Chapter 9 - The Man on the RoofFor one terrible second, Rosa believed Julian was dead.
“Where are we going?”
The man kept his eyes ahead.
“Traffic diversion.”
“There’s no traffic.”
Sofia sat beside her holding a stuffed rabbit Julian had given her two days earlier.
Rosa reached for her phone.
The driver locked the rear doors.
“Don’t.”
Rosa’s blood turned cold.
Sofia looked at her mother.
“Mama?”
Rosa forced calm into her voice.
“It’s okay.”
The driver glanced in the mirror.
“Give me the phone.”
“No.”
“Ms. Alvarez.”
Rosa stared at him.
“You know my name.”
“Phone.”
She slowly held it forward.
When he reached back, she dropped it beneath the seat.
The driver cursed.
Rosa screamed, “Sofia, unlock your door!”
The child grabbed the handle.
Nothing happened.
The driver accelerated.
Ten minutes later, the car entered an underground garage beneath an abandoned commercial building near the Hudson.
Charles Mercer waited.
Rosa stepped out holding Sofia tightly.
“You touch my daughter and I swear—”
“I have no interest in your daughter.”
Charles looked exhausted.
His perfect appearance had begun unraveling.
“What do you want?”
“Elena’s box.”
Rosa’s stomach tightened.
“You already know about it.”
“I’ve known for years.”
“You threatened my mother.”
“Yes.”
The admission was almost casual.
Sofia hid behind Rosa.
Charles continued.
“Elena was never supposed to preserve Margaret’s evidence.”
“She was trying to protect Julian.”
“She was protecting herself.”
Rosa’s anger rose.
“My mother spent her life afraid of you.”
“As she should have been.”
Rosa slapped him.
The sound echoed through the garage.
The driver stepped forward.
Charles raised a hand.
“No.”
He touched his cheek.
“You have your mother’s courage.”
“No. I have the courage she should never have needed.”
Charles looked at Sofia.
“Where is the box?”
“Safe.”
“Where?”
Rosa said nothing.
Charles nodded toward the driver.
The man moved toward Sofia.
Rosa stepped in front of her.
“Stop.”
“The box.”
“You said you wouldn’t hurt her.”
“I said I had no interest in her. Don’t create one.”
Sofia began crying.
Rosa’s mind raced.
The wooden box was still at Mercer House.
But the most important documents had been removed.
The cassette recorder was with Marcus’s secured evidence team.
Charles apparently did not know that.
“The box is in my apartment.”
Charles watched her face.
“Address?”
“You already know where I live.”
“I know the building. Where did you hide it?”
Rosa said the first thing that came to mind.
“Inside Sofia’s toy chest.”
Sofia looked up.
Rosa squeezed her hand.
A signal.
Their private signal.
When Sofia was younger and frightened during arguments with her father, Rosa had taught her that two squeezes meant: play along.
Sofia sniffed.
“That’s where Mama hides everything.”
Charles looked at the girl.
“You’ve seen it?”
Sofia nodded.
“It’s under Mr. Bunny.”
Rosa nearly cried with relief.
There was no Mr. Bunny in their apartment.
Charles didn’t know that.
He ordered the driver to take Rosa and Sofia upstairs into an office.
Then he made calls.
Rosa examined the room.
One door.
Two windows.
Third floor.
Fire escape outside.
The window was painted shut.
Sofia whispered, “Mama.”
Rosa crouched.
“You did so good.”
“Was I lying?”
“Yes.”
“Is lying bad?”
“Usually.”
“Not today?”
“Not today.”
Sofia looked serious.
“Okay.”
Rosa almost laughed despite everything.
Then Sofia reached into her dress pocket.
“I have this.”
She pulled out a tiny plastic bracelet.
Julian had given it to her before leaving for Portugal.
A children’s GPS tracker.
He had said it was for emergencies.
Rosa had forgotten.
“Did he turn it on?”
Sofia nodded.
“Mr. Julian said if I ever get lost, press the star three times.”
Rosa stared at the tiny button.
“Did you?”
“Before the car stopped.”
Rosa hugged her.
“You brilliant little girl.”
Across the Atlantic, Julian’s phone displayed the tracker signal.
Marcus had insisted on connecting Sofia’s device to Julian’s security network.
The coordinates led to a warehouse district on Manhattan’s west side.
Julian’s plane had barely landed when the location arrived.
Police mobilized.
Marcus coordinated from the airport.
Julian refused to remain behind.
“You’re a liability.”
“She whispered six words and saved Rosa’s life. I’m not sitting in a car while she needs me.”
Marcus knew arguing was pointless.
They reached the building shortly before midnight.
Police surrounded the block quietly.
Thermal imaging indicated several people inside.
Julian waited with Marcus near the command vehicle.
His phone rang.
Charles.
“Where are you?”
Julian controlled his breathing.
“New York.”
“That was fast.”
“What do you want?”
“Your mother’s recordings.”
“They’re not here.”
“Then get them.”
“Let Rosa and Sofia go first.”
Charles laughed.
“You’re negotiating emotionally. Your father would be disappointed.”
“My father doesn’t matter.”
“That’s not true.”
“What matters is that you still think money and fear make you powerful.”
“They made your family powerful for a century.”
“They destroyed my family.”
Silence.
Julian continued.
“You wanted the Mercer empire so badly you never noticed there was nothing inside it.”
Charles’s voice hardened.
“Bring me the tapes.”
“You’re not leaving that building.”
Charles ended the call.
Marcus looked at Julian.
“You got him talking long enough.”
“For what?”
“We confirmed his location.”
Police moved.
Inside the office, Rosa heard shouting below.
Then alarms.
Charles burst through the door.
“Move.”
He grabbed Rosa’s arm.
She fought him.
Sofia screamed.
Charles pulled out a pistol.
Everything stopped.
“I said move.”
Rosa stared at the weapon.
Charles’s hand shook.
He wasn’t calm anymore.
He was cornered.
That made him more dangerous.
They moved toward the stairwell.
Below, police shouted commands.
Charles dragged Rosa upward instead.
To the roof.
Cold wind hit them.
Manhattan lights surrounded the building.
Sofia clung to Rosa.
Charles looked over the edge.
No escape.
Then the roof door opened.
Julian stood there.
Marcus behind him.
Charles aimed the gun at Rosa.
Marcus raised his weapon.
“Drop it.”
Charles laughed.
“Everyone keeps telling me what to do.”
Julian stepped forward.
“Take me.”
Marcus hissed, “Julian.”
Charles stared.
“What?”
“You need leverage. I’m worth more.”
Rosa shook her head.
“No.”
Julian looked at Sofia.
The child was crying silently.
He remembered the blanket.
Please wake up. Mama needs help.
“I’m awake now,” he whispered.
Charles frowned.
Julian moved closer.
“Let them go.”
Charles pointed the gun at him.
“You think this makes you heroic?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
Julian looked at Rosa.
“Because some things are worth more than surviving alone.”
Charles’s face twisted.
“You sound like Margaret.”
“Good.”
Something inside Charles broke.
He raised the gun.
A shot exploded.
May you like
Rosa screamed.
Julian fell.
