As one of the Camorra Family's top professional assassins,
Cassian was without question the best of the best—
a sharp blade among blades.
It took him ten hours to uncover everything about the conflict between the Evil Syndicate and the Lighthouse Organization.
When the full report was finally placed on Gianna D'Antonio's desk,
the woman—second only to her father within the family hierarchy—
was seated before her computer,
scanning through every bit of data related to Alex Cross.
"Gianna, this is what you asked for."
Cassian laid the thick file in front of her,
then quietly stepped aside.
Gianna opened it,
reading line by line with intense focus.
From the moment the Evil Syndicate's agents went to New York seeking Alex Cross…
to Cross appearing in Prague,
caught in a blood-soaked confrontation with every bounty hunter the city had to offer…
Cassian had traced it all.
He'd even uncovered Cross's secret deal with the Russian Brotherhood—
and how he'd taken both John Wick and a young girl named Eve Macarro into his custody.
Half an hour later,
Gianna closed the file.
Her expression hardened as she looked up at Cassian.
"If we move now," she asked coldly,
"and pull assassins from our branch families to strike New York… what are the chances we could wipe out the Lighthouse Hotel and its Club?"
"Less than one percent," Cassian replied bluntly.
Then, after a pause, he elaborated in his usual calm professionalism:
"Caine and Wolf are both stationed there—two of the world's top killers—along with ten of those 'Killing Machines.'
Launching a direct assault on the Lighthouse's New York headquarters would be suicide."
Gianna's lips pressed into a thin line.
Silence lingered for several seconds before she spoke again.
"How many assassins would you need to intercept Alex Cross in Prague?"
This time, Cassian didn't answer right away.
He held her gaze for several moments before finally replying:
"At least three hundred.
They'd have to be deployed covertly, under complete silence.
Our only real chance would be to strike while Cross is engaged with the Evil Syndicate—hit his rear lines.
Even then, success would only be about fifty percent."
Gianna's brow furrowed.
"What if I increased the number? We have more than enough assassins."
Cassian shook his head.
"A few hundred more wouldn't make a difference.
To guarantee a kill, we'd need several thousand.
Three hundred would be just enough to delay his people—
to buy me an opening to take the shot myself."
His words fell heavy in the room.
Gianna said nothing for a long time.
Finally, she exhaled and spoke again.
"Alex Cross booked a seven-day stay at the Prague Continental.
He's likely to make his move in the final two days.
That gives us four to five days to get our men into position.
Do it quietly—send your three hundred to Prague under the radar."
Cassian nodded once.
"Yes, ma'am."
Without another word, he turned and left the study.
Gianna watched him go,
a faint sense of unease gnawing at her chest.
But she couldn't place where it came from—
instinct, perhaps.
---
An hour later.
Cassian departed the D'Antonio Estate in Rome,
leading twenty of the family's top enforcers in a convoy of SUVs.
From the second-floor balcony,
Gianna stood silently at the window,
watching their vehicles disappear down the winding road.
Only after the taillights vanished into the distance
did she turn away and shut the window.
Down below,
on the mansion lawn,
a gardener paused his work and looked up at her window.
Then quickly lowered his gaze,
pushing the lawn mower forward as if nothing happened.
The faint outline of a barcode tattoo glimmered at the back of his head.
Once the mower was parked in the storage shed,
he closed the door behind him.
He removed his cap—revealing a clean-shaven scalp and the barcode in full.
Agent 47 stepped into a small side room,
glanced at a flickering television,
then nudged a motionless foot sticking out from under the bed back out of sight.
He sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled out his phone.
A few rings—
then the line connected.
"Agent 47," came Alex Cross's calm voice.
"What's your status?"
"Mr. Cross," 47 replied,
"Gianna's bodyguard, Cassian, just left the estate with twenty assassins.
I believe his movements are connected to the next operation against you."
"You've done well," Cross said evenly.
"Stay embedded for now.
In a few days, I'll have a new assignment for you."
The line went dead.
Alex glanced over—
Eve was staring at him curiously.
He smirked faintly, then dialed another number.
Moments later, Becky's cheerful voice came through:
"Mr. Cross! You called?"
"Yeah," he said.
"I've got a job for you.
There's an assassin named Cassian en route from Rome to Prague.
The moment he crosses the border, I want his location.
You can purchase his intel directly from the High Table's 'Guide.'"
"No problem! Leave it to me."
Becky sounded eager—finally, something useful to do again.
Cross hung up,
just as Heather's voice came from the driver's seat.
"Mr. Cross, we're about two hundred meters away from Wick's signal.
Looks like he's holed up in that abandoned building ahead."
Cross raised his eyes.
Sure enough, through the snowfall and the dim lights of Prague,
he could see a wrecked car parked near the structure—
five newer vehicles lined up nearby.
From inside, gunfire cracked through the walls—
sharp, steady bursts.
Heather hit the brakes.
Everyone disembarked immediately.
Weapons up, they followed Alex Cross into the decrepit building.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three shots rang out from the fourth floor.
Cross glanced toward the Sisterhood.
The eight nun-assassins moved without hesitation,
rushing upstairs in tactical formation.
Standing beside Eve,
Cross glanced at her again—amusement flickering in his eyes.
"Eve," he asked, grinning slightly,
"you know how to use a gun?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you're interested, you can read advanced chapters:
pat reon .com / Samorash