Chapter 6 - The Heist for the Truth
At 7:30 AM the following morning, the financial district of the city was slick with morning fog.
I stood inside a surveillance van parked two blocks from the Central Commerce Bank, flanked by Viktor and three of our top operative team members. Monitors showed live video feeds from hidden cameras placed around the bank's perimeter and interior lobby.
"Elise gave us her brother's personal key and signature authorization," I said, holding up a small brass key. "We have a narrow window. The bank opens to private box holders at 8:00 AM. Dominic's team will likely strike right as the vaults open."
"We go in, retrieve the ledger, and pull out before they even realize we're there," Viktor said, checking his sidearm.
"No civilian casualties, no gunfire unless absolutely necessary," I instructed. "Let's move."
Dressed in tailored suits, Viktor and I walked up the grand granite steps of the Central Commerce Bank just as the heavy glass doors unlocked.
We presented Julian Vance’s authorization documents to the bank manager, a polite man who led us down the marble stairwell into the subterranean vault room.
The vault was massive, lined with thousands of gleaming stainless steel safety deposit boxes. The manager used his master key, inserted my brass key into Box 408, and stepped back.
I pulled open the long metal box.
Inside sat a thick, black leather-bound ledger, along with three encrypted flash drives labeled MORETTI EMBEZZLEMENT & HOMICIDE LOGS.
"We have it," I whispered, gripping the ledger.
Suddenly, the heavy alarm bells of the bank began to blare! The emergency lights flashed red as a loud explosion rocked the upper floor, sending dust and debris raining down from the concrete ceiling!
"They're here early!" Viktor yelled, drawing his weapon.
Shouts and heavy footsteps echoed down the marble stairwell. Three masked men carrying automatic submachine guns burst into the vault hallway!
"Caruso!" one of the gunmen screamed, opening fire!
Bullets splintered the marble walls as Viktor and I dived behind a heavy steel deposit table. I drew my Beretta, returning fire with lethal precision, catching the lead gunman in the chest and sending him crashing to the floor!
"Cover the exit!" Viktor roared, throwing a flashbang grenade up the stairwell.
A blinding white light and a deafening bang exploded in the hallway, disorienting the remaining attackers. Viktor and I lunged forward, pushing past the stunned gunmen, sprinting up the stairs into the smoke-filled main lobby.
Standing near the shattered front glass doors was Dominic Moretti, wearing a Kevlar vest, holding an assault rifle.
When he saw me holding the black ledger, his face contorted into an insane, bloodthirsty rage. "Kill him! Kill Caruso!"
Dominic raised his rifle, but I didn't give him the chance. I fired three rapid shots toward his position, hitting the pillar right beside his head. Glass and concrete exploded, forcing Dominic to dive behind a heavy marble desk for cover.
"Move! Move!" I shouted to Viktor.
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We burst through the shattered glass doors of the bank, sprinting down the grand steps as our surveillance van pulled up to the curb, its side door sliding open! We dove inside, and the van sped off into the morning fog, leaving the sirens and smoke of the bank behind us.
I held the black ledger tight against my chest. "Get this directly to the Federal Prosecutor's office," I ordered the driver. "It's over for the Morettis."
