Chapter 9 - THE BOY IN THE DRAWINGS
They escaped the safe house through a tunnel that Adrian had never known existed.
That fact bothered him more than the attack.
His father had built the house.
His mother knew about it.
Someone had been photographing Lily for years.
And now Sarah believed Matteo was alive.
Nothing made sense.
Except one thing.
The drawings.
Adrian sat in the back of the SUV while Lily slept against him.
Sarah sat opposite him.
Vincent drove.
Nobody spoke for nearly twenty minutes.
Finally Adrian said:
"Show me every drawing."
Sarah looked at him.
"Every one?"
"Every one."
She opened her phone.
Photographs filled the screen.
Lily at four.
A faceless man standing beside a little girl.
Lily at five.
The man was farther away.
Lily at six.
The man was holding an umbrella.
Lily at seven.
The man was standing between her and a dark figure.
Adrian stared.
"She remembers him."
Sarah shook her head.
"She never met Matteo."
"Then why does she draw him?"
"I don't know."
Adrian zoomed in on the latest picture.
There was something in the background.
A house.
A tree.
A blue mailbox.
He recognized it.
"Where did she draw this?"
Sarah looked.
"Her kindergarten classroom."
"Where was the school?"
"Brooklyn."
Adrian looked at Vincent.
"Take us there."
"It closed two years ago."
"Then find the teacher."
Twenty minutes later, they were calling someone named Mrs. Harper.
She answered from home.
When Adrian showed her the drawing over video, the elderly teacher became pale.
"You know this place?" Sarah asked.
Mrs. Harper nodded.
"Yes."
"Where?"
"That isn't a house."
Adrian leaned closer.
"What is it?"
"A cabin."
"Where?"
Mrs. Harper hesitated.
"Your daughter drew it after a field trip."
Sarah frowned.
"Lily never went on a field trip."
Mrs. Harper's face changed.
"Then I was wrong."
Adrian narrowed his eyes.
"You weren't wrong."
The teacher looked frightened.
"Mr. Moretti..."
"You know who I am?"
Mrs. Harper didn't answer.
Adrian understood.
Someone had already contacted her.
He leaned forward.
"Where is the cabin?"
She whispered an address.
Then the call ended.
Vincent looked at Adrian.
"That's in Pennsylvania."
"How far?"
"Three hours."
Adrian looked at Lily.
"Go."
They drove through the night.
When they arrived, dawn was beginning to break.
The cabin stood at the edge of a frozen lake.
Abandoned.
Or pretending to be.
Adrian entered first.
Dust.
Broken furniture.
Old newspapers.
Then Lily suddenly grabbed his hand.
"Daddy."
"What?"
She pointed down the hallway.
"I know that door."
Adrian stared at her.
"You've been here?"
Lily shook her head.
"No."
"Then how do you know it?"
She whispered:
"I saw it in my dream."
Adrian opened the door.
Inside was a child's bedroom.
On the wall were drawings.
Dozens of them.
All faceless fathers.
All drawn by different children.
Sarah covered her mouth.
"What is this?"
Vincent found a folder.
Inside were names.
Dates.
Photographs.
Children.
Adrian's blood ran cold.
"This isn't about Lily."
Sarah stared at the files.
"There are dozens of them."
Children whose fathers had disappeared.
Children connected to powerful families.
Children whose fathers had been murdered, imprisoned, or forced into hiding.
And beside each name was one word:
PROTECTED.
Adrian looked at Vincent.
"Who created this?"
Vincent turned another page.
At the bottom was a signature.
M.M.
Adrian whispered:
"Matteo Moretti."
A sound came from behind them.
Lily gasped.
A man stood in the doorway.
Dark hair.
Green eyes.
Scar above his eyebrow.
Adrian raised his weapon.
The man slowly lifted his hands.
"Don't shoot."
Adrian's finger tightened.
"Matteo."
The man nodded.
"Hello, brother."
Sarah stepped forward.
"You're alive."
Matteo looked at her.
"I had to be."
"Why?"
He looked at Lily.
"Because of her."
Adrian moved between them.
"Don't go near my daughter."
Matteo's eyes softened.
"I've never wanted to hurt her."
"Then explain everything."
Matteo looked at Adrian.
"Your father wasn't protecting you from Volkov."
Adrian's face hardened.
"Who was he protecting me from?"
Matteo answered:
"Your mother."
The cabin fell silent.
Matteo continued.
"Giovanni built the organization. Maria controlled it."
Adrian stared.
"Why?"
"Because Maria believed children were leverage."
Sarah's face went white.
Matteo looked at Lily.
"She started collecting them."
"Why?"
"To control their fathers."
Adrian looked around the room.
The files.
The drawings.
The photographs.
"She created this?"
Matteo nodded.
"Then why are these children marked protected?"
"Because Giovanni turned against her."
Adrian's jaw tightened.
"And you?"
"I helped him."
"Why didn't you come to me?"
Matteo looked away.
"Because Maria would have killed you."
"She tried tonight."
"I know."
"She kidnapped Lily."
"No."
Matteo's eyes sharpened.
"Maria didn't kidnap Lily."
Adrian froze.
"Then who did?"
Matteo looked toward the window.
"Someone worse."
A black vehicle appeared outside.
Matteo's face changed.
"They found us."
Gunfire erupted.
The windows shattered.
Adrian grabbed Lily.
Matteo drew his weapon.
Vincent moved toward the back door.
Sarah crouched behind the table.
Then a voice came through the loudspeaker outside.
"Matteo!"
Everyone froze.
The voice was calm.
Cold.
Familiar.
Matteo whispered:
"No."
Adrian looked at him.
"Who?"
Matteo stared toward the door.
"Your daughter."
Adrian's face went pale.
"What?"
May you like
Matteo whispered:
"That's the voice of the man who raised me."
