Chapter 5 - The Rabbit's Last Secret
Vincent was in the SUV before Kane finished calling her tactical team.
"Drive."
Luca didn't argue.
They tore toward Chicago.
Anna sat beside Daniel in the second vehicle while Nico coordinated with security systems remotely.
Vincent called Marco every thirty seconds.
Nothing.
Then Nico's voice came through the earpiece.
"I found Marco."
"Where?"
"Security corridor camera came back for three seconds."
"And?"
"He's alive. Unconscious."
Vincent closed his eyes briefly.
"Lucy?"
"No visual."
"Elena?"
"The woman pretending to be Elena disappeared from the living room feed."
Vincent's hands tightened.
"Who is she?"
Anna answered through the comm system.
"Her name is Celeste Ward."
Vincent recognized it.
Former Meridian intelligence officer.
Officially dead eleven years.
Of course.
"Why does she look like my mother?"
"Cosmetic surgery. Hair. Voice training. Meridian built identities professionally."
"But Lucy called her Grandma Ellie."
"Lucy had only seen old photographs."
Vincent felt sick.
He had recognized her too.
Because he wanted to.
That was the part he hated most.
"What does Meridian want from Lucy?"
"The rabbit."
"They already searched it?"
"They know Anna hid evidence in it. They may not know you found the card."
Vincent looked down.
The microSD card was still in his pocket.
"Then why keep Lucy?"
Anna didn't answer.
Vincent's voice became harder.
"Anna."
"Because there's another copy."
Everyone went silent.
"Where?"
"I don't know."
"She's your daughter."
"And Evelyn designed the backup system before she died. My mother believed one person should never know everything."
Vincent almost admired the paranoia.
"Lucy knows?"
"Not consciously."
"What does that mean?"
Anna hesitated.
"When she was younger, I taught her a story. A children's rhyme. Directions hidden inside it."
Vincent remembered Lucy repeating numbers.
"What directions?"
"To Evelyn's final archive."
The vehicle entered downtown.
Vincent called the penthouse again.
This time someone answered immediately.
Celeste.
"Vincent."
"Put Lucy on."
"You're in no position to demand anything."
"Then why answer?"
"Because Anthony wants to speak with you."
Vincent's stomach tightened.
A different voice came onto the line.
Older.
Smooth.
"Hello, nephew."
Vincent had imagined Anthony Moretti after hearing the name.
He had expected menace.
Instead the voice sounded almost gentle.
"Where's the girl?"
"Safe."
"You and I have different definitions."
"Probably."
Vincent looked at Luca.
Seven minutes.
"You took Anna because you wanted the archive."
"Anna is irrelevant."
"Then what do you want?"
"You."
Vincent frowned.
Anthony laughed softly.
"Did you really think Meridian survived forty years because of files? Governments survive scandals. Corporations survive crimes. Networks survive exposure."
"Then why chase Evelyn's evidence?"
"Because evidence creates inconvenience."
"What do you want from me?"
"What I've always wanted."
"Which is?"
"My family back."
Vincent stared through the windshield.
"You tried to kill my mother."
"No."
Vincent said nothing.
Anthony continued.
"I tried to kill your father."
"Why?"
"Because Salvatore betrayed me."
"And my mother?"
"Collateral damage that unfortunately survived."
Vincent's voice went cold.
"You speak about her like furniture."
"Emotion is why your father failed."
"Where is she?"
A pause.
Vincent leaned forward.
"Where is my mother?"
Anthony sighed.
"That depends which answer you want."
"The truthful one."
"She's alive."
Vincent closed his eyes.
"Where?"
"Come to me and you'll see her."
"Address."
Anthony gave one.
Luca immediately checked the map.
Industrial property south of the river.
"Bring the card," Anthony said.
"No."
"Then Lucy disappears."
Vincent's eyes darkened.
"If you touch her—"
"You'll what? Destroy me? You've spent your adult life becoming exactly what I needed you to become."
Vincent's expression changed.
