The concrete felt familiar underfoot. The scent was even more so. It was close enough to home that he could still sense his owners. With flicks of his hind leg, the feeling of needing to scratch behind his ear was appeased. Usually Joe or Ilaria would do this. They were in a meeting and weren't going to see Leo for a couple more hours, so he had to attack it on his own. And just as soon as the need to scratch came, the need to chase a swooping bird took over.

When at the airport, Leo was becoming more and more a part of the family atmosphere. His owners were content to let him roam the large piece of land Race Street Company owned. His doberman instincts made him a perfect guard dog in general and his warm personality a pick me up to the workers.

So when Joe let him free from the car each morning, he stopped bothering with the fifteen minute play fest of trying to catch him and put a leash on him. He did enjoy their little game, but with lots happening, Joe had begun to simply let Leo be his own natural self as he attended to crew and Midas Air business.

With a bark, he was off. His legs pumped beneath his body as he zipped across the tarmac. The crow was gliding down from being atop the operations tower, where she'd spent the morning cawing at the rising sun.

A sharp, loud sound broke the quiet morning air.  The crow glanced down as she swooped from right to left, searching.  She knew the sound well. Scanning the ground below, she spotted the dog. They were, more or less, friends. Ever since she'd made her home in a sun-soaked corner of the tallest building, she'd watched the young dog explore; marking his territory and dutifully protecting the humans that milled about below.

Her own natural curiosity had led her closer to him one particular day.  Truthfully, it wasn't so much curiosity as it was the sandwich one of the humans was chewing on.  The dog was stretched out comfortably, napping in the sun beside the car where one of the humans was sitting.  Every now and then, the human would tear off a piece of turkey and give it to the dog.  Thinking she could possibly find herself so lucky, she landed herself a dozen or so feet from the car and took a few steps forward.  The dog, sensing her presence, whirled his head around and stared at her, wagging his tail low on the ground.  The bird stopped, cautiously watching the dog for any signs of hostility.  The dog cocked his head to one side, still curiously wagging his tail and stretching his nose forward trying to get a scent of the creature in front of him.  The crow hopped a few paces forward, nearing the dog.  Sure enough, the human had taken notice, and threw out a few pinches of bread.  Quickly, the crow dove on the bread and then skittered back away from the dog, further, then dropped them and ate, still watching.  It was a short interaction, but friendly enough.  Over the days that followed, the crow would spot the dog here and there.  Sometimes, she'd fly down from her nest and swoop down just over the dogs head, teasing him, then take off ahead of him so he'd chase her.  They had great fun. The dog was more fun to play with than the big metal birds that always flew the same paths every day.

Now, she found her friend making his morning run, and darted down towards him, buzzing just over his head with a caw.

It was a welcome sight to Leo. Their friendship was developing more and more with each visit to the airport. The doberman had no idea what this place was about. He really didn't care. He just enjoyed having the freedom to bounce about in the wide open space that seemed to never end and every time he was here something eventful happened.

A potential break in one night when he was hanging out in Hangar 1 with Joe and some mechanics, was the most recent. Some teenagers were trying their luck at sneaking through the airport, not knowing who owned this section of it. The school mates decided they'd have a snoop and see what they'd come away with. The last two abandoned buildings they'd searched last week and the one before, had their sense of adventure and daring up. At the very least, they'd get to see some of these amazing machines up close and personal, if they didn't find anything worth nicking.

Leo, though, was having none of it. He was quick on their trail and sent them running and screaming across the tarmac. Joe would've let him have at the intruders if they weren't so young, but instead let Leo round them up to be spoken sternly to, taking in Joe's warnings through a sea of tears. The loaded handgun being waved around might have had something to do with that, too.

Today, he was still in a killer mood, just one much more on the playful side. He enjoyed the bird's friendly nature, as he saw and experienced it. With a bark and his tongue flapping out the side of his mouth, Leo followed the crow with gusto, hoping to catch up. He never did, not until the bird decided to land. He loved the chase anyways, and relished the opportunity to try his luck at catching this interesting creature mid flight.

Glancing back, the crow thought it a terrible shame that the dog couldn't fly.  It must be a terrible feeling to be bound to the earth all the time.  It was the same way she felt for the humans.  The air was so fresh and freeing, not to mention being able to see everything from horizon to horizon.

