Chapter 6 - The Betrayal At Valente House
They returned to the estate before dawn.
The brass cylinder contained a strip of microfilm.
No names were visible without a reader.
Enzo placed it inside a locked drawer.
"We need someone we trust."
Sophie looked at him.
"You don't trust anyone."
"I trust one person."
"Who?"
He didn't answer.
Maria entered the room.
Enzo handed her the cylinder.
She studied it.
Then whispered, "God help us."
"You know what this is."
"I know what it means."
Sophie stepped closer.
"What does it mean?"
Maria looked at her.
"It means your father was right."
"About what?"
"That the war wasn't between judges and criminals."
She swallowed.
"It was inside both."
Before Sophie could ask more, the power went out.
The estate fell dark.
Enzo's weapon was in his hand immediately.
Rocco shouted from downstairs.
"Boss!"
Gunfire erupted.
Enzo pushed Sophie behind the desk.
"Stay here."
"No."
"Sophie."
"I'm tired of hiding."
The next minutes were chaos.
Men stormed the house.
Enzo's security fought room to room.
Sophie saw shadows moving beyond the office doors.
Then she heard a familiar voice.
"Enzo!"
Rocco.
A gunshot.
Then silence.
Sophie ignored Enzo's warning and ran toward the hall.
She found Rocco on one knee, holding his shoulder.
"It's a breach from inside."
"Who?"
He looked toward the kitchen.
"Someone opened the service gate."
Maria appeared.
"Not someone."
Everyone froze.
"Me."
Enzo raised his gun.
"Maria."
She lifted both hands.
"I had no choice."
"Explain."
"They have my granddaughter."
Enzo's expression changed.
"Where?"
"Safe. For now."
"And they want?"
"You."
Sophie stepped forward.
"Vincent."
Maria nodded.
"He wants Sophie."
Enzo's jaw tightened.
"No."
A slow clap came from the staircase.
Vincent appeared.
"This family reunion has been touching."
Behind him stood Salvatore Valente.
Enzo froze.
His uncle was supposed to be dead.
"Surprise," Salvatore said.
Sophie stared.
Everything became clear.
Her father's killer had been alive.
Her mother's kidnapping.
The ledger.
The theater.
All of it.
Salvatore descended the stairs.
"You have your father's stubbornness," he told Sophie.
"And you have his cowardice."
Vincent smiled.
Enzo looked at his uncle.
"You killed Mateo."
Salvatore stopped.
"Mateo was weak."
"You killed my brother."
"He would have ruined the family."
Enzo fired.
Salvatore jerked sideways as the bullet struck the banister.
Chaos exploded again.
Vincent grabbed Sophie.
She fought.
He held a blade to her throat.
"Drop it!"
Enzo froze.
"Let her go."
Vincent laughed.
"You always did think you were in control."
Sophie stared into Enzo's eyes.
He was still.
Too still.
She remembered what he had said.
Trust the man who stays when there is nothing to gain.
Enzo lowered his weapon.
Vincent pulled Sophie toward the exit.
Then Sophie saw it.
A mirror.
A reflection.
Rocco had gotten back up.
He was behind Vincent.
Sophie stepped sideways.
Vincent's grip loosened for half a second.
Rocco struck.
Enzo moved.
Vincent fell.
Salvatore ran.
Enzo chased him.
Sophie shouted, "Enzo!"
He stopped at the door.
Turned.
For one moment, the whole world seemed to narrow.
"Stay."
She nodded.
He disappeared into the corridor.
Then the building shook.
An explosion.
Sophie screamed.
Smoke poured through the hallway.
"ENZO!"
No answer.
She ran through the smoke.
A beam collapsed ahead of her.
She couldn't breathe.
Then a hand grabbed her.
Enzo.
He pulled her backward just as the ceiling crashed down.
They landed hard.
She clutched his shirt.
"You're alive."
"So are you."
She hit his chest.
"You idiot."
He actually smiled.
It was the first real smile she had seen from him.
Then his smile disappeared.
"Salvatore got away."
Rocco approached.
"Not for long."
He held up a phone.
"We tracked Vincent's car."
"Where?"
"The courthouse."
Sophie froze.
"Why would he go there?"
Enzo looked at her.
"Because that's where your father's final evidence was kept."
She understood.
"They're going for the original case files."
"And we are going after them."
Sophie wiped soot from her face.
"No."
Enzo stared.
"No?"
"I'm going with you."
"This isn't a game."
"I know."
"You could die."
"I already lost three years."
She stepped closer.
"I'm done being afraid."
Enzo studied her.
Then he nodded.
"Get your coat."
As they walked toward the waiting cars, Maria stopped Sophie.
"Your father believed Enzo would save you."
Sophie looked back.
"Why?"
May you like
Maria smiled sadly.
"Because he knew the boy underneath the monster."
