chapter 12:the manhunt

The storm raged through the night as Alessandro and Rachel sped through the slick city streets. Rain pounded the windshield, wipers fighting to keep their view clear. Every second felt like a lifetime; every dark alley seemed a possible hiding place for Vinnie—or an ambush.

"He couldn't have gone far on foot," Rachel said, scanning side streets on her laptop's GPS map. She'd tapped into the city's traffic cameras, watching for any sign of Vinnie's desperate flight.

Alessandro's jaw was set like stone. "He knows the city better than anyone. If he's thinking straight, he'll go somewhere familiar—somewhere he thinks we'd never look."

Rachel looked up sharply. "His brother's old workshop in the industrial district. Remember? He told us it was the only place he felt safe after his father died."

Alessandro slammed the gas pedal. "That's where we'll find him."

The workshop loomed like a ghost in the storm—an abandoned brick building at the end of a desolate street. Alessandro killed the headlights and coasted the last block in darkness. They stepped into the rain, weapons drawn, moving silently to the heavy side door.

Inside, the workshop was a cavern of shadows and rusted equipment. A faint light flickered in the back office. Alessandro raised a hand to signal Rachel, then crept forward.

Through a cracked door, he saw Vinnie crouched on the floor, soaked and shivering. His eyes darted wildly, gun clutched in trembling hands. Alessandro took a deep breath.

"Vinnie," he called softly, stepping into the light.

Vinnie whirled, gun aimed. "Stay back!" he screamed, voice cracking. "They'll kill me! They'll kill my family!"

Rachel slipped in behind Alessandro, gun steady. "We can protect you, Vinnie. But you have to trust us. Marco tried to kill you tonight. You know he won't stop."

Tears streamed down Vinnie's face, mixing with rain and sweat. He lowered the gun a fraction. "I never wanted this. I only did it to save them…"

Alessandro stepped closer, voice low and fierce. "Then help us end it. Tell us everything—who's involved, where the Marcones' shipments come in, who's on their payroll. We can get you and your family out. Witness protection. A new life."

A crash echoed outside—the screech of tires, the roar of engines. Alessandro cursed. "They found us."

Rachel darted to the window. "Three SUVs. Marco's men."

Gunfire shattered the workshop windows, bullets whizzing past them. Alessandro yanked Vinnie behind a steel workbench as Rachel returned fire, her shots precise and deadly.

A Molotov cocktail arced through a broken window, flames exploding across the workshop floor. Smoke thickened the air, firelight flickering over terrified faces.

Alessandro grabbed Vinnie's collar. "You want your family safe? MOVE!"

They sprinted for the back exit, Rachel covering them with bursts of gunfire. Outside, the alley was a maze of shadows. Alessandro spotted an old delivery truck, keys dangling in the ignition.

They piled in, Alessandro gunning the engine. Bullets punched into the truck's sides as they careened onto the street, tires spinning on wet asphalt.

As they sped away, Vinnie sobbed in the backseat. "I'll tell you everything," he gasped. "Just keep them away from my family."

Rachel reloaded her gun, eyes dark. "Then we finish this. For good."

Alessandro glanced at her, rain and sweat dripping from his hair. "It's time to bring the Marcones down—and this time, we won't miss."

The truck disappeared into the storm, sirens and gunfire fading behind them. The final battle was coming.