Chapter 7 - THE TRAP IS SPRUNG
The heavy metal doors of the central office creaked open.
Stepping out into the dim light of the warehouse, Chloe walked slowly across the concrete floor. Her hands were visible, empty. The oversized gray sweater she had worn earlier was gone, replaced by a dark tactical jacket that could not hide the distinct, undeniable swell of her five-month pregnancy.
“Raymond!” she called out, her voice echoing clearly off the metal walls. “Are you hiding behind dock workers now, Raymond? How brave of you!”
From the elevated glass office above, a man stepped out onto the metal landing. Raymond Vance—sharp-suited, sneering, holding a silver pistol loosely in his right hand—looked down with a malicious grin.
“Well, well, well,” Vance shouted, his voice dripping with venom. “The famous Chloe Bennett. Or should I say, Mrs. Moretti?”
He leaned against the railing, gesturing to the guards holding two bound dock workers kneeling beside him.
“I heard the news on the radio this morning,” Vance sneered. “The great, untouchable Leo Moretti claimed a ruined woman and an illegitimate brat. Tell me, Chloe, does he know you were just a pawn in your brother’s game?”
Chloe kept walking forward, her pace measured, buying precious seconds for the team. “Adrian made mistakes, Raymond. But you’re the coward hiding behind hostages.”
“I’m a businessman!” Vance roared, raising his pistol and aiming it directly at her chest. “And your lover ruined my syndicates! Now, I’m going to take away the one thing he actually cares about!”
Vance’s finger tightened on the trigger.
Time seemed to slow down to a crawl.
From the shadows beneath the catwalk, Leo raised his Sig Sauer. His breathing was slow, measured, absolute perfection under pressure.
Crack.
The single gunshot echoed through the warehouse like thunder.
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Vance’s pistol flew out of his hand as the bullet pierced his shoulder, spinning him violently around against the metal railing.
Instantly, glass shattered across the office as Moretti snipers blew out the windows. Tactical operatives swarmed the metal stairs, subduing Vance’s guards in seconds before they even realized what hit them.
