Chapter 3 - Dominic's hand covered Sadie's mouth before she could gasp.They stayed perfectly still.
The woman walked farther into the records room.
She wore a long black coat.
No umbrella.
No visible weapon.
That frightened Dominic more than a gun would have.
People who carried weapons wanted you to see them.
People who didn't often had already decided how the night would end.
The woman placed Sadie's photograph on the desk.
“Sadie Bennett,” she said softly.
“You have no idea who you are.”
Sadie's heart hammered.
Dominic leaned closer.
The woman continued.
“Your father did.”
She paused.
“Unfortunately, he's dead.”
Sadie's eyes widened.
Dominic stiffened.
Her father had died when she was seven.
A car accident.
At least that's what she'd been told.
The woman pulled another photograph from her coat.
A younger Dominic appeared in it.
Standing beside a man who looked remarkably like Sadie.
Sadie's breath caught.
Dominic stared.
“I know him,” he whispered.
The woman heard.
She turned.
“Come out, Dominic.”
Silence.
“You were always terrible at hiding.”
Dominic stepped into view.
He aimed his revolver.
The woman smiled.
“You're late.”
“You're dead.”
“I get that a lot.”
“Who sent you?”
“Same person who sent the giant.”
“Why Sadie?”
“Because your family buried the truth.”
Sadie stepped out.
“Who was my father?”
The woman looked at her.
“You should ask Dominic.”
Sadie turned.
“Dominic?”
He remained silent.
Her voice cracked.
“Did you know him?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
Dominic lowered the gun slightly.
“He worked for my father.”
“What did he do?”
“Everything.”
The woman laughed quietly.
“He did more than work for them.”
She placed a file on the table.
“Your father was the reason Dominic's brother died.”
Dominic's jaw tightened.
“That isn't true.”
“You don't believe that.”
“No.”
“You spent twenty years believing it.”
Dominic looked at Sadie.
“Your father was blamed for a warehouse fire in 2001.”
Sadie shook her head.
“My father was a mechanic.”
“That was the cover.”
“He died in a car crash.”
“That was the official story.”
Sadie's face went numb.
The woman leaned closer.
“Your father was preparing to expose the Russo organization.”
Dominic's eyes hardened.
“Who are you?”
“My name is Elena Voss.”
“Voss.”
The name hit him.
Dominic remembered.
A child.
A hostage.
A woman who vanished.
Elena smiled.
“Now you remember.”
“You were twelve.”
“Twenty-seven years ago.”
“You shouldn't be alive.”
“Neither should you.”
A gunshot tore through the window.
Elena dropped.
Dominic dragged Sadie to the floor.
Glass exploded across the room.
Someone fired again.
Elena crawled behind a desk.
“Sniper!” Dominic shouted.
He fired toward the window.
Nothing.
Then every light in the building came on.
A voice echoed through the speaker system.
“Dominic.”
Dominic froze.
He knew the voice.
No.
It was impossible.
The voice continued.
“You took everything from me.”
Sadie looked at him.
“Who is that?”
Dominic didn't answer.
The voice laughed.
“I waited twenty years for you.”
Dominic's face went pale.
“You're dead.”
The voice replied:
“So was your brother.”
The speaker crackled.
Then came the final sentence.
“And yet here we are.”
The building's fire alarms started screaming.
Elena stood.
“Run!”
Dominic grabbed Sadie's hand.
They raced through the corridor.
Smoke began pouring from the ceiling.
“What's happening?”
“They're burning the building.”
Sadie coughed.
They reached the exit.
A figure stood outside in the rain.
Huge.
Broad.
Impossible to mistake.
The giant from the restaurant.
He was alive.
His leg dragged behind him.
Blood streamed from his forehead.
But he was smiling.
Dominic raised his revolver.
The giant looked past him.
Straight at Sadie.
Then he spoke.
May you like
“Your father asked me to protect you.”
Sadie stopped breathing.
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