Chapter 13 - THE WINE CELLAR LABYRINTH
The air in the underground wine cellar was damp and freezing.
Rows upon rows of vintage oak casks lined the stone walls, casting long, eerie shadows under our flashlights.
“She went this way,” I whispered, pointing at a muddy footprint near a hidden panel behind the wine racks.
Luca drew his pistol, flicking on the tactical flashlight mounted beneath the barrel.
He pushed the heavy stone panel open.
It revealed a dark, narrow subterranean tunnel leading toward the old cliffside boathouse.
“Stay close, Emily,” Luca instructed quietly, stepping into the dark abyss.
We crept forward in total silence.
The only sound was the dripping of water from the limestone ceiling and our own synchronized footsteps.
Up ahead, a faint sliver of light glowed through a rusted iron grate.
Mrs. Gable's voice echoed faintly ahead of us.
“Stupid fools... thought they could run a mafia empire...”
Luca signaled me to halt with a hand gesture.
He crept forward around the corner of the tunnel wall.
I peeked over his shoulder.
Mrs. Gable was standing near the exit door, holding a satellite phone and the small red detonator box.
“Chopper is ready,” she spoke into the phone.
“Get the explosives ready to blow the main foundation. I want this entire estate leveled.”
Luca didn't hesitate anymore.
He lunged around the corner like a panther.
“Drop it, Gable!”
Mrs. Gable shrieked, spinning around and pressing the red button on the detonator box with her thumb.
Nothing happened.
She stared at the box in sheer panic, clicking it repeatedly.
“Looking for this?” Agent Miller stepped out from the shadows near the exit door, holding the battery pack he had disconnected minutes earlier.
Mrs. Gable’s face turned pale as chalk.
She raised her Derringer pistol to shoot herself, but Luca moved with lightning speed.
He kicked the gun out of her hand, sending it clattering across the stone floor.
Then he slammed her wrists against the damp wall, clicking heavy steel handcuffs into place with brutal efficiency.
“It's over, Gable,” Luca breathed, his voice like crushed ice.
“You're going to spend the rest of your natural life behind bars.”
Mrs. Gable laughed hysterically, blood dripping from her lip.
“You think you won, Luca? The Bellini syndicate will never stop! They'll hunt you and that little maid down until you're both dead!”
“Let them try,” Luca replied coldly, handing her over to the federal agents who swarmed into the tunnel behind Miller.
He turned around, walking back toward me in the dim light.
The tension in his shoulders finally released.
He reached out, grabbing my hands gently.
“Are you alright?” he asked softly, checking me over for any injuries.
“I'm okay,” I smiled, a wave of relief washing over me.
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“It's really over, isn't it?”
“It's over,” Luca whispered.
