Chapter 5 - The Brother Who Never Came Home
Nora read the message twice.
Then a third time.
Her mind refused to accept the photograph.
Eli looked thinner.
His hair was longer than when she'd last seen him.
There was a bruise beneath one eye.
But it was him.
Alive.
Her husband.
"Give me the phone," Adrian said.
Nora held it away.
"No."
"I need the metadata."
"They said I go alone."
"You are not going alone."
"They'll kill him."
"They'll kill you too."
"You don't know that."
"I know Victor."
Nora's eyes filled.
"I know Eli."
Adrian went silent.
Nora pressed the phone against her chest.
"I buried him once."
Her voice shook.
"I'm not doing it again."
Adrian looked at the watch.
"They want that."
"Why?"
"The watch must be more than a watch."
Nora removed it for the first time in nearly three years.
Her wrist felt naked.
Adrian examined the case.
Nothing obvious.
He pressed the clasp.
Turned the crown.
Then Celeste noticed something.
"The engraving."
Nora frowned.
"What?"
"E.M.R."
Adrian looked at her.
"So?"
"Those aren't Elias's initials."
Nora stared.
"His name was Elias Matteo Moretti."
Celeste shook her head.
"His middle name wasn't Matteo."
Adrian went still.
Nora looked between them.
"What was it?"
Adrian whispered, "Michael."
E.M.M.
Nora stared at the engraving.
E.M.R.
"Then what does the R mean?"
Nobody answered.
Adrian turned the watch over.
He pressed a nearly invisible indentation beside the engraving.
The back panel popped open.
Inside was a tiny strip of microfilm.
Nora gasped.
Adrian carefully removed it.
"Ledger Nine."
Celeste leaned closer.
"Or the key."
Adrian photographed the strip.
Numbers appeared under magnification.
Bank account codes.
Dates.
Initials.
Nora recognized one.
V.M.
Victor Moretti.
Adrian's expression hardened.
"My father hid this inside the watch."
"Why give it to Elias?" Nora asked.
"He trusted him."
"More than you?"
Adrian looked at her.
The question hurt.
"My father knew I would inherit the organization. Maybe he wanted Elias to have leverage if I became like him."
Nora's voice softened.
"Did you?"
Adrian looked away.
"I spent years trying not to."
That was the first confession Adrian gave her.
No details.
No excuses.
Just enough truth to understand why Eli had run.
Adrian returned the microfilm to the watch.
"We'll make a duplicate."
"No time."
"We'll make time."
Nora checked the message.
One hour.
"Victor wants me alone."
Adrian nodded.
"So he'll believe you're alone."
They built the plan quickly.
Nora hated all of it.
Adrian placed a tiny transmitter beneath the watch clasp.
Celeste volunteered to approach from the harbor side.
Adrian would enter through an adjacent warehouse.
Police were not called.
"Why?" Nora demanded.
"Victor owns officers."
"All of them?"
"No."
"Then find one he doesn't."
Adrian looked at her.
"Elias tried that."
The implication silenced her.
17 Harbor Lane stood beside the water, a crumbling brick warehouse surrounded by shipping containers.
Nora arrived alone in Adrian's sedan.
She stepped out.
The wind cut through her uniform.
She had changed into a coat, but still wore the same red dress beneath it.
A man opened the warehouse door.
"Phone."
She handed it over.
"Bag."
She had none.
He searched her coat.
Nora glared.
"I'm eight months pregnant."
"Victor said check everything."
The man's hands stopped well away from her belly.
At least he had one boundary.
Inside, Eli sat exactly as the photograph had shown.
Nora saw him.
Everything else disappeared.
"Eli."
His head lifted.
"Nora."
She moved toward him.
A guard blocked her.
Eli struggled against the restraints.
"Don't touch her."
Nora cried before she could stop herself.
Victor Moretti stepped from the shadows.
He was older than Adrian.
Late sixties.
Silver hair.
Expensive coat.
Gentle eyes.
He looked like somebody's favorite uncle.
That frightened Nora most.
"Mrs. Reyes."
"Untie him."
Victor smiled.
"Still using that name?"
Nora stared.
"It is my name."
"Not if you're married to a Moretti."
"I decide my name."
Eli almost smiled through his bruises.
Victor noticed.
"You chose well, Elias."
"Leave her out of this."
"You did that yourself."
Nora lifted her wrist.
"You wanted the watch."
