LAST CHRISTMAS I GAVE YOU MY HEART

Chapter 41: Saving Venice

Warning: Mentions  of blood and death.

Kinn decided to gather a team, there were very few people he could trust right now. So he called in the only people he could trust and needed, Kim, Tay, Chan and Big to explain the situation. Chan called in his old army buddies, a special ops team with no connections to the Theerapanyakuns. They looked like old rogues but each one of them was a fighter, seasoned killers to be exact and most importantly bored with domestic life after their army service days. So they jumped in as soon as they received Chan's call to arms. Chan, Big along with their team immediately left to join Vegas and Pete, Kim set up a command post and Tay started contacting his overseas connections in Italy. Vegas and Pete are going to need a lot of help after touch down, half of the police force is under the mafia's pay roll.

The dim glow of computer screens flickers across the room, casting long shadows over Kim's cluttered workstation. Monitors show encrypted communications, live satellite feeds, and a digital map of Venice. They received intel from Tay's contacts that a drug deal is supposed to go down and a young woman and child were supposed to be a gift to the South American drug lord. The air is thick with tension, the quiet hum of machinery punctuating the stillness.

Kim sits hunched over his desk, headphones on, his fingers flying over the keyboard hacking into the mafia's security systems. His face is calm, almost too calm, considering the high stakes of the mission. Next to him, a half-empty coffee cup sits untouched.

Kim said to himself 'Come on... show me where you're keeping them.'

On his screen, grainy security footage flickers, revealing a glimpse of Victoria cradling her infant son, Baby Venice, in a dimly lit room. They're in a holding cell, guarded by two mafia thugs.

Kim murmured, 'Gotcha.'

He straightens up, the tension leaving his body for just a second. He reaches for his headset, pressing a button to patch through to Kinn.

'We've got eyes on Victoria and the kid. They're in the east wing of the compound. Heavily guarded, but there's a weak spot in their security. We need to move fast.'

Kinn spoke over the comms, 'You're sure it's the right place?'

Kim spoke up, 'Positive. We've got less than 24 hours before the handoff. If we don't get them out by then, we're out of options.'

'Alright. I'll notify the contacts in Venice. Keep the local cops out of our way,' Tay chimed in.

'Good. I'll brief Vegas and Pete. We're moving in,' Kinn replied.

The dark silhouette of the aircraft looms large, its engines silent for now. Inside the hangar, Vegas and Pete are gearing up alongside the special ops team. The men stand in stark contrast to each other—Vegas, composed and methodical, quietly checks his weapons, while Pete, visibly tense, paces back and forth.

'We shouldn't be waiting for the green light. Every minute we waste, they're in more danger,' Pete said restlessly waiting for orders.

Vegas glances at him but says nothing at first. He continues to check his gear with practiced precision.

'We'll move Babe when everything ready. Going in half-cocked isn't going to save her.' Vegas grasped Pete's hand to stop him from fidgeting.

'Come on Vegas, half-cocked? You saw the intel! We don't have time—'

Vegas finally looks up, his words calm but firm, 'We've got time. And we're going to do this right. Trust Kim. He'll get us in.'

Pete meets his lover's gaze, and for a moment, the tension between them hangs heavy in the air. Then Pete sighs, running a hand through his hair, and nods.