Chapter 6 - The Trap is Set
The tension in the mansion was palpable as Friday approached. Lucas spent hours in his study, analyzing maps of the old St. Jude’s Cathedral in Bridgeport. It was a crumbling, gothic structure that had been abandoned for a decade—the very place where the Moretti syndicate used to hold their private, blood-bound ceremonies.
"I'm coming with you," Sarah said, walking into the study. Her expression was fiercely determined.
"Absolutely not," Lucas said, not looking up from his maps. "It’s too dangerous, Sarah. Marcus wants me. I won't let you get caught in the crossfire."
"I am not the helpless girl you found in Bridgeport anymore, Lucas," Sarah said, walking over and slamming his map shut. "If you go there alone, you are walking into an execution. Marcus has had weeks to prepare. He has men, weapons, and the home-court advantage. You need an edge."
Lucas looked up at her, amazed by the fire in her eyes. "What kind of edge could we possibly have against a madman?"
"We have the truth," Sarah said. "And we have his own arrogance against him. Marcus thinks you're soft now because of me and Lily. He expects you to show up like a repentant sinner, begging for mercy. But we aren't begging."
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, silver recording device—the one she used to record Lily's piano practices.
"Marcus escaped federal custody," Sarah explained. "He’s a fugitive. If we can get him to admit to his escape and his plans on tape, and feed it directly to the FBI contacts you used to secure your immunity, we don't have to kill him. We just have to survive long enough to put him back in a cage forever."
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Lucas stared at her, a slow, proud smile breaking through his exhaustion. "You're brilliant, Sarah. But it’s still too risky."
"We do this together, Lucas," she insisted, taking his face in her hands. "Or we don't do it at all."
