PROLOGUE: BETRAYAL
~ Port of New Reiswald, June 1948 ~
"Somebody, stop that fucker!" yelled the Irish-accented man.
Mickey Dolan, heir to New Reiswald's most notorious Irish Family, gasped for breath as he sought cover behind a stack of crates amid a hail of gunfire. The Port of New Reiswald had become a warzone as dozens of enraged IRA soldiers relentlessly hunted him down.
"I see him," said another man, "He went back there!"
The shooting quickly ceased and about six men carefully encroached on Mickey's location. Mickey held his breath and listened closely to see how far away they were
"Ain't nowhere left to hide, son," one man said, "Why don't ye come on out?"
Mickey sighed and inserted a fresh mag – His final mag – Into his M1911 pistol, then quickly looked around for a solution.
"Come on, Mick," he muttered to himself, "Think!"
Mickey glanced to his right and saw a small crane unloading a shipment of wheat grains from a boat and onto a nearby truck. The crane, which had been abandoned mid-operation, was supporting a giant mesh net filled with dozens of sacks. Mickey took aim at the net and fired several shots.
"Ah, Jesus!" cried one of the IRA soldiers, "Open fire!"
However, before they could shoot, the net broke open, spilling dozens of heavy sacks down onto the port. At least one man was crushed to death, while the others were distracted in the ensuing mess. Mickey emerged from cover and fired at each of them, taking them all out.
Unfortunately, Mickey was not yet in the clear. Several more men appeared from behind, guns blazing, forcing Mickey to abandon his spot. Eventually, Mickey reached an empty warehouse, where he searched for cover.
"Damnit, Sam," he said, "How could you…"
Suddenly, Mickey was struck from behind. As he fell to the floor, he could see a man approaching from the front, while another hovered directly above him.
"We got ye now, son," he whispered, "It's over…"
Mickey rolled onto his back and watched in terror as the man drew a handgun and kept it trained directly at his face. The industrial light from the warehouse ceiling blinded him as he recalled the events leading up to the shootout…