Chapter 29 - Reclaiming the Harbor
The confrontation in the upstairs office lasted less than thirty seconds. The Maroni enforcers, caught completely off guard by the speed and coordination of our assault, barely had time to draw their weapons before they were disarmed, pinned to the floor, and zip-tied with clinical efficiency.
A burly enforcer with a jagged scar across his cheek tried to lunge for a shotgun resting against a filing cabinet, but Victor crossed the room in two massive strides, grabbing the man by the collar and slamming him against the reinforced glass window with enough force to shatter it into a thousand spiderweb fractures.
"Tell Don Maroni," Victor growled, his voice vibrating with a lethal, controlled fury, "that if he ever sends his men into my territory again, I won't just break his supply lines. I will burn his entire family name off the map."
The man gasped for air, his eyes wide with stark terror as he nodded frantically.
I walked past them to the center of the room, where Thomas Vance’s daughter—a terrified teenager with tear-stained cheeks and trembling hands—was bound tightly to a wooden chair. I pulled a small folding knife from my pocket and swiftly cut through the nylon zip-ties binding her wrists and ankles, dropping the restraints to the floor.
"You're safe now," I said softly, kneeling beside her and wrapping a warm tactical jacket around her shoulders. "Your father is waiting for you back at the estate. Let's take you home."
The girl looked up at me, her eyes reflecting the fierce, unwavering strength she had only ever heard about in rumors whispered across the city. "Are... are you Mrs. Costello?"
I offered her a gentle, reassuring smile, extending my hand to help her stand. "Yes. And the city is back in order."
By the time we escorted her down the stairs and out into the fresh night air, the rain had begun to ease, leaving the concrete gleaming under the harsh industrial floodlights of our vehicles. Marcus was waiting by the command SUV, holding a secure satellite phone.
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"Sir, Mrs. Costello," Marcus reported crisply. "Port authority logs have been fully corrected, and our cyber-unit has locked down all Maroni-linked financial accounts currently moving through our municipal banking channels. They're effectively locked out of the regional trade network."
Victor nodded, standing beside me as we watched the ambulance and security escort take the traumatized girl back to her grateful father. He slipped his arm around my waist, pulling me close against his side as the cool night wind swept across the harbor.
