Chapter 6 - Through the Service Tunnels
Thirty minutes later, three black armored SUVs raced through the rain-slicked streets of industrial Chicago, steering clear of main avenues as they glided quietly toward the riverfront warehouses.
Inside the lead vehicle, Elena sat beside Damian, wearing a dark waterproof coat over her cream suit, her hair tucked neatly beneath a black cap. Across from them sat Leo, Damian’s chief enforcer—a massive man with a scarred jaw and cold, calculating eyes.
“The perimeter around Port 4 is sealed,” Leo reported, looking at a digital map on a tablet. “Antonio’s men have snipers on the roof of Warehouse 3. They’ve wired the primary fuel valve with remote explosives.”
“What about the hostages?” Damian asked, checking his sidearm.
“Ten dock workers locked in the basement of the main office,” Leo replied grimly. “Antonio’s lieutenant, a bastard named Franco, is guarding them personally.”
Elena leaned forward, pointing her finger at a section of the digital map.
“Warehouse 3 has an old drainage tunnel running directly from the river embankment underneath the concrete foundation,” Elena revealed. “It was built in the 1920s for runoff, but it connects directly to the basement storage room where the hostages are being held. If we split our team, six men can draw their fire at the main gate while we enter through the drainage tunnel.”
Leo looked at Elena in surprise, then raised his eyebrows at Damian. “She’s right, boss. That drainage tunnel isn't listed on the modern city blueprints. Antonio won't have guards posted inside.”
Damian looked at Elena, his hand reaching out to cover hers. “Are you sure about this, Elena?”
“I know every inch of that tunnel, Damian,” she said, her voice steady. “Trust me.”
Damian squeezed her hand firmly. “Leo, signal Team Two. Diversion at the front gate in three minutes.”
The SUVs pulled into a dark, abandoned gravel lot three hundred yards downriver from Port 4. The rain fell heavily now, obscuring the skyline and muffling the sound of their boots as Damian, Elena, Leo, and four tactical guards slipped out of the vehicles.
They moved quickly down the muddy riverbank toward a rusted iron grate partially hidden behind thick wild bushes.
Leo pulled out a pair of heavy bolt cutters, snapping the ancient iron lock with a sharp CRACK. He pushed the grate open, revealing a dark, concrete tunnel dripping with cold water.
Damian clicked on a low-intensity tactical flashlight, pointing it into the dark passageway. He turned to Elena, holding out his hand.
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“Lead the way, partner,” Damian whispered softly.
Elena smiled faintly, ducking her head as she stepped into the cool, dark tunnel, her gun raised, leading the Don of Chicago through the shadows of her past.