A scent invaded her beak; what was that?? Her curiosity distracted her from leading the dog on a chase-me-charlie, so she banked to the left and followed the scent, suddenly very interested in the smell.  As she grew closer, the smell became more familiar.  It was a dark scent, something she'd known before when she was living near a volt of vultures. It was the smell of death. Only, it was different.  The scent led the glossy winged crow to a large patch of bushes near a pond on the far end of the property, just before a treeline.  With another look back, she saw the dog was still following.  Good, she thought, maybe he'll notice this, too. With that, she pointed her beak down and cawed loudly a few times, then dove down to the ground, into the bushes.

He'd never keep up, but making short work of the moving ground beneath him and the feel of quickly cutting through the space in front of him was unlike anything, and the only thing to top it was poking his head out of the car window. He got more bang for his doggy buck with the car rides.

Noticing the bird change direction, Leo slowed down and began sniffing at the ground, instinctively. Not because of what the bird was onto, but because that was his way of making sense of his immediate environment. He smelt many different scents. Most seemed to be human in nature, kind of like what Joe smelled like after spending time in one of the rooms in the loft.

Then something else caught his attention. It was a sharp note, and upon it's discovery Leo picked up his pace. It wasn't long before he was in the same area as the crow, which upon this awareness, Leo paused to bark his arrival. It was a deep sound, showing just how mature Leo had not become. He was no longer the cute puppy. Or the mischievous adolescent. He was finally at a point Joe would be happy taking him into meetings, one's that needed special attention paid to the fact he didn't completely trust who he was dealing with.

The bushes were flowing in the wind, where Leo was now walking towards, with his head low to the ground, tracing the scent. The pond was murky given the shallow nature of it, yet it was more than just a spot that rose from one too many rainy days. It gave life to the surrounding area, albeit smaller and less magnificent than some of the great waterways the world over. Still, the rotting flesh was the definite anomaly in this small patch of nature and Leo was now approaching it with perked ears.

At the sound of the bark, the crow cawed a few more times, hopping and fluttering her wings.  It's here.

She looked down into the greenish water of the pond. The stench was from what lay partially submerged in the water.  It was a human; or it used to be anyway.  The lower part of its body was submerged in the water, while the upper half was settled in the mud on the bank.  The crow could tell the body had been there a while, as some other bird or animal had come by and eaten away its eyes and nibbled away at its fingers.  The bird watched as the dog came through the brush. Once more, the bird flapped her wings around, then hopped closer to the head of the human on the bank.

The smell of death was not unfamiliar; but this one had something different about it, and the crow could see a dark kind of light radiating around the human, as if it were surrounded by something cold and evil.  

With a growl, Leo also caught onto something that wasn't appreciated being there. Bouncing from left to right, barking before the body, Leo made sure to show his displeasure. With each woof, it were as if the dog's call ate away at the energy stuck to the carcass, as if Leo were taking energetic bites out of it, it slowly dissipating with each effort.

A few sniffs and a now wagging tail, the unwholesome energy had moved on. Leo's tongue fell out of his mouth as he breathed in a relaxed manner, sitting up straight, looking at the crow from a short distance away.

The body itself belonged to Joe Adonis, in a way. It were a name on a payroll that hadn't been around recently. Some men came and left the life, and his employ, frequently. You couldn't keep track of everyone. Joe just figured this were another of those instances. This explained it to be otherwise.

Leo rolled onto his back, rubbing himself against the grass, then flicked himself over and into a laying position, barking at the crow. He lay his head on his paws, a little tired yet excited to have found whatever this was. Joe would be his next stop.

Dogs, in her observation, liked food just as much as any bird did. She'd observed humans giving him bits of their food, and the dog would be happy. She thought that this dog was quite smart, and thought maybe she should tell him so.

She hopped around for a few moments, pecking at the ground and scuffing at the dirt with her feet. Briefly  she disappeared under a bush, then re-emerged with a plump blackberry which she carried over to the dog. She dropped it onto the ground, then nudged it toward him with her beak. 

Leo sniffed at the ground before him as he dragged himself forward towards the blackberry. With a few test licks, it didn't seem anything special. Kind of like bits of grapes Leo would find around the loft. Joe had a habit of not catching pieces of fruit in his mouth. Although generic, it did seem edible, so Leo took it between his teeth and began chewing.

Bits fell out of his mouth as he was a little surprised at the taste, his jaws moving side to side with the outpouring liquid from the blackberry.

Maybe not the neatest eater, but he was still smart. When the berry was gone and the dog was licking the last of the purple juice from his nose, the crow hopped backwards to the body and gave a loud caw and flapped her wings, as if to say "you better go, tell your human. Come on!" 

