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“If Dynamite and Tate can take the cabin from behind,” I said, “then the rest of us can fan out and approach from all angles. Any resistance we encounter on the way, we need to take out silently. Knives only.”
Heads bobbed around the semi-circle we’d formed. Vito, Bruno, and Carmine already had combat knives in their hands.
Greta withdrew one of hers from a sheath on her back while Brute looked at her with a furrow between his brows.
“I can see that look, Brute,” she said without looking over at him.
“You didn’t see shit, darling,” he said with a resigned smile.
I really hoped he hadn’t hooked up with Greta thinking she’d settle down.
Brute pulled out his phone and read a text on the screen, then nodded. “Dynamite and Tate are in position, about fifty yards behind the house. They haven’t run into any resistance.”
Perfetta.“All right.” I checked my watch. “We breach the cabin in five.Andiamo,” I said, and like we’d done this too many times before, the seven of us spread out through the dark woods, each one navigating through the trees to take the cabin from a different angle, then moving inward.
The forest was cloaked in an eerie stillness as I moved through the dense underbrush. Each step was measured and deliberate, my senses on high alert. I gripped the cold handle of my knife, the blood in my veins pulsing with adrenaline.
I scanned the darkness for any signs of movement, but even the leaves on the trees above me were still.
Moving from one tree to the next became a well-rehearsed dance. I pressed my back against the rough bark, my body melding into the shadows. I waited, listening, watching for any indication that one of Bianchi’s men was hiding close by.
There—a faint flicker of movement ahead, in a tall cluster of maples.
I crouched low, my breathing steady, and observed him from afar.
He seemed alert, his eyes scanning the surroundings, but he couldn’t possibly see me lurking in the darkness. I slowly circled around him, my footsteps silent as I moved through the undergrowth. Each step was carefully placed, avoiding any dry leaves or twigs that could betray my presence.
With a keen eye, I mapped out the perfect angle of attack. As I closed in, my heart pounded as I gripped the knife tighter.
I was mere feet away from him now. I took another step, hiding behind the maple at his back. So close. Could he feel it? I wondered. A prickling sensation at the back of his neck?
He turned slightly, and in that instant, I struck.
I lunged forward and wrapped an arm around his mouth to muffle any sound. With my other hand, I brought the knife down, dragging it across his throat in one deep slice that ripped right through his vocal cords.
The only noise he made was a wet gurgling sound as his body struggled, jerking wildly against my hold. Hot blood spurted against my arm, saturating the fabric. Then his body went limp in my grasp, and I lowered him to the ground just as silently as I’d killed him.
I wiped the blade clean and moved on, disappearing into the shadows once more. I could see the tree line and the cabin beyond it, lit by one interior light. I was almost there.
Silently emerging from the shadows, Leo materialized on my right just as I stepped out from the concealing trees. Our movements were synchronized, both of us crouched low as we made our way along a path of ornamental bushes, concealing our approach to the cabin’s front door.
Within seconds, we reached the sunken door, hidden from sight by the cabin’s façade. I checked my watch. One and a half minutes remained for the rest of the team to get into position.
I sheathed my knife and withdrew my gun; once we were inside the house, there’d be no more need for stealth.
Only one more minute on the clock.
Then the sound of footsteps echoed on the cabin’s front steps, breaking the silence.
“Shit,” I muttered under my breath, exchanging a quick glance with Leo. We needed a distraction.
Leo’s eyes gleamed with mischief. Apparently, we were on the same page.
I nodded, silently swapping my gun for the blade once more. Without a word, Leo stepped forward into the man’s path.
“Lookout duty, huh?” Leo quipped, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Must be thrilling, counting trees and chatting with squirrels.”
Before the man could respond, I followed Leo out and my knife found its mark, slicing deep into the man’s throat with deadly accuracy, hitting bone before I withdrew it.
