Chapter 84 The Signal in the Dark

Chapter 84 The Signal in the Dark
Luca sat at the small table in the Airbnb, his eyes fixed on Valeria’s laptop. The room was silent except for the hum of the computer. Suddenly, his phone vibrated on the table, and the screen showed a number he didn’t know. 
He frowned. 
Usually, he ignored unknown calls, especially now. But something felt different. His gut twisted. He swiped the screen and put the phone to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Luca?" A sobbing, broken voice came through the line. "Luca, is that you?"
Luca went stiff. His heart skipped a beat. "Isabella? Bella, is that you?"
"Luca! I’m out. I got out!" She was crying so hard she could barely speak. Her words came out in a fast, messy rush. "I’m on a road... I don’t know where. A man stopped. He let me use his phone. Luca, please come get me."
"Stay calm, Bella," he said, his voice shaking with relief. He hit the speaker button so Valeria could hear. "Stay exactly where you are. Look around you. Do you see any signs? Any buildings? Tell me what you see."
"It’s dark," Isabella wheezed. "There’s a big sign for a gas station... it says ‘Miller’s.’ And I can see the highway bridge from here. I’m near the north exit."
Luca grabbed a pen and wrote it down. "I’ve got it. I’m sending a car right now. You are safe, Bella. Do you hear me? You are safe."
"Luca, they have Alexander," she cried. "I heard the guards. Lorenzo has him in a warehouse outside the city. He’s hurting him, Luca. You have to find him. Please, you have to save him."
"We will, Isabella. I promise. Just stay with that man until my driver gets there. Don't move."
He ended the call and looked at Valeria. Her face was pale. Without a word, she grabbed her own phone and dialed her brother.
Vincent Harrington answered on the second ring. "What now, Valeria? I’m in the middle of something."
"Get to the Airbnb. Now," Luca said, leaning over the phone. "We have Isabella. And we know where Alexander is."
Twenty minutes later, the door to the Airbnb nearly flew off its hinges. Vincent walked in, his face a mask of rage. He didn't look at the small room or the cheap furniture. He looked straight at Luca.
"Talk," Vincent commanded.
Luca didn't waste time. He told Vincent everything. He talked about the secret meetings between Lorenzo and Bianca. He explained the plan to steal the Damiano wealth and the fake pregnancy. He told him how Lorenzo had locked Isabella away and kidnapped Alexander.
"Lorenzo is working with Dorian Vane," Luca said. "They have Alexander in a warehouse on the outskirts. My sister heard them talking about it. Valeria has all the proof—bank records, texts, everything."
Vincent stood still. He didn't move a muscle. The silence in the room felt heavy and dangerous. When he finally spoke, his voice was like a blade of ice.
"I don't care about your family business," he said plainly. "I don't care about your money or your father’s empire."
He stepped closer to Luca, his eyes glowing with rage. "But no one kidnaps my Consigliere. No one touches my people and keeps breathing."
"We need a plan," Valeria said, stepping between them. "We can't just run in there."
"I have a plan," Vincent snapped. "I’m going to find that warehouse, and I’m going to burn it down with everyone inside except Alexander. Luca, send every bit of evidence you have to my phone. I want to know exactly who we are killing."
"I’ll send it now," Valeria said.
Vincent looked at Luca. "Where is your sister?"
"She’s at a gas station near the north exit. I sent my most trusted driver to get her. He’s bringing her here."
"Good," Vincent said. "Once she’s safe, we move. I’m going to mobilize my men. We’ll find that warehouse before the sun comes up."

Lorenzo sat in his office at the estate, feeling satisfied. He had spent the last few hours practicing his speech. He knew exactly how to look Salvatore in the eye and lie to him one last time.

He looked at the revised merger papers. They were clean. No one would suspect a thing until it was far too late. He hadn't checked on Isabella in over twenty-four hours. In his mind, she was still sitting on the floor of her room, broken and silent. He didn't think she had the strength to even stand up, let alone escape.
He picked up his desk phone and called his assistant.
"Schedule a meeting for tomorrow morning," he said. "Tell Salvatore and Luca it’s urgent. Tell them the final papers are ready for signature, and we cannot wait another day. Make sure they both show up."
"Yes, Mr. Grusso," the assistant said.
Lorenzo hung up and leaned back in his leather chair. He closed his eyes and smiled. He could almost smell the fresh air of Switzerland. He could almost feel the weight of the millions in his pocket. In twenty-four hours, he would be a free man. He would have everything he ever wanted, and the Damianos would be left with nothing but a pile of worthless paper.

At the Harrington house, the garage doors opened. Black SUVs pulled out into the night, one after the other. Inside, men were checking their weapons and putting on black vests. They moved fast, and they didn't talk.
Vincent sat in the back of the lead car. He had a laptop open on his knees. His tech team had been working for the last thirty minutes, cross-referencing Lorenzo’s known properties with the area Isabella had described.
"We found three spots, boss," one of the men said, handing Vincent a tablet. "Three old warehouses owned by shell companies linked to Lorenzo. They are all within five miles of each other."
"Split up," Vincent ordered. "Three teams. Move fast and move quietly. I want Alexander out alive. If anyone stands in your way, kill them. Do not wait for an order."
"Understood."
At the same time, a black sedan pulled up to Valeria’s Airbnb. The door opened, and Isabella stepped out. She was shaking, her hair a mess, and her face bruised, but when she saw Luca in the doorway, she ran.
She crashed into his arms and sobbed into his chest. Luca held her tight, his eyes burning with tears.
"I’ve got you, Bella," he whispered. "I’ve got you."
Isabella pulled back and looked at him, her eyes fierce despite the tears. "Go get him, Luca. Go get Alexander. Don't let that monster hurt him anymore."
"We’re going," Luca promised.
Miles away, in the cold, dark warehouse, Alexander sat in his chains, feeling totally hopeless. His mother was dead because of him. He didn’t know if he would ever see Isabella again. He closed his eyes and waited for the end.
He didn't hear the black SUVs pulling up to the gates. He didn't see the men in black moving through the shadows.
Help was finally at the door.