Maybe he wasn't sure how to get back. I can help. I see everything. 

The crow fluttered just over the dogs head, then flew off out of the thicket and back toward the pavement, and the building where her nest sat above the bustling world of the people.

---------

Ilaria was just stepping out of a car in front of the terminal when a large, black bird swooped a big circle above. She watched it for a second, noting it's graceful way of gliding so freely through the air. Her gaze was broken, though, by a familiar bark. Across the parking lot, she could see Leo bounding toward her, barking with alarm. 

"Hello my big boy. What have you been...oh god, you smell! Where have you been?" 

Leo was trying to alert Ilaria to what they'd come across, his barks matching his bouncing paws as he danced at her feet, ruffling the tranquility of the moment. He needed her to follow him. Where was Joe, though? His nose sniffed the air for any traces of his other owner, before turning and bolting off in the direction he'd just come from.

There was no time to waste. He had something to show, something important, like finding a bucket of balls under the kitchen table and whoever was about would have to do. Leo sped back across the parking lot, hoping Ilaria would follow.

"Leo! Woah!"

Ilaria lunged forward after him, but hesitated.  She turned to one of her guards.

"Go after him- don't let him out of your sight, please!"

The guard nodded and took off at an impressive pace. Reverend Wilson had already stepped inside the terminal, and was holding the door for Joe as he came walking out.

"Leo just took off toward the far end of the parking lot- I have no idea what got into him, but I sent Bowie after him. He seemed alarmed."

Ilaria looked back in the direction of Leo's path, and saw Bowie cross the pavement line into the grass toward a clump of bushes.  Before Joe could reply, a loud cawing sound came from a big, black bird circling overhead.

"What are you doing? Go!" the crow thought to herself.  She circled around the humans from above, hoping to coax them on to follow the dog.

The glare of the sun hit Joe first, which had him raise his hand to his face as he took in Reverend Wilson's words. Then he heard the cawing and his attention shifted to the black bird circling overhead. There was something about it he couldn't make out, and after a momentary lapse, he figured it best to go after Leo too. Their lion was smart, so it had to be something.

Joe gave Ilaria a kiss on the cheek.

"I'll meet you in the hangar in ten. We still have that meeting."

Then, a squeeze on the butt and a cheeky grin were his 'see you shortly' before turning and jogging towards where Bowie and Leo had disappeared to.

They were suppose to be welcoming some potential buyers to try some of the new product being re-branded and improved in LA, before loaded into a cargo plane and flown to Philly to be moved up and down the East Coast. This connect would be another group working street level to distribute Midas Touch, which hopefully would take over the scene with their help.

The group wasn't at all to be trusted, though. Joe knew something was fishy about them. Upon further Intel from Itachi and Nikita, the dirt was uncovered. They were actually FBN agents and had stung a few lower level rackets and were now looking to reel in some bigger fish. It was a meeting that had the potential to kick off in a myriad of ways. Joe wasn't yet sure if Ilaria would be okay to even attend it, given her state. And now with Leo, he'd have to sort that out shortly.

Upon arriving at the little slice of nature, the dead body was smelt before seen. Joe had to slow his approach to cover his nose. Leo had been sitting in front of it, waiting for his followers. Upon seeing Joe he bounced up at his leg, feeling pleased with himself, which was welcomed with a rough pet behind the ears.

"Good boy!" Joe said enthusiastically then waved Leo away to do his own thing.

Joe noticed Bowie was in a crouched position next to it, his shirt pulled up, covering his mouth. They'd need to fish the body out and try put a name to it, maybe by checking in with others and potential no shows within their payrolls given the state of it. It wasn't exactly comforting though, knowing someone that worked for you, with you, was now a carcass and stinking up the joint.

"Fuck it." Joe said under his breath.

Strolling into the hangar, Ilaria surveyed what had been done.  The whole operation had taken place under the cover of darkness the night before, and had involved nearly everyone in the Midas organization to pull it off. Four trucks had taken ever last inch of coke to St. Frances and stashed in the large basement space.  Four other trucks had brought in a massive number of crates- stamped identically to the coke crates with the Midas symbol- but not full of narcotics.  Instead, each crate contained 500 boxes of reusable, rubber dish washing gloves; gold colored and guaranteed to keep ladies hands soft and protected from soapy dish water.  Midas Touch dish washing gloves.  The idea for the gloves came from Lady Integra, and just in time to have a large order made and new packaging. 

