Chapter 12 - Whispers Behind BarsThree hundred miles south of Chicago, the concrete walls of Marion Federal Penitentiary hummed with a low, oppressive electricity. In solitary confinement, stripped of his bespoke suits and tailored ties, Dante Moretti sat on a metal bunk in a standard orange jumpsuit.
His hair was uncombed, his jaw shadowed with a thick, dark beard, but his eyes burned with a manic, obsessive fire.
The heavy steel slot in the cell door rattled open, and a heavy-duty plastic tray slid through. But it wasn't food resting on the plastic. It was a contraband burner phone wrapped in a greasy napkin, pushed through by a corrupted guard on Dante's lifetime payroll.
Dante snatched the phone instantly, his hands trembling with rage. He dialed a sequence of numbers from memory—a direct line to a ruthless, independent contractor known only in the underworld as The Ghost.
"Talk," a flat, mechanical voice answered on the other end.
"You heard the news?" Dante hissed, pressing the phone hard against his ear. "My wife... that traitorous bitch Lena has taken over my entire empire with Alistair and Julian Vance."
"The whole underworld is talking about it," The Ghost replied lazily. "Impressive coup. For a housewife."
"I don't care about the corporate towers or the shipping ports," Dante snarled, his voice dropping into a murderous whisper. "I want them broken. I want Alistair bleeding on the pavement. But most of all... I want my children. Snatch the twins the second they leave the secure compound. Bring them to me, or bring me proof they're gone. Price is no object."
A low chuckle echoed through the receiver. "Dante, snatching high-profile twins guarded by Alistair Vance's private army isn't a standard hit. It's an act of war."
"Then start a war!" Dante screamed, slamming his fist against the steel wall so hard his knuckles split. "Burn Chicago to the ground if you have to! Just make sure Lena feels every ounce of the agony she put me through!"
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The line clicked dead.
Dante slowly lowered the phone, a twisted, wretched smile spreading across his face as he stared into the dark corners of his cell. You think you won, Lena? Let’s see how strong you are when your babies are screaming for you in the dark.
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