Chapter 11 - The Night Emma Disappeared
Vivian stood behind the door.
Dominic nearly shot her.
“How did you get here?”
“My father’s tunnels.”
“Where is Rafael?”
“Boat dock.”
They ran.
A speedboat was already pulling away.
Emma stood on deck.
Sophia screamed her name.
Emma turned.
“Mommy!”
Rafael grabbed her.
Dominic raised his weapon but could not risk the shot.
The boat disappeared into darkness.
Vivian knew its destination.
Pier Seventeen.
Everything returned there.
James.
Atlantic Meridian.
The black door.
Rafael.
They reached the pier ahead of the boat by road.
Marco led them through maintenance passages.
Sophia found a room containing old surveillance tapes.
One was dated the night James died.
She inserted it.
James appeared on screen.
Bleeding.
Alive.
Marco brought him inside.
Then Rafael arrived.
Sophia watched her husband try to stand.
Rafael demanded the location of the contingency fund.
James refused.
Rafael beat him.
Still James refused.
Then another person entered.
Vivian’s father.
Anthony Romano.
Sophia looked at Vivian.
She went white.
On the recording, Anthony said, “Enough.”
For one hopeful second Sophia thought he would stop it.
Instead, Anthony injected something into James’s IV line.
James stopped moving.
Vivian covered her mouth.
“My father killed him.”
Sophia could not speak.
The truth was finally complete.
Rafael ordered it.
Marco delivered James.
Anthony Romano murdered him.
Adrian erased the records.
Four men had taken her husband away from Emma.
A sound came from the corridor.
Anthony Romano himself stepped inside.
Vivian stared.
“Dad?”
He raised a gun.
“I told you to stay out of this.”
Vivian moved between him and Sophia.
“You killed James.”
“He was an accountant.”
“He was a husband.”
Anthony looked almost offended by her defiance.
“You destroyed your engagement over these people.”
“No.”
Vivian’s voice steadied.
“I destroyed it long before tonight.”
Anthony aimed at Sophia.
Vivian did not move.
“Step aside.”
“No.”
A gunshot rang out.
Anthony fell.
Marco stood behind him.
His weapon smoked.
For James, his expression seemed to say.
But there was no time.
Emma was still with Rafael.
They reached the central warehouse.
Rafael waited beside a computer terminal.
Emma sat in a chair.
Untied.
She looked annoyed rather than terrified.
“I want my mommy.”
“You’ll have her soon.”
“You’re mean.”
Rafael sighed.
“So I’ve been told.”
Sophia stepped forward.
“Emma.”
The child ran.
Rafael caught her.
Dominic raised his gun.
“Let her go.”
Rafael smiled.
“Tell me the phrase.”
Emma frowned.
“No.”
Rafael looked down.
“What?”
“Daddy said secrets are for family.”
“I am family.”
Emma looked at Dominic.
“No. He is.”
Rafael’s face changed.
For the first time, the child had hurt him.
Then alarms began sounding.
Rafael grabbed Emma and backed toward another black door.
Sophia ran forward.
The door slammed.
She reached the handle.
May you like
It was already unlocking from the other side.
And Emma was screaming Dominic’s name.
