On the third morning, they set out. Rico drove them to a spot a mile from the base, then returned to the safe house. Isabella headed for the ridge, her sniper rifle slung over her shoulder. Enzo, Alessandro, and Clara walked the rest of the way, staying hidden in the trees.
"This way," Enzo said, leading them to a small gate in the base's wall. He typed a code into a keypad, and the gate swung open silently. "The security cameras are disabled for the next five minutes—we have to move fast."
They slipped inside the base, moving through the shadows. The base was quiet—too quiet. Enzo frowned. "Something's wrong," he said. "There should be more guards."
Before anyone could respond, a voice boomed over the loudspeaker. "Welcome, Enzo," Salvatore said, his voice filled with amusement. "I knew you'd come back. I knew you couldn't resist betraying your new friends, just like you betrayed your old ones."
Enzo's face paled. "He knew," he said. "He set me up."
Lights flashed on, and dozens of guards emerged from hiding, their guns aimed at them. Salvatore stood on a platform above the courtyard, a smug grin on his face.
"Alessandro," he said. "Clara. So nice to see you. I was just about to send for you."
Clara stepped forward, her chin high. "Let the other bosses go, Salvatore," she said. "This is between you and me."
Salvatore laughed. "The other bosses? They're already here—watching from the observation deck. They're going to see what happens to anyone who stands against me."
He gestured to a window above the courtyard, where several men in expensive suits were watching. "Now," he said. "Swear loyalty to me, Clara. Or watch your friends die."
Just as a guard raised his gun to Alessandro, the crack of Isabella's sniper rifle echoed through the courtyard. The guard fell, and chaos erupted.
"Now!" Alessandro shouted, firing his Beretta at the other guards. Enzo pulled out a gun he'd hidden in his jacket and joined in, taking down two more men.
Clara pulled out the pistol Isabella had given her and fired at the platform, missing Salvatore by inches. He ducked behind a wall, cursing.
"We have to get to the observation deck," Enzo said. "If we can get the other bosses on our side, we can turn this around."
They fought their way through the guards, moving towards the platform. Alessandro took a bullet to the leg, but he kept running, his eyes fixed on the observation deck. Clara stayed close to him, firing at any guard who got too close.