Chapter 5 - Betrayal from Within
Peace in the underworld is always temporary.
By late November, the first frost coated the hills of the Torino estate. The Moretti family had been squeezed out of the northern supply routes, and desperation made them reckless. They did not attack the fortified mansion directly; instead, they sought a crack in the foundation.
That crack came in the form of a disgruntled junior enforcer named Enzo, who owed substantial gambling debts to a Moretti-controlled casino downtown.
On a moonless Thursday night, Enzo disabled the surveillance feed covering the eastern perimeter near the carriage house. At two in the morning, three unmarked vans slipped through the service gate, carrying twelve heavily armed Moretti mercenaries led by Dominic himself.
Their plan was simple and vicious: abduct the maid and the child to force Vincent into surrendering the harbor docks.
A single gunshot shattered the midnight quiet.
Vincent bolted awake from his armchair in the study, his hand instantly finding the .45 caliber pistol on the side table. Alarms blared across the estate, red emergency strobes bathing the stone hallways in crimson light.
Through the window, Vincent saw muzzle flashes illuminating the garden pathway leading to the carriage house.
"Marco!" Vincent roared through his radio.
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"They breached the east gate, Boss!" Marco’s voice crackled through static and heavy automatic gunfire. "They're pushing hard toward the cottage!"
Vincent didn't wait for backup. He pulled a semi-automatic rifle from the gun cabinet and sprinted down the private service stairs into the freezing night.
