STOLEN REVENGE

Chapter Seven: Blood at the Docks

A thick fog covered the Raveno City docks. Rows of shipping containers stood like silent walls. The sound of waves hitting the wooden piers echoed through the cold night. A large cargo ship sat quietly at the far end of the harbor, its lights glowing through the mist.

Dante parked the SUV a few streets away. He looked at Valentina. "The message said the shipment arrives at midnight."

She checked her watch. "We have ten minutes." Dante opened the trunk and took out two bulletproof vests. "Wear this."

Valentina smiled slightly. "You finally trust me enough to keep me alive?" "I trust that you'll be useful."

She laughed softly.

"That's the closest thing to a compliment you've ever given me."

For a moment, Dante almost smiled.

Almost. They quietly moved between the containers, careful not to make a sound. The docks looked empty. Too empty.

Valentina stopped walking. "Something isn't right." Dante looked around. "No guards." "No workers." "No trucks."

She lowered her voice. "It feels like someone cleared the area." Dante's hand tightened around his pistol. "Stay close."

They reached a stack of blue containers. Fresh tire marks covered the ground. Someone had unloaded cargo only minutes earlier. Valentina pointed toward a warehouse near the water.

"The doors are open." Dante nodded.

"Let's take a look." They stepped inside. The warehouse was dark except for one hanging light swinging slowly from the ceiling.

Wooden crates were stacked everywhere. Several had been forced open. Dante searched one of them. It was empty.

"So much for the shipment," Valentina whispered. Dante noticed something on the floor. A fresh trail of blood. He crouched beside it. "It's still wet."

The blood led deeper into the building. Valentina drew her pistol. "I don't like this." "Neither do I." They followed the trail until they reached the back of the warehouse.

A man lay against the wall, breathing heavily. His shirt was covered in blood.

He looked at Dante with frightened eyes. "You know me?" Dante asked.

The man nodded weakly. "I worked... for your father."

Dante knelt beside him. "Who did this?" The man grabbed Dante's jacket. "They're coming..." "Who?"

"The Raven..."

Before he could finish, a gunshot echoed through the warehouse. The bullet struck the wounded man in the chest. His body went still.

"Sniper!" Dante shouted. He pulled Valentina behind a stack of crates as more bullets smashed into the wooden walls.

Pieces of wood flew through the air.

"They're outside!" Valentina shouted.

"No," Dante replied. "They're everywhere."

Almost at once, armed men appeared from every entrance. Black clothes.

Black masks. The symbol of a black raven was painted on their shoulders.

Valentina counted quickly. "At least fifteen."

Dante checked his magazine. "We're trapped." One of the masked men stepped forward. He carried a loudspeaker. "Dante Moretti!"

His voice echoed through the warehouse. "This is your only warning." "Drop your weapons." Dante answered with silence. "You have thirty seconds."

Valentina looked at him. "We can't fight fifteen men." "We don't have to." "What are you thinking?" He pointed toward the ceiling. "The crane."

She followed his eyes. A large loading crane hung above the warehouse. One bullet could release its heavy cargo. Valentina smiled.

"I like that plan." Dante fired first.

His bullet hit the crane's control cable.

The steel hook snapped. Several large containers crashed to the floor with a deafening roar. Dust filled the warehouse.

The masked men scattered. "Run!" Dante shouted. He grabbed Valentina's hand. Together they raced through the smoke.

Gunfire exploded behind them. Bullets struck the concrete floor only inches from their feet. They burst through a side door and ran onto the docks. Searchlights suddenly lit the entire harbor. Ships. Warehouses. Cranes.

Everything became bright as daylight. "They planned this," Valentina said. "We've been walking into a trap since we got here." Dozens of armed men appeared between the containers. Others climbed onto rooftops.

More arrived from the pier. Dante stopped. "They've surrounded us." A familiar voice echoed across the harbor. "I expected more from the son of Alessandro Moretti."

Dante slowly turned. A man in a black suit stood on top of a shipping container. His face remained hidden in the shadows. "Who are you?" Dante demanded. The stranger chuckled. "I'm the man who has been watching you for ten years."

He removed one black glove. A silver ring caught the light. Dante's eyes widened. He recognized it immediately. His father had owned an identical ring. Only members of the Moretti family's inner circle wore it.

"Impossible..." Dante whispered. The stranger smiled. "Nothing is impossible." Then he raised one hand. Every gun in the harbor pointed at Dante and Valentina. "Kill them."

Before a single shot could be fired, a loud explosion shook the docks. Flames burst from a fuel storage tank near the harbor. The blast knocked everyone to the ground. Smoke rolled across the water. People screamed.

The masked gunmen scattered in confusion. Valentina looked at Dante. "We have to move!" Dante couldn't take his eyes off the stranger.

The man had disappeared. As quickly as he had appeared. He was gone. Only one thing remained on top of the container. The silver ring.

Dante climbed onto the container and picked it up with trembling hands. Inside the ring was a tiny engraving. Loyalty Above Blood. His face turned pale.

Only four people had ever worn rings with those words. His father. His father's three closest friends. One of them was Marco Bellini.

The other two were supposed to be dead. Dante slowly closed his hand around the ring. For the first time in years. He began to wonder if everything he believed about his father's murder was a lie.

