Chapter 8 - THE FIRST STEP
The bullet struck Luca's shoulder.
He fell.
Maya screamed.
Victor killed the shooter.
Elena crawled toward Luca.
"Luca!"
Blood covered his shirt.
"I'm okay."
"You've been shot!"
"I've had worse."
"No, you haven't!"
"Fair point."
Maya grabbed his hand.
"Dad."
"I'm here."
She was crying.
"You stood."
Luca looked at her.
Then at his legs.
He had.
For three seconds.
Maybe four.
But he had stood without assistance.
The doctors removed the bullet.
Luca began rehabilitation two days later.
Elena called him insane.
He agreed.
Then continued.
One step became two.
Two became five.
Five became ten.
Every step hurt.
Every step made Luca angrier.
Because each one proved those twelve years had been stolen.
Meanwhile, Victor identified the men who attacked the bunker.
Former Costello soldiers.
All paid through a shell corporation.
The corporation belonged to Adrian.
Luca summoned him.
Adrian denied everything.
"You expect me to believe somebody used your company accidentally?"
"Somebody is framing me."
"Who?"
"Dominic."
"Convenient."
"Check the signatures."
They did.
Forged.
Then Victor found surveillance footage.
Dominic meeting one of the attackers.
Luca watched it twice.
Elena stood beside him.
"So it was Dominic."
"Maybe."
"Maybe?"
"It's too easy."
"What does that mean?"
"It means someone spent twelve years hiding this."
Luca paused the video.
"People like that don't suddenly become careless."
Elena looked at Dominic's frozen face.
"So this is another trap."
"Yes."
"For whom?"
Luca looked at her.
"Me."
That night, Dominic disappeared.
His bedroom was empty.
His passport remained.
His phone remained.
Blood stained the carpet.
Then Victor found a message written on the mirror.
BRING MAYA TO THE OLD COSTELLO HOUSE.
COME ALONE.
OR DOMINIC DIES.
Elena read it.
"No."
Luca looked at her.
"No."
"You're not taking her."
"I know."
"What are you going to do?"
Luca stood from his wheelchair.
Slowly.
Painfully.
Then he took one step.
May you like
And another.
"I'm going alone."
