Chapter 27 - The Reckoning at Blackwood Ridge
Clara instinctively pulled Leo behind her back, shielding him with her body. Sister Mary gasped, pulling her rosary beads tightly against her chest.
Bruno raised his handgun instantly, but the red laser dot shifted straight to his forehead.
"Drop it, Bruno," Victor commanded dryly. "Or your brains will decorate those willow trees before you pull the trigger."
Bruno hesitated, his muscles shaking with rage, but Clara laid a gentle hand on his arm. "Drop it, Bruno. Don't give him a reason."
Bruno slowly lowered his weapon to the muddy ground.
Victor stepped closer, his boots squelching in the mud. He looked at Clara with an amused, cruel smile. "Alessio is very good at tactics, I'll give him that. He led my main assault team right into the north woods. But he forgot one simple rule of war: always guard the rear escape route."
"How did you know about the tunnels?" Clara asked, her voice steady, keeping Victor's attention focused entirely on her.
"Your husband built this estate using local contractors," Victor sneered. "Contractors can be bought, Mrs. Romano. Everything has a price."
"Not everything," Clara spat. "You think you can force Alessio to give you what you want by holding us hostage?"
"I don't need to force him," Victor laughed softly. "I'm going to call him right now. I'm going to let him hear your voice over the radio. And then I'm going to tell him to lay down his gun and walk up to Blackwood Ridge alone."
Victor pulled a heavy tactical radio from his belt and keyed the microphone. "Alessio. Do you copy?"
Static crackled over the speaker. Then, Alessio’s voice came through—cold, steady, and unbothered.
"I copy, Victor."
"I have your wife. I have your son. And I have your loyal friend Bruno," Victor boasted, smirking. "They are at the river outlet. If you want them to live another five minutes, drop your weapons and walk up to the ridge summit."
A long pause followed on the radio. Then, a low, ominous sound came over the speaker.
Alessio was laughing.
"What's so funny, Romano?" Victor growled, his smile fading.
"You think you're at the river outlet, Victor," Alessio's voice echoed—not just through the radio, but from the trees directly above them.
Before Victor could react, a shadow detached itself from the canopy above.
Alessio dropped like a striking hawk, landing directly on top of the first mercenary, driving a combat knife through his tactical vest with brutal force. Before the second guard could raise his weapon, Bruno lunged forward, tackling him into the freezing river water.
Victor spun around, raising his submachine gun, but Clara didn't hesitate. She grabbed a heavy wooden boat oar resting against the dock and swung it with all her strength, smashing it across Victor’s face.
Victor stumbled backward with a bloody scream, dropping his weapon.
Alessio was on him in an instant. He seized Victor by the throat, slamming him face-first into the mud, pinning his head beneath a heavy combat boot.
"You threatened my family," Alessio whispered, his voice vibrating with pure, murderous fury. "You spoke my son's name."
"Alessio, wait!" Agent Miller’s voice shouted as a dozen federal tactical officers burst from the surrounding treeline, their weapon lights blinding the scene. "Don't kill him! He's our main witness against the Gary armory network!"
Alessio looked down at Victor, who was gasping for air in the mud. His boot pressed down slightly harder.
"Alessio," Clara’s soft voice broke through the madness.
Alessio turned his head. Clara stood on the riverbank, holding Leo tightly in her arms. Her eyes were filled not with fear of the enemy, but with gentle love for him.
"It's over, my love," Clara said softly. "Don't let him take away the man you've become."
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Alessio stared at her for three long seconds. Slowly, the lethal tension drained from his shoulders. He eased his boot off Victor's neck and stepped back, pulling Clara and Leo into his arms in one smooth, sweeping motion.
"Get this garbage off my land," Alessio said to Miller without looking back.
