Chapter 4 - The Child They Took
For the first time since I met him, I saw Gabriel lose control.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Something worse.
He became completely still.
“Who sent it?”
“I don't know.”
He took the phone.
Read the message.
“Bring the watch.”
I felt sick.
“They want Michael's watch.”
“They want what's inside it.”
“There's nothing inside except numbers.”
Gabriel shook his head.
“The numbers are coordinates.”
“To what?”
“To a safe deposit box.”
“And what's in it?”
“I don't know.”
I grabbed his sleeve.
“Get Maya.”
“I will.”
“My father too.”
“Yes.”
“What do I do?”
“Stay here.”
“No.”
“Mia.”
“No.”
My voice broke.
“That is my daughter.”
He looked at me.
“I know.”
“You're not going without me.”
He held my gaze.
Finally, he nodded.
“Fine.”
We drove to the warehouse.
Gabriel's men surrounded it.
I stayed in the SUV.
Then I heard gunfire.
My heart nearly stopped.
Minutes passed.
Then someone opened the rear door.
My father was there.
Bleeding.
Alive.
“Mia.”
I hugged him.
“Where's Maya?”
He shook his head.
“They moved her.”
My blood went cold.
“Where?”
“They took her through the back.”
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
Gabriel appeared.
His face was splattered with blood.
Not his.
“She's gone?”
“Yes.”
He turned toward his men.
“Find every vehicle in this district.”
Then he saw my father.
“You're Thomas Bennett.”
My father nodded.
“You know me?”
“I know what you did.”
Thomas looked away.
Gabriel crouched beside him.
“What did you hide?”
My father was silent.
“Mia's daughter is in danger because of what you hid.”
Thomas looked at me.
“I was trying to protect you.”
“You should have told me.”
“I thought if you knew, they would come for you.”
“They came anyway.”
Thomas closed his eyes.
“The safe deposit box contains evidence against half the men running the waterfront.”
Gabriel's expression hardened.
“And your husband?”
“He helped me hide it.”
I couldn't breathe.
“Michael was alive.”
Thomas nodded.
“When he disappeared.”
“He didn't abandon us?”
“No.”
“Then why didn't he come home?”
“He was trying to find the men who killed Gabriel's sister.”
Gabriel stared at him.
“Who?”
Thomas hesitated.
“Your father.”
Silence.
Gabriel looked away.
I watched something break inside his face.
“My father?”
“Yes.”
“He ordered it?”
“Yes.”
Gabriel stood slowly.
For years he had believed his sister's death was an accident.
Now he knew.
His father had caused it.
And Michael had disappeared because he discovered the truth.
“Where is Michael now?” I asked.
Thomas swallowed.
“I don't know.”
“Alive?”
“I believe so.”
Gabriel turned.
“What about the safe deposit box?”
Thomas answered:
“Blue room.”
Gabriel's eyes narrowed.
“That's why your husband left the message.”
“Yes.”
I finally understood.
The numbers in the watch were not instructions for us.
They were instructions for whoever was willing to follow.
We returned to the blue room.
A hidden panel behind the wall contained a key.
Inside the bank box were photographs.
Documents.
And a recording.
Michael appeared on screen.
He looked exhausted.
Older.
Alive.
“Mia, if you're seeing this, I failed.”
I started crying.
“I never wanted to leave you.”
He looked down.
“I thought disappearing would keep you safe.”
He explained.
Their father's organization had been laundering money through legitimate businesses.
Michael discovered that one of those companies was buying properties where families lived.
Then forcing them out.
Then selling the land.
The bakery district was next.
Russo's was part of the scheme.
My apartment building too.
Michael had stolen the twelve million dollars to stop the takeover.
He hadn't stolen it for himself.
He had moved it into protected accounts.
The money was meant to buy back the properties.
My name appeared in the documents.
I had been the legal beneficiary.
Michael had been trying to leave everything in my name.
He hadn't abandoned us.
He had been fighting to protect us.
Then the recording changed.
A second video began.
Michael looked directly at the camera.
“Gabriel.”
Gabriel stepped closer.
“I know you're going to hate me.”
He continued.
“Your father ordered the warehouse fire.”
Gabriel's fists tightened.
“Your sister wasn't supposed to die.”
A pause.
“She was collateral.”
Gabriel looked like he had been punched.
Michael continued.
“I tried to stop it.”
The screen flickered.
“Someone betrayed me.”
Then he whispered a name.
“Albert.”
I looked at Gabriel.
The bakery owner.
Albert had been working for Gabriel's father.
All these years.
And I had asked that man for a birthday cake.
Gabriel took a breath.
“Why didn't you come home?”
Michael answered from the recording.
“Because Albert had access to your family.”
He looked toward the camera.
“And because I discovered the person giving Albert orders wasn't your father.”
The screen froze.
Gabriel whispered:
“Who?”
The answer appeared as text.
“RICHARD ROSSY.”
Gabriel stared.
“That is my father's name.”
Thomas shook his head.
“He wasn't the mastermind.”
“Then who?”
Thomas pointed at the next file.
A second name.
Helena Rossy.
Gabriel's mother.
I felt cold.
“My mother?”
Gabriel whispered.
“That's impossible.”
Then Maya's voice suddenly came from somewhere behind us.
“Mama!”
I spun around.
There she was.
Standing in the doorway.
Alive.
I ran to her.
She threw herself into my arms.
“You're okay.”
“Yes.”
“Who brought you?”
A man stepped into the hallway.
Older.
Gray-haired.
I knew him instantly.
Michael.
My husband.
He looked at me.
“I'm sorry.”
I couldn't speak.
Then Gabriel raised his gun.
Michael stopped.
“Gabriel.”
“You killed my sister.”
Michael shook his head.
“No.”
“You were there.”
“I was trying to save her.”
“Why should I believe you?”
Michael's eyes moved toward me.
“Because I loved her.”
Gabriel lowered the gun.
Barely.
Then another gunshot exploded.
May you like
Michael collapsed.
And the hallway filled with screams.
