Chapter 3 - Six Words in the Dark
Daniel did not sleep that night.
Maria and Sofia remained at the estate.
Daniel insisted.
Maria resisted at first.
"I can take her home."
"No."
"Daniel—"
"Someone broke into your apartment and threatened you because of something your husband discovered. You're not walking out of these gates until I know who is looking for you."
Maria looked toward Sofia, who had fallen asleep on a sofa in the sitting room.
Daniel followed her gaze.
The pink bow was still in Sofia's hair, slightly crooked now. One small hand rested beneath her cheek.
"She shouldn't be here," Maria whispered.
"She's safer here tonight."
"You don't know that."
Daniel's eyes shifted back to her.
"Yes, I do."
Maria wanted to argue.
She didn't.
Daniel had rooms prepared for them on the second floor, far from his private office and the sections of the house where armed men frequently moved at strange hours.
Then he summoned his security chief.
Marcus Bell arrived shortly after midnight.
Marcus was fifty-one, broad-shouldered, gray at the temples, and one of the few men Daniel still allowed within arm's reach.
"Gabriel Torres," Daniel said.
Marcus frowned.
"The security coordinator?"
"You remember him?"
"Yeah. Died years ago."
"Supposedly."
Marcus's expression changed.
Daniel slid the threatening note across the desk.
"Find out everything."
Marcus read it.
"Where'd this come from?"
"Maria."
"The new house supervisor?"
"Gabriel's widow."
Marcus looked up sharply.
"You knew that?"
"No."
Marcus cursed quietly.
Daniel placed the brass key on the desk.
"Gabriel gave her this before he died."
"What does it open?"
"No idea."
Daniel leaned back.
"He also knew about Vincent."
Marcus went very still.
"When?"
"Before Vincent's betrayal was discovered."
"How long before?"
"Almost two years."
Marcus stared at him.
"That's impossible."
"Apparently not."
Daniel watched Marcus carefully.
Old habits.
Even now.
Even with a man he had trusted for years.
Especially with a man he trusted.
"Pull Gabriel's employment records. Phone logs if we still have them. Vehicle records. Security reports. Anything connected to the month before he died."
Marcus nodded.
Daniel continued.
"And nobody hears about this."
"Understood."
"Nobody."
Marcus met his eyes.
"You think Vincent had help?"
Daniel looked toward the dark window.
"I think Vincent may have been the help."
The next morning, Sofia appeared in the breakfast room wearing pajamas covered in tiny stars.
Daniel sat at the far end of the table drinking coffee.
Maria hurried after her.
"I'm sorry. She woke up before I—"
Sofia climbed into a chair.
"Do you have pancakes?"
Daniel looked at her.
Maria closed her eyes briefly in embarrassment.
"Sweetheart."
"What?"
"You can't just ask—"
"Yes," Daniel interrupted.
Maria turned toward him.
Daniel looked toward one of the kitchen staff.
"Pancakes."
Sofia smiled.
"With blueberries?"
The cook waited cautiously.
Daniel sighed.
"With blueberries."
Sofia leaned toward him.
"Do you like pancakes?"
"No."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"You should try them."
Daniel stared at her.
Across the room, Maria looked like she wanted the floor to open.
Twenty minutes later, Daniel had a pancake on his plate.
He blamed Sofia.
She watched him take one bite.
"Good?"
Daniel chewed.
"Acceptable."
Sofia beamed as though she had won a major negotiation.
Maria looked at Daniel.
For a second, their eyes met.
Something unspoken passed between them.
Then Daniel remembered Gabriel.
The warmth disappeared.
After breakfast, Marcus arrived with preliminary information.
They met privately.
"The accident report was wrong," Marcus said.
Daniel's expression hardened.
"How?"
"Gabriel's car supposedly lost control on a wet highway. But weather records show no rain that night."
Daniel said nothing.
Marcus continued.
"The police report also lists the wrong time for the emergency call."
"How wrong?"
"Forty-three minutes."
"That's not a typo."
"No."
"What else?"
Marcus placed several documents on the desk.
"Gabriel accessed warehouse security logs three days before he died."
"Which warehouse?"
"Pier 17."
Daniel stared at him.
Pier 17 had been one of Daniel's most important distribution properties at the time.
"What logs?"
"Camera records."
"For what?"
"One night. February fourteenth."
Daniel remembered that date.
A shipment had gone missing.
Three million dollars in merchandise.
Vincent had blamed a rival group.
Daniel had retaliated.
Two men were wounded during the retaliation.
One later died.
Marcus pointed at another page.
"Gabriel copied the footage."
"Where is it?"
"Missing."
Daniel leaned back.
"Who had access?"
"Gabriel. Vincent. Two supervisors. And me."
Daniel's gaze lifted slowly.
Marcus did not look away.
A lesser man might have become defensive.
Marcus simply said, "Ask whatever you need to ask."
Daniel appreciated that.
He still didn't trust it.
"Where were you the night Gabriel died?"
Marcus answered immediately.
"At my daughter's high school graduation dinner. Forty people saw me."
Daniel knew that was true.
He remembered sending a gift.
Marcus continued.
"One supervisor died five years ago. Heart attack."
"The other?"
"Anthony Rizzo."
Daniel frowned.
"Rizzo still works for us."
"Different division now. Queens."
Daniel's instincts sharpened.
"Bring him in."
"Quietly?"
"Very."
That afternoon, Daniel found Maria in the laundry room folding Sofia's clothes.
He stood in the doorway.
She looked up.
"What did you find?"
Daniel did not answer immediately.
"You knew Gabriel copied security footage."
Maria stopped folding.
