Chapter 2 - The Ambush
I stared at the chilling text message glowing brightly on my encrypted phone.
The illuminated screen seemed to mock everything I thought I knew about my secure empire.
I immediately grabbed the intake file from the desk and shoved it inside my jacket.
I turned to Sister Mary and told her I was taking Sophia with me right now.
The old nun protested weakly, saying it was highly illegal to remove a ward of the state.
I dropped a solid gold money clip holding ten thousand dollars directly onto her wooden desk.
I told her to consider it a generous advance on my massive charitable donation.
I ran back into the playroom and scooped Sophia up safely into my arms.
She felt impossibly light, burying her small face directly into the crook of my neck.
Nico looked at me with deep confusion as I ordered a complete tactical lockdown of our perimeter.
I carried my daughter out the front doors and into the freezing November air.
The three bored reporters across the street suddenly raised their heavy professional cameras.
They started rapidly snapping photos of the infamous mafia boss holding a mysterious child.
I ignored them completely and climbed into the armored backseat of my black SUV.
Nico jumped into the driver's seat and aggressively slammed his foot on the gas pedal.
We sped away from the orphanage, leaving the confused journalists far behind in our dust.
I held Sophia tightly against my chest, desperately praying we would make it to a safe house.
As we merged onto the busy highway, a massive commercial garbage truck suddenly swerved into our lane.
It slammed violently into the side of our heavily armored vehicle.
The massive impact shattered the bulletproof glass and sent our car spinning wildly across the pavement.
We crashed brutally into a concrete barrier, the airbags deploying with a deafening pop.
I shielded Sophia with my own body, taking the brunt of the flying glass and twisted metal.
Thick smoke rapidly filled the crushed cabin of my expensive car.
I kicked my door open and stumbled out onto the highway with my daughter safely in my arms.
Four heavily armed men in dark tactical gear stepped out from behind the parked garbage truck.
They raised automatic rifles and pointed them directly at my head.
Nico managed to crawl out of the driver's seat, his face covered in dark red blood.
He drew his weapon, but one of the attackers expertly shot the gun right out of his hand.
The leader of the hit squad slowly took off his black ski mask.
He smiled at me with a sickeningly familiar, highly arrogant grin.
I recognized him immediately as one of Matteo's personal elite bodyguards.
He casually pulled back his sleeve to reveal a very specific tattoo on his forearm.
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It was the black scorpion ink belonging exclusively to my own personal syndicate.
"Matteo sends his absolute best regards, boss," the traitor said as he cocked his heavy weapon.
