Chapter 7 - The Antidote Chase
The medical team arrived within six minutes, turning the grand living room into a high-tech emergency room. Dr. Evans stood over Emily’s unconscious form, his face grim as he analyzed the blood report from the portable laboratory machine.
"It’s a synthetic ricin derivative, Damian," Dr. Evans said, his hands shaking slightly under the intense glare of the mob boss. "It’s a rare military-grade toxin. It causes complete organ failure within four hours. Standard medical facilities don't carry the antidote. There’s only one place that manufactures the neural-shielding compound: a private pharmaceutical laboratory in the industrial sector of San Diego."
"Who owns the lab?" Damian asked, his voice a low, vibrating growl of pure lethal intent.
"A shell company controlled by Lorenzo Falcone," Victor spoke from the doorway, his laptop open. "He engineered this, Damian. He sent the poison, and he holds the only vial of the antidote on the West Coast. He just sent a message to our secure server."
Damian marched over to the laptop. The screen flashed with a single, mocking text block:
“A life for a life, Rivas. Bring the Detroit financial files to the old shipping yard in San Diego by midnight. Come alone, or the little girl dies before the clock strikes one.”
Damian looked back at Emily. She looked so small beneath the transparent oxygen mask, her chest rising and falling in weak, desperate hitches. The silver St. Jude medal was clutched tightly in her hand, the metal pressing against her pale skin.
"Marcus," Damian said, his voice dropping into a deadly, absolute calm that signaled the arrival of the reaper. "Load the vehicles. We aren't going to negotiate. We are going to take that antidote, and then I am going to erase the Falcone bloodline from the face of the earth."
May you like
"How many men, boss?" Marcus asked, his jaw tight.
"All of them," Damian replied, pulling his black leather gloves tight over his knuckles. "Every single man who carries a weapon under my name. Tonight, San Diego burns."
