Chapter 8 - Ghosts of the Empire
The grand marble hall of the Vale estate was transformed into a battlefield as red emergency flares lit up the darkness.
Down in the main foyer, heavily armed mercenaries in dark tactical gear were breaching the shattered front double doors, firing suppressive bursts into the upper galleries.
Marco Russo and four elite Vale security guards took defensive positions behind the massive marble pillars, returning precise, deadly fire that held the attackers at bay.
Roman descended the grand spiral staircase like an unstoppable force of nature. Wearing his white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, his dark tattoos visible under the red flare light, he fired with lethal precision, taking down three advancing mercenaries in seconds.
"Hold the left flank, Marco!" Roman thundered over the roar of gunfire.
"Clear on the left, Boss!" Marco called back, dropping another attacker near the service entrance.
A tall, broad-shouldered man wearing a heavy tactical vest and a ballistic mask stepped through the shattered front doors, carrying an automatic rifle.
He raised his weapon toward Roman, but Roman moved with blinding speed, closing the distance, grabbing the rifle barrel, and twisting it upward before slamming his elbow into the attacker's chest.
The attacker stumbled backward against a marble pillar, his weapon clattering onto the floor.
Roman stepped forward, pointing his sidearm directly at the man's face. "Unmask."
The attacker slowly raised his gloved hands and pulled off his ballistic mask.
Roman froze.
Standing before him was a man with sharp gray eyes, a heavy jawline, and a scarred cheek.
It was Victor Vance—the former chief lieutenant of the Vance crime family, a man Roman had believed was executed six years ago during a syndicate war.
"You look like you've seen a ghost, Roman," Victor sneered, wiping blood from his lip.
"Victor..." Roman growled, his voice vibrating with absolute rage. "You were behind Pierce."
"Pierce was just a courier, Vale!" Victor laughed bitterly. "Your father destroyed my family twelve years ago to protect your sister! But tonight, we take back the Global Trust and finish what we started in Zurich!"
"You won't reach Zurich, Victor," Roman said softly.
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Before Victor could reach for a concealed sidearm, Marco fired a high-velocity shock round from the upper balcony, dropping Victor onto the marble floor, where two Vale guards pinned him down instantly.
Within five minutes, the remaining mercenaries were disarmed and secured by Marco's team. The siege of the Vale estate was over.
