Chapter 3 - My Godfather’s Secret
Gabriel Navarro had taught me how to shoot.
He had also taught me how to bury fear so deeply that nobody could smell it.
Now he had Sofia and Isabella.
“Track the sedan,” I ordered.
Diego shook his head.
“It disappears two blocks away.”
“How?”
“Traffic camera blackout.”
Victor gave a humorless laugh.
“Convenient.”
I stared at Gabriel’s frozen image on the monitor.
Sixty-three years old.
Gray hair.
Expensive suit.
Calm smile.
The man looked exactly as I remembered him.
Which suddenly made every memory feel contaminated.
“Call him.”
Victor hesitated.
“You sure?”
“Yes.”
Gabriel answered on the second ring.
“Ramon.”
“You have them.”
A pause.
Then a sigh.
“I was wondering how long it would take you.”
“Bring them back.”
“They are safer with me.”
“You hung Isabella from a tree.”
“No.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I expect you to become smarter than your father.”
My hand tightened around the phone.
“Careful.”
“There he is,” Gabriel said softly. “Alejandro’s temper.”
“Where is Sofia?”
“Sleeping.”
“If you touch her—”
“I would never harm a child.”
“You kidnapped one.”
“I rescued two.”
“From me?”
“From whoever attacked them.”
“You expect me to believe you just happened to appear outside my property?”
“No. I received Isabella’s message.”
I frowned.
“What message?”
“Ask yourself why she left willingly.”
Victor watched me.
“Put Isabella on.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“She doesn’t want to speak to you.”
“Gabriel.”
“She is afraid of you.”
“That’s a lie.”
“Is it?”
He paused.
“You carry the Ortega name, Ramon. She has spent her entire life running from it.”
“Then why did she send Sofia toward my convoy?”
Silence.
That was the first time I heard hesitation.
I leaned forward.
“You didn’t know that part.”
Gabriel recovered.
“Bring me the leather case.”
“No.”
“Then this conversation is finished.”
“You’re going to regret threatening me.”
“I’m trying to save you.”
The call ended.
Victor immediately said, “He’s lying.”
“About what?”
“Most of it.”
I looked toward Diego.
“Trace?”
“Burner bouncing through three towers.”
I paced once.
Then Matteo entered.
“We found something in Isabella’s hospital room.”
He handed me a folded piece of paper.
It had been hidden beneath the mattress.
Three words.
ST. MICHAEL’S. MIDNIGHT. ALONE.
Victor read it.
“No.”
“She left it for me.”
“Or Gabriel left it for you.”
“The handwriting is hers.”
“How would you know?”
I had seen Isabella fill out medical forms.
“I know.”
Victor grabbed my arm.
“You are not going alone.”
“She asked me to.”
“She’s been tortured. Kidnapped. Possibly manipulated.”
“Exactly.”
“Ramon—”
“If someone is watching her, arriving with ten armed men gets her killed.”
Victor stared at me.
“You sound like your father.”
“Maybe that isn’t entirely bad.”
At 11:58 p.m., I entered St. Michael’s Church alone.
The building had been abandoned for twelve years.
Dust covered the pews.
Moonlight spilled through broken stained glass.
“Isabella?”
Nothing.
I walked toward the altar.
A candle flickered.
Then a small voice came from behind a confessional.
“Ramon?”
Sofia stepped out.
I crossed the distance in three strides and crouched.
“Are you hurt?”
She shook her head.
“Where is your mother?”
“She told me to wait.”
“Where?”
“She said she had to talk to someone.”
“Gabriel?”
Sofia’s face changed.
“He said his name was Gabriel.”
“What did he tell you?”
“That you killed people.”
Children have a way of asking questions adults spend years avoiding.
“Have you?”
“Yes.”
She swallowed.
“Bad people?”
“Sometimes.”
“And other times?”
I looked at her.
“Yes.”
She stared at the floor.
“Mom says people can change.”
“Your mother sounds smarter than me.”
Sofia finally looked up.
“Are you going to hurt Gabriel?”
“I’m going to get your mother back.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
I almost smiled.
“No. Not unless I have to.”
Then a door slammed behind us.
I stood.
Isabella stumbled into the church.
“Ramon!”
I moved toward her.
She looked terrified.
“Get Sofia out!”
“What happened?”
“He followed me.”
“Who?”
A gunshot shattered a stained-glass window.
I dragged Isabella behind a stone column.
Sofia screamed.
“Down!”
Another shot.
Then another.
Different angles.
More than one shooter.
Isabella grabbed my shirt.
“It’s not Gabriel!”
“What?”
“He didn’t take us from your house. I called him.”
“Why?”
“Because I thought you were being watched.”
“You were.”
“No, Ramon.”
She stared at me.
“You’re still being watched.”
The church door opened.
Gabriel entered with two armed men.
I raised my weapon.
He raised both hands.
“If I wanted you dead, you’d already be dead.”
A shot hit the wall beside him.
Gabriel dove behind a pew.
“Now would be an excellent time to reconsider!”
I almost laughed despite myself.
“Who are they?”
Gabriel shouted back.
“Ask your best friend!”
Victor.
My stomach dropped.
“That’s impossible.”
“Is it?”
Isabella grabbed my arm.
“Ramon, I found the original route information.”
“What about it?”
“The leak didn’t come from your office.”
“Where?”
“Victor’s encrypted phone.”
The church suddenly felt colder.
“No.”
Gabriel crawled toward us.
“I warned your father about him.”
“Victor was eighteen when my father died.”
“Not Victor.”
Gabriel looked at me.
“His father.”
“What?”
“Salazar.”
The surname hit me.
Victor Salazar.
His father, Tomas Salazar, had worked security for my family.
Until my mother died.
Then Tomas disappeared.
Gabriel’s voice hardened.
“Tomas arranged your mother’s murder.”
“And Victor?”
“I don’t know.”
A phone rang.
Mine.
Victor.
All three adults stared at it.
I answered.
“Where are you?” he asked.
“Home.”
Silence.
Then Victor said:
“Ramon, don’t lie to me.”
Every hair on my arms rose.
Behind us, one of Gabriel’s men whispered, “Movement.”
Victor continued.
“You went to St. Michael’s.”
I slowly looked at Isabella.
Victor knew.
“Who told you?”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does.”
Another pause.
Then Victor’s voice changed.
The warmth disappeared.
“I gave you every chance to leave this buried.”
My hand tightened around the phone.
“Victor.”
May you like
“I really wish you had.”
The church doors exploded inward.
