Chapter 6 - The Night Lily Was Taken
Lily disappeared from the safe house at 3:18 a.m.
No broken doors.
No alarms.
Ava woke because rabbit was on floor.
Empty bed.
She screamed Luca’s name so loudly two guards ran from opposite ends.
Window closed.
Cameras looped for nine minutes.
Professional.
Inside.
Again.
Luca arrived from next room.
Ava struck him.
Hard.
“You said safe.”
He accepted it.
“You said—”
“I know.”
“My baby!”
“I know.”
“No, you don't!”
She hit his chest again.
Then collapsed.
Luca caught her.
Not romance.
Grief.
Terror.
“I’ll find her.”
Ava pulled away.
“Don't promise what you can't control.”
Correct.
He changed.
“We will use everything we have.”
Better.
On Lily’s pillow:
rabbit.
A phone.
It rang.
Luca answered.
“Hello, Uncle.”
Male voice.
Young.
Not familiar.
“Who is this?”
“Someone Nico should have killed.”
“Lily.”
“Safe.”
“Let me hear.”
A pause.
Then Lily crying.
“Uncle Luca?”
His chest broke.
“I’m here, sweetheart.”
“Want Mama.”
“I know.”
Voice returned.
“Bring Cassandra.”
Ava stared.
“What?”
“Cassandra for Lily.”
Cassandra heard through speaker.
“No.”
Everyone looked at her.
Not refusal from fear.
Recognition.
“You know voice,” Luca said.
“Yes.”
“Who?”
She whispered:
“Daniel Costa.”
Former assistant.
Missing years.
“Why you?”
Cassandra looked sick.
“Because he loved Lucia.”
Luca froze.
His wife.
“What?”
“Before you.”
Cassandra explained.
Daniel and Lucia dated in college.
Ended.
Years later Daniel joined Moretti organization.
Watched Lucia marry Luca.
Resentment grew.
When Lucia discovered laundering, she confided in Daniel.
He encouraged investigation.
Then manipulated it.
“He hated Maria.”
“Why?”
“Maria forced Lucia to leave him years earlier.”
Luca felt old family poison again.
Daniel built network around Maria’s desire to restore old power.
He fed her selective information.
Used Anthony approvals.
Cloned Mateo credentials.
Moved drugs and weapons beyond what Maria knew.
Nico discovered.
Lucia discovered.
Both threatened Daniel.
“Did he kill Lucia?”
“No.”
Cancer.
Thank God.
“But he blamed your family for her death.”
“How?”
“Stress. Treatment decisions. Everything.”
Not rational.
Grief rarely is.
“Did he kill Maria?”
“I think.”
“Where is Nico?”
Cassandra started crying.
“I saw him.”
Silence.
“When?”
“After Maria died.”
Luca’s knees nearly gave.
“Where?”
“Daniel had him.”
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Two years ago.”
“Why didn't you tell me?”
“I was afraid.”
The answer now sounded obscene.
“Where?”
“Warehouse in Quebec.”
Nico had been held, interrogated for accounts/passwords/evidence.
Daniel wanted files.
Cassandra saw him once because Daniel forced her to help move money.
“Did Nico escape?”
“I don't know.”
“Was he alive when you left?”
“Yes.”
Ava whispered:
“He could still be alive.”
Maybe.
Luca refused hope without evidence.
But he felt it anyway.
They negotiated.
Daniel wanted Cassandra because she knew where Lucia’s duplicate evidence was.
Not her person.
Information.
So Cassandra volunteered to go.
Anthony objected.
She turned.
“You spent years protecting me from consequences.”
He stopped.
“I’m done letting people do that.”
She would cooperate with police.
Controlled exchange.
Tracking.
No secret mob rescue.
Daniel specified abandoned textile mill outside Lowell.
At midnight.
Luca went with federal tactical team because kidnapping now law-enforcement matter.
He hated not controlling operation.
Good.
Ava stayed command vehicle.
Also hated.
Necessary.
Cassandra entered mill with tracker hidden.
Daniel appeared.
Older now.
Lean.
Scar.
He had Lily in arms.
Not hurting her.
She clutched yellow coat around herself.
“Cass.”
“Give her to me.”
“Evidence first.”
“I don't have it.”
His expression changed.
“You lied.”
“Yes.”
Progress.
Lily saw Luca through broken window? He had moved too visible.
“Uncle!”
Daniel turned.
Gun appeared.
Everything accelerated.
Luca entered hands visible.
“Don't.”
Daniel held Lily tighter.
“She’s why Nico ruined everything.”
“No.”
“She’s why he chose betrayal.”
“No.”
Luca kept voice calm.
“He chose his daughter.”
Daniel laughed.
“Same thing.”
There.
Core poison.
Family equaled obedience.
Nico chose child over criminal structure.
Daniel called betrayal.
Luca said:
“Give her to me.”
“What do I get?”
“A chance to walk into courtroom alive.”
Daniel smiled.
“You changed.”
“Yes.”
“Lucia would hate what you became.”
Maybe.
Luca replied:
“Lucia hated what I was.”
That stopped Daniel.
He had worshiped memory.
Luca accepted truth.
“Did you kill Maria?”
“Yes.”
“Gavin?”
“No. Salvatore’s men.”
“Nico?”
Silence.
Ava heard through audio.
Everyone waited.
Daniel smiled.
“No.”
Luca’s heartbeat stopped.
“Where is he?”
“Closer than you think.”
Then Lily bit Daniel’s hand.
Hard.
He swore.
She dropped.
Luca lunged.
Tactical team moved.
Daniel fired upward as Luca grabbed Lily and rolled behind machinery.
No one hit.
Daniel arrested after brief struggle.
Alive.
Luca held Lily.
She sobbed into his neck.
“I want Mama.”
“She’s coming.”
He carried her outside.
Ava ran.
Took child.
Collapsed to knees.
Luca stepped back.
Let them have each other.
Then Daniel, handcuffed, was brought past.
Ava stood.
“Where is Nico?”
He looked at her.
Then Lily.
Something almost human crossed his face.
“St. Gabriel’s.”
“What is that?”
“Rehabilitation hospital.”
“Where?”
“Maine.”
Luca grabbed officer’s attention.
Daniel continued:
“He survived.”
May you like
Ava stopped breathing.
“But he doesn't remember who he is.”
