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Chapter 11 - shadows unleashed

The night draped the docks in an eerie stillness, the air heavy with the salty tang of the sea. The convoy of black SUVs rolled to a stop near Warehouse 17, the headlights cutting through the mist. The operation demanded precision, and every man present knew it wasn't just Viktor Castellano's name at stake tonight—Matteo's and Nikolai's empires also depended on their shared strength.

Matteo stepped out first, his presence magnetic. Dressed in a tailored black coat, he adjusted his cufflinks, the casual elegance a stark contrast to the ruthlessness in his eyes. "Let's make this quick," he drawled, surveying the area. "I've got business in Rome tomorrow, and I hate delays."

Viktor smirked faintly as he joined him, his gaze scanning the shadows. "Don't get too comfortable, Matteo. We're not here to showcase your wardrobe."

"I don't need a warehouse to do that," Matteo shot back with a grin, but his sharp gaze belied his humor. This wasn't just Viktor's fight. Matteo's syndicate had been hit just as hard by the Vanettis' provocations.

Behind them, Nikolai emerged, his movements deliberate and predatory. "Focus, children. This is about sending a message. And I don't plan on repeating myself."

Viktor's gaze hardened as he addressed his men, their collective loyalty split across the three syndicates. "This isn't just a skirmish. It's a statement. We hit them so hard tonight they'll hesitate before even thinking of us."

Matteo leaned against the SUV, his smirk fading. "The Vanettis are cockroaches—they'll scatter tonight, regroup tomorrow. But you're right. Let's crush their morale."

Dimitri, standing by with his sniper rifle, added, "I've got eyes on their perimeter. Two guards east side, four at the entrance, and two patrolling near the vans. Their coordination is weak."

"Perfect," Viktor said. "Nikolai, take the eastern flank. Matteo, handle the south exit. Dimitri, disable those vans."

"And you?" Matteo asked, a hint of challenge in his voice.

"I'll remind them why the shadows belong to us," Viktor replied, his tone final.

---

Matteo moved like a phantom through the shadows, his men trailing silently. This wasn't his first operation, and he didn't need Viktor to call the shots for him. As a mafia boss with his own sprawling empire, Matteo was a master tactician, and tonight he was proving his worth.

Near the south exit, two guards loitered, their weapons held carelessly. Matteo signaled to his men, and they spread out in perfect sync. He approached the guards, his footsteps silent. Before they could react, he struck—swift, lethal, and precise. One guard crumpled under a chokehold, while the other went down with a knife to the throat.

Wiping his blade on the man's jacket, Matteo whispered to his men, "Move fast. No mistakes."

At the same time, Nikolai was dismantling the eastern flank with ruthless efficiency. A guard barely had time to blink before Nikolai's knife plunged into his chest. The second guard tried to raise his weapon, but Nikolai silenced him with a single shot, the suppressor muffling the sound.

"Too easy," Nikolai muttered, stepping over the bodies.

---

Inside the warehouse, the Vanettis scrambled to respond to the assault, their movements chaotic and desperate. Viktor strode in through the main entrance, his men fanning out to secure the space. He moved with the confidence of a predator, every step measured and deliberate.

A Vanetti thug lunged at him, brandishing a crowbar. Viktor sidestepped effortlessly, delivering a crushing blow to the man's ribs. As the thug collapsed, gasping for air, Viktor turned his attention to the remaining men.

"Drop your weapons," he commanded, his voice cutting through the chaos like a blade.

Several of the Vanetti soldiers hesitated, their resolve faltering under Viktor's gaze. But one foolhardy man raised his gun, aiming at Viktor. Before he could fire, a shot rang out, and the man crumpled to the ground. Dimitri, perched on a nearby shipping container, lowered his rifle.

"You're welcome," Dimitri called down, his voice laced with dry amusement.

Viktor smirked. "Keep your eyes on the perimeter. The real threat isn't these amateurs."

Matteo entered then, his coat slightly bloodied but his grin intact. "South side's clear. What's next?"

Viktor gestured toward the trembling Vanetti men. "We extract answers."

Nikolai joined them, wiping his knife clean. "This one's still breathing," he said, dragging a bruised and terrified man forward.

Viktor crouched in front of the man, his expression unreadable. "Who gave the orders to hit our shipments?"

The man stammered, his gaze darting between Viktor, Matteo, and Nikolai. "I-I don't know! I just follow commands!"

Matteo knelt beside him, his smile deceptively kind. "You're lying," he said softly. "And lying to us is worse than crossing us."

The man broke, tears streaming down his face. "It was Carlo Vanetti! He said we had to make a move or lose everything!"

Viktor stood, his gaze turning cold. "Carlo thinks desperation is a strategy. Let's show him what real strategy looks like."

He turned to Dimitri, who had joined them. "Disable their comms. I want them isolated."

Matteo cracked his knuckles, his grin returning. "And the survivors?"

Viktor glanced at the remaining Vanetti men, their faces pale with fear. "Leave one alive. He'll deliver our message."

Matteo nodded, stepping toward the group with a predatory gleam in his eyes.

---

By the time the convoy left the docks, the warehouse was a smoldering ruin. The Vanetti's operation had been thoroughly dismantled, and Viktor's men had made their point.

As they drove back to the Den of Shadows, Matteo leaned back in his seat, lighting a cigarette. "Well, that was fun. Let me know when we're doing this again."

"Focus on Rome," Viktor said without looking at him. "This isn't over."

"Of course not," Matteo replied, exhaling a cloud of smoke. "But when it is, we'll still be standing."

Viktor's lips twitched in a faint smile. Matteo's confidence was infuriating at times, but it was also what made him an invaluable ally.

The war with the Vanettis had only just begun, but Viktor knew one thing for certain—the shadows belonged to him, Matteo, and Nikolai. Together, they were unstoppable.