Victor's eyes settled on it.
"Yes."
"Let him go."
"After I confirm what's inside."
"You first."
Victor laughed.
"You remind me of Adrian."
"That doesn't sound like a compliment."
"It wasn't."
He approached.
Nora stood her ground.
Victor reached for the watch.
She pulled her arm back.
"Eli leaves."
"Nora," Eli whispered.
Victor sighed.
"You think you're negotiating."
"I think you need this more than you need me."
Victor's smile disappeared.
Good.
Nora continued.
"If you hurt me, Adrian gets the watch."
Victor studied her.
"Adrian doesn't know you're here."
Nora said nothing.
Victor looked around.
Then smiled again.
"Of course he does."
Nora's stomach tightened.
Victor gestured to his men.
"Find him."
Eli swore.
Nora felt panic.
Victor held out his hand.
"The watch."
She removed it.
Placed it in his palm.
Victor opened the back.
His expression transformed.
Triumph.
"Antonio."
He whispered the name like a prayer.
Then gunfire erupted outside.
Victor's guards turned.
Eli kicked one chair leg forward.
A man stumbled.
Nora moved.
Fast.
She grabbed the watch from Victor's hand.
He seized her wrist.
"Give it back."
"No."
Eli threw himself sideways, chair and all, knocking Victor's legs out.
Nora pulled free.
Adrian entered through the side door.
"Victor!"
Everything stopped.
Adrian aimed his weapon.
Victor lay on one knee.
Eli was still tied.
Nora stood between them.
Adrian's voice shook with rage.
"Step away from her."
Victor slowly stood.
"You always were dramatic."
"You tried to kill my brother."
"I tried to save this family."
"You trafficked people through our ports."
"Business required compromises."
"You murdered Daniel Cross."
Victor looked toward Celeste as she entered from behind Adrian.
Celeste's face twisted.
"You killed my daughter's father."
Victor smiled.
"He was weak."
Celeste raised a pistol.
Adrian moved quickly.
"Don't."
"He deserves it."
"He deserves a courtroom."
Victor laughed.
"You think courts touch men like us?"
Adrian's eyes were cold.
"They will when they see Ledger Nine."
Victor looked toward Nora's wrist.
Then smiled.
"That isn't Ledger Nine."
Adrian froze.
Victor's gaze moved toward Eli.
"You never told him?"
Eli stared at the floor.
Nora turned.
"Told him what?"
Victor laughed again.
"The watch contains only an index."
Adrian looked at his brother.
"Where is the ledger?"
Eli raised his eyes.
"I don't know."
"Liar," Victor said.
Adrian's gun remained steady.
"Enough."
Victor stepped closer.
"Ask him why he really disappeared."
Nora's heart tightened.
"Eli?"
Victor smiled at her.
"Your husband didn't stay dead because he feared me."
"Shut up."
"He stayed dead because he learned what Adrian had done."
Adrian's expression changed.
Nora noticed.
"What did you do?"
Adrian said nothing.
Victor looked delighted.
"Tell her."
Eli's eyes filled with warning.
"Victor."
"Oh, she deserves the truth."
Nora looked at Adrian.
"What did you do?"
Before Adrian could answer, sirens sounded outside.
Real sirens.
Many.
Victor's smile vanished.
Adrian's man entered.
"Federal agents."
Adrian stared.
"I didn't call them."
Eli closed his eyes.
"I did."
Victor lunged toward Nora.
Adrian fired.
The shot hit Victor's shoulder.
He fell.
Agents stormed the warehouse.
Nora ran to Eli.
She dropped to her knees and untied him.
His hands touched her face.
Then her belly.
"Nora."
She slapped him.
Not hard.
But enough.
Eli stared at her.
"That was for the funeral."
Then she wrapped her arms around him and sobbed.
He held her.
"I'm sorry."
"You should be."
"I'm so sorry."
Adrian watched them.
For a moment, relief softened his face.
Then Nora remembered Victor's words.
She looked over Eli's shoulder.
"What did Adrian do?"
Eli closed his eyes.
"Nora."
"Tell me."
Adrian lowered his weapon.
"I ordered a man killed."
The warehouse went silent.
Nora stared at him.
Adrian continued.
"Six years ago."
Eli looked away.
"Who?"
Adrian swallowed.
"A federal informant."
Nora's heart dropped.
"Why does that matter now?"
May you like
Eli answered.
"Because the informant was our father."
