Chapter 4 - The Betrayal at Table Seven
Marco disappeared before Vincent could reach him.
That was the first sign he had been prepared.
The second was that three security cameras failed simultaneously.
The third was the gunshot from the basement.
Sylvio ran.
Vincent followed.
They found one guard unconscious.
Another was dead.
And the kitchen door was open.
Marco was gone.
So was Mia.
Sylvio stopped breathing.
“Find her.”
Every man in the building moved.
Cars.
Phones.
Roadblocks.
Camera feeds.
Sylvio stood in the middle of the restaurant staring at the empty chair where Mia had been drawing.
On the table was her red crayon.
Beside it was a note.
You should have listened to your father.
Sylvio crushed the paper.
His father.
Not grandfather.
His father.
Someone had known about the old secrets.
Twenty minutes later, they found a vehicle abandoned near the river.
Inside was Mia's jacket.
No child.
Sylvio's heart pounded.
“Where?”
Vincent pointed toward the water.
“Footprints.”
Sylvio followed them.
They stopped beside a warehouse.
Inside, voices.
Marco.
Mia.
And another man.
Adrian Vale.
Sylvio entered alone.
“Let her go.”
Vale laughed.
“You always were dramatic.”
Mia sat in a chair.
She wasn't tied.
That worried Sylvio more.
Vale stepped toward him.
“You look exactly like your father.”
“You knew him.”
“He knew me.”
“What happened fifteen years ago?”
Vale smiled.
“He betrayed me.”
“Why?”
“Because he wanted to stop the research.”
“And Sarah?”
“She helped him.”
Mia screamed.
“You killed my mom!”
Vale looked at her.
“No.”
“I didn't kill your mother.”
“Then who?”
“Marco.”
Sylvio's eyes moved to his old friend.
Marco looked exhausted.
“It's true.”
Sylvio stared.
“Why?”
Marco swallowed.
“Your father wanted to expose everything.”
“And you?”
“I was afraid.”
“You killed him?”
“No.”
“Sarah?”
“Yes.”
Silence.
Marco looked broken.
“She knew where the records were.”
“Where?”
“She wouldn't tell me.”
“So you killed her.”
“I thought I was saving us.”
Sylvio's face became cold.
“Saving us?”
Marco started crying.
“Your father would have lost everything.”
“And what did you lose?”
Marco lowered his head.
“Everything.”
Sylvio approached.
“You used a child.”
“I didn't know.”
“You knew enough.”
Vale laughed.
“You see? This is why I admire you, Sylvio. You still believe people can be better than they are.”
Sylvio turned.
“Where's the ledger?”
Vale smiled.
“What ledger?”
“The original research.”
“Destroyed.”
Sylvio saw something.
A tiny blue mark on Vale's sleeve.
Lab residue.
“Lie.”
Vale's smile disappeared.
Sylvio continued.
“You still have it.”
Vale raised his weapon.
Mia screamed.
Sylvio fired first.
The bullet hit Vale's shoulder.
Marco tackled another gunman.
Vincent entered with security.
Chaos erupted.
Mia ran toward Sylvio.
He caught her.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Did he touch you?”
“No.”
She held his jacket.
“Don't let him take me.”
“I won't.”
Vale crawled toward the exit.
Sylvio pointed his weapon.
“Stay.”
Vale laughed.
“You don't understand.”
“What?”
“You aren't the one who needs to worry.”
Sylvio's eyes narrowed.
“Who?”
Vale whispered,
“Your mother.”
Silence.
Sylvio froze.
“What did you say?”
Vale smiled through blood.
“Your mother isn't dead.”
He was gone before anyone could stop him.
That night, Sylvio couldn't sleep.
His mother had died when he was a child.
Or so he'd been told.
Now a dying poison expert was telling him she was alive.
He opened his father's old records.
Nothing.
Then Mia appeared in the doorway.
“Can't sleep?”
“No.”
“Me either.”
She walked closer.
“My mom said something about your mother.”
“What?”
“She said women like us don't die quietly.”
Sylvio stared.
“What does that mean?”
Mia shrugged.
“I don't know.”
Then she looked at him.
“Are you going to find her?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Sylvio smiled faintly.
“The same way I've found everything else.”
“Being scary?”
“Yes.”
Mia giggled.
The sound surprised him.
He realized he had begun thinking of her as family.
May you like
And that terrified him.
Because everyone he loved became a target.
