Chapter 7 - Whispers In The Warehouse
The safe house was sparse.
Reinforced steel doors.
Bullet-resistant window film.
A kitchen with industrial appliances and a wall of tactical gear.
Adrian led me to a bathroom.
He set clean towels and a fresh first-aid kit on the marble counter.
"Clean the cut," he said. "I'll have Leo bring clean clothes."
"Adrian," I stopped him at the doorway.
He turned.
"Who in your family knew about the warehouse tonight?"
His eyes grew colder than ice.
"Only three people," he said.
"My cousin Vincent."
"My uncle's former consigliere, Carlo."
"And my younger brother, Julian."
My breath hitched.
"Your brother?"
"Julian manages the distribution lines," Adrian said quietly.
"He always thought I was too soft on the port authorities."
"He wanted an alliance with Sal Castiglione two years ago."
"I forbade it."
Adrian didn't say another word.
He closed the bathroom door.
I stared at myself in the mirror.
My face was streaked with soot and dried blood.
I washed the dirt away with scalding water.
I disinfected the cut on my cheek.
The sting grounded me.
When I stepped out into the living area, Adrian was seated at a desk.
A high-resolution optical scanner was plugged into an encrypted laptop.
He had developed the micro-film.
On the screen were dozens of high-contrast black-and-white documents.
Shipping manifests.
Bank wire routing numbers.
Signatures.
I walked over and stood beside his chair.
"Is that the ledger?" I asked.
"It's better than a ledger," Adrian said.
"It's a signed contract."
He zoomed in on the bottom of a scanned bill of lading.
Two signatures sat side by side beneath a transfer of twenty-five million
dollars in illicit port revenue.
The first signature was Sal Castiglione.
The second signature was elegant, looped, and distinct.
Julian Moretti.
Adrian stared at his brother’s signature for an eternity.
He didn't scream.
He didn't slam his fist.
The silence that rolled off him was ten times more terrifying than rage.
"Julian," Adrian whispered.
"He sold Danny to Sal," I said, the rage rising inside me like bile.
"Julian traded Danny's life for Sal’s distribution routes," Adrian confirmed.
"And tonight, Julian told Sal where to find me."
Leo stepped into the room, holding an encrypted satellite phone.
"Boss," Leo said cautiously.
"Speak," Adrian commanded without looking up.
"Julian just called the main office."
"He claims he heard about the explosion at the terminal."
"He says he's on his way here to offer reinforcements."
Adrian slowly closed the laptop screen.
"How long until he arrives?"
"Ten minutes, Boss."
Adrian stood up.
He walked over to the weapons locker.
He reached inside and pulled out a fresh, gleaming black automatic pistol.
May you like
He slid a magazine home with a hollow click.
"Let him come," Adrian said.
