Chapter 6 - The Trap on the Docks
The night settled heavy and dark over the Providence harbor. A thick fog rolled off the icy water, swallowing the massive black outlines of the cargo ships and steel cranes lined up along Pier 4.
Inside an abandoned brick warehouse near the edge of the water, three men sat around a small oil heater. They wore dark leather jackets, their faces hard and weathered by years of violence in the back alleys of Southern Italy.
"The girl goes to Sacred Heart Academy every morning at eight," one of the men, a guy named Nino, said in Italian, checking the magazine of his silenced pistol. "The mother stays at the mansion during the day. We snatch the child from the school driveway before the guard can draw his weapon."
"And Romano?" another asked.
"Once we have the brat on a boat to Halifax, Romano will give us whatever Don Carmine wants," Nino sneered, sliding the magazine into place with a sharp click. "The big boss in Providence turned soft over a maid's bastard—"
CLANG.
The heavy steel door of the warehouse rattled violently.
The three men sprang to their feet, drawing their weapons instantly, pointing them toward the dark entrance. The oil heater flickered, casting long, dancing shadows across the damp concrete floor.
"Who's there?!" Nino shouted in Italian.
From the fog outside, a single figure stepped through the threshold.
Allessandro Romano walked into the warehouse alone. He wore no body armor, no hat, just his dark suit and a long black woolen overcoat. His hands were tucked casually into his coat pockets.
The three hitmen froze in disbelief. They had spent three days planning a quiet, covert kidnapping, and here was their target, standing right in front of them in the middle of the night.
"Allessandro Romano," Nino breathed, a wicked, triumphant grin spreading across his face. "You walked in here alone? Are you insane?"
"I am not alone," Allessandro said calmly.
Before Nino could react, the high glass windows along the roof of the warehouse shattered inward. Four heavy ropes dropped down, and six tactical guards from the Romano syndicate rappelled into the room, their automatic weapons trained directly on the three hitmen before their feet even touched the concrete floor.
Marco stepped out from behind a stack of wooden crates, a heavy shotgun resting comfortably against his shoulder.
"Drop the guns," Marco commanded flatly.
The three hitmen looked at the automatic rifles pointed at their heads, then at Allessandro's cold, impassive face. Nino cursed under his breath and dropped his silenced pistol onto the floor. The other two quickly followed suit.
Allessandro walked slowly toward Nino until he was standing inches away from the trembling man.
"Carmine sent you to take my family," Allessandro said softly.
Nino tried to maintain his tough demeanor, spitting on the floor. "You're a dead man, Romano! Don Carmine knows your weakness now! You can't protect that maid and her brat forever!"
Allessandro didn't raise his voice. He didn't strike the man. He simply reached into his coat, pulled out a small leather pouch, and tossed it at Nino’s feet.
The pouch spilled open, revealing three fresh boat tickets to Naples and three thick stacks of hundred-dollar bills.
Nino blinked in complete confusion. "What... what is this?"
"You are going back to Italy tonight," Allessandro instructed calmly. "And you are going to deliver a message to Carmine Moretti."
Nino stared at the money, then at Allessandro’s dark, lethal eyes. "What message?"
"Tell him," Allessandro whispered, leaning in close, "that if he ever utters the names Maria or Emma Rossi again... I will not send my men. I will come to Naples myself. And I will tear down the Moretti empire brick by brick until there is nothing left of his bloodline on this earth."
Nino swallowed hard, the sheer force of Allessandro’s will breaking his spirit entirely. He nodded, his hands trembling as he reached down to pick up the tickets.
"Now get out of my city," Allessandro said, turning his back on them.
As the hitmen were escorted out into the foggy night by Marco's guards, Marco walked up to Allessandro’s side. "Will Carmine listen, boss?"
"Carmine is a coward who operates in the dark," Allessandro said, looking out over the icy harbor. "When he sees that his hitmen came back empty-handed with my money, he will understand that Federal Hill is closed to him forever."
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He checked his gold pocket watch — the twin to the one he had given Emma.
"Come on, Marco," Allessandro said, a faint smile touching his lips. "It's late. Maria is waiting up for us with warm tea."
