Chapter 8
Once the heavy service doors clicked shut, severing the screams of the traitors, Valentina turned her attention back to the silent room. Water still pooled at her feet, and she shivered slightly in the air conditioning, but her posture remained flawless and commanding.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Valentina said, her voice projecting clearly to the wealthy donors and political associates gathered near the center of the conservatory. "I apologize for the disruption to our reception. The Morello family prides itself on stability, and unfortunately, internal pruning is occasionally required to maintain a healthy garden."
A few of the donors offered nervous, tentative nods, desperate to remain in the good graces of the powerful woman standing before them.
"The reception is officially concluded," Valentina announced. "My men will escort you to your vehicles. Rest assured, your investments and your secrets remain perfectly safe with me. Have a pleasant afternoon."
The donors moved quickly, guided by the polite but firm direction of the bodyguards. Within minutes, the massive, brightly lit botanical space was emptied of outsiders, leaving only Valentina and her most trusted lieutenants.
Marcus, the capo, approached her, pulling off his tailored suit jacket. He respectfully draped the dry, warm wool over Valentina’s soaking wet shoulders.
"Thank you, Marcus," Valentina said, pulling the jacket tight against the chill.
"What are your orders, Boss?" Marcus asked, his American accent thick with readiness. "If Chicago thinks Victor was successful, they might already have teams moving into our city to claim the ports."
"That is exactly what they think," Valentina reasoned, her sharp mind calculating the logistics. "Victor wouldn't have acted today unless the Chicago outfit was poised to move in immediately. They are expecting a vacuum of power. They are expecting chaos."
"So we reinforce the ports?" Marcus suggested.
"No," Valentina countered, a lethal, strategic light burning in her eyes. "If we reinforce the ports, they will know the coup failed. They will retreat, regroup, and strike again when we are vulnerable. I do not want them to retreat. I want them to walk blindly into a trap."
"A trap?" Marcus raised an eyebrow.
"Pull the heavy security detail away from the primary loading docks on the East River," Valentina ordered. "Leave just a skeleton crew. Make it look exactly like the disorganized, leaderless syndicate they are expecting."
"Boss, if we pull the guards, they will breach the perimeter," Marcus warned.
May you like
"Let them breach," Valentina said, a cold, ruthless smile touching the corners of her lips. "Pack the empty shipping containers with C4. When the Chicago strike teams move inside to secure the docks, we blow the pier into the river."
Marcus grinned, the sheer audacity of the plan appealing to his violent nature. "Understood, Boss. I'll get the demolition crew on site within the hour."
