Chapter 10 - THE TRAITOR SITTING AT DANTE'S TABLE
Dante called Mateo.
No answer.
Again.
Nothing.
His expression became frighteningly calm.
Talia knew that kind of calm.
It was the moment before violence.
“Where would he take Noah?”
Dante was already moving.
“My family owns an old warehouse in Red Hook.”
Vincent shook his head.
“Too obvious.”
Dante stopped.
“Mateo believes I still trust him.”
“Do you?”
“No.”
“Does he know that?”
Dante understood.
“Not yet.”
They used that.
Dante texted Mateo one sentence.
FOUND THE SECOND LEDGER. MEET ME AT PIER 19.
Three dots appeared immediately.
Then:
COME ALONE.
Dante almost smiled.
Vincent said, “He took the bait.”
Talia checked her weapon.
“No. We did.”
Pier 19 was dark except for sodium lights reflecting on the East River.
Dante arrived visibly alone.
Talia and Vincent approached from opposite sides.
Mateo stepped from behind a shipping container.
No Noah.
“You found it?” Mateo asked.
Dante held up the flash drive.
“Half.”
Mateo’s expression changed.
“So Vincent really kept it.”
Dante’s voice was flat.
“You sold my father out.”
Mateo laughed.
“Your father was dying anyway.”
“You sold Talia’s location.”
“I sold everyone’s location.”
Talia stepped from the darkness.
Mateo spun.
She hit him before he could raise his gun.
He crashed against the container.
Dante disarmed him.
“Where’s Noah?”
Mateo spat blood onto the pavement.
“Cross has him.”
“You just signed your death warrant.”
“No.”
Mateo smiled.
“I bought my future.”
A spotlight snapped on.
Then another.
Dozens of armed men appeared above the containers.
Lucian Cross’s voice echoed from a speaker.
“Actually, Mateo, you bought five minutes.”
Mateo’s smile vanished.
Gunfire erupted.
Talia dove behind cover.
Vincent returned fire.
Dante pulled Mateo with him because he still needed answers.
Through the chaos, Talia’s phone buzzed.
A location pin.
Sent from Noah’s number.
Then a message.
TALIA, DON’T TRUST THE WAREHOUSE LOCATION.
She stared at the second line.
I HID A TRACKER IN MY CRUTCH.
A live signal appeared.
Noah was not at the warehouse.
May you like
He was moving toward Manhattan.
And his destination was Belluno’s.
