Chapter 6 - The Baby They Took
Sophie disappeared in less than four minutes.
No broken windows.
No forced doors.
Inside help.
Grace’s grief became fury.
Mia asked, “Where’s Sophie?”
I promised we would find her.
Again.
Security footage showed Sophie with a nurse named Claire six minutes before the cameras failed.
Claire’s identity was fake.
She had been planted months earlier.
Her burner phone led us to a warehouse in South Boston.
Agent Lane wanted Grace to remain behind.
Grace refused.
“If Sophie hears me, she’ll come to me.”
That mattered.
We went.
The warehouse was cold and dark.
Sophie’s crying echoed through the building.
Grace nearly ran toward it.
A speaker crackled.
Dominic’s voice.
“Roman.”
Cameras watched from the rafters.
“Where is Sophie?”
“Safe.”
Grace shouted, “Let me hear her!”
A baby cried through the speaker.
Grace broke.
Dominic demanded Mia in exchange.
The six-year-old had seen him handing Helen the envelope.
He wanted the witness.
“No.”
“One child for another.”
“No.”
We stalled while Lane’s tactical team moved.
Dominic finally stepped onto an upper catwalk.
Gun in hand.
He looked tired.
More frightened than powerful.
He said Antonio had forced him, as a teenager, to watch Lucia die.
He claimed that was the moment he learned what happened to disloyal family.
“So you became him,” I said.
His expression cracked.
Grace stepped forward.
“You took my baby.”
Dominic aimed at her.
I moved between them.
He laughed.
“The mighty Roman Duca standing in front of a housekeeper.”
I looked at Grace.
Then at him.
“No.”
“What?”
“Standing in front of family.”
Grace froze.
The word surprised me too.
Dominic hated it.
He fired.
The bullet struck the railing.
Agents moved.
Grace ran toward a side office.
Claire appeared holding Sophie.
She raised a gun.
Grace knocked it sideways.
A shot hit the ceiling.
I reached them.
Claire fled and was captured.
Grace took Sophie.
The baby screamed once.
Then recognized her mother and collapsed against her chest.
Dominic escaped through a loading tunnel.
But this time he left behind his laptop.
Accounts.
Contacts.
Names.
Evidence.
Enough to collapse everything.
At home, Mia ran to Sophie.
The girls clung to Grace.
I stayed at the doorway.
Mia looked at me.
“Mr. Duca?”
“Yes?”
“Come here.”
“Why?”
“Family hug.”
I almost said no.
Then I obeyed.
May you like
For the first time, my mansion held something more powerful than fear.
Safety.
