Chapter 10 - Ambush in the Dark
"Sniper! Get down!" Marco roared, lunging forward with superhuman speed to tackle Clara and Salvatore toward the pavement.
A suppressed rifle shot hissed through the crisp Philadelphia night, the bullet shattering the restaurant's heavy glass door.
Shards of reinforced glass rained down upon the concrete as the two bodyguards unholstered their automatic handguns.
Lorenzo drew a sleek chrome pistol from his waistband, his protective instincts igniting as he shielded Clara with his own body.
"Into the armored Suburban! Move, move, move!" Salvatore commanded, dragging Clara across the wet asphalt toward the open door.
Another high-caliber round slammed into the reinforced fender of the lead SUV, sending sparks flying into the darkness across the avenue.
Antonio returned fire, emptying a full magazine toward the rooftop of an abandoned parking structure across the boulevard.
The deafening cracks of gunfire shattered the quiet midnight streets, sending nearby pedestrians screaming in sheer panic.
Salvatore shoved Clara into the back leather seat of the armored vehicle, diving in directly behind her as Lorenzo piled inside.
Marco slammed the heavy reinforced door shut, leaping into the driver's seat and throwing the transmission into reverse.
The tires shrieked against the pavement, billowing white smoke as the heavy SUV lunged backward, smashing through a decorative planter.
A third bullet struck the armored driver's window, leaving a spiderweb crack in the thick ballistic glass without penetrating the cabin.
Marco whipped the steering wheel around, slamming the accelerator and rocketing the vehicle down the broad Philadelphia avenue.
Clara lay curled on the floorboards of the SUV, clutching the antique silver necklace in both hands as her heart battered her ribs.
"Who are they? Why are they trying to kill me?" Clara sobbed, terrified that her quiet life had vanished into a warzone.
Salvatore reached down, placing his large, warm hand over hers, his steel-blue eyes burning with an ancient, deadly promise.
"They aren't trying to kill you because of who you are, Clara," Salvatore said, his deep voice cutting through the racing engine.
"They are trying to kill you because whoever helped Elena fake her death knows that the lockbox will expose their identity," he said.
Lorenzo stared at Clara from the opposite leather seat, his eyes locking onto hers as a breathtaking, undeniable truth dawned on him.
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"Dad... if Elena was her mother... and Mom vanished fifteen years ago when Clara was twelve..." Lorenzo stammered in realization.
Salvatore turned his head toward Clara, the timeline of Elena's hidden double life unraveling before his very eyes as the car sped south.
