Chapter 12 - THE FORTY-THREE PEOPLE ON THE LIST
Forty-three names.
That was how many people Bellini could potentially kill from a distance if the devices functioned as Sophia described.
The federal government took control immediately.
Hospitals were alerted quietly.
People were located and brought in under emergency medical supervision.
No one told them the entire story until doctors confirmed the devices.
Some had none.
Some devices had failed years ago.
Seventeen remained active.
Mine was one of them.
So was Luca’s.
We sat in neighboring hospital rooms awaiting removal.
He looked through the open connecting door.
“This is romantic.”
I glared.
“Do not make our illegal implanted devices romantic.”
“I’m injured and anxious.”
“You’re impossible.”
His expression softened.
“Emily.”
“What?”
“About last night.”
“The fake sibling nightmare?”
“Yes.”
“We never speak of it again.”
“Agreed.”
Silence.
Then:
“And before that?”
I knew what he meant.
The cheek kiss.
The hallway.
His hand against the wall.
I looked down.
“I don’t know.”
“That’s acceptable.”
“You almost kissed me.”
“Yes.”
“You wanted to.”
“Yes.”
He never hid behind ambiguity.
I appreciated that.
“But you didn’t.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because wanting something does not make it mine.”
My throat tightened.
That answer mattered more than any expensive rescue could.
The surgeons removed both devices successfully.
Sophia’s master key prevented activation.
By afternoon, all seventeen active devices had been disabled.
Forty-three people were safe.
Then the investigation changed.
Bellini contacted federal authorities himself.
He offered to surrender.
Condition:
Marina DeLuca came alone.
Mom laughed when she heard it.
“No.”
I stared.
“You’re not considering it?”
“Absolutely not.”
Growth apparently existed outside the Rossi family too.
Bellini then sent an audio recording.
My father’s voice.
Daniel Hale.
Recorded fourteen years ago.
Mom nearly collapsed.
Bellini had audio from the night Daniel died.
In it, Daniel said:
“Paolo, Marina knows everything.”
Bellini answered:
“Then she dies too.”
A third voice interrupted.
Vittorio Rossi.
“If you touch her or the child, I’ll bury every person involved.”
Luca closed his eyes.
His father had been there.
The recording ended with Daniel shouting.
Then an explosion.
Mom cried.
For fourteen years, she believed Vittorio arrived too late.
Maybe not.
Then Bellini sent another recording.
This one dated two days after Daniel’s death.
Vittorio spoke:
“Daniel survived the explosion.”
I stopped breathing.
Mom stared.
“What?”
The recording continued.
“But he cannot stay in New York. If Marina knows he is alive, Bellini will use her to find him.”
My father had survived.
Mom had not known.
Neither had I.
May you like
Then Bellini’s message appeared.
DANIEL HALE IS STILL ALIVE.
