Chapter 6 - The Man Who Knew Danny
The cargo truck rumbled as Adrian kicked open the rear hatch.
The warehouse was an apocalyptic maze of white foam and dying gunfire.
Leo appeared through the mist, bleeding from a graze on his cheek.
"Boss! Secondary vehicle is running outside the south dock!"
"Leave the dead," Adrian ordered. "Sal's already gone."
"He slipped out during the foam discharge," Leo confirmed bitterly.
"We have what we need," Adrian said, pocketing the micro-film.
We moved through the shadows of the loading docks.
Rain washed the blood from our hands as we stepped into the alley.
A nondescript black sedan waited with its engine purring.
Leo drove.
Adrian sat in the back with me this time.
The city lights smeared across the rain-streaked glass.
I stared at the palm of my hand.
It was bruised.
Three hours ago, I was pouring decaf for elderly cab drivers.
Now, I had stabbed a man who pretended to care about me for three years.
My soul felt fractured.
"Drink this," Adrian said.
He handed me a silver flask.
I unscrewed the cap and took a massive swallow.
Bourbon burned my throat like liquid fire.
It stopped the violent trembling in my jaw.
"Where are we going?" I asked hoarsely.
"A safe house in Red Hook," Adrian replied.
"Nobody knows about it."
"Not even your family?"
"Especially not my family," Adrian said darkly.
He turned toward me.
His fingers reached out and gently touched my chin.
He turned my face toward the dim interior light.
He examined the small cut on my cheekbone.
"You didn't hesitate up there," he murmured.
"He tried to kill you," I said simply.
"He tried to kill you first."
"I was defending myself."
"Most people freeze, Emily. You fought."
"Danny taught me," I pulled my face away from his touch.
"Tell me about him," I demanded.
"Tell me the truth. Not the mob story. Who was my brother to you?"
Adrian leaned back against the headrest, looking out at the passing harbor
cranes.
"When I took over the Moretti operations four years ago, my uncle ran the
docks," Adrian began.
"My uncle was corrupt. Greedy. Reckless."
"He brought in shipments that violated our code. Narcotics. Human trafficking."
"I wanted him out."
"Danny was the only port auditor who couldn't be bought."
"My uncle offered him two hundred thousand dollars to look the other way."
"Danny turned it down."
Adrian's voice held genuine respect.
"My uncle sent three men to break Danny's legs."
"I intercepted them."
"I met Danny that night in an empty diner on 8th Avenue."
A faint chill touched my spine.
"The Blue Anchor?" I asked.
"Yes," Adrian nodded.
"Danny sat in booth twelve. The same booth I sat in tonight."
"We made a pact."
"Danny would document every illegal container coming through dock 42."
"He would give me the ledgers so I could systematically purge my family’s
corrupt factions."
"And what did Danny get in return?" I asked, tears burning my eyes.
"Protection," Adrian replied softly.
"A guarantee that once the syndicate was dismantled, you and Danny would be
given new identities in Europe."
"Ten million dollars in clean, untraceable bonds."
"A life where neither of you ever had to look over your shoulder again."
I choked back a sob.
"He did it for me."
"Everything he did was for you, Emily," Adrian said.
"He kept you in the dark because he knew that ignorance was your only shield."
"If you didn't know the names, nobody could interrogate you."
"Then why didn't the plan work?"
Adrian's fist clenched so tightly his knuckles turned gray.
"Because someone sold us out thirty-six hours before the purge."
"The night Danny died, he was supposed to meet me at Pier 9."
"He never arrived."
"When I got to the docks, Danny was already dead."
"And the ledger was gone."
Adrian looked down at the tiny cylinder of micro-film between his thumb and
forefinger.
"Until tonight."
The car slowed, turning into a concealed underground garage beneath a renovated
brick warehouse in Red Hook.
The heavy steel gate rolled down behind us.
May you like
Safe.
At least for a few hours.
