadia.
She looked at the weapon in sheer horror.
"I do not know how to shoot!"
"You point it at the door and pull the trigger if anyone tries to come through," Salvatore instructed coldly.
"You protect your son."
He tossed the bandolier over his broad shoulder and placed the grenades in his lap.
"I am going to end this right now."
He turned his wheelchair back toward the library doors.
Suddenly, a loud, synthetic voice echoed from a hidden speaker in the ceiling above them.
"That was a very impressive shot, Cousin," Gianni's voice mocked them through the intercom system.
"But you are trapped in a dead-end room."
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"I have rigged the entire first floor with C4 explosives."
"You have exactly two minutes to surrender, or I blow the whole house to ashes."
