CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY – INTERCEPTION

A sudden movement in the shadows sent her heart thundering, her knife rising in a defensive stance. A figure detached itself from the gloom, and Joan found herself staring down the barrel of a shotgun. "Who are you?" a gruff voice demanded, the words laced with menace. "And what business do you have here?" Joan opened her mouth, but no words came. Her throat was dry, her tongue leaden with fear. "Answer me!" the voice growled, the shotgun inching closer. Joan swallowed hard, her grip tightening on her knife. "I'm... I'm running," she managed, her voice a hoarse whisper. "From the Fratellis." There was a pause, and then a bark of harsh laughter. "The Fratellis? You must have a death wish, girl." More figures emerged from the shadows, their faces twisted into cruel sneers. Joan's heart sank as she realized she had stumbled into the lair of another criminal element, perhaps even more dangerous than the Fratellis. "Wait..." a new voice cut through the tension, smooth and cultured. A