Chapter 12 - THE CEMETERY
Saint Michael's Cemetery sat beneath a storm-black sky.
Rain began falling as Adrian's convoy approached.
There were no streetlights.
Only rows of old gravestones disappearing into darkness.
Adrian sat in the back seat beside Lily.
She was unusually quiet.
Sarah held her hand.
Vincent sat in front.
"You sure about this?" Vincent asked.
"No."
Adrian looked out the window.
"But I'm sure about one thing."
"What?"
"I'm not letting anyone use her again."
The vehicle stopped.
Elias stood near the old Moretti mausoleum.
Alone.
At least that was what it appeared to be.
Adrian stepped out.
Lily stayed inside.
Elias smiled.
"You came."
"Where's Sarah's mother?"
"Alive."
"Prove it."
Elias held up a phone.
A video appeared.
Sarah's mother was tied to a chair.
Adrian's jaw tightened.
"Release her."
"After the vault."
"You said the cemetery."
"I said the vault under the cemetery."
Elias pointed toward the mausoleum.
"Your father built a room beneath it."
Adrian walked forward.
Vincent followed.
Sarah stayed with Lily.
They entered the mausoleum.
The stone floor opened after Adrian placed his hand against a hidden scanner.
A staircase descended.
At the bottom was another vault.
This one was enormous.
Inside were shelves filled with documents.
Bank records.
Photographs.
Weapons ledgers.
Names.
Politicians.
Judges.
Police officers.
Businessmen.
Every person who had ever owed Giovanni Moretti something.
Elias smiled.
"Your family ruled half the city with this."
Adrian stared.
"Maria wanted it."
"Yes."
"And you?"
"I want revenge."
"Against whom?"
Elias looked at him.
"Your father."
Adrian frowned.
"He's dead."
Elias laughed.
"No."
He pointed toward the back wall.
A video screen turned on.
Giovanni appeared.
Older.
Tired.
Alive.
Adrian froze.
His father looked directly into the camera.
"If you're seeing this, Adrian, I'm probably dead."
Adrian whispered:
"You're not."
The recording continued.
I need you to know something.
Maria didn't start the war.
I did.
Adrian stared.
Giovanni continued.
I created the organization to protect our family.
Then I became the very thing I feared.
I hurt people.
I ordered killings.
I built a machine that eventually became impossible to control.
And when Maria discovered the machine could control governments, she wanted more.
I tried to stop her.
That's when she turned against me.
Adrian's eyes filled with tears.
Giovanni looked down.
There is one thing I never told you.
You had a brother.
Adrian looked toward Matteo.
Matteo stood in the doorway.
Giovanni continued.
Matteo was born from an affair I had before your mother knew about him.
Maria wanted him dead.
I hid him.
But she eventually found him.
She tortured him.
She turned him against me.
Adrian looked at Matteo.
Matteo looked away.
The recording continued.
Matteo became my spy.
He protected you.
He protected Sarah.
And he protected Lily.
Adrian's eyes widened.
Giovanni's final words were:
If Matteo is alive, trust him.
The screen went black.
Adrian turned toward Matteo.
"You knew."
Matteo nodded.
"Yes."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because you would have come looking for me."
"Of course I would."
"And Maria would have followed."
Adrian stepped closer.
"You let me hate you."
"I let you survive."
Before Adrian could answer, gunfire erupted above them.
Vincent grabbed his weapon.
"We've been surrounded."
Elias smiled.
"No."
Adrian looked at him.
"You planned this."
Elias nodded.
"Of course."
"You never wanted the vault."
"No."
"Then what?"
Elias pointed toward Lily.
"I wanted you to bring her here."
Adrian's blood ran cold.
"Why?"
"Because the final key isn't in the vault."
Elias smiled.
"It's inside her."
Sarah appeared behind Adrian.
"What does that mean?"
Elias looked at her.
"Ask her."
Adrian turned.
"Sarah?"
Sarah was crying.
Elias laughed.
"Tell him."
Sarah shook her head.
"I can't."
Adrian's voice broke.
"Tell me."
She looked at Lily.
Then whispered:
"When Lily was born, Giovanni implanted something."
Adrian froze.
"What?"
"A device."
Silence.
"A tracking chip?"
Sarah shook her head.
"Not a tracker."
"What then?"
"A data key."
Adrian stared.
Sarah continued.
"Giovanni had evidence too dangerous to keep anywhere. So he encrypted it."
"Where?"
Sarah looked at Lily.
"Inside a device implanted beneath her skin."
Adrian's face went white.
"Why would you let that happen?"
"I didn't know."
"Then who did?"
Sarah's eyes filled with tears.
"Maria."
Elias smiled.
"Now you understand."
Adrian looked at Lily.
She was terrified.
"Daddy?"
He immediately moved toward her.
"No one is touching you."
But before he could reach her, the vault doors slammed shut.
Elias disappeared.
A red light began blinking.
Vincent looked at the ceiling.
"Bomb."
Adrian grabbed Lily.
"How long?"
"Maybe sixty seconds."
Sarah screamed.
"There's no exit!"
Matteo pointed toward the wall.
"There!"
A hidden door opened.
Everyone ran.
Behind them, the vault exploded.
The cemetery shook.
Stone collapsed.
Flames rose into the night.
Adrian carried Lily through the tunnel.
He didn't stop until they reached the other side.
Rain poured down.
Lily looked up at him.
"Daddy?"
"Yes?"
"Why does everybody want me?"
Adrian hugged her.
"I don't know."
She whispered:
"I think I do."
Adrian looked at her.
She reached into her pocket.
Then pulled out a tiny piece of metal.
"I found this in my room."
Adrian stared.
It was a key.
May you like
A key marked with one word.
MARIA.
