Chapter 4 - Wraith Goes Hunting
They didn't go after Lobo.
Rosa insisted on it.
“He expects that.”
Mateo stood over a map.
“So we wait?”
“We make him come to us.”
Romano frowned.
“You expect me to take tactical advice from a waitress?”
Rosa looked at him.
“Your bodyguard just tried to kill you.”
Moretti coughed to hide a laugh.
Romano glared.
“Continue.”
Isabella plugged the flash drive into an isolated computer.
“Lobo's money routes through six companies.”
Rosa shook her head.
“Five are decoys.”
“How do you know?”
“Victor hates six.”
Mateo stared.
“What?”
“His father had six legitimate businesses. Lost all of them. Victor thinks six is unlucky.”
Romano looked at Mateo.
“Your waitress is terrifying.”
Mateo replied, “You should see her when somebody sends back a steak.”
Rosa ignored them.
“The real account is number seven.”
Isabella opened it.
Transactions appeared.
Moretti leaned closer.
“There.”
A payment had been made forty-eight hours earlier.
Recipient: HARBOUR LOGISTICS.
Mateo went still.
Marco noticed.
“Boss?”
“I own Harbour Logistics.”
Rosa looked at him.
“Who manages it?”
Mateo didn't answer.
Marco did.
“Vincent Caruso.”
Rosa saw Mateo's face.
“Your brother?”
“Cousin.”
“Close?”
Mateo's jaw tightened.
“Like a brother.”
Rosa leaned against the desk.
“That's your leak.”
Mateo shook his head.
“No.”
“Mateo.”
“No.”
His phone rang.
Vincent.
Everyone looked at it.
Mateo answered.
“Vincent.”
“Thank God. I heard about the restaurant.”
“I'm fine.”
“Where are you?”
“Home.”
A pause.
Too small for most people to notice.
Rosa noticed.
Vincent said, “Alone?”
Mateo's eyes met hers.
“No.”
Another pause.
“Who's there?”
Mateo smiled without humor.
“Why?”
“I'm worried.”
“Then come over.”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
Silence.
Then Vincent said quietly, “Because Lobo says I'm more useful where I am.”
The call disconnected.
Mateo stared at the phone.
Rosa said nothing.
He slammed it onto the desk.
Moretti stepped forward.
“Mateo—”
“Don't.”
Rosa spoke softly.
“He wants you angry.”
“I am angry.”
“He wants you stupid.”
Mateo turned on her.
“Careful.”
Rosa didn't move.
“I watched anger get Daniel killed. I'm being careful for both of us.”
Mateo stared at her.
Then slowly exhaled.
“What do you suggest?”
“Give Vincent something worth delivering.”
They built the trap in twenty minutes.
Mateo called Vincent again.
He told him the three families had agreed to meet at an abandoned riverside warehouse at midnight.
They would bring no more than four men each.
Vincent resisted.
Then accepted the information.
At 11:42 p.m., Rosa watched the warehouse from a building across the river.
Mateo stood beside her.
“You shouldn't be here.”
Rosa adjusted binoculars.
“Neither should you.”
“This is my war.”
“No. That's exactly what Lobo wants you to believe.”
“You always this difficult?”
“Yes.”
Mateo smiled.
“Good.”
Rosa lowered the binoculars.
“Don't flirt with the woman holding surveillance equipment.”
“I wasn't flirting.”
“You were.”
“How do you know?”
“I've interrogated diplomats.”
“That's not an answer.”
“It is if you've met diplomats.”
For the first time that night, Mateo laughed.
Then Rosa's expression changed.
“Movement.”
Three vans entered the warehouse.
Not Mateo's men.
Lobo's.
Rosa counted.
“Fourteen.”
Mateo frowned.
“We told Vincent twelve people would be inside.”
“Lobo brought enough to eliminate everyone.”
“Can we take them?”
“We're not going to.”
Mateo stared.
“What?”
Rosa held up a phone.
The entire warehouse was under remote surveillance.
“And that feed?”
“Going to every major organization Lobo tried to manipulate.”
Inside the warehouse, Lobo's men discovered empty chairs.
A screen turned on.
Mateo appeared in a prerecorded video.
“Victor, if you're watching this, you're probably wondering where everyone is.”
Rosa looked at Mateo.
“You enjoyed recording that too much.”
“Quiet.”
On-screen Mateo continued.
“You wanted a war. Unfortunately, we compared notes.”
Across the city, evidence of Lobo's forged transactions was being delivered simultaneously.
His alliances began collapsing.
His phones started ringing.
Rosa watched the intercepted communications.
Then Isabella called.
“Rosa.”
“What?”
“He's moving.”
“Where?”
“Lobo just left his safe house.”
“Destination?”
A pause.
Then Isabella's voice changed.
“Rosa…”
“What?”
“He's going to your apartment.”
Rosa went cold.
Mateo frowned.
“Why?”
Rosa was already moving.
“There is nothing there.”
Isabella said, “That's not what he thinks.”
“What does he think?”
Another pause.
“He thinks Daniel is waiting for you.”
Rosa stopped.
Mateo stared.
“What did she say?”
Rosa looked at him.
May you like
“Daniel is alive.”
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