Chapter 39 (Enzo)

The night air is thick with anticipation as I crouch in the shadows of Tommaso's kitchen, watching headlights sweep across the front windows. My hand instinctively goes to the pistol at my hip, checking the clip one last time. Upstairs, I hear the faint creak of floorboards - Aura getting into position. I've given her a minor role to keep her out of harm's way, though it has taken some convincing.

Voices drift in from outside as car doors slam. I count at least five distinct voices, more than I'd expected. A flash of annoyance passes through me, but I push it aside. The plan will work regardless.

Heavy footsteps approach the front door, followed by a sharp knock. "Tommaso! Open up, you old bastard!" Giacomo's gruff voice carries easily through the thin walls. When no answer comes, he pounds harder. "We know you're in there! Don't make this difficult!"

I allow myself a small smile. Giacomo isn't as clueless as I'd hoped, but that will make my final move all the sweeter. My eyes drift to the duffel bag on the kitchen floor - and in that moment, movement outside the back window catches my attention. A shadow passes by, barely visible through the curtains.

Cursing under my breath, I quickly reposition myself in the back corner, out of sight of both windows. Not a moment too soon.

"That's it, we're coming in!" Giacomo shouts from the front, just as I hear a radio crackle outside the back door. The timing couldn't be worse.

An explosion rocks the house as the back door is blown off its hinges. Immediately, a guard rushes in, gun raised and sweeping the room. At the same moment, the splintering crash of the front door being kicked in echoes through the house.

I hold my breath as the guard's eyes pass over my hiding spot, miraculously missing me in the shadows. He moves further into the house, calling out, "Clear!"

Giacomo's voice rings out, laced with frustration. "What the hell, Tommaso? Where are you, you paranoid old coot?" A pause, then: "Find those idiots! Search every room!"

I close my eyes, counting down silently. Three... two... one...

Right on cue, the lights flicker and die, plunging the house into total darkness. With the overcast night, there isn't even moonlight to see by. Perfect.

Confused shouts fill the air. "What the fuck?"

"Lights are out!"

"Everyone okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

"Fine here, boss."

I slip on my night vision goggles, the world lighting up in shades of neon green. Thank God for Tommaso's paranoia - his basement is a veritable fortress, stocked with enough weapons and tactical gear to outfit a small army.

Silenced pistol in hand, I ease out of my hiding spot. A guard stumbles into the kitchen, disoriented in the darkness. Before he can react, I put two rounds in his chest. He drops without a sound.

"Adam? You good?" Giacomo calls out. When no response comes, his voice sharpens. "Adam! Report!"

I press myself against the wall, grinning. Adam ain't reporting anymore, you piece of garbage.

"Roger? Jimmy? Rick?" Giacomo continues, desperation creeping into his tone.

"I'm good," comes Roger's reply.

"Fine here," Jimmy chimes in.

"All clear," adds Rick.

"Someone's here," Giacomo growls. "Watch your backs!"

I crouch low, peering around the doorframe into the living room. Two silhouettes are visible - Giacomo and another guard, back to back with guns drawn. Time to end this.

I line up my shot and squeeze the trigger three times in rapid succession. The guard goes down hard, crashing through a coffee table. Giacomo dives for cover with a string of curses.

Not wasting a second, I dart into the room, staying low and hugging the wall. Another guard emerges from a bedroom, and I put a round through his skull before he can get a shot off. Blood sprays in a sickening neon arc as he slumps to the floor.

Giacomo, panicked now, makes a break for the front door. I know I need to stop him, but the last guard is coming down the stairs. I have to neutralize that threat first.

I rush the stairs just as Giacomo bursts out the front door. The guard and I collide, tumbling down the steps in a tangle of limbs. We hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the wind out of me. For a moment, the world spins.

The guard recovers first, his hands wrapping around my throat. I claw at his grip, managing to draw the knife from my belt. With a desperate slash, I open a gash across his forearm. He recoils with a howl of pain.

"Kill him!" Giacomo screams from outside.

The guard reaches for his ankle, no doubt going for a backup piece. I tackle him before he can draw, driving him into the ground. We grapple furiously, each fighting for control of the knife. It becomes a brutal test of strength and will, neither of us willing to yield.

A deafening crack splits the air. White-hot pain explodes in my shoulder as the bullet tears through flesh and muscle. The guard's eyes go wide, shock written across his face as blood bubbles from his throat. My knife has found its mark.

I roll away, clutching my wounded shoulder. Giacomo is still out there, still a threat. Gritting my teeth against the pain, I force myself to move.

Giacomo unleashes a barrage of wild shots, forcing me to dive behind a parked car for cover. I can hear the fear in his ragged breathing as he retreats towards his own vehicle, still firing blindly.

I count each shot. Thirteen... fourteen... fifteen... sixteen...

When the tell-tale click of an empty chamber rings out, I make my move. I roll out from behind my cover and sprint across the street, diving behind another car just as Giacomo reaches his own vehicle.

"Time to die, you bastard!" Giacomo snarls, aiming his gun at me with trembling hands. "You should have stayed hidden!"