Chapter 5 - THE SHADOWS STRIKE BACKBefore Daniel could speak, the red laser dot of a sniper rifle flickered across the wall, dancing over Bruno’s thick neck before settling squarely on Daniel's chest.
"Boss! Get down!"
Vinny Russo’s voice suddenly blasted through the open Bluetooth earpiece in Daniel's ear, accompanied by the chaotic rattle of automatic gunfire echoing from the front driveway.
"We’re hit! We’re hit from the tree line! It’s Richard Vance’s cleanup crew! They’ve got us boxed in!"
Daniel didn't panic. Adrenaline, cold and sharp, flooded his veins. He drew his Glock 19 from his waistband in a single, fluid motion and shoved Marcus hard behind the reinforced oak desk.
"Stay under there unless you want your head blown off," Daniel barked.
Through the shattered front windows, the piercing strobe lights of tactical flashlights cut through the darkness. Black-clad mercenaries—former special forces operatives hired by billionaire Richard Vance to clean up Marcus's mess—poured through the shattered doors, assault rifles raised.
Bruno didn’t wait for a command. The massive Cane Corso launched himself like a furry cannonball into the chest of the first operative entering the room, sending the armored man crashing through a mahogany bookcase with a sickening crunch of breaking bones.
"Vinny! Status!" Daniel shouted into his comms, firing two rapid shots through the living room archway, dropping a second gunman in the hallway.
"The driveway's cut off, Boss! There's twenty of them, and they've got heavy ordnance! We’re pinned!" Vinny yelled over a cacophony of gunfire.
Daniel backed toward the rear glass wall overlooking the cliff. He looked down at the churning black Atlantic thirty feet below. It was a suicide drop for a normal man.
For Daniel Reyes, it was just another Tuesday.
"Bruno! Heel!" Daniel commanded.
The massive dog broke away from a downed operative, bounding over to Daniel's side, blood staining his slate-colored coat, panting heavily with primal adrenaline.
Marcus peeked out from under the desk, his eyes wide with absolute horror. "You're... you're going to jump?"
Daniel looked down at his treacherous, weeping brother with an expression of profound pity.
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"I built an empire from nothing, Marcus," Daniel said coldly, cocking his weapon. "You inherited a kingdom and turned it into a tomb. Stay here and pray Vance’s men have mercy on you. Because when I come back? Mercy won't be on the menu."
With that, Daniel grabbed Bruno by the heavy leather collar and plunged backward off the cliff into the freezing abyss of the Boston night.
