Chapter 4 - The Midnight Siege
At 4:30 AM, the storm reached its peak over the industrial district of Port Alder. Deep inside the massive, concrete expanse of Warehouse 7, forty of Senator Sterling's hired private mercenaries and the three traitorous Moretti captains gathered in the dark, armed with silenced automatic weapons.
"Are you sure he drank it?" one of the traitorous captains, a scarred man named Gianni, whispered into his radio. "We haven't received confirmation from Victoria."
"The mansion went into complete radio silence at four PM," the mercenary leader replied, checking his night-vision goggles. "That means Moretti is dead, and his inner circle is panicking. We sweep the warehouse, take the shipping manifests, and secure the docks before his brothers realize what happened."
They moved silently through the rows of shipping containers, their boots echoing softly against the wet concrete floor.
Suddenly, the massive overhead floodlights tore through the darkness, blinding the mercenaries instantly.
"DROP YOUR WEAPONS!" a loud, amplified voice boomed through the warehouse speakers.
Before the mercenaries could react, the heavy iron roll-up doors of the warehouse slammed shut behind them, locking them inside. From behind the rows of shipping containers, dozens of fully armed Moretti loyalists emerged, their weapons trained directly on the trapped men.
At the top of the steel gantry overlooking the floor stood Adrian Moretti. He was dressed in a long dark trench coat, his face framed by the harsh yellow glare of the floodlights.
Gianni’s face went white with terror. "Moretti?! But... you're supposed to be dead!"
"You should have checked the glassware, Gianni," Adrian’s voice echoed cold and clear through the vast space.
"Kill him!" Gianni screamed, raising his rifle.
A thunderous volley of gunfire erupted through the warehouse. But Dante’s men had the high ground and total tactical superiority. Within less than three minutes, the mercenary unit was completely disarmed and pinned to the floor, their weapons scattered across the concrete.
Gianni lay on his knees, blood dripping from a shoulder graze, staring up at Adrian in absolute horror.
Adrian walked down the steel staircase, stopping a few feet from the traitorous captain.
"Who ordered the hit, Gianni?" Adrian asked, his voice calm, almost conversational.
"Sterling!" Gianni wept, holding his wounded shoulder. "It was Senator Sterling! He promised us twenty percent of the port revenues if we helped clear out your loyalists after you were poisoned!"
"Thank you for your honesty," Adrian said softly. He looked at Dante. "Hand them over to the federal authorities waiting outside."
At that exact moment, the heavy warehouse doors were pushed open from the outside. But it wasn't more mercenaries.
A fleet of federal law enforcement vehicles pulled into the bay, their red and blue lights flashing against the wet pavement. An FBI special agent stepped out, holding an arrest warrant.
"Adrian Moretti," the agent said, walking up to Adrian. "Senator Sterling was taken into federal custody twenty minutes ago at his residence. The Cayman evidence you submitted was confirmed. His assets have been frozen."
Adrian offered a sharp, polite nod. "Glad I could assist the government, Agent Miller. The traitors who broke into my private property are all yours."
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Agent Miller looked at the disarmed mercenaries, then back at Adrian. "You played this dangerously, Moretti."
"I don't play games, Agent," Adrian replied smoothly, stepping past him into the rain. "I protect my home."
