Chapter 13 - The Woman Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
Denise smiled into Alessandro's phone.
"You people make this harder than it needs to be."
She pressed the gun against his temple.
I stared.
"You were under guard."
"Hospitals are full of doors nobody watches."
Alessandro's monitor beeped faster.
He looked furious, not afraid.
Denise said, "Bring the original ledger."
David shook his head.
"You don't have the boy."
"Not yet."
My hand flew toward Logan.
He was asleep in the next room with two armed Internal Affairs agents.
I ran anyway.
Safe.
For now.
When I returned, Denise had ended the call.
Vale sent coordinates.
Hospital parking structure.
Trade.
Ledger for Alessandro.
My mother said, "Don't go."
I looked at her.
"I thought you were dead for twelve years. You don't get to start with parenting advice now."
She almost smiled.
"Fair."
We went.
Not because the trade was real.
Because Internal Affairs needed Vale visible.
David carried a duplicate drive.
Nathan carried nothing.
I carried Logan's original newborn wristband in my pocket.
I did not know why.
Maybe I needed one thing from that time that had not been turned into evidence.
Vale appeared on level six.
Denise held Alessandro in a wheelchair.
A ridiculous image.
Baltimore's most feared man, furious under a hospital blanket.
Vale looked ordinary.
That bothered me.
Gray suit.
Neat hair.
The face that had signed my husband's death certificate.
"Catherine."
"Marcus."
"You've made a mess."
"My family seems to have that effect on your paperwork."
His eyes flickered.
David stepped out.
Vale smiled.
"Ghost."
David held up the drive.
"Release Romano."
Vale laughed.
"You still think he's separate from this."
Alessandro said, "Don't listen."
Vale continued.
"Ask him whose bloodline funded Phase II."
I looked at Alessandro.
He went still.
"What does that mean?"
Vale smiled at me.
"It means your son was never random."
Gunfire erupted below.
Vale's men turned.
Internal Affairs moved.
Denise shoved Alessandro aside and ran.
David tackled Vale.
I grabbed Alessandro's chair before it rolled into the ramp.
Vale hit David with something metal.
Nathan fired once into the ceiling.
Everybody froze.
"Enough!"
For one second, it worked.
Then Vale pulled a knife.
David caught his wrist.
They crashed against the concrete barrier.
I saw Vale's phone fall.
The screen was open.
A message thread.
DR. E. MORALES.
My obstetrician.
Latest message:
PATERNITY VERIFIED. ROMANO LINE.
I stopped breathing.
May you like
CUT.