"He mentioned footage."
"What did he say?"
"That he'd seen people meeting who shouldn't have been meeting."
"Names?"
"He wouldn't tell me."
Daniel stepped closer.
"Maria, I can't protect you from a secret you won't give me."
Her expression tightened.
"Protection from you isn't exactly the same as protection from a normal person."
Daniel almost smiled.
Almost.
"Fair."
Maria looked at him.
"My husband was afraid of your world."
"So are you."
"Yes."
"Yet you came here."
"I came here because the people looking for what Gabriel left were worse."
Daniel absorbed that.
Maria touched the small chain at her neck.
"Do you know what the key opens?"
"Not yet."
Daniel paused.
"Sofia's words last night."
Maria's face softened.
"She's said that since Gabriel died."
"Nobody should be alone."
"Yes."
Daniel looked away.
Maria studied him.
"She didn't mean to upset you."
"She didn't."
Maria raised an eyebrow.
Daniel exhaled.
"Fine. She did."
Maria's expression became gentle.
Daniel immediately disliked it.
"Don't."
"What?"
"Look at me like that."
"Like what?"
"Like you understand something."
Maria returned to folding clothes.
"I understand children."
"I'm not a child."
"No. You're much more difficult."
Daniel stared.
Maria froze.
Then, unexpectedly, Daniel laughed.
It was quiet.
Short.
Almost rusty.
But it was real.
Maria looked stunned.
Daniel's smile disappeared almost immediately.
Neither mentioned it.
That evening, Anthony Rizzo arrived.
He was fifty now, overweight, sweating before he even entered Daniel's office.
Daniel sat behind his desk.
Marcus stood near the wall.
Anthony swallowed.
"Boss."
"Sit."
He obeyed.
Daniel placed a photograph of Gabriel Torres in front of him.
Anthony's face changed.
Barely.
Daniel saw it.
"You knew Gabriel."
"We worked the same site."
"Did he ever talk to you about security footage?"
"No."
"Think carefully."
Anthony shook his head too quickly.
Daniel leaned back.
"I don't enjoy repeating questions."
Anthony wiped his forehead.
"I don't remember."
Marcus stepped forward.
Daniel raised one hand.
Marcus stopped.
Daniel spoke calmly.
"February fourteenth. Pier 17. Gabriel copied security footage. Three days later, he died."
Anthony's breathing accelerated.
Daniel watched him.
"Who was on the footage?"
"I don't know."
"Wrong answer."
"I swear."
Daniel opened a drawer.
Not for a gun.
For an old employee access report.
He placed it down.
"Your badge accessed the surveillance room ten minutes after Gabriel's."
Anthony's face drained of color.
Daniel's voice became softer.
That frightened people more than shouting.
"Who was on the footage?"
Anthony looked at Marcus.
Then at the door.
Then back at Daniel.
"You'll kill me."
"That depends."
"They'll kill me."
"Who?"
Anthony said nothing.
Daniel leaned forward.
"Vincent?"
Anthony's eyes flickered.
There.
Truth.
Daniel felt cold anger rise.
"Who was Vincent meeting?"
Anthony trembled.
"A federal investigator."
Daniel stared.
That wasn't what he expected.
"Name."
"I don't know."
"You're lying."
"I swear."
Anthony looked close to breaking.
"The man wasn't alone. There was someone else."
"Who?"
Anthony whispered, "Someone from inside your family."
Daniel's face became expressionless.
"My family?"
Anthony nodded.
"Blood?"
"I don't know."
"Then what do you mean?"
"A Hale."
Daniel's pulse slowed.
His father was dead.
His mother had been dead for decades.
He had one surviving uncle, Richard Hale.
Richard had helped raise Daniel after his mother's death.
He had also helped Daniel build his businesses.
Daniel trusted him more than almost anyone.
Anthony suddenly stood.
"I can't do this."
Marcus moved toward him.
Anthony backed away.
"Sit down."
"I need protection."
"You have it."
"No, you don't understand."
Daniel rose.
"Then explain."
Anthony opened his mouth.
A sharp crack broke through the window.
Anthony jerked backward.
Maria screamed somewhere down the hall.
Marcus pulled Daniel down behind the desk.
The room exploded into movement.
Guards shouted.
Glass shattered.
Anthony collapsed.
A single bullet had entered his chest.
Daniel stared at the blood spreading across the carpet.
Marcus reached for his radio.
"Sniper! Lock the estate down!"
Daniel's mind raced.
Someone had known Anthony was there.
Someone had known he was talking.
And that meant the enemy was not simply watching Daniel's organization.
They were watching Daniel's house.
His first thought was not about himself.
It was Sofia.
Daniel rose despite Marcus grabbing his arm.
"Where are Maria and the girl?"
"Boss—"
"Where are they?"
A guard's voice came over the radio.
"Second floor secure."
Daniel moved immediately.
When he reached Sofia's room, Maria was crouched beside the bed, holding her daughter tightly.
Sofia looked frightened.
Daniel stopped in the doorway.
Maria stared at him.
"What happened?"
Daniel looked at Sofia.
Then at Maria.
He had spent his entire life protecting himself.
Suddenly, that was no longer enough.
"Pack nothing," he said.
Maria stood.
"What?"
"We're moving you."
"Where?"
Daniel's expression hardened.
"Somewhere nobody in my organization knows exists."
Maria stared.
Daniel glanced back toward the hall.
Because Anthony Rizzo's death had proven something terrifying.
The betrayal Gabriel Torres discovered four years ago had never ended.
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And whoever had killed him had just fired a bullet through Daniel Hale's window to keep the same secret buried.
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