Chapter 36
Chapter Thirty-Six
Christian
Vincent sits across from me looking enraged.
We’re gathered in my sitting room once again, except it’s meeting style. Everyone in the line of defense is here, with the addition of Georgiou. Gibbs is upstairs with one of the guys on his team.
Everyone looks like they don’t know what to do. we’re not men who entertain threats, and we aren’t men who stay the fuck away either.
This is possibly the biggest threat we’ve had to tear us down because if that video leaks and the feds get it and see me shooting a cop, I’m done for.
The thing about it though is this… if it were just me, I wouldn’t care.
I wouldn’t care what happened to me. But Vincent’s involved too and if he goes down then I don’t know what would happen. He has a family to take care of.
Feds have wanted him for years and they’d pin everything on him they’ve ever wanted to send his way.
That would open the floor for a whole investigation on the business.
All they’d need to do is find the shipment list for the guns and that would shut Giordanos Inc down, drag in people like Angelo and many other.
it would be the end of the world for us and everything many have worked so hard to build.
The end of the empire. I can’t help but blame myself because once again this tracks back to me.
I was with Lilly, and her undead husband was watching me because of it.
“What’s it gonna be Vince?” Salvatore asks.
Nick and Gabe exchange worried glances.
“We need something if we’re going to continue,” Nick says and glances over at me. He’s the most similar to me with the dislike of control, but even he would be backed into a corner of shit in this situation.
“I’m thinking,” Vincent says. “I’m thinking and I’m stumped. I don’t know how the fuck I’m supposed to allow any of this to happen.”
Gibbs comes through the door in that hurried pace again.
“I got them,” he announces and I bolt up. “We were able to trace the call even though the number was unrecognized.”
“Where are they?” I ask.
“They’re in an old steel factory in Winthrop Harbor,” Gibbs answers.
That’s North Chicago. They’re still here.
“Looks like they’re planning to move after lunch,” Gibbs adds.
I look back to Vincent and each of the guys. The last person I look at is Georgiou who already knows what I want to do.
I want to take the risk.
I look at him and somehow I see myself eighteen years ago running toward Amelia as she stood on the edge of Eagle Mountain.
I always think about how I was running to her, but I never think of who was behind me. It was Georgiou.
We have our disagreements, and I can call him a prick who likes to please Pa all I want, but when push comes to fucking shove the man has my back.
So it shouldn’t surprise me when he gets up and walks over to me, coming to my side.
He nods at me and I nod back, appreciating him.
If I go and I get this wrong that’s everything gone down the drain.
Right now, two stand against the four brothers of power in the family. Any of them could take us out for causing a threat to what we have.
“I can’t allow him to take them,” I say, looking straight at Vincent. Each of them should know what I feel to have my woman taken. They each had it happen to them so they know that I’ll do anything to get her back.
Vincent stands and I hold my breath.
“Let’s go boys,” Vincent says and my whole body sighs with relief. “Clocks ticking.”
* * *
It takes us two hours to get to the factory. It’s by the docks and looks old indeed. Not in use by the looks of things. The perfect place for a guy like Miguel to hide out.
There’s a few men outside the place guarding the entrance. When we checked things out we counted out twenty guys in the facility itself. All guards. It’s nearly ten. Two hours before that prick is supposed to call me and I hope I can get Lilly and Rosie back before things get out of hand.
Miguel won’t know we’re here and I’m hoping the element of surprise with a shoot to kill tactic will get the job done.
We’ve got twenty men too, but the strength and skill is comparable to double the amount. We’ve got the place surrounded. Everyone has their set jobs.
Me, Vincent, Salvatore and Georgiou are going in from the side entrance with Claudius and his men backing us while Nick and Gabe have the others on the opposite side.
Gibbs has a hacker who’s infiltrated the surveillance and will be our eyes.
We’ve all got communicators so we can hear them as they give instructions, and communicate with each other too.
We’ve got it covered. We just have to get in now.
Gibbs is going to give us the go ahead when the coast is clear. When he does we have to be ready to move.
I’m watching the two guards outside the factory. When Gibbs gives the signal our snipers will clear them out of the way.
“Now guys,” Gibbs says. his voice sends ripple of awareness through me that only increases when the snippers take their shots and the men at the door go down without a sound.
