Chapter 8 - THE MAN WHO CHOSE DIFFERENTLYElena threw herself behind a stack of shipping crates.
“What did he say?”
Adrian didn’t answer.
She grabbed his phone.
“Mom?”
Dominic laughed.
“Elena.”
Her knees almost buckled.
“Let me speak to her.”
“She’s alive.”
“Let me hear her.”
A pause.
Then a frightened voice.
“Elena?”
“Mom!”
“I’m okay, sweetheart.”
Elena covered her mouth.
Her mother, Sofia Marino, had been living under another name in Vermont for years.
Almost nobody knew where.
Dominic had known.
Of course he had.
“Mom, are you hurt?”
“No.”
A man shouted something.
The phone shifted.
Then Dominic returned.
“The flash drives for Sofia.”
Adrian said, “You know we made copies.”
“Then bring everything.”
“You don’t care about the copies.”
Dominic chuckled.
“You were always smarter than people thought.”
“What do you really want?”
“Elena.”
“No.”
Elena turned.
Adrian ignored her.
Dominic said, “Midnight. Pier 19.”
The line disconnected.
Elena faced Adrian.
“I’m going.”
“No.”
“She’s my mother.”
“And he’ll kill both of you.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I know Dominic.”
“Then help me.”
“I will.”
“No. Help me go.”
Adrian walked toward the door.
Elena blocked him.
“You don’t get to decide this.”
He stopped.
“You’re right.”
She blinked.
“That was easier than expected.”
“But you’re still not walking into that warehouse alone.”
“That isn’t what I—”
“We go together.”
“Adrian.”
He looked at her.
“Your father died because I thought protecting people made me weak.”
His voice lowered.
“I’m not making that mistake again.”
For the next eight hours, Adrian did something Elena never expected.
He contacted federal prosecutors.
Not corrupt cops.
Not hired killers.
Not rival criminals.
Federal investigators.
Luca looked uncomfortable.
“This could expose everything.”
Adrian nodded.
“Good.”
Elena stared at him.
“What does that mean?”
“It means Dominic is right about one thing.”
“What?”
“This destroys families.”
He looked around his office.
“Maybe some families should be destroyed.”
Adrian gave investigators copies of the financial evidence.
Records implicating Dominic, Salerno, and several public officials.
He also offered information about his own organization.
Luca pulled him aside.
“You know where this ends.”
“Yes.”
“Prison.”
“Possibly.”
Elena heard.
After Luca left, she confronted Adrian.
“You’re giving them evidence against yourself?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I can’t ask the law to punish Dominic while pretending I’m above it.”
She stared at him.
“You could lose everything.”
“Not everything.”
His eyes met hers.
She looked away first.
At 11:40 p.m., Adrian and Elena drove toward Pier 19.
Federal agents stayed several blocks away to avoid detection.
Elena wore a hidden transmitter.
Adrian carried the original key.
The flash drives in his case were duplicates.
“You’re scared,” Elena said.
“No.”
“You’re lying.”
“Yes.”
She looked at him.
Adrian smiled faintly.
“My reputation would suffer if that got out.”
“Terribly.”
The vehicle stopped.
Rain fell over the East River.
The warehouse ahead looked abandoned.
Adrian reached for the door.
Elena touched his sleeve.
He looked at her hand.
This time she didn’t pull away.
“If something happens—”
“Don’t.”
“You don’t know what I’m going to say.”
“Yes, I do.”
She swallowed.
Adrian continued.
“Your mother leaves safely.”
“And you?”
“I’ll improvise.”
“That’s not reassuring.”
“I’ve been told.”
She almost smiled.
Then they entered.
Dominic stood beneath a hanging light.
Sofia sat tied to a chair.
Nico Salerno stood beside her.
Elena immediately moved forward.
Adrian blocked her gently.
“The drives first,” Dominic said.
“My mother first,” Elena answered.
Dominic smiled.
“You sound exactly like Gabriel.”
“Good.”
“Your father got himself killed.”
Adrian’s voice hardened.
“You got him killed.”
Dominic shrugged.
“History is written by survivors.”
Elena looked around.
Eight armed men.
Possibly more hidden.
The transmitter beneath her blouse felt suddenly very small.
Dominic pointed toward Adrian’s case.
“Open it.”
Adrian did.
Three flash drives.
“Bring them.”
Adrian walked forward.
Nico searched him.
Then took the case.
Sofia looked at Elena.
“Sweetheart, don’t come closer.”
“I’m getting you out.”
“You were always stubborn.”
“From you.”
Sofia smiled through tears.
Dominic plugged one drive into a laptop.
He checked several files.
Satisfied, he nodded toward Sofia.
“Untie her.”
Nico didn’t move.
Dominic turned.
“Nico.”
Nico raised his gun.
But not toward Sofia.
Toward Dominic.
Everyone froze.
Nico smiled.
“Plans changed.”
Dominic stared.
“What are you doing?”
“What my father should’ve done years ago.”
Adrian immediately understood.
“Victor sent you.”
Nico nodded.
Dominic’s face twisted.
“You stupid boy.”
Nico laughed.
“You thought you were using the Salernos.”
He pointed his weapon at Dominic.
“My father says thank you for gathering all the evidence in one convenient location.”
Then Nico looked at Elena.
“And thank you for bringing the final witness.”
Elena’s blood ran cold.
Dominic finally realized it.
Nico intended to kill everyone.
Then destroy the warehouse.
He smiled.
“No witnesses.”
Adrian looked toward Elena.
One second.
That was all.
Then he shouted:
May you like
“DOWN!”
The warehouse erupted.
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