Chapter 23 - The Ambush at the Pier
Two armed men in dark utility jackets stepped out of the idling sedan, moving rapidly to flank Nina and force her into the rear compartment. But before their boots crossed the yellow lane markings, the shrill wail of synchronized security sirens tore through the garage. Three black SUVs from Gus’s protective detail rounded the ramp with blazing headlights, cutting off the sedan’s angle and trapping the operators in a bright wall of high-beam glare. Gus emerged from the lead vehicle, backed by licensed security officers with badges displayed, demanding the men drop their weapons as commercial cameras captured every second of the confrontation.
A second vehicle suddenly rocketed around the upper spiral ramp, deploying smoke canisters to blind the cameras and creating an escape window for the ambushing sedan. Julian Vance leaned out of the secondary vehicle’s window, holding a megaphone that barked over the roaring engines: “Tell Moretti that if he wants his precious daughter to graduate high school, he will bring Petrov’s primary ledger key to Pier 4 at midnight!” The vehicles accelerated violently down the commercial delivery ramp, crashing through the wooden barrier arm and disappearing into the rainy Chicago traffic.
Moments later, Luca arrived on the scene, stepping out of his vehicle with an aura of thunderous intensity. He closed the distance to Nina, wrapping his arms around her to verify she was unharmed. Nina pressed her forehead against his chest, feeling the wild, rapid pounding of his heart. “I am entirely unharmed, Luca,” she murmured, looking up into his dark eyes with fierce clarity. “We knew the remnants would try one last play. They made a fatal mistake—they threatened our daughter, and they showed their hand before they had any leverage.”
