Chapter 8 - The Price of Treason
The rain fell in sheets over the industrial district as three black SUVs tore through the gates of an abandoned meatpacking plant on the riverfront—Roark’s secondary stronghold where Carver’s daughter was being held.
Maddox led the assault himself. He moved through the shadows of the rusted facility with the lethal precision of a panther. Beside him, Marcus and Carver moved with equal urgency.
The firefight was short, sharp, and brutal. Roark’s men were mercenaries, but Maddox’s men were fighting for their home territory, driven by a leader who seemed entirely untouchable. Maddox moved through the corridors, his weapon barking in the dark, dropping two enforcers who tried to ambush them from a catwalk.
They broke into the central office. Tied to a heavy iron chair was a young woman, terrified but alive—Carver’s daughter, Lily. Standing over her with a knife was Don Altieri’s personal bodyguard.
"Hale!" the guard screamed, tightening his grip on the girl. "One more step and I open her throat!"
Before the man could even pull the blade back, a heavy silver scalpel flashed through the air with impossible speed, burying itself deep into the guard’s forearm. The precision was miraculous—Maddox had severed the radial nerve cleanly, causing the guard’s hand to go entirely limp, dropping the knife to the concrete floor.
Carver roared, rushing forward and tackling the guard into the wall, knocking him unconscious with the butt of his service weapon. The detective instantly began cutting his daughter free, weeping as he pulled her into a tight embrace.
Maddox walked over, pulling his scalpel from the unconscious guard's arm and wiping it clean on a piece of cloth. He didn't look at the reunited family. He looked at Marcus.
"Altieri betrayed us," Maddox said, his voice cold as ice. "Where is he?"
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Marcus checked his communications device. "He’s at Harlow Towers right now, Boss. He’s finalizing the shipment clearance with Calvin Roark. They know we hit this place. They’re accelerating the distribution. The chemical trucks are loading up as we speak."
Maddox threw the bloodied cloth aside. "Then we don't have time to waste. Marcus, call the rest of our forces. We’re going to level Harlow Towers."
