Chapter 3 - THE FERRY TICKET
I didn’t ask questions.
When a man holding a gun tells you to move, you move.
I followed Luca through the massive, winding corridors of the estate, my heavy black shoes slipping on the polished marble. The alarms were blaring now, a piercing siren that echoed through the mansion.
“Why do you want me with you?” I gasped, struggling to keep up with his long, determined strides.
“Because you are the only person in this house who saw the truth tonight,” Luca said coldly, checking the magazine of his weapon as we walked. “My fiancée tried to drug me. My security team missed a perimeter breach. I don’t trust anyone on my payroll right now. But you? You risked your job to save my life. That means you don’t belong to them.”
We reached the security control room in the east wing.
Luca kicked the door open.
The room was bathed in the blue light of dozens of surveillance monitors. The two guards on duty were frantically typing at their consoles.
“Show me the south gates,” Luca commanded.
The head guard clicked a button. The largest screen shifted to a camera overlooking the main entrance.
A heavy delivery truck had rammed through the wrought-iron gates, its front end crumpled against a stone pillar. The driver’s side door was open.
“Where is the driver?” Luca demanded.
“He bailed before impact, sir,” the guard said, his voice shaking. “He left a package on the driver’s seat. It’s a message.”
Luca grabbed a two-way radio from the desk. “Team Three, approach the vehicle. Open the package. Tell me what’s inside.”
We watched the screen as three heavily armed guards cautiously approached the smoking truck. One of them reached inside the cabin and pulled out a small, dark object.
The radio crackled.
“Boss… it’s a coat.”
Luca’s jaw tightened. “What kind of coat?”
“It’s a heavy wool peacoat, sir. Navy blue. It’s covered in dried mud. And… there’s blood on the collar.”
I saw Luca’s free hand clench into a fist so tight his knuckles turned white.
“Matteo’s coat,” Luca whispered to himself.
His missing brother. The man the entire city believed was dead, or hiding in terror.
“Check the pockets,” Luca ordered into the radio.
A long pause. Then the guard’s voice returned, sounding deeply confused.
“There’s a ferry ticket in the pocket, Boss. For tonight. The midnight ferry to Blackwood Island.”
Luca frowned, the gears in his mind spinning rapidly.
But I stopped breathing entirely.
“Wait,” I said, stepping toward the console, my voice trembling. “Blackwood Island?”
Luca looked at me, noticing my sudden panic. “Yes. It’s an abandoned industrial island off the coast. Why?”
“Ask him what name is on the ticket,” I choked out, a cold sweat breaking out on my neck. “Ferry tickets to the private islands require a registered name. Ask him.”
Luca stared at me for a second, then pressed the button. “Read the name on the ticket.”
The radio hissed.
“It’s registered to a woman, sir. Carter. Evelyn Carter.”
The floor completely dropped out from beneath me.
My knees buckled. I grabbed the edge of the security console to keep myself from collapsing.
“Mia?” Luca asked, dropping the radio and catching my arm to steady me. “Who is Evelyn Carter?”
Tears spilled over my eyelashes.
“She’s my mother,” I sobbed, my chest heaving with a sudden, violent terror. “She’s sixty-five years old. She has advanced dementia. She’s in a lockdown care facility across town.”
The room went dead silent.
Luca looked at the monitors, then back to me. The puzzle pieces were rearranging themselves, painting a horrifying picture.
“Why would my missing brother have a ferry ticket with your mother’s name on it?” Luca asked softly.
“I don’t know!” I cried, pulling away from him. “I have to go. I have to call the facility!”
I dug my cheap cell phone out of my apron pocket. My fingers were shaking so badly I could barely unlock the screen. I hit the speed dial for the Oakwood Care Center.
It rang three times.
Finally, a nurse answered.
“Oakwood Care, this is Sarah.”
“Sarah, it’s Mia Carter,” I gasped. “My mother, Evelyn. Is she in her room? I need you to check right now.”
“Oh, Mia!” Sarah sounded relieved. “I’m so glad you called. We were just about to phone you. Your mother was discharged thirty minutes ago.”
“Discharged?!” I screamed, the panic taking over completely. “By who?! I’m her only emergency contact!”
“By her nephew, Mia,” Sarah said, sounding confused by my tone. “He had all the proper paperwork and your signature. He said you arranged for a private transfer.”
“I don’t have a nephew!” I cried. “What did he look like?!”
“Tall. Dark hair. He was wearing a navy blue peacoat.”
The phone slipped from my fingers, clattering against the hard tile floor.
He had her.
Matteo Moretti had kidnapped my mother.
Luca had heard every word. He stood perfectly still, his eyes dark and calculating.
He didn’t ask me if I was okay. He didn’t offer comfort.
He walked over to the weapon rack on the wall, pulled down a tactical vest, and threw it onto the desk.
“Your mother for my son,” Luca said, his voice dropping to a terrifying, lethal pitch. “It’s a trade. Matteo knows I won’t negotiate with a traitor. He took your mother to ensure you force my hand.”
May you like
He looked at me, loading a second magazine into his belt.
“Take your apron off, Mia. We’re going to the ferry.”
