Chapter 4 - The Hostage
The encrypted radio slipped slowly from Victor's hand, clattering against the bloody concrete floor.
Dora stopped breathing entirely, her mind flashing violently to the cramped apartment in South Boston.
Her younger sister, Mia, was supposed to be at home studying for her college midterms.
"What did he mean by that?" Dora whispered, her voice cracking with pure terror.
Victor turned to face her, his dark eyes filled with a terrifying, absolute rage.
"Arthur is the head of the ruling syndicate in New York, and he has been trying to take my territory for years," Victor explained rapidly.
"Is my sister safe?" Dora demanded, grabbing the lapels of his expensive tuxedo jacket.
Victor didn't offer her a false, comforting lie.
He gently touched her cheek, his thumb wiping a smudge of dirt from her pale skin.
"I swear on my life that we will get her back, Dora."
They rushed down the emergency concrete stairwell, skipping steps in their desperate race to the ground floor.
When they finally burst into the underground parking garage, it was a chaotic war zone.
Victor's loyal men were exchanging heavy gunfire with Arthur's tactical mercenaries.
Victor led Dora behind a massive concrete pillar, expertly picking off two mercenaries who tried to flank them.
A sleek, armored black SUV suddenly screeched to a halt right beside their hiding spot.
The rear door flew open, revealing Victor's right-hand man, Leo, holding an assault rifle.
"Get in, boss!" Leo shouted over the deafening roar of gunfire.
Victor shoved Dora safely into the backseat and dove in right after her.
Leo slammed his foot on the gas, sending the heavy vehicle smashing through the wooden security gate of the garage.
They swerved violently onto the rain-slicked streets of downtown Boston, tires screeching against the asphalt.
Dora hyperventilated in the backseat, her hands shaking uncontrollably as she thought about Mia.
Victor pulled out his personal cell phone and dialed a highly encrypted number.
He put the phone on speaker, allowing Arthur's smug voice to fill the interior of the speeding car.
"If you want the girl to live, you will come to the abandoned shipyard at midnight alone," Arthur demanded.
"Let me speak to her right now," Victor commanded with lethal authority.
A brief pause was followed by the sound of someone crying softly.
"Dora, please help me," Mia sobbed weakly through the phone speaker.
"I'm coming, Mia, I promise!" Dora screamed at the phone.
Arthur chuckled darkly before cutting off the desperate connection entirely.
Leo violently jerked the steering wheel to avoid a massive semi-truck, cursing loudly.
"Boss, we have a major problem," Leo yelled from the front seat.
May you like
Dora looked out the back window and saw three heavily armored black trucks directly on their tail.
The passenger window of the lead truck rolled down, and a mercenary aimed a massive rocket launcher directly at their vehicle.
