Mafia by Blood (wlw)

45 - The final countdown, pt. 2

*TW* detailed description of death

Around 10 PM, the tension peaked in the villa as the team prepared to leave. They gathered their gear, checked their weapons once, twice and three times, then loaded into the vehicles in silence. The drive to the Bonnano mansion took around one hour, and the atmosphere inside the vehicles remained heavy and quiet. It was as if they knew something was going wrong.

In the first car, Noelle and William were seated in the back, while Madison was in the front passenger seat, with another soldier driving. Carlos, Massimo and Derek were seated in the van, right behind them, along with a few other soldiers.

The vehicles pulled over a short distance from the Bonnano mansion, hidden from view. It was pitch dark outside by now, and the event in the mansion should be over, which meant less security. The whole team, dressed in black from head to toe with masks that concealed their faces, gathered outside the cars, ready for one final brief from Madison, and also to buy Carlos time. He quickly set up his devices, and hacked into the security cameras, and put in a loop, so that the team that was going inside would stay undetected.

"Everyone knows exactly what to do? Otherwise, now is the time to speak up," Madison said, lifting her mask and looking around at everyone, "and it is crucial that no one uses real names over the ear piece today, you never know who might hear you, starting now."

Getting nods from everyone, Madison decided it was time to start. "Venom, you know the perimeter, and every guard rotation. When do we go in?" Madison asked, looking at William. The blonde man pulled up the sleeve on his jacket and glanced at his watch, "in exactly 4 minutes and 13 seconds will there be no eyes on the east side of the gate, that is your window."

With their roles assigned, the team split off into their tasks. William and Massimo, with both their soldier, disappearing into the shadows to secure the perimeter and be the eyes and ears outside.

Meanwhile, Derek, Noelle, and Madison moved like ghosts towards the mansion's gate, waiting until it was time to sneak above the gate. William signaled the time over the ear piece, and the trio climbed smoothly over. Silently, they moved towards the mansion, moving alongside the walls, before reached the narrow stairs leading to the basement. Madison signaled for Derek to breach the door, as he was the expert in lock picking. With a soft click, the door swung open, revealing a dark corridor.

They moved swiftly and silently through the dark corridor, guided by Carlos' voice through the ear piece on which doors to enter, and where to stop and wait, so they avoided being seen by patroling guards. Noelle and Derek kept close to Madison, ready to protect her should anything sudden happen.

The corridor seemed to last forever, and the walls seemed to close in around them, but eventually, they reached the stairs that led to where they were going. It was a secret stair, as it didn't show on any of the blueprints, but thanks to Carlos' hacking, they knew that this stair would lead directly to second floor, right to where Paul and Rachel's bedroom was. They had probably created it so they could easily escape the mansion if needed. After ascending the two floors, the trio reached a heavy steal door, knowing they were getting closer.

Meanwhile, outside the mansion, William and Massimo maintained their watch, their eyes scanning the perimeter for any signs of movement. They communicated on their own channel with the soldiers stationed at strategic points around the estate, ensuring that their positions remained secure. Carlos and the last soldier were stationed in the van and provided the digital support and assistance they needed. Carlos had everything he needed at his fingertips, from screens displaying security feeds to computers for hacking into the mansion's systems. He glanced at the snacks nearby, a small reminder of the long night ahead.