Chapter 8 - The Recording
Serena could barely hear past the pounding in her ears.
“You ordered it?”
Victor remained motionless.
“I ordered a vehicle destroyed.”
“Her vehicle.”
“I didn’t know Adriana would be inside.”
“That is not better!”
“I know.”
She stepped backward.
All the warmth she had begun to associate with the mansion disappeared.
The laughing boys.
Pancakes.
Tommy handing Lucia a crayon.
Victor carrying a sleeping Nico upstairs.
Was all of it standing on top of a grave?
“Explain.”
Victor walked toward the desk but did not sit.
“Eight years ago, my organization was at war with a trafficking network operating through the docks.”
Serena’s eyes narrowed.
“Human trafficking?”
“Yes.”
“We discovered one of their accountants was moving records in a black sedan. I ordered the car disabled before it reached the harbor.”
“Disabled?”
“Destroyed.”
“At least say the word.”
Victor’s jaw clenched.
“Destroyed.”
“And Adriana was driving it?”
“No.”
Serena stopped.
Victor continued.
“The target car and Adriana’s car were the same model and color.”
“So someone hit the wrong vehicle?”
“That was the official explanation.”
“Official?”
“I never believed it.”
Victor opened a laptop.
“The recording on Adriana’s card contains my original order. Anyone hearing only that portion would think I authorized her murder.”
“But?”
“There’s more.”
He pressed play.
Adriana’s voice filled the office.
Soft.
Urgent.
If you’re hearing this, something has gone wrong.
Serena shivered.
Victor closed his eyes.
The recording continued.
Gabriel thinks Victor ordered the attack. He didn’t. Someone changed the license plate number in Victor’s instruction after authorization.
Serena stared.
Adriana’s voice trembled.
I found the original dispatch. The number Victor gave was JX-419. The number transmitted to the explosives team was JX-491.
A photograph appeared on screen.
Two nearly identical license plates.
Someone had reversed digits.
Deliberately.
Adriana continued.
Only three people had access to amend that order.
Victor.
Gabriel.
And—
The recording cut.
Serena stared at the screen.
“That’s it?”
“Yes.”
“Who was third?”
“I don’t know.”
“Convenient.”
Victor accepted the accusation.
“We recovered only part of the file.”
“So Gabriel wants the card because he thinks the rest can be recovered?”
“Or because he doesn’t know what Adriana said.”
Serena paced.
“Then why tell me you ordered the bombing?”
“Because technically I issued the original destruction order.”
“This is insane.”
“Yes.”
“My ex-husband is kidnapped. My daughter inherited eight hundred million dollars from people I never knew. Your dead wife recorded evidence about her own murder. Your supposedly dead brother-in-law is stalking children.”
“Yes.”
Serena looked at him.
“And yesterday my biggest problem was an electric bill.”
Victor almost smiled.
She did not.
His expression fell.
“You should have told me about the card.”
“I should have.”
That surprised her.
No excuses.
No justification.
Just the truth.
“Yes,” she said. “You should have.”
A knock came.
Enzo entered.
“We have Pier Forty-Seven surrounded.”
Victor glanced at the clock.
11:26.
“Anthony?”
“Unknown.”
“Gabriel?”
“No visual.”
Serena crossed the room.
“I’m going.”
“No.”
She raised one hand.
“If you say no again, I’m going to become much harder to protect.”
Victor’s nostrils flared.
“Gabriel specifically demanded you come alone.”
“Which is why I won’t.”
He studied her.
“What are you proposing?”
“I go where he expects. Your men stay close enough to intervene.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Then Anthony dies.”
“Anthony sold you.”
“He’s still Lucia’s father.”
Victor’s eyes hardened.
“That man was willing to let someone take your daughter.”
“And I need him alive to testify at my custody hearing.”
That stopped Victor.
Serena folded her arms.
“Practical enough for you?”
“Disturbingly.”
They planned quickly.
Serena would wear a wire.
Victor’s men would position around the pier.
The memory card would be copied.
The original stayed secure.
At midnight Serena walked alone through cold rain toward warehouse seventeen.
Her legs felt numb.
“Keep moving,” Victor whispered through her hidden earpiece.
“Stop breathing like Darth Vader.”
A pause.
“What?”
“You’re breathing loudly.”
“I’m trying not to murder everyone in advance.”
“Very comforting.”
The warehouse door opened.
Gabriel stood inside.
Scar over his right eyebrow.
He resembled old photographs of Adriana enough to make Serena’s stomach twist.
He was handsome in a ruined way.
Older than Victor.
Tired.
“Cousin.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Your mother said the same thing.”
Serena stopped.
“You knew her?”
Gabriel smiled sadly.
“I met you when you were two.”
She felt dizzy.
“She brought you to Carlo once. Then vanished.”
“Because she wanted nothing to do with people like you.”
His smile disappeared.
“People like us kept her alive.”
“She died of cancer when I was nineteen.”
For the first time Gabriel looked affected.
“I didn’t know.”
“Good. You weren’t family.”
Gabriel studied her.
“You have her fire.”
“Where is Anthony?”
He motioned.
Anthony sat tied to a chair.
Alive.
Terrified.
“Serena, I’m sorry.”
“Save it.”
Gabriel held out his hand.
“The medal.”
“I want answers.”
“You’ll get them.”
“Who killed Adriana?”
Gabriel looked toward the darkness.
“Victor.”
“You know that isn’t true.”
His expression flickered.
Serena noticed.
Interesting.
“You already heard the recording,” Gabriel said.
“Yes.”
“Then you know he ordered it.”
“I know the license number was altered.”
Gabriel went very still.
“You found that portion.”
“Yes.”
Fear crossed his face.
Not anger.
Fear.
Serena understood.
“You didn’t know.”
He recovered quickly.
“Victor fabricated it.”
“Then why are you scared?”
Gabriel stepped toward her.
“Give me the card.”
“No.”
His hand disappeared beneath his coat.
Victor’s voice exploded in Serena’s ear.
“Back away.”
She did.
Gabriel drew a gun.
Immediately red targeting lasers appeared across his chest from hidden positions.
Victor emerged from the shadows.
“Put it down.”
Gabriel laughed.
“There he is.”
Victor moved beside Serena.
“You wanted me.”
“I wanted the truth.”
“No. You wanted someone to blame.”
Gabriel’s face twisted.
“You killed her.”
“I spent eight years trying to find who changed that order.”
“Liar.”
Victor tossed a folder onto the concrete.
“Then read.”
Documents scattered.
Bank records.
Access logs.
Dispatch reports.
Gabriel looked down.
His expression changed.
Serena saw a name.
MATEO RINALDI.
She looked at Victor.
“Who is Mateo?”
Victor’s face was grim.
“My uncle.”
Gabriel stared at the paperwork.
“No.”
Victor continued.
“He had access to the dispatch.”
“No.”
“He transferred money to the explosives technician the next morning.”
“No!”
Gabriel fired.
The bullet went wild.
Security returned fire.
Serena dropped.
Victor covered her.
Gabriel disappeared behind crates.
Anthony screamed.
Then flames erupted near the rear wall.
“Fire!” Enzo shouted.
Victor grabbed Serena.
“We’re leaving.”
“Anthony!”
Enzo ran toward him.
Smoke filled the warehouse.
Gunshots cracked.
Victor pushed Serena toward the exit.
Then Gabriel appeared above them on a steel walkway.
His gun aimed directly at Victor.
“Move!” Serena screamed.
Gabriel fired.
Victor jerked.
May you like
Blood spread across his white shirt.
He collapsed at Serena’s feet.
