25. Invitation

[VECTOR]

As soon as the car screeched to a halt, I eagerly jumped out and made a beeline straight for the basement. Even if there were any prying eyes in the Perazzo mansion’s living room or kitchen, I paid them no attention. My sole focus was on the scumbag trapped within one of the basement’s chambers, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on him.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Marcus trailed right behind me as I descended down the creaky stairs and into the dimly lit, cramped hallway. The musty scent of mildew and rot filled my nostrils, sending a shiver down my spine. It was as if I had been transported back to the beginning of this twisted journey, where everything had started.

In one of these dark, damp chambers, I recall a ten-year-old boy standing in the corner, frozen as he watched two men viciously beat and torture a helpless man strapped to a chair. The sight was etched into his memory forever.

Years later, as a twelve-year-old, that same boy held a gun for the first time, bu