Chapter 18 - The Siege of Riverdale
The sound of flashbang grenades exploding against the stone facade of the estate shook the reinforced windows of the medical wing like a small earthquake. A muffled wave of shouting and gunfire echoed through the grand corridors outside, followed by the heavy thud of boots running across marble floors.
I threw open the door to the medical room. Danny and Luca sat huddled together in the corner near the bed, their small hands clamped tightly over their ears, rocking in silent terror against the heavy velvet pillows.
“Hey, guys,” I whispered, forcing my voice to remain steady as I dropped to my knees beside them. I placed my palm flat against the floorboards.
*Once. Twice. Three times. Four.*
Danny’s eyes flickered toward my hand. He let out a ragged breath, slowly lowering one hand to press his fingers directly against mine.
*Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.*
“We need to move,” I said softly, helping Luca to his feet while pulling Danny close against my side. “We’re going for a walk, okay? Just like an adventure.”
Behind us, the heavy oak door of the medical wing rattled violently as someone threw their weight against the exterior latch. The reinforced deadbolt held, but the wooden frame splintered with a loud crack.
“Sophie! Through the service panel!”
One of Dante’s loyal security guards appeared in the secret wall alcove, holding a tactical submachine gun in one hand while sliding open the hidden service door that led down to the river tunnel.
“Move, move, move!” the guard urged, covering our retreat as the medical wing door finally gave way with a deafening crash.
Through the splintered frame, three men in federal tactical gear and gas masks pushed into the room, their assault rifles raised.
The guard fired two rapid suppressive shots, forcing the federal agents to duck back behind the shattered doorframe, before grabbing my shoulder and pushing us all into the dark, stone-lined service tunnel.
The heavy steel hatch slammed shut behind us, locking automatically with a thick mechanical thud that cut off the sound of gunfire.
We scrambled down the damp concrete steps in the red emergency glow of the tunnel, the cool breeze of the Hudson River rushing up to meet us from the exit fifty yards ahead. The small motorboat bobbing gently against the wooden pier at the end of the tunnel was tied off and idling quietly, piloted by one of Dante’s most trusted offshore navigators.
“Get in the boat,” the guard ordered, scanning the dark tunnel behind us with his weapon raised. “I’ll hold the exit. Tell the boss... tell him the package is secure.”
“What about Dante?” I cried out, lifting Danny into the hull of the boat while Luca climbed in beside him.
“He’s finishing it,” the guard replied grimly, chambering a fresh round into his rifle. “Now go!”
I climbed into the boat, pulling Danny and Luca into my arms as the navigator untied the lines and shoved the hull away from the wooden dock. The small craft surged forward into the dark, churning waters of the Hudson River, accelerating rapidly away from the burning estate behind us.
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Looking back over my shoulder, I watched smoke billow from the upper windows of the Riverdale mansion. The federal siege was absolute, but deep down inside my chest, where the four-beat rhythm still echoed like a heartbeat, I knew Dante Moretti wasn't a man who went down quietly.
***
