Chapter 9 - THE WOMAN IN THE HOUSE
Maria had worked for Adrian for five years.
She had raised Leo almost as much as he had.
“She passed every background check,” Adrian said.
Thomas shook his head.
“Victor changed her records.”
Adrian looked ready to break something with his bare hands.
I grabbed my phone.
“Call her.”
“She won’t answer me.”
“She might answer Leo’s phone.”
Leo’s tablet was connected to my number.
I called.
Once.
Twice.
Then Maria answered.
“Emma.”
I froze.
“You know who this is.”
“Of course.”
“Where is Leo?”
“Safe.”
“Let me hear him.”
A pause.
Then Leo’s voice.
“Emma?”
My eyes burned.
“Hey, dinosaur boy.”
“Maria says we’re playing hide-and-seek.”
I looked at Adrian.
His face broke for half a second.
“Yeah,” I said. “A really dumb version.”
Leo giggled.
“Can Papa come?”
“Soon.”
Maria returned.
“You shouldn’t have gotten involved.”
“You helped raise him.”
“I love him.”
“Then bring him home.”
Silence.
“You don’t understand my father.”
“No. But I understand scared people.”
Her breathing changed.
That was it.
She was scared.
Not loyal.
Scared.
“Maria, Victor will kill you when he’s done.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do.”
I didn’t.
But she did.
I could hear it.
“Where are you?”
“I can’t.”
“Then tell me where Leo is.”
A long silence.
Then she whispered, “Pier 31.”
The call ended.
Adrian was already moving.
Thomas grabbed his arm.
“It’s a trap.”
“Of course it is.”
“You go there, Victor wins.”
Adrian turned.
“If I don’t, Leo loses.”
Nobody argued.
Pier 31 was deserted.
Fog covered the river.
Shipping containers created narrow steel corridors.
We found Maria first.
She was bleeding.
A bullet had torn through her side.
Adrian caught her before she fell.
“Where is he?”
She gasped.
“I’m sorry.”
“Where is Leo?”
“Container seventeen.”
I ran.
Adrian shouted my name.
I kept going.
Container seventeen was locked.
I grabbed a crowbar from the ground.
My stitches screamed as I pulled.
The lock snapped.
I opened the door.
“Leo?”
Darkness.
Then a small voice.
“Emma?”
I almost cried.
I climbed inside.
He ran toward me.
Then lights came on.
Victor stood behind him.
Gun pressed against Leo’s back.
“I really hoped you’d come first.”
My blood turned cold.
“Let him go.”
“Where’s Adrian?”
“Not here.”
Victor smiled.
“Liar.”
Footsteps came behind me.
Adrian.
“Let the boy go.”
Victor’s smile widened.
“There he is.”
He shoved Leo toward me.
I caught him.
“Run,” Adrian said.
I turned.
Then Victor raised the gun.
Not at Adrian.
At Leo.
I covered the boy.
The shot fired.
Adrian jerked.
Blood spread across his white shirt.
“Papa!”
He dropped to one knee.
May you like
Victor raised the gun again.
And this time, he aimed straight at Adrian’s head.
