Chapter 5 - The Siege of Staten Island
Smoke and dust billowed into the basement as the gunfire echoed from above. Viktor’s men screamed orders, firing blind bursts up the stairwell, but the response was swift, violent, and precise.
Aleandro moved through the smoke like a shadow of vengeance. Flanked by Marco and six elite tactical operatives, he cleared the upper level of the cannery within minutes. Every shot he fired was calculated, dropping Venturi guards before they could even raise their weapons.
"Viktor!" Aleandro’s voice boomed through the steel beams of the building, echoing off the iron walls. "Come out and face me! You took a child because you were too coward to face me like a man!"
Down in the basement, Viktor panicked. He grabbed Annie by her small arm, hauling her up, and pulled a gun from his coat. "Shut up!" he barked at the child, dragging her toward the rear exit that led out to the rocky shoreline.
Annie kicked and fought, biting Viktor’s hand with all her strength.
"Damn it, you brat!" Viktor yelled, dropping her as he nursed his bleeding hand.
That split second was all Aleandro needed. He burst through the basement door, his weapon raised. Seeing Viktor standing near the rear exit with a gun pointed toward Annie, time seemed to slow down.
"Aleandro!" Viktor screamed, aiming his gun at Aleandro’s chest. "She dies first!"
Before Viktor’s finger could pull the trigger, a shot rang out from the side entrance. Marco had breached through the storm drain access, firing a high-caliber round that struck Viktor’s shoulder, knocking him off balance.
Viktor stumbled backward into the cold sea waves splashing against the rocky coast, dropping his firearm into the churning water. He scrambled up, trying to run into the darkness, but Aleandro was already upon him.
Aleandro grabbed Viktor by the throat, slamming him against the rusted steel wall of the lighthouse. The impact rattled the structure.
"You brought a child into our war, Viktor," Aleandro growled, his hand tightening around Viktor’s neck until the man’s face turned purple. "You threatened the only soft thing left in this dark world."
"Kill me... then..." Viktor choked out, grinning through bloodied teeth. "Her mother... is still dead... you're still... a murderer..."
Aleandro raised his gun, pressing the barrel against Viktor’s forehead. His finger tightened on the trigger. He was one millimeter away from ending Viktor Venturi forever.
"Just Aleandro!"
The small, trembling voice cut through the sound of the crashing waves and the howling wind.
Aleandro froze.
He looked over his shoulder. Annie was standing in the doorway, her large dark eyes fixed on him. She wasn't crying, but her small body was shaking from the cold ocean breeze.
"Please don't," she whispered. "I'm cold. I want to go home."
Aleandro looked at the man pinned under his hand, then back at the innocent eyes of the child. He realized in that instant that if he executed Viktor right here in front of her, he would forever become the monster Viktor claimed he was. He would destroy the last piece of light Clara had left behind.
Slowly, Aleandro lowered his gun. He struck Viktor with the butt of his pistol, knocking him unconscious, then tossed him toward Marco.
"Hand him to the authorities," Aleandro ordered coldly. "Send the full evidence package of his syndicate's illegal operations to the Federal prosecutors. Let him rot in a cell for the rest of his life."
Aleandro turned away from his enemy, walked over to Annie, and knelt in the mud. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close against his chest.
May you like
Annie wrapped her small arms around his neck, burying her face into his shoulder. "You came," she sobbed softly.
"I told you," Aleandro whispered, his eyes moist with uncharacteristic tears as he held her safe in his arms. "I always keep my promises."
