Chapter 3 - The Woman From Rosemont
The woman entered with both hands raised.
She looked to be in her late fifties, silver beginning to streak her dark hair, wearing a navy coat over hospital scrubs.
Luca kept his weapon trained on her.
Vincent stared.
Elena didn't recognize the woman.
But the woman recognized her.
"Oh, God."
Her eyes filled.
"Elena."
Elena's stomach dropped.
"Who are you?"
The woman pressed one hand against her mouth.
"You look exactly like Teresa."
Vincent looked between them.
"You knew her mother."
The woman nodded.
"My name is Dr. Miriam Hale."
Luca searched her.
No weapon.
No phone.
Only a hospital identification card from a long-term care facility outside Chicago.
Vincent's voice was hard.
"Where is Anthony?"
Miriam looked at his wound.
"You've been shot."
"I noticed."
"You need treatment."
"Where is my brother?"
Miriam hesitated.
"Alive."
The word hit the room like an explosion.
Vincent didn't react immediately.
His expression went blank.
Elena recognized shock.
Not disbelief.
Shock.
Sometimes the body became still because there were too many emotions to process at once.
Vincent's hand tightened around the bed sheet.
"Say it again."
"Anthony is alive."
Luca turned away, swearing under his breath.
Vincent stared at Miriam.
"Where?"
"I can't tell you yet."
Vincent raised the pistol.
Elena stepped between them.
"Vincent."
"Move."
"No."
"Elena."
"You're bleeding and she's unarmed."
Miriam looked astonished that anyone would stand between Vincent Mercer and a target.
Luca looked even more astonished that Vincent allowed it.
Vincent lowered the gun.
"Explain."
Miriam looked toward Daniel.
"He made it."
"Barely," Elena said.
"He volunteered."
"For what?"
"To warn you."
Miriam's gaze returned to Vincent.
"Anthony's been hidden since the night of the rescue."
Vincent laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
"By whom?"
"Your father."
The silence that followed felt physical.
"My father buried him."
"Your father buried an empty coffin."
Vincent's face tightened.
"Why?"
"Because Anthony knew who ordered the kidnapping."
Luca spoke.
"The Serrano family ordered it."
"No," Miriam said.
"They carried it out."
Vincent understood before Elena did.
His expression changed.
"My father."
Miriam nodded.
Vincent looked as though someone had struck him.
"You're lying."
"Anthony discovered Victor Cassano was negotiating with federal prosecutors. Your father believed one son would eventually testify against him. He arranged the kidnapping to test both of you."
Elena felt sick.
"Test them how?"
Miriam looked at Vincent.
"He wanted to know which son would break."
Vincent stopped breathing for a second.
Images seemed to flash behind his eyes.
Hands.
Chains.
Darkness.
Elena saw his shoulders tense.
She stepped closer.
Not touching.
Just close enough for him to know she was there.
Vincent noticed.
His breathing steadied slightly.
"What happened to Anthony?" he asked.
"He discovered the truth during captivity. One of the kidnappers panicked and told him who had paid."
"And my father?"
"Ordered him killed."
Vincent's voice became quiet.
"But he survived."
"Your mother intervened."
Vincent stared at her.
"My mother was dead."
"That's what your father told you."
Luca's head snapped toward Miriam.
Vincent stood.
Elena tried to stop him.
He pushed away from the bed.
"My mother died when I was twenty-six."
Miriam shook her head.
"Your mother disappeared when you were twenty-six."
Vincent's face changed.
He stumbled.
Elena caught him.
Again, he let her.
"Sit down."
He obeyed this time.
Miriam continued carefully.
"Your mother discovered what Victor was becoming. She tried to take you and Anthony away."
"He told us she died in Italy."
"He lied."
"Where is she?"
Miriam looked down.
"She died five years ago."
Vincent closed his eyes.
Elena placed her hand on his shoulder.
He didn't flinch.
Miriam noticed.
"Teresa used to do that."
Elena looked at her.
"What?"
"Touch his shoulder."
Vincent opened his eyes.
"Her mother treated me?"
"Yes."
Miriam looked at Elena.
"Teresa Rossi was one of three nurses brought to the private Rosemont facility after the kidnapping. Vincent had severe injuries and violent panic reactions. He wouldn't let anyone near him."
Elena looked down at her hand on Vincent's shoulder.
Miriam smiled sadly.
"Except Teresa."
Vincent stared at Elena.
