Chapter 9 - The Edge of the Sky
Luca sprinted up the concrete emergency stairwell as the hospital burned around him.
His lungs burned with every breath, but pure adrenaline pushed him forward.
He kicked open the heavy roof access door and stepped into the biting wind.
A black luxury helicopter was already spooling up its engines on the helipad.
Arthur Hart was standing near the open cabin door, shouting at the frantic pilot.
Luca raised his stolen rifle and fired a warning shot directly into the tail rotor casing.
The helicopter jolted violently as sparks showered the wet concrete.
Arthur spun around and pulled his pistol, firing wildly into the darkness.
Luca dove behind a large air conditioning unit as bullets pinged off the metal.
"You cannot win, Luca!" Arthur screamed over the deafening engine noise.
Luca peeked around the corner and fired two precise shots.
Both bullets struck Arthur perfectly in his right shoulder, spinning him around.
The older man dropped his gun and fell to his knees in agony.
Luca walked slowly out from behind his cover, keeping his rifle raised.
He approached the man who had tried to murder him and destroy his marriage.
"You are right about one thing, Arthur," Luca yelled over the roaring chopper.
"I am a monster to anyone who touches my family," Luca finished coldly.
Suddenly, the roof access door burst open again.
Elena ran out onto the roof, completely breathless and covered in dark soot.
"Luca, don't do it!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.
Luca hesitated for a fraction of a second, looking back at his wife.
In that tiny moment of distraction, the supposedly wounded pilot leaped from the cockpit.
The pilot tackled Luca to the ground, knocking the rifle far away.
The pilot stood up and pulled off his bulky helmet, revealing a scarred face.
It was Marco Rossi, the rival boss Luca thought he had killed years ago.
Marco pulled a grenade from his vest and pulled the safety pin.
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"Say hello to the devil for me," Marco grinned wildly.
He dropped the live grenade directly between Luca and Elena.
