Chapter 5 - The Trap
The meeting was scheduled for four o’clock.
At three fifteen, Luca wanted Emma nowhere near it.
At three sixteen, Emma refused.
“You are not coming.”
“I’m already involved.”
“No.”
“Carlo sent someone to my workplace.”
“That is exactly why you’re not coming.”
Emma folded her arms.
“You’re going to meet federal agents at a location Carlo knows.”
“We’re changing the location.”
“To where?”
Luca hesitated.
Emma pointed at him.
“You haven’t decided.”
“We will.”
“Use the diner.”
Luca stared at her.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because this place has already been targeted.”
“Exactly.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It makes perfect sense.”
Emma walked toward the windows.
“Carlo thinks you’re meeting somewhere secure. He expects offices, parking garages, warehouses, whatever people in your world use.”
“My world?”
“You know what I mean.”
She pointed toward table eight.
“He won’t expect you to hand over evidence in the same diner where I hid you.”
Luca studied her.
“You’ve thought about this.”
“I’ve had a stressful week.”
Rosie appeared carrying a pie.
“I vote diner.”
Luca looked at her.
“You’re voting?”
“My property.”
“This could be dangerous.”
Rosie set down the pie.
“I survived two husbands and twenty-eight years in food service. I’ll manage.”
Emma smiled.
Luca did not.
“No customers.”
“Agreed,” Emma said.
“Rosie leaves.”
Rosie said, “Absolutely not.”
“Then no deal.”
Rosie narrowed her eyes.
“I don’t like you.”
“I’ve heard worse.”
Eventually, Rosie agreed to wait across the street.
At 4:03 p.m., two federal agents entered.
Special Agent Daniel Hayes.
Special Agent Rebecca Monroe.
They sat with Luca at table eight.
Emma remained behind the counter.
Hayes looked at her.
“She stays?”
Luca said, “She stays.”
Emma almost smiled.
Monroe opened a laptop.
“Mr. Moretti, once you provide this evidence, the agreement becomes active.”
“I understand.”
“You will testify against Carlo Vescari and other named members of the organization.”
“Yes.”
“And you understand that cooperation does not erase your own involvement.”
“Yes.”
Emma watched Luca.
No hesitation.
Hayes pushed a document toward him.
“Then sign.”
Luca picked up the pen.
The lights went out.
Emma whispered, “That’s not good.”
Glass shattered.
Everyone moved.
Luca grabbed Emma and pulled her behind the counter.
“Stay down.”
“I was planning on it.”
Hayes drew his weapon.
Monroe shouted into her radio.
“Backup now!”
A voice came from the kitchen.
“Luca!”
Luca froze.
Carlo.
He stepped through the swinging doors.
Older.
Silver hair.
Dark overcoat.
Two men behind him.
Carlo smiled.
“Federal agents in a diner.”
His eyes moved toward Emma.
“And the waitress.”
Emma muttered, “I’m getting very tired of being called that.”
Carlo looked amused.
“You’re the one who hid him.”
Luca moved in front of her.
“She has nothing to do with this.”
“She has everything to do with it.”
Carlo shook his head.
“One stranger makes one stupid decision, and suddenly an empire collapses.”
Emma looked at Luca.
“Apparently I’m very efficient.”
Even Hayes almost looked surprised.
Carlo’s smile vanished.
“Give me the drive.”
Luca held up a small encrypted storage device.
“This?”
Carlo’s gaze fixed on it.
“Yes.”
Luca dropped it into a cup of coffee.
Carlo stared.
Emma whispered, “Was that the only copy?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Carlo’s men moved.
Hayes raised his weapon.
“Nobody move.”
Carlo laughed.
“You think I came without insurance?”
Sirens sounded outside.
His face changed.
Luca smiled.
“You did.”
Carlo looked toward Adrian, who suddenly stepped through the kitchen behind Salvatore.
Carlo went pale.
“You.”
Adrian looked terrified.
But determined.
“I gave them everything.”
Carlo’s eyes hardened.
“You little idiot.”
Adrian looked at Luca.
For the first time, there was no competition in his face.
Only regret.
“I’m sorry.”
Federal agents poured through both entrances.
Within seconds, Carlo’s men were disarmed.
Carlo was handcuffed.
As Hayes led him past Emma, Carlo stopped.
“You think he’s a hero?”
Emma looked at Luca.
“No.”
Carlo smiled.
“Then you’re smarter than I thought.”
Emma continued.
“I think he’s a man trying to become better than what he inherited.”
Carlo’s smile disappeared.
“He’ll never escape the Moretti name.”
Emma replied, “Maybe he doesn’t need to escape it.”
Luca looked at her.
Emma finished.
“Maybe he just needs to change what it means.”
Carlo was taken outside.
The diner became quiet again.
Luca looked toward his brother.
Adrian lowered his head.
“What happens now?”
Luca answered softly.
“You tell the truth.”
“Then prison?”
“Probably.”
Adrian nodded.
“I deserve that.”
Luca’s jaw tightened.
“You’re still my brother.”
Adrian looked at him.
“After everything?”
“Yes.”
“That doesn’t mean I’ll protect you from consequences.”
Adrian gave a broken smile.
“Dad would hate what you’ve become.”
Luca glanced toward Emma.
May you like
“Good.”
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