Gabriele’s POV
That night no one could sleep. My energy was back to a hundred percent as we all waited for the first rays of the daylight to stream in so that the mission would commence.
“Strike team, don’t forget, be quiet, be quiet and be merciless!” My father roared and the men clanked their vested chests in anticipation.
My fingers were sizzling with adrenaline and I couldn’t wait to start burying my bullets into the enemies’ brains. They picked the wrong lord to mess with.
As we all moved out, my godfather came up to me and said. “Whatever happens, I want you to know that I will do everything in my power to make sure that Arianna lives, do you understand?”
I nodded at his declaration and he hugged me. When he pulled apart, we got into the truck waiting for us and the journey began.
“There is something Arianna mentioned last night about the person who orchestrated all of these,” I said as the vehicle silently moved over the beach sand and small shrubs.
“Who is he?” My father asked.
“Brett Harrison.”
“That Brett Harrison that Demyan wanted you to do business with?” Basilio asked in shock.
“Yes, the very same bastard,” I gritted out. I should have killed him when I had the chance. My spirit never liked that guy and now I was only proved right.
For his own sake, I hoped he didn’t harm Arianna. She was looking so pale last night. And even though she tried to hide it, she was in pain.
We had to end this as soon as possible so I could get her to a hospital to get treated.
We could now see the shacks just ahead of us. The vehicles came to a stop at strategic locations. We were not parked in a cluster but we were scattered over the entire expense of land under different trees to lead off any suspicions.
My father jumped down from the truck first and gave out signals to the strike team, who proceeded at once.
Basilio handled the supporting team and followed behind the strike team as a formation was made.
Mike and Niko were in charge of the distraction but they waited out five minutes just like we had discussed before blowing off a nearby mountain. The explosion lingered above the sound of the dying men in the shacks.
With my gun in hand, we moved swiftly but quietly through the block of houses, searching for any stray or deserter. Brett and all of his men were going to die here today, no one would get out alive.
Another explosion went off and some of their men ran out and tried to put up a defense but we were waiting. It became a commotion. Chaos broke out.
On either side of me were my father and my godfather together with the Feds we had pulled along with us. We shot back, giving them such an attack, they never saw us coming so early in the morning.
“I see Demyan!” My father yelled as he started running in his direction.
My godfather turned to me and I saw the urgency in his eyes before he spoke the words. “I’ll cover you, go!”
I gave a quick nod and went after my father. I wasn’t about to let my father go to the enemy alone not after we had just made up.
My father fired a shot and it hit Demyan on the leg. He collapsed on the beach sand in a large heap, crying in pain.
“Demyan! It is over!” He said as he circled in on him.
Demyan let out a laugh and his bloodshot eyes stared hatefully at my father.
“I am your brother. We both know you can’t kill me!” He hissed as he struggled to get off the sand.
Then I saw it a second before he could pull it. I fired once at his fingers and he cried out dropping the gun he had picked up.
I got closer to him and glared at him bitterly. He took my mother away from me. He took my sister away from me. He took everything that I held dear and to make it worst, he even tried to take Arianna.
“He can’t kill you uncle, but I can!” With that, I fired three shots into his chest and watched as life left his shock-filled face.
“Sorry father, your brother was too annoying,” I spat before turning away.
“He was no brother of mine.” Came to his response as we joined the rest of the battle.
Brett’s perfect plan was not so perfect after all. Not when I had my father and godfather with me. Nothing could go past any of these men without them planning for it. They were experienced and intelligent in flesh and blood.
“Boss, the coast is clear!” Mike said as he and Niko jogged back to us.
“Good job!” I patted his back and we started heading to the shacks. The men were still shooting but our people were winning. Brett and his men didn’t stand a chance.
“Watch out!”
Suddenly, someone yelled and I felt air knock out of my lungs as Mike threw himself against me.
I fell to the sand and a ringing filled my ears. I shook my head and looked on to find out what happened.
“I’ll go after him, stay with him!” My godfather yelled before moving in full force toward the shooter.
It was Gianni and he shot Mike.
“Mike!” I called out as I spurted to my feet and searched for him. He was on the ground, Niko held his hand as he breathed his last.
I rushed towards him and took his free hand. The bullet went right through his chest and as he tried to speak, blood spurted out of him.
Fuck. This wasn’t good.
“Stay with me! Stay with me, Mike!” Niko yelled but it was too late. Mike had stopped moving.
He died with a proud smile on his face.
