Chapter 7 - The Hostage Exchange
The cavernous interior of the steel mill was completely surrounded by armed mercenaries.
Marco stood on a raised metal catwalk, holding a terrified Sofia by her hair.
"You actually brought the maid," Marco mocked, his voice echoing through the massive space.
"Let her go, Marco," Matteo demanded, holding up the micro-card.
"Toss the drive up here first," Marco countered.
Matteo shook his head, keeping a firm grip on the tiny piece of plastic.
"This drive is linked to a dead-man's switch on a secure server," Matteo bluffed perfectly.
"If Elena and I do not enter a code in fifteen minutes, every news station in America gets your payroll."
Marco's arrogant smile faltered slightly.
He knew Matteo was too smart to walk into a trap without a fail-safe.
"Bring the girl down," Marco ordered his men.
Two mercenaries dragged Sofia down the metal stairs and pushed her toward the center of the room.
Sofia stumbled and fell to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Now, give me the drive," Marco demanded, descending the stairs behind her.
Matteo walked forward and handed the small plastic card directly to his former friend.
Marco snatched it eagerly, a triumphant gleam in his eyes.
"You always were too sentimental, Matteo," Marco sneered.
He raised his weapon and aimed it directly at Sofia's head.
"Kill them all," Marco ordered his men.
But before a single shot could be fired, the entire steel mill plunged into absolute darkness.
Elena had silently slipped away during the exchange and severed the main power line.
In the pitch-black chaos, Matteo tackled his sister to the ground and shielded her body.
The sound of automatic gunfire erupted from every direction as the mercenaries fired blindly into the dark.
Muzzle flashes strobed like lightning in the cavernous room.
Elena used the flickering light to navigate the high catwalks above them.
She dropped heavy steel chains and industrial tools onto the heads of the confused shooters.
Matteo drew his weapon and began systematically picking off the mercenaries from the shadows.
He moved with the lethal precision that had made him the most feared boss in the city.
Suddenly, the emergency backup lights flickered on, bathing the room in a dull red glow.
Matteo looked up and saw Marco sprinting toward a side exit, entirely abandoning his men.
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But Marco wasn't running toward freedom.
He was running directly into the barrel of Elena's stolen gun.
