Chapter 7 - He Was Ordered To Kill His Brother To Save The Woman He Loved
They had ten hours.
The first clue came from Elsa herself.
She had known she might be taken.
She had prepared.
A hidden tracker was stitched into the lining of her coat.
The signal was weak.
But alive.
Sal tracked it to an abandoned rail depot.
Ronaldo and Matteo went in first.
The building was empty.
Except for one chair.
And a recording.
Elsa's voice.
"If you're hearing this, they got me."
Ronaldo closed his eyes.
"Keep going."
"I don't know how long I have."
The recording continued.
"But I know one thing."
A pause.
"Ronaldo will think this is his fault."
He swallowed.
"It isn't."
Her voice softened.
"Because I came back by choice."
Ronaldo's eyes closed.
"I came back because I couldn't imagine spending another year without knowing whether he was alive."
The recording ended.
Matteo looked at his brother.
"You love her."
"Yes."
"Then we get her home."
A door slammed.
Three men entered.
Gunfire.
They fought through the depot.
Behind a steel door they found Nora, Elsa's sister.
Alive.
Terrified.
She told them the truth.
"Elsa was taken to the old Falcone casino."
Ronaldo froze.
"My old casino?"
Nora nodded.
"She told me something."
"What?"
"She said your mother believes she has one final advantage."
"What?"
"She knows where your wife is going."
Ronaldo stared.
"Where is Lena?"
Nora shook her head.
"They took her too."
Ronaldo's face hardened.
Now both women were missing.
The final confrontation began.
The old casino had been abandoned for years.
They entered through the roof.
Inside, Isabella waited.
Lena was tied to one chair.
Elsa to another.
Matteo was standing in the center of the room.
A gun pointed at him.
Isabella turned.
"You came."
Ronaldo stepped forward.
"Let them go."
She smiled.
"You had your chance."
"You wanted my brother dead."
"And?"
"He stays alive."
"Then Elsa dies."
Ronaldo looked at Elsa.
Her face was bruised.
But she shook her head.
"No."
He stared.
She whispered.
"Don't trade yourself for me."
Isabella laughed.
"How romantic."
Ronaldo ignored her.
"You don't have to hurt anyone."
"What makes you think I care?"
"Because you've spent your whole life saying this was about family."
He stepped closer.
"You don't kill family."
Isabella's eyes hardened.
"Family obeys."
"No."
Ronaldo looked at Matteo.
"Family protects."
Isabella raised her gun.
Then someone else appeared.
Frank Deluca's nephew.
The young prosecutor who had been helping Isabella.
He raised a weapon toward Ronaldo.
Elsa shouted.
"Ronaldo!"
She broke free from the chair.
The first shot hit the wall.
The second hit her shoulder.
She kept moving.
The third bullet struck her side.
Ronaldo caught her.
"ELSA!"
She collapsed against him.
Again.
Blood.
Again.
His hands trembled.
"You said no more disappearing."
She smiled weakly.
"I lied."
He almost laughed.
Then his face changed.
"Stay with me."
"I am."
Matteo attacked the gunman.
Sal's men rushed the room.
Lena tackled Isabella.
Police flooded the building.
Isabella was finally arrested.
Ronaldo held Elsa while the paramedics arrived.
"You took three bullets."
She whispered.
"Again."
"Why?"
She smiled.
"Bad habit."
He laughed and cried at the same time.
"I love you."
"I know."
"No."
He pressed his forehead against hers.
"I need you alive long enough to hear me say it every day."
She closed her eyes.
"Then you'd better make coffee."
He smiled through tears.
"Done."
The ambulance doors closed.
Ronaldo climbed in.
This time, he didn't care who stopped him.
May you like
He had found her.
And he wasn't letting her disappear again.
