Chapter 17 - In the Viper's Nest
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A black, armored Mercedes pulled up to the corner of 5th and Main exactly ten minutes later. Two massive men stepped out, grabbed Chloe roughly by the arms, and shoved her into the back seat without a word. A black cloth bag was yanked over her head, plunging her into suffocating darkness.
She rode in terrifying silence for twenty minutes. The car made sharp turns, descending into what felt like an underground garage.
When the bag was finally ripped from her head, she was blinded by harsh, fluorescent lights.
She was standing in the center of a lavish, brutally modern office. Weapons lined the walls like terrible artwork. Sitting behind a massive desk of solid black marble was Victor Volkov.
He was older than Dominic, with thinning gray hair, a thick beard, and cold, dead eyes. He looked at Chloe like a butcher inspecting a piece of meat.
“Chloe Adams,” Volkov smiled, a horrifying expression that didn't reach his eyes. “You are much braver than your brother. Or much more foolish. I haven't decided yet.”
“I’m here,” Chloe said, her voice shaking despite her best efforts. “I surrendered. Now give me the antidote, and call off your guards before Dominic attacks.”
Volkov laughed, a booming, arrogant sound that echoed in the concrete room. He stood up, walking slowly around the desk.
“You think I want to call off my guards?” Volkov asked, amused. “My dear, you surrendering is just a bonus. I want Dominic Russo to attack my compound. I want him to march into my heavily fortified trap so I can slaughter him and his remaining loyalists. You just saved my men the trouble of hunting you down after the war.”
Chloe’s blood ran cold. She hadn't stopped the war; she had walked directly into the center of the kill box.
“You promised!” she screamed, stepping backward.
“I am Russian mafia, little girl. We do not keep promises to waitresses,” Volkov snarled, grabbing her violently by the jaw, his thick fingers bruising her skin. “Dominic thinks he is a king. But tonight, I cut the head off the snake. And when he is dead, I am going to make you wish your brother’s poison had taken you too.”
Suddenly, the heavy steel doors of Volkov’s office rattled with a deafening, concussive blast. The alarms in the compound began to scream.
Volkov dropped Chloe, reaching for a heavy revolver on his desk.
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“Boss!” A frantic voice crackled over the intercom. “Russo is here! He didn't bring an assault team! He brought a damn army!”
Dominic hadn't walked into a trap. He had brought hell to the viper’s nest.
