Chapter 7 - Shadows in the Suburbs
With Federica’s appointment solidified, the internal dissent dissolved into grudging, absolute respect. But the external threats were far from finished.
Victor Sterling, driven into a corner after losing his Lower Wacker distribution hubs and his underground narcotics network, decided to make one final, desperate play.
It was a rainy Friday night. Gabriele was attending a late-night summit with international shipping partners downtown, leaving Federica and little Leo at the Milton estate—a sprawling, heavily fortified property outside the city limits.
Inside the nursery, Federica was singing softly to Leo, rocking the baby gently in her arms as the rain drummed against the tall Victorian windows.
Suddenly, the estate’s exterior security lights flickered once—and died.
Instantly, the house plunged into backup-generator emergency red.
Federica froze. Her instincts, sharpened by the previous ambush, surged into high gear. She didn't panic. She didn't hesitate.
She grabbed Leo, tucked him securely against her chest, and moved silently toward the reinforced panic room hidden behind the bookshelf in the master suite.
Crash.
Glass shattered downstairs. Heavy boots stomped across the hardwood foyer. Shouts echoed up the grand staircase.
"Sweep the second floor!" a gravelly voice roared. "Find the woman and the kid! Sterling wants them both carved up!"
Federica slipped inside the panic room, pulling the heavy steel door shut just as the latch clicked into place. She keyed in the emergency lockdown code, dropping the biometric security shields over the windows.
She pulled out her encrypted satellite phone, dialing Gabriele’s direct secure line with trembling fingers.
It answered on the first ring. "Federica! Status!"
"They're inside," she whispered, holding Leo tight against her shoulder as the baby began to whimper softly. "At least four men. Armed. They breached the front foyer."
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On the other end of the line, the sound of screeching tires and a roaring engine echoed through the speaker.
"Listen to me very carefully," Gabriele’s voice came through, cold, furious, and radiating lethal intent. "Lockdown the inner core. Do not open that door for anyone—not even if you think it's me. My extraction team is three minutes out. I am coming home."
