Chapter 16 - THE RESCUE|
The operation began just before sunrise.
Local officers secured the roads surrounding the property while Marco's team assisted with identifying the vehicles connected to Richard Bellini. Luca remained behind the perimeter until the lead officer confirmed that the building could be entered safely.
He hated every second of waiting.
Then a radio crackled.
“Child located. Conscious. Injured ankle. Medical team requested.”
Luca closed his eyes.
For a moment, he could not move.
Claire gripped his arm.
“She's alive.”
He nodded, struggling to breathe.
When officers escorted Sophie outside, she was wrapped in a gray blanket. Her face was pale, and she was trembling, but she immediately recognized her father.
“Daddy!”
Luca rushed forward and dropped to his knees.
Sophie threw her arms around him.
“I thought you wouldn't find me.”
He held her tightly.
“I will always look for you.”
She began sobbing.
“I didn't tell them anything. I promise.”
He pulled back enough to look at her.
“You don't have to promise me that. You don't have to protect me from adults who make bad choices.”
Sophie pressed her face against his shoulder.
“I'm sorry about the notebook.”
“Don't apologize.”
“I thought if I gave it to them, they would let me go.”
Luca closed his eyes.
“You did what you thought would keep you safe. None of this is your fault.”
A medic examined Sophie's ankle and confirmed that she needed further treatment but was stable. Claire stayed beside her during the transfer to the ambulance.
Luca followed.
At the hospital, Sophie received additional imaging and treatment. The doctor confirmed that the injury was a severe sprain, with no fracture, but warned that she would need several weeks of rest.
Luca sat beside her bed.
“Are you going to be angry with me?” Sophie asked.
He looked startled.
“Why would I be angry?”
“Because I gave them the notebook.”
He took her hand.
“Sophie, you are my daughter. You never have to earn my love by making the right decision under pressure. Adults are responsible for keeping you safe.”
She studied his face.
“Even when I make mistakes?”
“Especially then.”
She slowly relaxed against her pillow.
Later, an investigator informed Luca that Richard Bellini had been arrested at a nearby property. Two other men were also in custody. Daniel Price was not among them.
Vanessa had been located at a hotel and taken in for questioning. She had admitted providing information about the estate's security schedule but denied knowing that Sophie would be abducted.
Her exact involvement remained under investigation.
Luca listened without interrupting.
He was furious with Vanessa, but he understood that anger alone would not establish what she had done.
“What about Vincent?” he asked.
The investigator shook his head.
“We haven't located him. But we recovered several documents from the property that suggest he has been communicating with Richard.”
“Did you find the original agreement?”
“No. We found a copy, but the original appears to be somewhere else.”
Luca looked toward Sophie's hospital room.
“Then we keep looking.”
As the investigator left, Sophie reached for his hand.
“Daddy?”
“Yes, baby?”
“Can we go home now?”
He kissed her forehead.
“As soon as the doctors say you can.”
She nodded.
Then she whispered, “Can Miss Claire come with us?”
Luca looked toward Claire, who stood near the doorway.
“If she wants to.”
Claire smiled softly.
“I'll be there, sweetheart.”
For the first time in days, Sophie closed her eyes without looking toward the door.
But the investigation was far from over.
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Because Richard had been captured, yet Vincent remained free.
And the person who knew the most about Caroline's final days had disappeared again.
