manynovel Page 227
Page 227
Ten minutes later, Brian pinpointed a warehouse located near the Red Hook area.
"This is it,"
He said confidently, "There are at least ten people inside, and the two smaller heat sources are probably locked in the room in the southwest corner. They should be your friends."
Frankie looked at the precise satellite images in surprise: "Your equipment is far more advanced than ours."
Brian smiled slightly: "Taxpayers' money has to be spent somewhere. Do you need me to help 'pick them up'? Of course, that will cost extra."
"Any price is fine,"
Franky replied without hesitation, "But we must keep a low profile and not alert them."
"Low-key is my middle name."
Brian put away his computer and took out some surprising gadgets from his bag—including a pistol with a silencer and several instruments that looked like medical equipment but were actually not.
Brian received a call from his CIA superior while driving to the Red Hook district.
"Jones, where are you? There's a counterterrorism briefing in an hour."
"I'm having a bit of an upset stomach, sir,"
Brian lied without batting an eye, "I might be a little late. Maybe there was something wrong with the sushi I ate yesterday."
"Restore as soon as possible. This briefing is very important."
The boss hung up the phone: "The people in Chicago told us they have four hundred people missing!"
Brian smiled slightly.
He enjoys this dual life—serving the government while also earning extra income through side jobs.
Moreover, there was a sense of justice behind this operation, which was quite rare in his usually gloomy work.
Upon arriving at the target area, Brian didn't approach the warehouse directly, but instead parked his car a few blocks away. He
He changed into worker's clothes, carried a tool bag, and walked towards the target like an ordinary maintenance worker.
There were two guards outside the warehouse, smoking and chatting idly.
Brian went around to the back of the warehouse from the other side and found a vent.
He took out a small camera and reached inside to check the situation.
"Eleven targets, scattered in various locations,"
He muttered to himself, "Two hostages in the southwest corner room. Perfect."
Brian took a can of special spray from his toolkit—a chemical agent that could quickly render people unconscious—and injected it into the warehouse through the ventilation system.
Then he put on a gas mask and waited patiently for five minutes.
After confirming with a thermal imaging camera that everyone inside was unconscious, Brian pried open the side door and entered the warehouse.
He moved quickly and quietly through the main area and saw Italian gang members lying haphazardly on the ground.
Upon arriving at the room where Max and Caroline were being held, he found the door firmly locked.
Brian took a small laser cutter from his toolbox and cut the lock open in a few minutes.
Inside the room, Max and Caroline were also drowsy from inhaling the anesthetic, but had not yet completely lost consciousness.
"Ladies, I am Frankie's friend,"
Brian whispered, as he helped them put on makeshift gas masks, "Can you walk?"
Max nodded with difficulty, while Caroline could barely stand.
Brian picked up Caroline and gestured for Max to follow.
They carefully made their way through the warehouse and left through a side door.
Chapter 192 2 Broke Girls Receive Investment
After returning to a safe location, Max and Caroline were settled in a safe house provided by Franky.
Both of them were exhausted after the fright.
"I thought we were going to die there,"
Max suddenly said, her voice unusually fragile, "There's something I have to tell you, Caroline."
Caroline looked at her, frowning in confusion: "What is it?"
Max took a deep breath: "Victor and I... I was his manager before you started dating him, but back then he was just an amateur boxer. I also went to see him when he was injured."
Caroline's eyes widened, but she didn't say anything.
Max continued, her words growing faster: "And, my miscarried child... was actually Victor's. But I swear, you two weren't together yet! Later I saw the news about you two dating, and in a moment of madness, I didn't say anything. I know it's terrible, but I—"
“Max,”
Caroline interrupted her softly, "I know."
This time it was Max's turn to widen his eyes: "You know? How...when?"
Caroline smiled wryly: "Victor once talked in his sleep... calling your name, but I didn't know that Max was actually you."
"And you never said that?"
Max asked incredulously, "Why?"
“Because that happened before we started dating, and honestly, Victor broke up with me not because of you. He’s a controlling jerk who wanted me to be his caged canary and tried to keep me for tens of thousands of dollars a year—even though I look pretty good now.”
Caroline shrugged. "But I'd rather go bankrupt ten times than lose my freedom."
Max paused for a moment, then said softly, "I'm still sorry."
"No need,"
Caroline took her hand. “We’ve been through so much, Max. The restaurant went bankrupt, we were homeless, we started a business together… You’re my best friend. Men come and go, but we’ve always been together, haven’t we?”
Max's eyes welled up with tears, but he quickly masked his emotions with his usual sarcasm: "Oh God, don't be so mushy. If you do this again, I'll spit in your coffee."
Caroline smiled, knowing this was Max's way of expressing love.
"But whatever you do, don't agree to Viktor's request—yes, I think we got out because of his help, after all, he has Franklin as his pass."
Meanwhile, after receiving news that Brian had successfully rescued the hostages, Franky immediately issued the order to proceed.
Four hundred Windy City security personnel were divided into four groups and simultaneously surrounded the Salvador family's various strongholds in New York.
The main attacking force headed straight for their hideout—a nightclub in Manhattan's Little Italy neighborhood.
The battle was brief but intense.
The Italian gang members were caught off guard; their pistols were no match for the firepower of the Thompson submachine guns.
The Skywind City security personnel were highly trained and carried out a precise, military-like operation, quickly taking control of the entire area.
Antonio Salvador Jr. attempted to escape through the back door but was caught red-handed by the Windy City team members who were lying in wait there.
"You've declared war on all of New York!"
"The other families won't stand idly by!" Little Antonio roared.
"How will they know Chicago keeps its word if they don't kill a few people?"
Franky stepped out of the shadows and said coldly, "You crossed the line first, El Salvador. Kidnapping women is a cowardly act."
"I just wanted to test the waters!"
Antonio Jr. argued, "I didn't mean to really hurt them! I just wanted the money."
"Unfortunately, you tested the wrong person,"
Franky gestured to his men, "Clean it up. Send a clear message."
Gunshots rang out in the backyard of the nightclub, then silence fell.
In less than two hours, all the core members of the Salvador family were wiped out.
The news quickly spread throughout New York's gangster circles, causing a huge shock.
Other Italian families might have been angry about this, but they all chose to remain silent after learning that the Salvador family had broken the rules first.
Victor Lee conveyed a clear message through his actions:
Chicago's Skywind City is not to be trifled with; anyone who dares to mess with it will pay a heavy price.
The next morning, Max and Caroline woke up in the safe house to find Franky already waiting in the living room.
"Ladies, you are safe now,"
He simply said, "Those who kidnapped you will no longer cause any trouble."
Caroline looked at him sharply: "Victor got involved, didn't he?"
Frankie ignored Caroline.
Max asked, "With an operation this large-scale, Franky, you're not going overboard."
"We're not the mafia, we're a security company that protects our own people. Which team's movement wouldn't require the boss's approval?"
Franky nodded: "They've brought people from Chicago over. The Salvador family is history now."
Max and Caroline exchanged a glance.
They know what "becoming history" means in the context of the underworld.
“We need to see Victor,”
Caroline said, "Some things need to be made clear."
Frankie continued to ignore it.
But seeing Max looking at him too, he hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "He's on his way to New York. Actually, he should be here in an hour."
Sure enough, forty-five minutes later, Victor Lee arrived at the safe house.
He wore a perfectly tailored black suit, his expression stern but his eyes held concern.
"Are you OK?"
He asked, his gaze shifting between Max and Caroline before finally settling on Max's face.