Hunters

CHAPTER 1.5

Dante sat at his desk in the dimly lit corner of his and Isabella's apartment, the soft glow of their laptop illuminating his face as his fingers tapped rhythmically against the keyboard. The atmosphere was thick with the scent of his tea, Isabella's coffee and ink, the remnants of old newspapers and drafts scattered across his workspace. Writing came naturally to Dante. His ability to twist the truth and create a narrative that would be both convincing and entertaining was a skill he had honed over the years in his cover job as a reporter. Tonight, his focus was on one thing: spinning the deaths of the three brothers into something that would keep the heat off him, Isabella, Evan, and Raymond.

The murders were already making waves in the city. Three powerful brothers, all found dead within hours of each other, their empire shaken to its core. The police had no leads, but Dante knew that if they looked too closely, they might start to piece things together. That was where his skills came in. He wasn’t just part of the hunters for his hunting abilities—he was the one who kept them safe from the prying eyes of law enforcement and the media.

He leaned back in his chair, his eyes scanning the notes he had made. The narrative was already forming in his mind, a web of deception that would paint the deaths as part of something bigger, something messier. A gang war. No one would question it. After all, the brothers had their fingers in a lot of dirty pies, and they had made plenty of enemies along the way.

Dante smiled to himself, his fingers hovering over the keyboard for a moment before he began to type. The article needed to be precise, factual enough to be believable but with just enough flair to make it seem like something ripped from the headlines.

Gang War Erupts: Three Brothers Slain in Violent Turf Dispute

By Dante Cross

The city was rocked last night by the brutal murders of the notorious De Luca brothers—Marco, Lorenzo, and Victor—in what police are calling one of the bloodiest gang-related incidents in recent memory. The brothers, who had long been suspected of running a vast criminal empire involving drug trafficking, extortion, and human smuggling, were found dead in separate locations across their sprawling estate in what investigators are now describing as a coordinated hit by a rival gang.

Sources close to the investigation suggest that the murders may be linked to an ongoing turf war between the De Luca family and a rising faction within the city’s underworld. Tensions between the two groups have reportedly been simmering for months, with multiple smaller skirmishes leading up to last night’s violence.

Detectives working the case believe that the De Lucas had recently become the target of a rival gang looking to seize control of their lucrative criminal operations. “This wasn’t a random act of violence,” one law enforcement official, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Herald. “This was a power play. Whoever did this wanted to send a message.”

The bodies of the brothers were discovered late last night by their private security team, who were notably absent during the attacks. Marco De Luca, the eldest brother and the alleged mastermind behind the family’s operations, was found in his home office, a scene described by investigators as “deliberate and targeted.” Lorenzo, the middle brother known for his role as the family’s enforcer, was discovered in the mansion’s basement, and Victor, the youngest and most unpredictable of the trio, was found in the guesthouse at the far end of the property.

Police have yet to release an official statement on any suspects, but insiders believe the murders are part of a larger escalation in a violent struggle for control of the city’s underworld. In recent months, a rival faction has been gaining ground, reportedly led by a shadowy figure whose identity remains unknown. The De Luca family’s criminal empire, while powerful, had begun to fracture under the pressure of this new threat, and last night’s attack seems to be the culmination of that growing conflict.