Chapter 4 - The Secret Inside the Red Fire Truck
Elena entered Vincent’s office holding Noah’s red fire truck.
“What is happening?”
Vincent looked toward Noah.
“Did anyone touch your truck yesterday?”
Noah nodded.
“The smile man.”
Marco stood across the room with two guards beside him.
Elena’s expression hardened.
“What did he do?”
“He said it was broken.”
Noah took the truck.
“He opened the bottom.”
Vincent looked at the security chief.
“Check it.”
The guard turned the toy over.
One screw was loose.
He removed the plastic panel.
Something tiny fell into his palm.
A memory card.
Nobody spoke.
Marco closed his eyes.
Vincent stared at him.
“Fifteen years.”
Marco opened his eyes.
Vincent’s voice cracked with anger.
“I trusted you for fifteen years.”
Marco replied quietly.
“And for fifteen years I cleaned up your messes.”
Vincent ignored him.
“Read the card.”
The security chief connected it to a laptop.
Several encrypted files appeared.
One was dated the night before the crash.
Another was recorded three days after.
Vincent pointed.
“Play the first.”
Static filled the room.
Then a voice.
Marco’s.
“The mechanic gets paid after the crash.”
Elena covered her mouth.
Noah looked confused.
A second voice answered.
“What if Moretti survives?”
Marco responded.
“Then he survives differently.”
Vincent went completely still.
The recording continued.
“We don’t need him dead. We need him weak.”
Marco stepped forward.
“Turn it off.”
Vincent didn’t look at him.
“Keep playing.”
Another voice.
“What about the brakes?”
“Make it look mechanical.”
The file ended.
Silence.
Vincent stared at Marco.
“You did it.”
Marco laughed bitterly.
“You were supposed to lose control of the organization.”
“My driver died.”
“That wasn’t planned.”
Vincent’s hand clenched around the armrest.
“You killed Anthony.”
“I didn’t touch him.”
“You sabotaged the vehicle!”
Marco shouted back.
“And you dragged all of us into wars we never needed!”
The room froze.
Marco’s control finally disappeared.
“You think you were some great king? You made decisions, and everyone else paid for them.”
Vincent’s voice remained quiet.
“So you decided to take my legs.”
“I decided to stop you.”
“You failed.”
Marco stared at the wheelchair.
“Did I?”
Vincent looked at him.
Marco continued.
“You disappeared for three years. I ran everything.”
“And then I came back.”
“Yes.”
Marco’s eyes moved toward Noah.
“Because of him.”
Elena immediately stepped in front of her son.
Vincent’s face changed.
“Don’t look at the boy.”
Marco laughed.
“You still don’t understand. The moment you started caring again, everything became dangerous.”
Vincent rolled closer.
“No.”
His voice was controlled.
“The moment I started caring again, I finally noticed you.”
Marco’s expression darkened.
The security chief pulled him back.
Vincent turned toward the laptop.
“What’s the second file?”
The chief opened it.
A recording began.
Marco again.
This time talking to another captain.
“We wait. Vincent will give up eventually. Once he signs control over, we move.”
The other voice asked, “And if he doesn’t?”
Marco answered.
“Then we make him lose everyone around him.”
Elena’s face went pale.
Vincent looked at her.
Marco had planted the bracelet.
He had targeted Elena because she was helping Vincent recover.
And if that failed...
Noah could have been next.
Vincent looked toward the guards.
“Take Marco to the west security room.”
Marco laughed.
“You think this is over?”
Vincent stared at him.
“It is for you.”
Marco leaned forward.
“No. Because I’m not the only one.”
The guards stopped.
Vincent’s eyes narrowed.
“What did you say?”
Marco smiled.
May you like
“I wasn’t alone.”
---
