Chapter 6 - The Breach at Midnight
The heavy iron vault door blew inward with a sharp, deafening mechanical pop.
Smoke and dust poured into the stone chamber as three men in dark suits and tactical vests stepped through the threshold, their suppressed assault rifles raised.
Leading the strike team was Dante Russo. His dark tie was loosened, his fair skin flushed with cold ambition, a ruthless smirk on his lips as he stepped into the light.
"You were always too quick to trust your guards, Adrian," Dante sneered, his weapon trained directly on Adrian's chest. "Did you really think a few granite walls could hide you?"
Adrian stood tall in his dark suit, his broad shoulders squared, his bearded face an unyielding mask of terrifying calm.
"You sold my family to Rome, Dante," Adrian said, his deep voice shaking the quiet vault. "After six years of standing at my right hand."
"Rome offered me fifty percent of the eastern shipping terminals, Adrian!" Dante spat, taking two slow steps closer. "You spent five years mourning your dead brother instead of expanding the territory! And now you want to hand the crown over to a maid's bastard?!"
Elena gasped, pulling Sophia tight against her chest. Sophia held her teddy bear tightly, her wide brown eyes looking at Dante without fear, only quiet understanding.
"Titan doesn't like you," Sophia said in her sweet, clear voice, her pink bows resting against her mother's apron. "Because you're a liar."
Dante’s eyes snapped to the five-year-old girl, his finger tightening on his rifle trigger. "Shut that brat up!"
Before Dante could raise his barrel, Titan lunged.
The massive black-and-tan guard dog launched his broad frame through the air like a cannonball, his razor-sharp fangs clamping onto Dante’s forearm with terrifying power.
Dante shrieked in agony, dropping his assault rifle as Titan slammed him violently onto the concrete floor.
Adrian moved with blinding speed. He fired two precise shots from his sidearm, neutralizing the two tactical breachers flanking Dante before they could adjust their sight lines.
The remaining weapons clattered onto the stone floor as Adrian stepped forward, placing his heavy leather boot directly onto Dante’s chest, pinning the traitor to the vault floor while Titan kept his iron jaw locked onto Dante’s wrist.
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"Call off your mercenaries outside, Dante," Adrian growled, his face inches from the traitor's. "Or I let Titan finish his dinner."
Dante choked, tears of pain spilling down his fair cheeks as he reached for his tactical radio with his free hand. "All... all teams! Stand down! Disarm at once!"
