Chapter 34
The bright, natural sunlight offered no shadows for the panicked mercenaries to hide within. Domenico did not seek cover. He advanced smoothly, his polished leather shoes stepping over the fallen lieutenant. He fired with terrifying, robotic precision, dropping three more armed men before Tony and the Falcone bodyguards even drew their weapons. The sheer, overwhelming violence that Domenico projected completely shattered the morale of the Cassano strike team. "Fall back! Get to the ship!" one of the surviving mercenaries screamed, his fair skin slick with panicked sweat. They turned and sprinted toward the gangway of the massive freighter. Domenico did not pursue them on foot. He lowered his weapon, his chest rising and falling in slow, controlled rhythms. His angular face and sharply defined jawline were carved in stone. "Tony," Domenico commanded, his volume incredibly low but absolute. "Signal the harbor perimeter." "Yes, Boss," Tony replied, pulling an encrypted radio from his belt. A moment later, the deafening roar of high-yield explosives echoed across the water. The Cassano freighter, which they believed to be their safe haven, was suddenly rocked by massive detonations along its hull. Domenico had ordered his divers to rig the ship before he even arrived at the docks. The heavy metal groaned and buckled, flames erupting into the crisp, cinematic air. The fleeing mercenaries stopped dead in their tracks, watching in absolute horror as their only escape route began to sink rapidly into the deep, dark water. Domenico stood on the concrete, adjusting the cuffs of his unbuttoned dress shirt, the artistic tattoos on his hands flexing. He had delivered his message.
