Chapter 28 - Operation Clean Sweep
The rain began to fall just as the convoy of three black armored Escalades rolled past the outer security checkpoints of the estate, heading downtown toward an abandoned shipping warehouse near the Calumet River where the New York faction had set up a staging ground. Inside the lead vehicle, the dashboard monitors glowed with thermal imaging feeds and satellite tracking data. Damien sat in the back seat, calmly checking the magazine of his sidearm while Ellie monitored the encrypted police scanner on a ruggedized tablet. They weren’t waiting for the enemy to strike first anymore; Damien was dismantling the threat before it even crossed state lines. When the convoy breached the warehouse perimeter, the element of surprise was absolute. Moretti tactical units dropped from the catwalks above, flashbang grenades lighting up the cavernous interior with blinding white fire and deafening concussive roars. Before the rogue enforcers could even raise their weapons, they were pinned to the concrete floors by zip-ties and boot heels. Damien stepped out of the shadows near the loading dock, his long black coat trailing behind him in the damp air, looking every bit the ruthless kingpin Chicago whispered about in hushed tones. At his side, Ellie moved with calm, clinical precision, treating a minor shrapnel wound on one of their guards without blinking an eye at the chaos surrounding them.