Ilaria smirked as the ground crew brought the last crate in. FBN agents were as annoying as chewing gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe, but  a reality one had to be prepared for if one was going to move drugs.  This was the first time the FBN had taken a shot at Midas, and the idea to have them misdirected with a product by the same name would put them in the clear for months at least.  They might be Feds, but that didn't make them especially smart.

Maime stuck her head through the door leading to the offices.

"The cars just pulled up."

Ilaria nodded.

"Thank you, Maime."

She turned to the open hangar doors, straightening her dress and waiting, wondering if Joe would make it back before the undercovers would make it through to the hangars.

Leo was at Joe's side as he entered the hangar. It was time the lion got use to these kinds of ordeals. The sooner, the better, was Joe's reasoning. Though as he looked at Ilaria, he was having second thoughts about her being here. She was in many ways just as big a part of the illegitimate side of the operation as she was the face for the soon to open Hospital. She weaved those stories well together and looking back on their first encounter it was what had Joe smitten to begin with.

Ilaria could handle herself. She'd shown it on many occasions. With, or without a weapon. Joe knew it. Everyone did. Just, having her in harms way like this didn't sit well with him. As Joe walked over to her, and before he could speak his thoughts, the sound of someone introducing themselves sounded off from over Joe's shoulder.

"Timing." Joe said with a slight smirk, looking at Ilaria, then turned to face the incoming three o'clock.

They looked sharper than the usual guys Joe would deal with. Not in the terms of how much they looked like they spent on their attire, but more the style. And sharper in this case wasn't smooth. They wore their collars popped, shirts unbuttoned and baggy zoot suit styled slacks. Who knew where the fuck they got their fashion sense. Maybe these guys were heavy into the stuff they were pretending to buy and sell.

"Gentleman." Joe said as he approached the threesome, one of which was leading the others. He pulled off a pair of shades, stuck them into his pocket and gave his hand to be shaken.

"You must be Adonis." Came through the bright smile.

"Joe. Call me Joe." Joe said with less of his usual charming grin, but a little smile that showed some kind of warmth.

"Sidney."

After the two finished shaking hands, Joe introduced the mouth piece to Ilaria, shook the hands of the other two and moved everyone over to the prepared area for the showing. One of the crates was still yet to be loaded and was being used as an example of what the trucks that were parked with them in the hangar had loaded.

Of course, this was just a sample demo and a well worked con if they were to pull it off effectively. The product being shown and what these guys would test was real. But the rest of the trucks had the dish washing glove filled crates. It was a risk, but a well calculated one if everything went to plan.

Ilaria oozed charm from every pore.  She had chosen to wear one of her tailored skirt suits that she'd had made to accommodate her pregnancy, but looked as professional as any three-piece pinstriped suit Joe had in his wardrobe. Her hair was pulled back into a tight braid on the back of her head, just like she wore it in the Army.  Her whole appearance gave an air of cool command, matching Joe's demeanor perfectly.  The two were truly a power couple, and it was evident. They stood side by side, with Leo between them, and waited as the FBN agents approached them, offering hands to shake.  It was a power play- don't go to them, let them come to you. Make eye contact, let them know you have the upper hand no matter what.  

"We appreciate you coming to the hangar to meet us.  With competition as it is, we wouldn't want to cause a stir in the streets, you know. Anyway, we don't want to keep you gentlemen too long. I'm sure you'd like to have a look at the product.  And, of course, we've arranged samples for you. You can't really get a feel for the Midas Touch unless you experience it yourself."

Ilaria spoke with a polite authority. She gave Dominic a nod, signaling for him to open the crate. He did so, jamming a crowbar behind the crate door and popping the nails. When the door swung down, 500 boxes of bright gold-colored dish washing gloves were stacked neatly.  Dominic took one of the boxes and handed it to Ilaria.  With a proud smile, she began distributing the gloves to their guests.

"Now, of course, you gentlemen don't have your hands in any soapy water, but if you need assurance that Midas Touch washing gloves are the best around, give them to your wives. They'll be raving for weeks.  Not only are these gloves made with the finest quality, but they are comfortable and stylish. I can tell you this from personal experience."

The look of confusion on the faces of their guests was comical, and if she hadn't been so well prepared, Ilaria might have had a hard time not bursting into laughter.

One of the men stared down at the gloves in his hand, then looked back up at Joe with a stare like he'd smelled a fart.

"What...what the fuck is this?"

"Well." Joe chimed in, a little more straight faced than Ilaria. He knew the stakes were high and although they'd called the bluff and found out who they were really dealing with, they still had to contend with the fact they were being looked into by the FBN.

