Chapter 4 - The Empty Car
Vincent grabbed his radio.
“Report.”
Static.
Then a voice.
“Security breach. Garage level.”
Amelia looked at Lily.
“Stay with me.”
Dante pointed toward the private elevator.
“Safe room.”
Marco laughed as two guards restrained him.
“You’re already late.”
Dante turned.
“What did you do?”
Marco said nothing.
Dante grabbed his jacket.
“Vincent.”
“We’re moving you.”
“No. Move Amelia and Lily.”
Amelia shook her head.
“We stay together.”
“Not negotiable.”
“Everything with you is negotiable.”
“Not this.”
The elevator opened.
Vincent moved Dante inside.
Amelia followed with Lily.
The doors closed.
Lily whispered, “Mom?”
“I’m here.”
“What’s happening?”
“People are being stupid.”
Dante looked at Amelia.
“That’s your explanation?”
“She’s six.”
Lily looked at him.
“Are bad guys here?”
Dante hesitated.
“Some people made bad choices.”
“Are you scared?”
Nobody spoke.
Then Dante answered.
“Yes.”
Lily frowned.
“You don’t look scared.”
“Adults practice.”
The elevator reached the secure residential floor.
Two guards waited.
Vincent checked the corridor.
“Clear.”
They moved Lily into the reinforced suite.
Amelia turned toward Dante.
“Marco said the sniper wasn’t the only plan.”
“I heard him.”
“What else could he control?”
Dante’s phone rang.
He answered.
His face hardened.
“What?”
Amelia watched him.
“Where?”
He ended the call.
“Lily’s school transportation.”
Amelia went cold.
“What about it?”
“The replacement vehicle was intercepted.”
“But Lily is here.”
“Whoever planned it didn’t know.”
Vincent looked at Dante.
“The driver?”
“Safe. They found him locked in a maintenance room.”
Amelia closed her eyes.
Marco had expected Lily to be in that car.
If Dante hadn’t changed the transportation—
She couldn’t finish the thought.
Dante noticed.
“Amelia.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not.”
“Neither are you.”
He looked toward Lily through the open doorway.
“I brought this into your life.”
“No. Marco did.”
“I trusted him.”
“That isn’t the same thing.”
“It is when people get hurt because of it.”
Amelia stepped closer.
“You trusted someone who had earned that trust for fourteen years.”
“And missed what he became.”
“So did everyone else.”
“You didn’t.”
“I had no history with him.”
Dante looked at her.
“That’s why you saw him clearly.”
Vincent interrupted.
“We have something.”
He handed Dante a phone.
A message had arrived on Marco’s encrypted account.
TRANSFER TONIGHT. 11 PM. EAST RIVER TERMINAL.
Amelia read it.
“Transfer what?”
Vincent swiped.
A financial ledger appeared.
Millions moved through shell companies.
Marco had been stealing from Dante for almost three years.
Dante looked at the records.
“He wasn’t trying to replace me.”
Vincent nodded.
“He was trying to erase the only person who could expose him.”
Amelia looked toward Lily.
“And he used my daughter because he thought Dante would panic.”
Dante’s voice hardened.
“He was right about one thing.”
“What?”
“I would burn everything I built before I let him touch her.”
Amelia met his eyes.
“No burning.”
Dante frowned.
“We’re doing this intelligently.”
“Amelia—”
“You hired me to anticipate complications.”
“This is not administrative work.”
“No.”
She took the phone from his hand.
“This is scheduling.”
Vincent laughed before catching himself.
Dante stared at her.
Then the corner of his mouth moved.
“What are you suggesting?”
“Marco’s partners expect a transfer at eleven.”
“Yes.”
“They don’t know Marco has been exposed.”
Dante understood.
“We let them come.”
Amelia nodded.
May you like
“And this time, we know exactly where the threat will be.”
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