"I don't remember."
"You were heavily sedated."
Miriam's expression softened.
"Your mother used to sit beside him for hours, Elena. She said he calmed when someone spoke instead of restrained him."
Elena's throat tightened.
Her mother had died seven years earlier.
A stroke.
Sudden.
There had been so many things Elena never asked.
"Why didn't she tell me?"
"Because she promised Vincent's mother."
"Promised what?"
"To protect Anthony."
Luca moved closer.
"From Victor?"
"From everyone."
Vincent's voice was cold.
"My father died eight years ago."
"His organization didn't."
Vincent understood.
"Someone kept watching Anthony."
Miriam nodded.
"Anthony has spent eleven years under another identity."
"Why contact me now?"
Miriam looked at his wound.
"Because someone found him."
Elena's heart sank.
"The same person who shot Vincent?"
"We think so."
"Who?"
Miriam looked directly at Luca.
"I don't know."
Luca's expression turned dangerous.
"Why are you looking at me?"
"Because the breach came from inside Mercer security."
Vincent's eyes shifted to Luca.
For a second the room changed.
Luca had been his closest protection officer for fifteen years.
More than an employee.
Family.
"Vincent," Luca said.
Miriam lifted one hand.
"I'm not accusing him."
"You looked at him."
"I looked at the person responsible for security."
Luca took a step forward.
Elena interrupted.
"Everyone stop."
They looked at her.
"We have two injured men, limited power, no blood supply, and apparently an eleven-year conspiracy. Maybe we don't start shooting each other yet."
Vincent almost smiled.
"Reasonable."
Elena pointed at him.
"And you need surgery."
Miriam stepped closer.
"I can help."
"You're a doctor?"
"Neurologist."
"Not useful."
Miriam raised an eyebrow.
"I'll try not to take it personally."
Daniel groaned from the floor.
Elena immediately moved to him.
His eyes opened.
"Daniel?"
He looked at Miriam.
"You made it."
"Yes."
"They followed me."
The room fell silent.
Luca crouched.
"Who followed you?"
Daniel swallowed.
"Black SUV."
"How many men?"
"Four."
Luca checked his phone.
"No vehicle entered the garage."
"They weren't using the garage."
"Then where?"
Daniel's eyes turned toward the windows.
"The roof."
Luca ran toward the security console.
Vincent looked upward.
The penthouse roof contained the private helicopter pad.
Luca checked the camera feed.
Static.
"Roof cameras are gone."
Vincent tried to stand again.
Elena blocked him.
"No."
He glared.
"You're becoming irritating."
"Wonderful. Stay alive long enough to complain."
Luca called his team.
No answer.
One channel.
Then another.
Nothing.
"They've jammed communications."
Miriam looked frightened.
"We have to leave."
"How?" Elena asked.
"Service tunnel."
Vincent looked at her.
"The one Daniel came through?"
"There's another exit beneath the wine cellar."
Elena blinked.
"Of course there's a tunnel beneath the billionaire mafia penthouse."
Vincent looked offended.
"It's a fire escape."
"Naturally."
A heavy thud came from above.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Luca drew his gun.
"They're on the roof."
Another thud.
Then a metallic cutting sound.
Someone was opening the emergency access hatch.
Elena looked toward the blood-soaked Vincent.
"We move now."
Luca lifted Daniel.
Miriam grabbed the medical bag.
Vincent took one step.
His knees buckled.
Elena caught him.
His arm went around her.
"I can walk."
"You're doing a convincing impression of someone who can't."
He leaned closer.
"Don't let go."
It was meant as practical instruction.
Yet the words affected them both.
Elena tightened her arm around his waist.
"I won't."
They reached the hidden door near the kitchen.
Luca opened it.
A narrow staircase descended into darkness.
Behind them, metal crashed.
The roof hatch had opened.
Luca pushed Miriam and Daniel into the stairwell.
Elena helped Vincent toward it.
Then someone called from the penthouse.
"Vincent!"
He stopped.
Elena felt his entire body turn rigid.
A man stepped into view at the end of the corridor.
Same dark eyes.
Same jaw.
Older.
Thinner.
A scar cutting through one eyebrow.
Vincent stared.
The pistol slipped slightly in his hand.
The stranger looked at him.
"Hello, little brother."
Vincent couldn't move.
May you like
Because Anthony Cassano was standing twenty feet away.
And he was pointing a gun directly at Luca.
