Chapter 8 - Warehouse 3C
Julian arrived at the freight terminal eleven minutes late.
The gates were already open.
No guards.
No cameras that he could see.
The burner phone rang.
“Drive forward.”
Marco’s voice.
Julian followed the cracked road between empty warehouses.
Rain struck the windshield.
“Stop.”
He stopped.
“Get out.”
Julian stepped into the rain.
“Bring the drives.”
He held up a black envelope.
“Where is Elena?”
A light turned on inside Warehouse Three.
Julian walked toward it.
Every instinct screamed trap.
He entered anyway.
The warehouse was enormous.
Rows of rusted shipping containers disappeared into darkness.
A single chair stood beneath an overhead light.
Elena sat in it.
Julian stopped.
Her hands were bound.
Her ankles were tied.
Blood marked her lower lip.
But she was conscious.
Alive.
“Elena.”
Her eyes filled immediately.
“Julian.”
He took one step.
A gun appeared against her temple.
Marco stepped from behind the chair.
Julian froze.
His brother looked almost exactly as he always had.
Tailored coat.
Expensive shoes.
Perfect hair.
That normality made him more disturbing.
“You came.”
Julian stared at the gun.
“Move it away from her.”
Marco smiled.
“The drives.”
“First her.”
“You still think you’re negotiating.”
“I am.”
“No.”
Marco pressed the weapon closer.
“You are buying your wife.”
Julian lifted the envelope.
“You want this?”
Marco’s eyes dropped.
“Yes.”
“Then untie her.”
Marco laughed.
“Do you really think I’m stupid?”
“I think you’re scared.”
The smile disappeared.
Julian continued.
“You spent eight months hiding one woman.”
“Yet she still found a way to preserve the evidence.”
“She found a way to reach me.”
“And now Bellweather is exposed.”
Marco’s expression changed.
Just slightly.
Julian noticed.
“Camila ran.”
Marco said nothing.
Julian took another step.
“She owns Bellweather.”
Elena’s eyes widened.
Marco looked irritated rather than surprised.
That told Julian everything.
“You knew.”
Marco tightened his grip on the gun.
“Stop talking.”
“No.”
“You have no idea what you’re dealing with.”
“Then educate me.”
Marco stared at him.
For the first time, Julian saw something unexpected.
Fear.
Not fear of Julian.
Fear of someone else.
“Give me the drives.”
“Why?”
“You know why.”
“No.”
Julian looked around the warehouse.
“You don’t want the evidence destroyed.”
Marco’s face tightened.
“You want it for yourself.”
Silence.
Elena stared between them.
Julian continued.
“Camila owns Bellweather.”
“Father introduced me to her.”
“You manipulated Elena.”
“But you’re still not in control.”
Marco’s jaw flexed.
“So who is?”
Marco lifted the gun.
“Enough.”
Julian stopped.
Marco extended one hand.
“The drives.”
Julian tossed the envelope.
It landed six feet away.
Marco did not move.
“Open it.”
Julian smiled.
“You open it.”
Marco nodded toward Elena.
“Do you want me to count?”
Julian’s smile disappeared.
He walked toward the envelope.
Knelt.
Opened it.
Inside were two flash drives.
Marco stared.
“Where’s the third?”
Julian looked at him.
“There were only two.”
Marco laughed.
“Elena told me there were three.”
Elena’s face changed.
Julian noticed.
Marco noticed too.
He looked at her.
“You lied to me?”
Elena’s breathing quickened.
Marco grabbed her hair.
Julian surged forward.
Marco pointed the gun directly at her stomach.
“Take one more step.”
Julian stopped instantly.
Elena closed her eyes.
Marco leaned down.
“How many drives?”
She said nothing.
“How many?”
“Three.”
“Where is the third?”
“I don’t know.”
Marco struck the back of the chair with the gun.
The metal crack echoed through the warehouse.
Julian’s voice dropped.
“Don’t.”
Marco looked at him.
“Where is it?”
“I hid it.”
“Where?”
“Release Elena.”
Marco smiled.
“You are predictable.”
“So are you.”
Julian glanced toward the high windows.
Marco followed his eyes instinctively.
That was all Elena needed.
She kicked backward.
The chair crashed into Marco’s knees.
His gun fired.
The shot exploded through the warehouse.
Julian lunged.
Marco fell sideways.
Julian hit him.
Hard.
The gun skidded across the concrete.
Marco punched Julian in the ribs.
Julian drove him into a shipping container.
Elena struggled against the ropes.
“Julian!”
Marco grabbed a metal hook from the floor.
Julian blocked the first swing.
The second caught his shoulder.
Pain exploded.
He stumbled.
Marco charged.
Then another gunshot rang out.
Everyone froze.
Marco looked down.
Blood spread across his thigh.
A man stepped from the darkness holding a pistol.
Julian stared.
It was Henry Vale.
Elena stopped breathing.
Marco collapsed.
Henry walked closer.
Julian moved between him and Elena.
“You.”
Henry kept the gun raised.
“I told you there were things you didn’t understand.”
Julian stared at him.
“Put the gun down.”
Henry laughed.
“You still think I work for Marco?”
Marco groaned on the floor.
Henry looked at him with contempt.
“I never worked for him.”
Julian’s pulse slowed.
“Camila?”
Henry smiled.
“No.”
Then the warehouse door opened.
A black sedan drove inside.
Two armed men stepped out.
Then a third.
Finally, an older man emerged from the rear passenger seat.
Gray hair.
Black overcoat.
Walking cane.
Julian stared at his father.
Giovanni Rossi looked at the blood on the floor.
Then at Elena.
Then at Julian.
His expression held no surprise.
Only disappointment.
“Julian.”
May you like
He sighed.
“You should have stayed out of this.”