It’s time to move and move we do. Shit’s about to get real.
We head for the side entrance which is already open.
“Keep going straight ahead and stop at the door,” Gibbs urges. “The guards just went up the stairs. Lilly and the Rosie are in the main section. Miguel is with them.”
We keep running and get to the door. That’s when I see them. Lilly huddled over in the corner with Rosie. Miguel is on the phone, unknowing he’s about to have the fight of his life.
The majority of his guards are in here. I can see seven of them and the fucker would the hooded shirt. Three guards are on the upper deck and four surrounding Miguel. All have guns.
Georgiou is supposed to get Lilly and Rosie out while Claudius and his men cover him to make sure they don’t get hit. That’s why our part of the crew is the strongest.
“Good luck guys, over to you,” Gibbs says and the communicators crackle signaling we’re on our own now.
“On my word,” Vincent says to us.
I watch him waiting for the right moment.
I’m ready to move the second he says, “now,” and shoots the phone out of Miguel’s hand.
We storm in and Lilly bolt’s upright eyes wide with the shock of seeing me. I know she thought I’d never come. But that’s my fault. I just hope this won’t be the last time I see her.
Bullets fly and the place becomes a war zone.
When Georgiou and Claudius head over to Lilly and Rosie with the men I switch my focus on what’s before me.
The first person I kill is the guy with the hooded sweatshirt.
He was about to open fire on me but he wasn’t quick enough.
One bullet smack between the eyes and he was on the ground. That was for Kirk.
Three motherfuckers come for me opening fire on my ass next.
I end one while Salvatore ends another. Vincent is too busy with another two who’ve come through the side door.
I look to Miguel who’s already coming for me.
“Get him and I’ll take care of these guys,” Salvatore shouts.
I move to Miguel too.
From the corner of the room the rest of our men pour in but so does his.
Like an animal Miguel bounds toward me and I do the same. He’s got two guns. I have two guns and a long reach knife I hope to use on his throat.
He fires two bullets at me but I dodge them. I give him the surprise of his life when I push forward like I’m going to lunge at him then almost double back on myself. It throws him off just like I preempted and that allows me to send a bullet to his stomach.
I hoped that would at end him but it doesn’t.
“You asshole. You couldn’t leave well enough alone could you!” he bellows.
I send a kick to his chest and he staggers backwards.
He’s stronger than he looks. Faster too. It was my mistake for underestimating him. I won’t make that mistake again.
He sends a series of punches my way and tries to get an opening to shoot me. But, I give as much as I get, throwing back punches blow for blow.
He kicks to my midsection and it knocks me down.
I dodge the bullet he was going to send to my head but I notice Lilly is in the corner still. Rosie isn’t so I assume Georgiou would have taken her and Claudius covered his back.
There are seven bulky men armed with some heavy artillery fighting with the three capos of Claudius’ crew. Lilly has her hands on her head cowering trying to protect herself.
Miguel sees me looking at her and snarls.
“I see you Giordano. You won’t have my wife. If I can’t have her she won’t belong to anyone else,” he declares.
Terror races through me when I see the motherfucker running past me, heading toward Lilly, gun raised ready to kill her.
Adrenaline blasts me forward and I push with everything inside me to go after him.
I throw myself through the air and land on him, knocking him to the ground but the fucker is holding on to his gun for dear life with the mission to kill my girl. I can’t even tell her to run. There’s too much fighting. Too many bullets in the air.
It’s too dangerous.
Like a beast Miguel kicks at me, but I hold him down, trying to hurt him where I shot him. He howls with pain but he’s still able to fight me. we end up rolling around on the ground in a heap of fists and bullets flying.
What I don’t like now is that we’re too close to Lilly. Far too close.
This fucker has to go down.
There’s only one thing I can think to do.
I need to get a clearing, but that leaves me open.
I release him to his surprise and move forward toward her.
I turn just as he fires the shot meant for her. It would have gotten her too it I didn’t throw myself in the way and take it.
It hit me in my chest and the pain that crushed me is enough to end me but I need to end him first.
I fire the bullet from my gun and make sure I get him in the head.
As I do Miguel flies backwards to the ground.
I’m sure he’s dead.
I think I will be too.
Lily screams and I can feel her hands on me but I lose focus.