The police sirens grew louder. Blue and red lights flashed through the thick fog. Valentina looked at Dante.

"We have to leave. Now." Dante nodded and slipped the silver ring into his pocket. "Come on."

They hurried between the shipping containers. Suddenly, footsteps echoed behind them. "They're following us," Valentina whispered. Dante looked over his shoulder. "Run!"

The two sprinted toward the parking area. Gunshots rang out. Bullets struck the metal containers, sending sparks into the air. "They're gaining on us!" Valentina shouted. "Don't stop!"

As they reached an open space, two black SUVs blocked their path. Their doors flew open. More masked men stepped out with rifles.

Valentina raised her pistol. "We're trapped again." Dante looked around. "There."

He pointed toward a narrow walkway beside the water. "It's our only way out." The masked men opened fire.

Dante fired back while Valentina ran toward the walkway. "Go!" he shouted. "What about you?" "I'll cover you." Valentina hesitated. "I'm not leaving you."

"That's an order." She shook her head. "I'm not one of your soldiers."

Another burst of gunfire forced them both behind a stack of barrels. Valentina reloaded her pistol. "You saved my life back there."

Dante looked at her. "So?" "So now I save yours." Without waiting for an answer, she stood up and fired several shots.

The masked men ducked for cover.

"Move!" she shouted. Dante smiled for the first time in years. "You really are stubborn." "I'll take that as another compliment."

They ran together toward the walkway. Just as they reached it, another sniper fired. The bullet struck the metal railing only inches from Valentina's head.

She lost her balance. "Dante!" She slipped over the edge. Without thinking, Dante threw himself forward and caught her hand. Valentina dangled above the dark water.

Her fingers slowly began to slip. "Dante..." "I've got you." "You'll fall too." "I'm not letting go." The gunfire continued around them. One bullet hit the railing beside Dante. Another struck the wooden walkway.

Valentina looked into his eyes. "You have to leave." "No." "If you stay, they'll kill both of us." "I said no."

With all his strength, Dante pulled her back onto the walkway. She fell into his arms, breathing heavily.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. Finally, Valentina smiled. "I guess you trust me now." Dante looked away. "Maybe." She laughed softly. "I'll take maybe."

Their quiet moment ended as engines roared nearby. Three black motorcycles raced toward them. "The chase isn't over," Dante said. They ran again.

Ahead of them sat an old fishing boat tied to the dock. Dante untied the rope. "Get in." "You know how to drive this?" "I learned when I was twelve."

Valentina climbed aboard. The boat pulled away just as the motorcycles reached the end of the dock. The masked men opened fire.

Bullets hit the water around them. Dante pushed the engine harder. The boat sped across the harbor. After several minutes, the shooting stopped.

Only the sound of the waves remained. Valentina finally relaxed.

"I thought we weren't getting out." "So did I." She looked at him. "You could have escaped." "I wasn't leaving you." "Why?"

Dante stayed silent. She smiled. "That's what I thought." He looked across the water. "I've spent ten years believing that revenge was all that mattered." "And now?"

He looked at her. "Now I'm not so sure."

Before she could answer, his phone vibrated. Unknown Number. He answered. "This is Dante." A familiar distorted voice spoke.

"You survived." "Who are you?" "You found the ring." "What does it mean?" "It means your father was betrayed by someone he loved."

Dante's face hardened. "I already know Marco Bellini betrayed him." The voice laughed. "You still believe Marco is the one pulling the strings."

"What are you talking about?" "Bellini is dangerous." "But even he answers to someone."

Dante's eyes widened. "Who?" "You'll meet him soon." The call ended. Valentina looked at him. "What happened?"

Dante lowered the phone. "We're chasing the wrong man."

Before either of them could speak again, a loud explosion echoed behind them. They turned around. The docks were burning. Flames rose high into the night sky. Valentina stared in shock. "They destroyed everything."

Dante slowly shook his head. "No." "They destroyed the evidence." His phone vibrated once more. This time, it wasn't a call.

It was a text message. Stop looking for Marco Bellini. Start looking for the Ghost. Attached was an old photograph.

Dante opened it. His breathing stopped. Valentina leaned closer. The picture showed four men standing together.

Don Alessandro Moretti. Marco Bellini. Two other men. One of them wore the same silver ring. Valentina pointed at the fourth man. "Who's he?"

Dante's voice was barely a whisper.

"I don't know." He turned the photograph over. Written on the back were six words.

The last survivor will decide everything. Before they could understand the message, another photograph slipped from the envelope hidden behind the first.

Valentina picked it up. Her face turned white. "Dante..." He took the picture from her. It showed a young girl standing beside Valentina's father.

The date was written below. Ten years ago. Dante looked at Valentina.

"Do you know who she is?" Valentina's hands began to shake.

"Yes." "Who?" "My younger sister."

Dante stared at her. "You told me she died." Tears filled Valentina's eyes.

"I believed she did." She looked at the photograph again. "If this picture is real..."

Her voice broke. "...then my sister may still be alive."

Far away, inside a hidden control room, Marco Bellini watched the burning docks on a large screen. His lieutenant smiled. "They escaped."

Marco calmly poured himself a drink. "I wanted them to." "They're following every clue exactly as planned."

He looked at another screen showing Dante and Valentina's boat disappearing into the darkness. "The game has only just begun."