Chapter 17 - The Catacombs
The air in the subterranean catacombs was thick with the smell of damp earth and rotting stone.
I navigated the narrow, pitch-black corridors, guided only by the faint, flickering light of a single emergency bulb swinging wildly from the ceiling.
I rounded a sharp corner and found Owen and Russo locked in a brutal, incredibly violent death match.
Russo had completely lost his firearm and was wildly slashing at Owen with a long, serrated hunting knife.
Owen dodged the lethal blade with terrifying agility, his massive fists delivering punishing, bone-shattering blows to Russo's ribs.
Despite his overwhelming strength, Owen was slightly hindered by the narrow, claustrophobic space of the ancient tunnel.
Russo lunged desperately forward, the jagged blade slicing a deep, bloody gash across Owen's left forearm.
Owen barely flinched, using the momentum of Russo's aggressive attack to grab the man's wrist and violently twist it backward.
A sickening snap echoed loudly off the stone walls as Russo's arm broke, causing the heavy knife to clatter uselessly onto the dirt floor.
Owen aggressively slammed Russo against the rough brick wall, his massive forearm pinning the rival boss directly by the throat.
Russo gasped violently for air, his face turning a deep, terrifying shade of purple as Owen slowly crushed his windpipe.
"You made a catastrophic mistake when you decided to threaten my family, Victor."
Owen's voice was a low, incredibly lethal growl, entirely devoid of any human mercy.
I stepped out of the shadows, my compact pistol still gripped tightly in my trembling hands.
Russo's bulging eyes darted toward me, a pathetic, desperate plea for mercy flashing in his agonizing gaze.
"He has copies of the police report hidden on a remote server," Russo choked out, desperately trying to buy his miserable life.
"If I die, the files automatically send to the federal prosecutor, and she goes to prison forever."
Owen’s iron grip did not loosen for even a fraction of a second, his dark eyes burning with absolute, unfiltered rage.
He looked over at me, his intense gaze entirely calm and incredibly reassuring despite the chaotic violence.
"My hackers completely dismantled his remote servers three hours ago," Owen stated coldly.
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"You have absolutely no leverage left, Victor, and you have run entirely out of time."
Owen forcefully tightened his grip, preparing to permanently end the miserable life of the man who had tried to destroy us.
