La Fiamma Nera: Bound By Death

CHAPTER THREE

“Uncle Sam… bad men are in the house!” Maya sobbed, her little hands clutching his shirt.

Before Sam could answer, a deafening gunshot echoed from above, followed by Elena’s piercing scream.

“Ahhh!”

“Nooo! Elena!” Richard’s roar shook the air.

Sam froze, his heart clenching in his chest. He didn’t need anyone to explain he knew what had just happened. He tightened his grip on Maya. There was no time to think. No time to grieve. He was a detective, not a mafia soldier. He couldn’t fight dozens of men trained to kill without mercy.

“Come on,” he whispered, his voice urgent. “We have to go.”

Guiding Maya through the narrow underground passage, Sam moved as quickly and quietly as he could. The hidden tunnel connected to the far side of the compound, away from the intruders. His every step echoed with the chaos above the clash of weapons, the groans of men, the sound of furniture breaking.

As they reached the exit hatch, Richard’s voice carried faintly through the floorboards, loud and furious, before being cut short. Sam lifted the latch, and for a brief second, Maya glanced back through a small c***k.

Her tiny heart nearly broke. She saw her father collapsing to the ground, blood spreading across his chest.

“Daddy!” she tried to scream, but Sam quickly covered her mouth, holding her trembling body close. Tears spilled down her cheeks as he carried her out into the cold night.

Outside, he ran with all the strength he had left. His car was parked a short distance away, hidden in the bushes. He reached it, shoved Maya gently into the back seat, and jumped behind the wheel. The engine roared to life, and with one sharp turn, they sped off into the darkness.

Back at Richard’s house…

The once beautiful home now looked like a war zone. Bullet holes lined the walls, shattered glass covered the floor, and the smell of gunpowder and blood filled the air.

The La Fiamma Nera mafias stood in silence, their boots pressing against the ruins. Their boss, tall, dark, and heavyset stood at the center, his wounded arm still bleeding from Richard’s blade. His face was twisted with fury.

It had taken far too long to bring Richard down. Even at death’s door, the man had fought like a lion.

He spat on the floor, his voice deep and cold.

“Pathetic traitor. But he made me bleed… I won’t forget this.”

As he turned to leave, something caught his eye a family portrait lying shattered on the ground. He bent down and picked it up. The frame was broken, but the faces stared back at him: Richard, Elena, and a smiling little girl.

His eyes darkened.

“There’s a child.”

He turned sharply to his men.

“Search the house. Now! Tear it apart if you have to. I want her found!”

The soldiers spread out, kicking down doors, ripping apart furniture, overturning cupboards. They searched every corner, every shadow, every possible hiding place.

But no child.

“She’s here somewhere!” he growled, his patience snapping. “ she is in this picture. Find her!”

Minutes stretched, the house torn upside down, but still no trace.

Finally, his anger burned hotter than fire. He stormed out of the house, his men following him. The engines of their black jeeps roared as they sped away into the night, leaving behind nothing but blood, broken glass, and silence.

Meanwhile…

Sam’s car screeched to a halt in front of a modest looking bunker hidden behind tall bushes, deep in the bushes. It was the bunker where he kept his wife, Lila, and their newborn baby.

He knocked twice one and twice again that was the code

The door creaked open, and Lila appeared with worry etched across her face. When she saw Sam carrying Maya, who was crying uncontrollably, her heart sank.

“Sam… oh my God…”

Maya rushed into her arms. “Aunty Lila! They killed Daddy and Mummy!” she wailed, her small body shaking with grief.

Lila’s own tears fell as she hugged the little girl tight. “Oh, sweetheart, come here… it’s okay, you’re safe now. You’re safe with us.”

Her eyes met Sam’s over Maya’s shoulder. Both of them knew the truth Maya’s world had shattered tonight. And theirs had changed forever.

Sam pulled his wife close, his voice heavy with sorrow. “It happened too fast… I couldn’t save them.”

Lila shook her head, pressing her forehead to his. “You did what you could. You saved her. That’s what matters.”

For a long moment, the three of them clung together, their hearts aching.

Finally, Sam pulled away, his face set with determination. “I have to go back.”

“What?” Lila’s voice rose. “Sam, no! You’re supposed to stay with us. It’s dangerous”

“The house can’t be left empty,” he said firmly. “If the mafia suspects I was involved, they’ll look for clues. I have to cover our tracks. It’s not logical to leave it abandoned.”

Lila’s eyes filled with fear. She grabbed his arm. “Please… don’t do this.”

Sam kissed her forehead softly. “I’ll be back, I promise.”

He squeezed Maya’s hand gently before stepping outside. Within minutes, he was driving back toward the ruins of Richard’s home.

When he arrived, the street was silent. The air still reeked of smoke and death. Sam stepped inside carefully, his eyes scanning the mess, the broken door, the overturned furniture.

He barely had time to process the destruction before he froze.

The sound of engines.

Headlights cut through the night as the same black jeeps pulled up outside again. The La Fiamma Nera men stepped out, looking bloodier and angrier than before.

Sam’s chest tightened. His heart pounded.

“What do they want now?” he whispered under his breath.

And in that moment, he knew… he was no longer just a detective. He was a man standing at the edge of a war.