Chapter 6 - The Rescue
The bullet struck Gold Teeth exactly between the eyes.
He fell backward,
his body hitting the wall before sliding to the floor.
The knife dropped harmlessly to the ground.
The woman screamed,
a sharp,
piercing sound that cut through the silence.
Vincent rushed forward,
holstering his gun in one smooth motion.
"It’s okay,"
he said,
his voice surprisingly gentle.
"It’s over."
He pulled a small blade from his belt and sliced through the ropes.
She collapsed into his arms,
sobbing uncontrollably.
"My daughter..."
she gasped.
"Sophie..."
"She’s safe,"
Vincent said.
"She’s at my restaurant."
"She’s the one who sent me."
The woman looked up at him,
her eyes wide with confusion.
"Who... who are you?"
"A friend,"
Vincent replied.
"One she hired for a very fair price."
He helped her stand,
supporting her weight as her legs buckled.
Marco appeared in the doorway,
nodding to Vincent.
"The building is clear,
Boss."
"None of the Vipers are left standing."
"Burn it,"
Vincent ordered.
"Burn it to the ground?"
Marco asked,
surprised.
"Every inch,"
Vincent said.
"I want this place erased from the map."
"I want the city to know what happens when you touch a family in my town."
They walked out of the office,
past the bodies,
past the wreckage.
The rain was still falling,
but the air felt cleaner.
Vincent led the woman down the stairs,
his arm around her shoulder.
Outside,
the black Cadillac was waiting,
its engine idling like a loyal hound.
Tony held the door open,
his face grim but satisfied.
As they drove away,
a massive explosion rocked the factory.
A fireball rose into the night sky,
orange and gold,
reflecting in the puddles of the street.
The nest was gone.
The snake was dead.
The woman leaned her head against the cool leather of the seat.
"Thank you,"
she whispered.
Vincent looked out the window,
the flames fading in the distance.
"Don't thank me,"
he said.
"Thank your daughter."
"She has more courage in her pinky finger than most men in this city have in their whole bodies."
He reached into his pocket and felt the bill.
It was still there.
The contract was almost complete.
There was only one thing left to do.
The car turned toward the Bella Vista,
moving through the quiet streets.
The city was sleeping,
unaware of the war that had just been fought.
But in the morning,
they would see the smoke.
May you like
They would hear the stories.
And they would remember the name Vincent Torino.
