Chapter 7 - The Man Who Had Never Begged Begged Me to Save His SonDaniel was six.
The same age I had been when my mother disappeared.
Vale had chosen him deliberately.
He wanted Dante broken.
We received a video.
Daniel sat in a dark room.
He wasn't crying.
That terrified me more.
His eyes were wide.
But he was trying to be brave.
Dante watched the screen.
His fists clenched.
Vale appeared.
"You have twenty-four hours."
"What do you want?"
"The ledger."
"We don't have it."
"You're lying."
"I burned it."
Vale smiled.
"Then bring the girl."
I stared.
He wanted me.
Why?
Because my mother had taught me the final code.
The ledger wasn't just evidence.
It was access.
The Project Orchid database was encrypted.
Only my family had the key.
I was the last person alive who knew it.
Dante looked at me.
"You don't have to do this."
"I will."
"No."
"Your son is six."
"I know."
"I know what that means."
He looked at me.
"What?"
"You'd trade anything for him."
He nodded.
"So would I."
We went to the warehouse.
Vale's men surrounded us.
I carried the ledger.
A gun was pressed against my back.
Dante came behind me.
"Let her go."
Vale smiled.
"You finally understand."
"Where's my son?"
"Safe."
"Prove it."
The screen turned on.
Daniel looked at us.
"Dad?"
"I'm here."
The boy smiled.
Then looked at me.
"Are you Mom's friend?"
I smiled despite the fear.
"Yes."
He nodded.
"You're brave."
I almost cried.
"Why?"
"Because Dad likes you."
Dante looked away.
Vale laughed.
"You have ten minutes."
I opened the ledger.
Entered the code.
Nothing.
Vale frowned.
"Wrong."
I smiled.
"No."
I looked at Dante.
He understood.
The real code wasn't in the ledger.
It was in the story my father had told me as a child.
I recited it.
The database unlocked.
Every file appeared.
Names.
Experiments.
Doctors.
Politicians.
Children.
Everything.
Vale's face changed.
"You little—"
The police stormed the building.
Vale's men surrendered.
Daniel was rescued.
Dante grabbed him.
The boy hugged his father.
I stepped back.
Dante looked at me.
His eyes were wet.
"Thank you."
I smiled.
"You're welcome."
Daniel looked at us.
"Are you two getting married?"
Silence.
Then I laughed.
Dante stared at his son.
"Where did you get that?"
"You look at her like Mom looked at you."
Dante went still.
I didn't know what to say.
Then the room exploded.
A bomb.
Smoke.
Screaming.
Dante grabbed me.
We fell behind a wall.
When the smoke cleared, Vale was gone.
Again.
He had escaped through a tunnel.
But this time he had left something behind.
May you like
A message.
THE LAST BATTLE WILL BE AT BLACKWOOD.
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