Niko fell against Mike as he mourned his friend. I would have done the same but my anger only increased. Gianni and all his men had to die for this.
I tapped him on the back and then went after my godfather. My father was right behind me. He caught up with me and as I turned to him, he yelled.
“Now, we go to her. Where is her shack?” He asked above the shrilling sound of the men. “The men would hold this place!”
I wanted to protest. I wanted to go to Agostino. We had to finish Gianni. He killed my man. We couldn’t let him live.
My father saw the resistance in my eyes and he held my shoulder, shaking me back to my senses. “Agostino will handle me. Your priority should be Arianna. Where is she?”
He was right. At this point, Brett must have become desperate enough to try and do something stupid. We had to go to her.
“Come with me!” I replied and started running in the opposite direction.
We headed to the shack I had seen Arianna last night. Our men were already screaming for victory and I knew that the battle was over. All we had to do was get Arianna and get the hell out of here.
We got to her shack and my heart fell. The door was wide open and she wasn’t in there. The room was turned inside out showing signs of struggle.
“Shit!” He had her. We were late.
My father walked into the room from behind me and squatted at the center of the room. He studied the faint marks on the tiles and then got up.
“They haven’t gone far!” He waved at me with urgency.
We headed out but there were so many routes they could have taken. How were we supposed to find her?
“Angelo! Over here!” My godfather called from the route that led to the beach just a few meters from our location.
My father and I joined him as fast as we could and the sight that met my eyes brought my flowing blood to a standstill. My heart stopped and a ringing started in my ears as my eyes expanded in dread.
My father dropped his guns and raised his hands in surrender. “You don’t have to do this Brett, let her go and we can settle this!” He said slowly, taking steps towards him.
“Don’t you dare move! Stay where I can see you!” He yelled back.
Brett had Arianna’s limp body tied up to him with a bomb beeping around them. Any mistake and he was going to blow up with Arianna in his arms.
“Fine! Stay calm Brett! Stay Calm!” My father said rushing back to where I stood.
My godfather had disappeared all of a sudden leaving just my father and I to sort this one out.
I looked at my father and he saw the panic in my eyes. “What are we going to do?” I whispered to him.
He returned his sharp penetrating gaze to me and shook his head. “You need to keep him talking. A plan is already on the way!”
“Brett I will give you everything you want just please, disconnect the bomb and let Arianna go,” I said from my side.
“Hmm, let’s see…” He said with eyes that glimmered like a lunatic. He wasn’t normal. There was something wrong with him.
“I want Arianna! I want her so bad, I killed your baby!” He said breaking up into a burst of hysterical laughter.
My heart shattered and I almost lost it. But my father held me back. “Rile him up, don’t get riled up yourself!” He hissed.
Brett’s annoying laughter echoed above the sound of the slapping wages and my skin scrawled with the blinding desire to kill him by taking out his teeth with my bare hands.
“You think I am bluffing?! Ahhh-Ahh!” He started taking steps backward, closer to the sea behind him. “My doctor told me she was pregnant and I was certain it was your child… So I killed it. Poor Arianna…” His voice dropped to a whisper as he caressed her face.
“She thought she was being seasick but no, she was pregnant and I killed the damn worm! Arianna can only carry my children, you hear me! My children and not yours!”
Tears pricked at my eyes as my frustration and helplessness only increased but before I could do anything, I saw my godfather a few yards away from Brett. He signaled to me to keep making him talk as he zeroed in on him.
My hope returned and I went down on my knees.
“Brett! Please, you can have Arianna. Just -just don’t kill her!” I cried out. “I will let you leave. I will do anything… Just don’t kill her!”
His twisted face contorted into a smile and like the fool he was, he loosened the bomb around their bodies. But he still held on to her.
“Now listen very carefully,” I said as he held the bomb in one hand and Arianna in the other. “Prepare a plane for me right now and-”
His words faded into his scream as Agostino jumped at him from behind. He tackled him to the floor and Arianna fell from his grib.
My father was quick to get to Arianna while I froze on the beach with trembling hands.
“Gabriele!” My father called and like a broken enchantment, I jumped to my feet and ran to him. I carried Arianna away from the edge of the water where Agostino was fighting with Brett.
The bastard still had a bomb within his arms.
Suddenly, a loud splash filled the noise as Brett and my godfather fell into the sea.
“Agostino!” My father yelled but before any of us could make sense of what was going on, the bomb exploded.