THE ITALIAN MISSION

int to the festive revelry outside. Inside, the team grappled with their res

stretch of the hidden canal. The narrow passage, barely wide enough for the gondola, reeked

s voice a low rumble. "Just gotta make sure this old bo

with nervous energy. "You got this,

that stood as a formidable barrier between them and their objective. John,

said, his voice barely

With practiced ease, he activated the thermal lance, the blue flame spit

assault. Sweat dripped down John's forehead, his anxiety a physical presence in the confin

rprint applicator at the exposed scanner. Steve, his han

n, shot him a questioning l

is voice strained. "Just makin

he scanner. A tense silence followed, broken only by the hum of the vault door coo

th a mixture of relief and something else – a hi

blets gleamed in the light, priceless artworks adorned the walls, and stacks of ancient coins lay piled

– a small, ornately carved wooden box nestled in the corner. His heart skipped a beat

rash echoed through the vault, followed by a flurry of movement. John and Steve w

ut it wasn't his disheveled appearance that sent a jolt of s

oice tight with barely control

eist, meticulously planned and executed with near-flawless precision, had taken a terrifyi

of betrayal. In the heart of the vault, surrounded by untold riches, John and Steve w