Chapter 4 - Two Hundred Men
We returned to my old neighborhood just after midnight.
The streets were empty.
No traffic.
No pedestrians.
Every streetlight seemed too bright.
Then we saw them.
Cars.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
Men standing outside.
Two hundred, just as the message had promised.
The old Shaw garage was at the center.
Black vehicles covered the street.
Adrian's convoy stopped.
Marco turned.
“Boss.”
“I see them.”
I stared through the windshield.
“That's impossible.”
“No.”
Adrian's voice was quiet.
“They want us to see them.”
“Why?”
“To make us afraid.”
“Is it working?”
“Yes.”
He looked at me.
“But not enough.”
Adrian stepped out.
Two hundred men watched him.
No one raised a weapon.
No one moved.
They simply waited.
I followed.
Adrian looked across the street.
“Where is Silas?”
A man stepped forward.
“Inside.”
Adrian smiled without humor.
“You came with two hundred men.”
“I was instructed to make an impression.”
“Tell him the impression is wasted.”
The man laughed.
“You always were arrogant.”
“I've earned it.”
The garage doors opened.
Inside stood Silas Vane.
He was older than I expected.
Silver hair.
Dark suit.
Cane in one hand.
Beside him stood my mother.
She was bruised, but alive.
“Mom!”
Silas raised a hand.
“Come closer.”
Adrian stopped me.
Silas smiled.
“Mr. Russo.”
“Vane.”
“You brought the nurse.”
“She brought herself.”
Silas looked at me.
“You have your father's eyes.”
My mother began crying.
“Emma, don't listen to him.”
Silas continued.
“Your father stole something from me.”
“What?”
“A child.”
My sister stepped forward.
Silas turned.
“Hello, Laura.”
Laura went pale.
“I don't know you.”
“You don't have to.”
Silas smiled.
“I know you.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“What do you want?”
“The Shaw inheritance.”
I laughed.
“There is no inheritance.”
Silas shook his head.
“Your father thought hiding money would protect his family.”
“He didn't have money.”
“He had more than money.”
Silas looked at Adrian.
“He had information.”
A truck door opened.
Inside were metal boxes.
Documents.
Hard drives.
Photographs.
“Your father had access to accounts belonging to people who were never supposed to exist.”
Adrian stared.
“Politicians.”
“Judges.”
“Police.”
“Businessmen.”
Silas nodded.
“And my family.”
He looked at me.
“Your father stole records proving where the money went.”
“Why me?”
“Because he hid the final access key.”
My mother whispered:
“In you.”
I turned.
“What?”
She cried.
“When you were eight, your father gave you a music box.”
I remembered.
A blue music box.
I had kept it for years.
“It wasn't a toy.”
Silas smiled.
“Inside is the final key.”
Adrian looked at me.
“Do you still have it?”
I nodded.
“At my apartment.”
Silas laughed.
“Not anymore.”
My stomach dropped.
“What?”
He held up a small metal cylinder.
I recognized it immediately.
The music box.
He had taken it.
Silas turned it in his hand.
“Come inside.”
Adrian's hand moved toward his weapon.
Silas's men lifted theirs.
“Do it,” Silas said.
Adrian looked at the hundreds surrounding us.
Then he did something unexpected.
He dropped his weapon.
Every man in the street went silent.
Silas smiled.
“Smart.”
Adrian looked at me.
“Stay beside me.”
We entered the garage.
My mother cried as I approached.
“I'm sorry.”
I hugged her.
“You lied to me.”
“I was trying to keep you alive.”
“You let me believe Dad died for nothing.”
“He didn't.”
She pulled back.
“He died protecting you.”
Silas opened the music box.
A melody played.
Seven notes.
Then thirteen.
My head began to hurt.
I remembered the red coat.
The garage.
My father kneeling in front of me.
“Emma, if anyone asks, what does the song mean?”
“Home.”
“What is home?”
“You.”
He smiled.
Then another memory surfaced.
A man entering the garage.
Silas.
And someone else.
A young Adrian.
My father handed something to him.
A small black envelope.
Adrian's eyes widened.
“I remember.”
I turned.
“What?”
“My father was there.”
Silas laughed.
“Yes.”
Adrian looked at his own memories.
“He wasn't working for them.”
My mother nodded.
“He was trying to help.”
Silas's smile faded.
“Enough.”
He took the music box.
Then the lights went out.
Gunfire erupted.
I screamed.
Adrian pulled me down.
Marco shouted orders.
Men crashed into one another.
The two hundred surrounding soldiers suddenly split.
Half turned against Silas.
Sofia's voice echoed from somewhere above.
“Now!”
Lights returned.
Silas was gone.
My mother was gone.
Laura was gone.
I stared at the empty space.
“No.”
Adrian grabbed me.
“Emma.”
“They took them.”
“I know.”
“Then go.”
“We will.”
“Now.”
He looked at me.
“They made a mistake.”
May you like
“What?”
“They took the one thing I have no intention of losing.”
