Chapter 17 - The Patriarch's Sacrifice
The gunshot was deafening inside the small concrete office.
Carmine collapsed to the floor, taking the bullet that was meant for his granddaughter.
Vincent roared in pure agony and fired a burst from his rifle.
Julian dove back through the doorway into the warehouse, taking a grazing hit to his shoulder.
Vincent rushed to his father's side, pressing his hands desperately against Carmine's chest.
The old patriarch looked up at Vincent with a peaceful, fading smile.
He whispered that it was finally time for the family's violent curse to end.
Carmine urged Vincent to walk away from the mob life and be the father Leo never had.
With one final, rattling breath, Carmine Carrow passed away on the cold floor.
Vincent closed his father's eyes, feeling a piece of his own soul die with him.
There was no time to mourn, as the sounds of Julian's men regrouping echoed outside.
Leah grabbed Vincent's arm, her eyes full of fierce, desperate determination.
She said she had managed to copy the financial decryption keys to her phone before the attack.
They did not need the downtown server anymore, they just needed ten minutes of secure internet.
Vincent looked at the woman who had transformed from a timid housekeeper into a fierce survivor.
He grabbed his gear and led them to a hidden drainage tunnel at the back of the warehouse.
They crawled through the damp darkness for blocks, finally emerging near a public library.
Vincent shattered the glass door, ushering them inside the empty building.
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Leah quickly connected her phone to the library's high-speed network and began the final hack.
As the transfer bar reached ninety percent, the power to the entire city block was suddenly cut.