"That's what you call the Midas Touch." Joe said with a wink.

"You gentleman came here for something. But you will be leaving with something else. That's what we do at Midas Air. We take you on a journey from one place to another, and in between, things change. You, change. What we cargo around, changes. Because we take care with the mail and civilian goods we distribute around the country. And because of our care, and attention to detail, we turn normal experiences into gold."

Joe was very much talking out of his ass.

"And where's the stuff we actually came for?"

The agent had a very concerned look on his face. By this point he and his other men realized they'd been made. And given who they were dealing with, an operation within the Race Street company umbrella, they should be. People didn't always walk away from these types of meeting twists. Once you got done, you likely got done. Especially as an undercover. They had every reason to feel a little sweaty in their palms and underarms.

"That is the stuff you actually came for." Joe hit back, emphasizing to mirror the officer, letting him know they weren't here to deal anything else.

Joe was standing straight with his arms crossed. Lucky for him he was wearing his jacket. It meant he would also be wearing a holster with a Beretta or a Colt. Today he decided on the Colt. It was easier to conceal and still had decent power behind it. It was actually his favorite piece, the detective special, and was primed and ready should things turn a little more sour.

---

"We need this. If they continue on their current path, we will lose even more profit."

The well dressed and well spoken businessman took a puff of a cigarette as he let the other end of the conversation add their piece. He was sitting in an office, speaking into a bronze colored mouth piece.

"So what will you have me do, exactly?"

The man on the other end wore a double breasted overcoat that had a collar riding most of the way up his neck. His black fedora was pulled low over his forehead. The phone booth was inside the foyer of a hotel.

"Follow through with it."

To him, the orders weren't to change. No matter who they were now dealing with. If Midas Touch flooded further into the market from LA to LV it could spell disaster for the money machine he was backing. And that's what he did, out of his office. He moved money around to make more of it.

"..."

There was a definite silence. The street level worker was hesitant to agree. Besides the paycheck, his idea of a good time had significantly changed when his men got word the FBN were involved. His instincts told him to walk away. They screamed it, even. But he wasn't the one calling the shots. He was but the fingernail of a pointing hand.

"You understand me, right?"

The Jewish real estate magnate leaned forward in his chair. He was rarely rattled. He made sure his decisions were well calculated and the variables foreseen. If he didn't like the odds of something, he just simply wouldn't play them. He wasn't a gambling man, but he put money down on a hell of a lot of things to turn a profit. He just made sure he was always the one raking in the chips, and the odds were neatly and clearly stacked in his favor.

"I do." The employee replied sharply.

Another man knocked on the window of the phone booth which sent a hand over the phone piece as he shooed him away.

"Is everything alright?" The slick haired businessman said in a slightly upward tone, sensing something was happening on the other end of the line.

"Are you good to go?"

"We are." Came the reply as one of his men who was now handling the would be pest gave him the space to catch the last words of his employer.

"Consider it done."

Both men hung up their phones. The Italian exited the small enclosure promptly to help his associate, by laying some heavy booted kicks into one of the New Yorker Hotel's impatient guests. He'd not approach a phone booth in the same way ever again.

The businessman leaned back in his chair, with his fingers bridged in front of his face. He let his mind go blank a moment, staring into the space before him.

"Need me to go to Philly?" A skinny looking menace queried, standing off to the side of his desk.

"Yes. That would be best, Col."

Ilaria looked at Joe with a cool, confident smile.  Even in tense business situations, his ability to remain charming and commanding made her fall in love with him all over again. The FBN agents had a very important choice to make, and the expression on their faces made it clear that the wheels were turning. The daily noise outside the hangar seemed to highlight the few moments of heavy silence. Airplanes were taking off, fuel trucks were pulling up to refuel the various aircraft, and that pesky crow was still hanging around squawking.

Matching Joe's stance, Ilaria chimed in hoping to prod the agents along into making a decision.

"I'm sure you realize that it would be in your best interest to take these nice glove samples home to your wives and call it a d--"

She paused, glancing past the three FBN agents to the wide open door of the hangar.  Two fuel trucks were nearly skidding to a stop right at the entrance.  That wasn't right- they don't come to fuel planes inside hangars. What in the world?

Before the tires even stopped, the passenger doors opened and three men jumped out of each truck. With her eyes still on them, Ilaria braced.

"Joe...."

