Chapter 3 - Room 412
Rachel swung blindly.
Her hand struck someone.
“Rachel!”
Sarah.
Emergency lights flashed on.
Sarah stood beside the door, holding her cheek.
“I came when the power failed.”
Rachel apologized quickly.
Enzo's men swept the floor.
Nobody else was inside.
Caleb ordered Rachel's mother moved immediately.
Rachel called her.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
By 3:20 a.m., two of Enzo's men reached the Hayes home.
Empty.
The back door stood open.
Rachel stared at Caleb.
“You said you'd keep her safe.”
“I said I'd try.”
“That's what you said about my father.”
The words landed hard.
Caleb pushed himself upright despite the pain.
“Enzo.”
“We'll find her.”
Rachel grabbed her jacket.
“I'm coming.”
“No.”
She turned on Caleb.
“You are currently held together by sutures and arrogance. You aren't making decisions for me.”
A faint smile almost appeared.
Then disappeared.
“Whoever shot me wants you involved now.”
“Why?”
“I don't know.”
“Another lie?”
Caleb didn't answer.
Rachel left.
Enzo followed.
At her mother's house, nothing appeared stolen.
A cup of tea sat cold beside the couch.
Her mother's purse remained on the counter.
Then Rachel noticed the family photograph.
It had been turned facedown.
Underneath it lay a brass key.
Rachel had never seen it.
A number was stamped into the metal.
Enzo recognized it.
“Union Station.”
Locker 317 contained a small metal box.
Inside were documents, an old voice recorder, and a letter addressed to Rachel.
She pressed play.
Her father's voice filled the station.
“Rachel, if you're hearing this, then I failed.”
She nearly dropped it.
Daniel explained that he had uncovered a network hidden inside Rossi businesses.
Marco Bellini controlled it.
But Marco wasn't alone.
Someone close to Caleb had protected him.
Daniel had copied evidence.
He split it into two parts.
One part was hidden.
The other was entrusted to someone Daniel believed incorruptible.
The recording crackled.
Then Daniel said:
“Caleb Rossi isn't the man you should fear.”
Rachel looked at Enzo.
The recording continued.
“The person you need to fear is the one standing closest to him.”
Then it stopped.
Enzo's face hardened.
Rachel slowly looked at him.
Before either could speak, the locker beside 317 clicked open by itself.
Inside was a phone.
It began ringing.
Rachel answered.
A distorted voice said:
“Bring Caleb Rossi to Pier Nine before midnight tomorrow.”
“Where's my mother?”
A pause.
Then Rachel heard her mother's voice crying in the background.
“Rachel, don't—”
The line went dead.
Enzo grabbed the phone.
On its screen, a countdown appeared.
20:11:47.
Then another message appeared beneath it.
COME ALONE WITH CALEB.
Rachel stared at Enzo.
Behind them, footsteps stopped.
A familiar voice said:
“Don't trust him.”
Rachel turned.
May you like
Dr. Harrison Brooks stood at the end of the lockers.
And he was holding her father's missing ledger.
