Chapter 8 - The Price of Freedom
I scrambled over to Clara, my heart stopping as I saw her lying on the platform, her face pale, blood quickly soaking through her cream-colored sweater.
"Dominic..." she whispered, her eyes fluttering. "Lily... take Lily..."
"No, Clara, stay with me," I pleaded, pressing my hand against her wound. "We're leaving together. All of us."
Behind us, the crowd on the platform was screaming, stampeding toward the exits as they realized a gunfight was happening. The subway train doors opened, and people flooded out, adding to the chaos.
Vincent ran down the maintenance stairs, his gun raised, his eyes locked on me.
"It’s over, Dominic!" Vincent shouted, stepping onto the platform. "Give me the ledger, and I’ll let the girl live. You have my word as a Moretti."
"Your word is worth nothing, Vincent," I said, standing up to block his view of Clara and Lily. I drew my Glock, pointing it directly at his chest. "You killed Arthur. You tried to kill me. You’re not a Moretti. You’re a monster."
"We’re both monsters, Dominic," Vincent sneered. "I just have the stomach to do what’s necessary."
Before he could pull the trigger, a loud, commanding voice echoed through the station.
"Federal agents! Drop your weapons!"
A dozen heavily armed FBI tactical officers flooded the platform from the main entrance, their weapons trained on both of us. Leading them was a sharp-eyed woman in a dark trench coat—Agent Evelyn Vance, Arthur’s sister.
Vincent froze, his eyes darting around the platform as he realized he had been flanked.
"Vincent Moretti," Evelyn said, her voice cold and steady. "You are under arrest for federal conspiracy, money laundering, and the murder of Arthur Vance."
Vincent looked at me, then at the ledger lying on the ground near Clara. He knew that if that ledger fell into federal hands, his empire was finished.
He raised his gun, pointing it at Evelyn.
Bang.
The shot was deafening. But it didn't come from Vincent.
I had fired. My bullet caught Vincent directly in the throat. He stumbled back, his eyes wide in shock, before falling over the edge of the platform onto the active subway tracks below.
The train began to move, its heavy wheels screeching on the metal rails.
I didn't look down. I turned instantly back to Clara, dropping to my knees and pulling her into my arms.
"Get a medic!" I shouted to the federal agents. "Now!"
Evelyn ran over, kneeling beside her sister-in-law. "Clara... oh my god. We’ve got a medic coming, hang on."
Clara looked up at Evelyn, a faint, tired smile touching her lips. "I... I found it, Evelyn. Arthur's book. Dominic has it."
I handed the black leather ledger to Evelyn. "Take it. This is everything you need to destroy the Russian syndicate and clear Arthur’s name."
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Evelyn took the ledger, her eyes shining with tears. "Thank you, Dominic. For saving my family."
"They saved me first," I said, looking down at Clara, whose eyes were slowly closing. "Stay with me, Clara. We’re finally free."