The six men were armed- heavily- and the trucks were parked in just such a way that they blocked easy exit from the hangar.  Ilaria yelled as loudly as she could, hoping the guards outside the back of the hangar would hear.

"GUNS!"

Immediately, the FBN agents drew and whirled around.

He'd seen it slightly after her, as he'd glanced down to check on Leo who was attentively standing between both of them. Ilaria had the floor and being she was just as, if not more adept with her words than he was, Joe let himself get caught up in a proud moment of the doberman being able to handle his own in a not so friendly situation. It didn't last long, though.

"Joe...."

His head flicked to the right, then immediately he looked towards where Ilaria's focus was directed. And as soon as he saw it, he sensed it. It reminded him of the time he backed Eddie Stobart up in the distribution warehouse, where he was a foreman at the time. The gunshot he copped as a result was what inadvertently had him meet the women he was now standing next to, and now very much in the same frame of mind as.

"Fuck.." Joe blurted out as he slipped his right hand into his jacket and tugged out a Colt Detective Special.

"GUNS!"

As Ilaria shouted the prompt at the agents and whoever else could hear, Joe already had himself slightly in front of her, using his body to shield her as he grabbed her arm and ran them both behind the opened crate as shots began steadily popping off.

They both quickly ducked down behind cover. Joe looked at Le Strega once, then gave a wink before attempting to poke his head out. His effort was met with a bullet ricocheting off the wall behind him, which had him quickly lean against the crate, back behind cover. With a 'that was close' glance at Ilaria, he took a deep breath before trying a second time.

All the while, shots were popping off left, right and center. Joe's slicked back hair peeked out around the side to catch a glimpse of the landscape. The three FBN agents had also taken cover behind one of the trucks and were taking turns popping off shots from behind cover.

The six attackers were less covered, some kneeling and others just standing there trading shots and barely not catching bits of metallic peace makers flying at them. The situation had actually turned into a potentially good one for Adontoro. The FBN were now having to deal with a real threat. And whomever was here gate crashing this meeting may have just bitten off more than they could chew, and possibly unknowingly.

Joe saw his opportunity and with a straight arm fired two shots at one of the fuel truck passengers, dropping him with both bullets to the torso, before taking cover again behind the crate.

After a calculated moment, Joe went to attempt his next shots and that's when he saw him. He gasped as he spotted Leo bouncing towards a FBN agent as he let out a ferocious growl.

"Ffffff." Joe huffed before clumsily tossing his handgun towards Ilaria. He tried staying as low as possible as he broke cover and rushed towards Leo and the truck the FBN agents were using as a shield.

Ilaria caught the weapon and followed his track.  Leo was tearing full-speed in the direction of the FBN agents, with Joe cutting the distance behind. Joe's weapon was a bit heavier than Ilaria was used to, but the thought barely crossed her mind as she trained the gun on one of the five remaining attackers who was turning himself to aim at Joe.  She aimed and fired all in the blink of an eye, taking down the assailant with a shot to the throat that sent a spray of blood through the air. Two loud pops sounded, one bullet striking the crate beside her and the other narrowly missing Ilaria's head and burying itself into the wall behind her.  She just barely had time to drop back behind the crate stack.  She could smell the gunpowder lingering in the air that had come so close to her. In her chest, her heart was beating like a war drum; so hard she could feel it behind her ribs.  Her left hand protectively covered her stomach as she tried to catch her breath for a second, then peeked out from behind the other side of the crates. 

Joe had rounded up Leo and was now huddled behind a truck with the FBN agents.  Four shooters remained, and kept firing.  Ilaria looked for her shot at another target, though all four were raining bullets in her direction and in the direction of the truck. One of the agents crawled out from beneath the high carriage of the truck and took aim, was immediately shot twice in the shoulder. Ilaria fired toward the one that shot him, but he rolled down and missed the bullets.  With her next squeeze of the trigger, the gun in her hand made a hollow click.

"Fuck. No no no...fuck!"

Glancing behind her, she spotted the big, metal box in the corner about 50 feet from her.  The box was marked "parachutes," but it was stocked with a few weapons.  She just had to get to it...but she couldn't crawl on her belly. Another idea hit her quickly.  She raised the gun again and aimed at one of the attackers and waited till he saw her.  The timing had to be perfect, or this really bad idea would be so much worse.  The black-clad man turned to her and raised his gun.  

"Aaghh!!"

The shot rang out, and so did Ilaria's voice.  She staggered back against the wall, then slid down it until she was lying on her side on the floor.  The man that shot her then turned his attention to the truck.