"What does that mean?"
Anthony laughed.
"You still think you inherited Salvatore's empire."
The line crackled.
"You inherited mine."
The call ended.
Vincent stared ahead.
Luca glanced at him.
"Boss?"
"Penthouse first."
"But Anthony—"
"He's not at that address."
"How do you know?"
"Because men like him don't invite you to where they are. They invite you to where they want you trapped."
They reached the tower.
Vincent entered alone with Luca.
The lobby security guards were unconscious but alive.
Private elevator disabled.
They used emergency stairs.
Forty floors.
By the time they reached the penthouse, Vincent's shirt clung to his back.
The door stood open.
Inside, furniture had been overturned.
Marco lay near the security room.
Breathing.
Luca checked him.
"Pulse."
Vincent moved through the penthouse.
"Lucy!"
No answer.
Then he heard something.
A tiny sob.
His bedroom.
He opened the door.
Nothing.
Another sound.
Closet.
Vincent opened it.
Lucy sat beneath hanging jackets with the rabbit.
She launched herself toward him.
Vincent caught her.
For a moment, he forgot every person watching.
He simply held her.
"You came back."
"I promised."
She buried her face against his shoulder.
"They tried to take me."
"Who?"
"The grandma lady."
"How did you escape?"
Lucy pointed toward the wardrobe.
"Mr. Marco told me to run."
Vincent looked at the stuffed rabbit.
"They didn't take it?"
Lucy shook her head.
"I gave them the other one."
Vincent blinked.
"Other one?"
She held up the rabbit.
"Mommy bought two."
Of course she did.
Vincent almost laughed.
Anna had trained her daughter better than most intelligence officers.
"Lucy, did your mom ever teach you a special story about the rabbit?"
She nodded.
"The bunny goes home."
"Can you tell me?"
Lucy recited it slowly.
"The bunny crossed two bridges, passed one clock, counted three windows, and slept under the lion."
Vincent froze.
Two.
One.
Three.
Again.
"The lion," he whispered.
The Moretti family seal.
He removed Elena's medallion.
Lucy pointed at it.
"That lion."
Vincent turned the medallion.
The crown side had a barely visible seam.
He pressed it.
It opened.
Inside was a tiny strip of paper.
An address.
No.
Coordinates.
Nico entered behind him.
He looked over Vincent's shoulder.
"I know that location."
"Where?"
Nico went pale.
"The original Moretti estate."
Vincent frowned.
"It burned down."
"Part of it did."
"My father sold the property."
"No."
Nico looked at him.
"Salvatore hid it."
"Why?"
"Because that's where Elena has been."
Vincent looked down at Lucy.
His mother.
The real Elena.
Potentially alive.
Lucy touched his hand.
"Are we going to find Grandma?"
Vincent closed the medallion.
"Yes."
This time he didn't say promise.
Not until he knew.
They left before dawn.
The old Moretti property sat north of the city behind miles of private woodland.
Official records showed nothing but burned foundations.
Nico led them down an overgrown road.
Then headlights illuminated a stone building.
Not burned.
Hidden.
Vincent stepped out.
The front door opened before he reached it.
A woman appeared.
Silver hair.
Smaller than his memories.
No tricks.
No imitation.
Vincent knew before she spoke.
His mother.
The real Elena.
"Vinnie."
He stopped.
She began crying.
Vincent didn't move.
Then Elena looked past him toward Lucy.
Her relief vanished.
"Why did you bring her here?"
Vincent frowned.
"We found the archive."
Elena's face went white.
"No."
"What?"
"Vincent, the coordinates weren't meant to lead you to me."
A gunshot cracked from the darkness.
Nico fell.
Luca shouted.
Vincent dragged Lucy behind the stone wall.
Men appeared among the trees.
Elena grabbed Vincent's arm.
"Anthony found us."
Headlights ignited across the property.
One vehicle.
Then five.
May you like
Then twelve.
And from the largest black sedan, Anthony Moretti stepped out.
