Chapter 6 - THE SECRET SARAH BURIED
The woods outside the safe house were silent.
Too silent.
Vincent's men spread through the trees with flashlights and weapons.
Adrian stood in the shattered bedroom window, staring into the darkness.
His daughter was gone.
His heart was racing.
Every breath hurt.
But none of it mattered.
"Find her."
Vincent's voice crackled through the radio.
"North side clear."
Another voice:
"Nothing west."
Adrian turned toward Sarah.
"Tell me."
She was crying.
"Tell me now."
Sarah looked at the floor.
"I was scared."
"You've said that."
"I wasn't scared of you."
"Then who?"
She hesitated.
"Marcus."
Adrian's expression changed.
"Marcus?"
"Marcus Vale."
Adrian knew the name.
Everyone in his world knew it.
Marcus Vale had once been Adrian's closest friend.
Before he became a rival.
Before three men died in an ambush that had nearly started a war.
Adrian stepped backward.
"Marcus is dead."
Sarah shook her head.
"No."
"That's impossible."
"He isn't dead."
Adrian stared at her.
"How long have you known?"
"Three years."
He laughed once.
It wasn't amusement.
It was disbelief.
"Three years."
Sarah nodded.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because he threatened Lily."
Adrian's face went cold.
"What exactly did he say?"
Sarah wiped her tears.
"He said if I ever told you he was alive, Lily would disappear."
Adrian's jaw tightened.
"And you believed him?"
"I saw what he did to people."
"So you hid my daughter from me?"
"I hid her from everyone."
"You let me believe staying away was protecting her."
"I thought it was."
Adrian stepped closer.
"You should have trusted me."
Sarah's voice broke.
"I did."
"No."
She looked at him.
"I trusted the man you used to be."
The words hit him harder than anything else could have.
Before Adrian could respond, Vincent came running through the door.
"We found a vehicle."
"Where?"
"Half a mile south."
"Is Lily inside?"
Vincent's face told him everything.
"No."
Adrian closed his eyes.
"Then what did you find?"
"A phone."
Vincent handed it over.
It was Lily's.
Adrian stared at the screen.
One new video had been recorded.
He pressed play.
The image showed Lily sitting in a dark room.
She wasn't crying.
She was holding Mr. Buttons.
A man's voice came from behind the camera.
"Your daddy is looking for you."
Lily looked up.
"Is he coming?"
"Yes."
"When?"
The man laughed.
"Soon."
Lily hugged her teddy bear.
"Mommy said my daddy was dangerous."
The man crouched into frame.
Only half his face was visible.
"Your mommy was right."
The video ended.
Adrian's hands tightened around the phone.
Vincent stared at the screen.
"That wasn't Marcus."
Adrian looked at him.
"How do you know?"
"I've seen Marcus Vale."
Vincent's face had gone pale.
"That man had his voice."
"Voices can be altered."
"Not this."
Adrian looked at Sarah.
"Who else?"
She shook her head.
"I don't know."
"Think."
"There was another man."
"Name."
"I never knew it."
"Description."
"Gray hair. Scar across his left hand. He wore a silver ring."
Vincent froze.
Adrian noticed.
"You know him."
Vincent said nothing.
"Vincent."
The older man looked at Adrian.
"I know the ring."
"Whose?"
Vincent swallowed.
"Your father's."
Silence.
Adrian stared at him.
"My father is dead."
"Yes."
"Then why does someone have his ring?"
Vincent looked toward Sarah.
"Because your father didn't die with it."
Adrian felt the room tilt.
He grabbed the edge of the table.
His heart monitor screamed.
Sarah rushed toward him.
"Adrian!"
He pushed her away.
"No."
He looked at Vincent.
"Tell me everything."
Vincent hesitated.
"I can't."
"You can."
"Not here."
"Where?"
Vincent looked at the door.
"Because if I'm right, this house isn't safe anymore."
The radio suddenly crackled.
A terrified voice came through.
"Movement!"
Then gunfire.
Vincent drew his weapon.
Adrian looked at Sarah.
"Stay here."
"No."
"Sarah."
"I'm coming."
"You're injured."
"So is your heart."
He stared at her.
She stared back.
"You're not leaving me behind again."
For the first time in three years, Adrian saw the woman he had fallen in love with.
Not the frightened mother.
Not the woman carrying secrets.
Sarah.
His Sarah.
He nodded.
"Then stay close."
They ran downstairs.
The safe house erupted into chaos.
Men shouted.
Bullets struck the exterior walls.
Adrian grabbed a weapon from one of Vincent's men.
His shoulder screamed.
His heart raced.
But his eyes were clear.
"Where's the exit?"
Vincent pointed toward the wine cellar.
"There."
They moved.
Then a voice came through the darkness.
"Adrian!"
Everyone froze.
The voice was calm.
Familiar.
Adrian turned.
A man stepped into the doorway.
Gray hair.
Black coat.
Silver ring.
Adrian's breath disappeared.
The man smiled.
"Hello, son."
Vincent whispered:
"Oh God."
Adrian stared at the face of a dead man.
His father.
Giovanni Moretti.
Standing alive in front of him.
May you like
And behind Giovanni stood Lily.
Holding Mr. Buttons.
