Chapter 16 - The Old Warehouse
The old Romano warehouse sat beside the river like a rusted coffin.
Valeria arrived with Tomas, four trusted guards, and federal agents waiting two blocks away. She had refused to bring Luca.
He came anyway.
“You don’t get to order me around forever,” he said as he stepped from a second car.
Valeria stared at him. “Tonight might be the last time.”
Inside, the warehouse smelled of oil, river water, and old smoke.
A single work light burned near the loading bay.
Gregory was tied to a chair.
Serena stood beside him with the steel medical case.
Victor Sanz leaned against a forklift, holding a pistol.
Marco stood near the exit.
Victor smiled. “Family reunion.”
Valeria walked forward alone.
“Give me the case.”
“Give me Maya.”
“She’s not here.”
“Then give me the trust.”
“Also not here.”
Victor’s smile faded. “You came to negotiate with nothing?”
“No. I came with witnesses.”
Red laser dots appeared across the high windows.
Federal tactical teams.
Victor grabbed Serena and pulled her in front of him.
Marco fired first.
The warehouse exploded into motion.
Tomas shoved Valeria behind a concrete pillar. Glass shattered. Someone screamed. Gregory kicked backward, knocking his chair into Marco’s legs.
Luca rushed forward and tackled Marco.
A gun slid across the floor.
Valeria saw Victor dragging Serena toward a side door with the medical case.
She ran after them.
“Valeria!” Tomas shouted.
Too late.
She hit the side corridor just as Victor fired behind him.
The bullet tore through her sleeve but missed flesh.
Serena stumbled.
The case fell open.
Vials rolled across the concrete.
Victor kicked one toward a floor drain.
Valeria dove and caught it in her palm.
Serena screamed, “That’s Carlo’s blood sample!”
Victor raised his gun.
A shot cracked.
He dropped.
For one stunned second, Valeria thought Tomas had fired.
Then she looked back.
Gregory stood ten feet away, wrists still tied, Marco’s fallen gun in his hands.
May you like
He had saved her.
And behind him, Luca was pointing another weapon directly at Gregory’s back.
