Chapter 1503 No Way Out for Anyone
The night had descended into absolute chaos.
Selena couldn't fathom Mario's endgame, but the thunderous explosions echoing from every direction made one thing clear—he had planted bombs throughout the compound. Just how much of Christopher's memories had Mario retained? These weren't purchased explosives; he had crafted them himself. Christopher was a genius at this stuff, and bomb-making was child's play to someone of his caliber.
Selena's brow furrowed as the metallic tang of blood filled her nostrils, and beneath the cacophony of explosions, she could hear the anguished screams of the dying. Mario's gambit was merciless—no one would survive, not even the Schmidt family.
She drew a sharp breath, choking on the acrid sulfur that saturated the air. Mario cradled her with one arm while using his free hand to tear a strip of fabric, hastily binding his bleeding wound.
"Mario, where exactly are you taking me?" The question burned in her throat.
Why orchestrate such elaborate carnage? If escape was his goal, why not simply collaborate with Raymond? After all, the three of them had entered together. What was the point of this intricate web of destruction, this symphony of explosives?
Was his plan to eliminate Raymond, to slaughter K's operatives, to plunge Mystic Prison into chaos while he slipped away in the confusion? Then why burden himself with her? Without her dead weight, he might already be safely beyond reach.
"Shut your mouth!" Mario's voice cracked like a whip as he struggled to his feet, adjusting his grip on her.
The dust hung thick as fog around them, triggering a fit of coughing. Then, cutting through the haze, came the whisper of approaching footsteps, followed by a voice that made Mario's blood freeze.
"Give her to me."
Raymond's voice, unmistakable and commanding.
Mario's entire body went rigid. This was impossible. Raymond should have been at the Schmidt Villa tonight, where Mario had concentrated the heaviest explosive payload. He should have been vaporized, reduced to nothing but ash and memory.
Yet here he stood.
As the dust began to settle, Mario's worst fears materialized. Raymond emerged from the gloom like a specter, still draped in his black robes, a gun gleaming in his grip. So he had been the one to fire that earlier shot.
Mario tightened his hold on Selena, his face draining of color. "How are you even alive?"
He had engineered so many explosions, planted enough ordnance to level half the compound. No one from the Schmidt family should have survived. What twisted luck had spared Raymond?
Without hesitation, Raymond raised his weapon and fired. The bullet tore through Mario's shoulder, and his grip instantly went slack. Selena began to fall, but Raymond lunged forward, catching her before she hit the ground.
Selena remained paralyzed, her lips trembling with a mixture of relief and terror. Mario had already taken a bullet to the leg, and now his shoulder was shredded, yet he seemed oblivious to the pain. His gaze remained fixed on Raymond with an intensity that bordered on obsession.
Raymond's eyes narrowed. When they had first entered Mystic Prison together, Mario's eyes hadn't burned with such venomous hatred. What had transformed him in such a short span? What had twisted his soul so completely?
Cradling Selena protectively, Raymond issued orders to his men lurking in the shadows. "Secure him. We're moving out to collect Eldon, then heading to the psychiatric facility."
"Understood, Mr. Montague."
These were the operatives Raymond had recruited through Eldon's seal, the fruit of their unholy alliance. He had promised to extract Eldon from Mystic Prison, and tonight presented the perfect opportunity.
With the inner island consumed by chaos and the Schmidt family's stronghold reduced to rubble, the other factions were too busy managing their own crises to monitor Raymond's movements. They would spend weeks investigating tonight's devastation, licking their wounds and rebuilding their strength. For the foreseeable future, the inner island's attention would be turned inward, leaving the outer territories unwatched.
Ironically, Mario's rampage had provided the perfect cover for Raymond's escape.
Two operatives moved to Mario's side, hauling him upright, but his eyes never left Raymond. Tonight had been meticulously planned—he had successfully manipulated Parker, trapped both Emilio and Raymond at the Schmidt compound, and spent days seeding explosives throughout the inner island's key locations.
So where had it all gone wrong?
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