Chapter 7 - The Graveyard Standoff
The rain had finally stopped by the time we reached the wrought-iron gates of the city cemetery. The moon cast long, haunting shadows across the rows of marble tombstones. We moved silently through the wet grass, keeping low to avoid detection. I led them toward the grand weeping angel statue that marked my mother's resting place. My heart ached as I looked at the stone face of the woman I had lost so long ago. I dropped to my knees and dug into the soft earth at the base of the statue. My fingers brushed against a cold, metal lockbox buried just beneath the surface. I pulled it out and smashed the fragile lock with the handle of my pistol. Inside was a small, encrypted hard drive. "This is it," Maria breathed, reaching out for the device. "This holds enough evidence to put Moretti away for multiple lifetimes." Suddenly, the massive headlights of a dozen black SUVs illuminated the graveyard. We were completely surrounded. Moretti himself stepped out of the lead vehicle, wearing a pristine tailored suit. Dozens of armed men fanned out across the tombstones, aiming their weapons directly at us. Moretti held a terrified, bleeding man by the collar of his shirt. It was Maria's federal handler. "Give me the drive, Daniel, and I will let the woman and the child walk away," Moretti called out. I stood up, pushing Maria and Sofia behind the heavy marble angel. "You are a liar, Moretti," I shouted back. "You will kill them the second the drive is in your hands." Moretti laughed, a cruel sound that echoed through the silent cemetery. "You are right," Moretti smirked. He raised his pistol and casually shot the federal handler in the head. Maria screamed as her mentor collapsed to the grass. "But I still need the little girl," Moretti declared, pointing his weapon at Sofia. "The drive is locked with biometric security." "It will only open with the fingerprints of Leo's immediate bloodline." I looked down at the hard drive in my hand, realizing the true danger we were in. Sofia was not just a messenger; she was the physical key to the entire fortune. Moretti raised his hand, signaling his men to prepare to fire. "Kill the traitor, and bring me the child," Moretti ordered coldly.
