Chapter 5 - MIDNIGHT AT THE PACKING HOUSEDeputy Mayor Charles Whitmore had built his career on promises to clean up Chicago.
His face appeared on billboards.
He stood beside grieving families after shootings.
He gave speeches about public trust, safe neighborhoods and “the moral obligation of power.”
According to Daniel Moretti’s video, he had spent nearly fifteen years selling that power to Victor Fletcher.
Detective Mills watched the video three times.
“No one can know we have this.”
Amelia stared at her.
“Richard is tied to a chair somewhere.”
“I know.”
“Then we use it.”
“If Whitmore realizes we have evidence connecting him to Fletcher, Richard won’t be the only person who disappears.”
Luca stood near the window.
“What about the encrypted files?”
“We need somebody to crack them.”
“I have somebody.”
Mills gave him a look.
“Is there anyone you know who isn’t potentially committing a felony?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“My dentist.”
Despite herself, Amelia laughed.
The sound startled all three of them.
Luca looked at her.
For half a second, something warm passed between them.
Then the reality of Richard’s situation returned.
Amelia pointed at the ransom note.
“I’m going tonight.”
“No,” Luca and Mills said simultaneously.
“I wasn’t asking.”
Mills folded her arms.
“You’re a civilian.”
“I’m the person they requested.”
“You’re also concussed.”
“I’m functional.”
Luca stepped closer.
“Victor will kill you.”
“Then make sure he doesn’t.”
Their eyes met.
Amelia saw resistance in his expression.
But she also saw understanding.
He knew there was no talking her out of it.
At 11:43 p.m., rain began falling over Chicago.
The old South Side meatpacking facility had been abandoned for twenty-two years.
Broken windows lined the upper floor.
Rust covered the loading docks.
Amelia sat inside Luca’s SUV two blocks away while he secured a tiny microphone beneath the collar of her coat.
“You don’t try to be brave,” he said.
“I’m literally volunteering to walk into a kidnapping.”
“That isn’t bravery. That’s terrible decision-making.”
“Comforting.”
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
Luca paused.
“If anything feels wrong, say the word Chicago.”
“That’s the distress word?”
“You’ll remember it.”
“I live in Chicago.”
“Exactly.”
She almost smiled.
Then his fingers brushed her collarbone while adjusting the microphone.
Both of them stopped.
Amelia’s body stiffened automatically.
Luca immediately removed his hands.
“Sorry.”
“No.”
She swallowed.
“It’s okay.”
He stepped backward anyway.
He always did that.
Never crowded her.
Never assumed touching was permitted.
For some reason, that frightened her almost as much as Raymond’s violence.
Because safety was dangerous in a different way.
Safety made her want things.
Trust.
Connection.
Maybe eventually something more.
She opened the vehicle door.
“Let’s get Richard.”
The warehouse smelled like rust and standing water.
Amelia walked through the entrance alone.
At least that was what anyone watching believed.
Luca had six people surrounding the building.
Mills had assembled a small group of officers she personally trusted.
No official dispatch.
No radios connected to central communications.
Nobody wanted Reeves learning what they were doing.
A single light burned in the center of the warehouse.
Richard sat beneath it.
His face was bruised.
His hands were tied.
“Amelia!”
She moved forward.
“Stop.”
Raymond stepped from the shadows.
Amelia’s entire body reacted before her mind did.
Her heart accelerated.
Her palms turned cold.
Her muscles remembered him.
Raymond smiled when he saw it.
“That’s the Amelia I remember.”
She hated him for recognizing her fear.
Then she remembered something.
Fear did not mean obedience.
“Where’s Victor?”
Raymond laughed.
“You’re demanding meetings now?”
“Apparently.”
“Give me the drive.”
“Untie Richard.”
“Give me the drive.”
“Untie him.”
Raymond’s expression hardened.
Behind him, another man appeared.
Older.
Silver hair.
Expensive charcoal suit.
Victor Fletcher.
He looked more like a senator than a criminal.
“So this is her.”
Raymond nodded.
Victor studied Amelia with mild curiosity.
“You’ve caused an extraordinary amount of trouble.”
“Funny. People keep telling me that.”
“You took something belonging to my family.”
“Your nephew left it in my suitcase.”
Victor looked at Raymond.
Disappointment crossed his face.
“A mistake that has cost us millions.”
Raymond’s jaw tightened.
Victor returned his attention to Amelia.
“Where is the drive?”
“Somewhere safe.”
“Does Moretti have it?”
Amelia said nothing.
Victor smiled.
“Luca has always been sentimental where Daniel is concerned.”
“You murdered him.”
Victor’s smile disappeared.
“I did no such thing.”
“But you know who did.”
“Perhaps.”
Richard shifted in the chair.
A man behind him pressed something against his neck.
Amelia saw the glint of metal.
“Stop!”
Victor held out his hand.
“The drive.”
“I copied it.”
That changed everything.
Victor stared at her.
Raymond swore.
“I copied everything,” Amelia said. “If Richard doesn’t walk out with me, the files go to federal investigators.”
Victor took one step closer.
“You expect me to believe a waitress arranged a dead-man release?”
Amelia smiled.
“You expected me to stay with Raymond.”
She looked at Raymond.
“You’re bad at predicting me.”
His face twisted.
Victor lifted a hand before Raymond could move.
Then another voice came from the darkness.
“She isn’t bluffing.”
Deputy Mayor Charles Whitmore stepped into the light.
Amelia’s heart stopped.
He shouldn’t have been there.
Mills had insisted he would never expose himself personally.
But there he was.
Gray overcoat.
Perfect silver hair.
The face Chicago saw on television every week.
Victor looked irritated.
“You shouldn’t have come.”
Whitmore ignored him.
His gaze locked on Amelia.
“Where are the copies?”
“Someplace you’ll never find.”
Whitmore sighed.
“Young lady, everyone believes they’re impossible to break until somebody discovers the pressure point.”
His eyes moved to Richard.
Amelia understood.
“You hurt him, and you guarantee those files get released.”
“Perhaps.”
Whitmore smiled slightly.
“But he isn’t your pressure point.”
Something moved behind Amelia.
A door slammed.
Luca’s voice exploded through her hidden earpiece.
“AMELIA, GET DOWN!”
She dropped.
Gunfire cracked through the warehouse.
Lights shattered.
Men shouted.
Richard’s chair toppled.
Amelia crawled toward him.
Someone grabbed her ankle.
Raymond.
He dragged her backward.
She kicked wildly.
“Get off me!”
“You ruined everything!”
His fist rose.
Then Luca came out of the darkness.
He hit Raymond with enough force to throw him sideways.
Luca stood between them.
Raymond spat blood.
“You think you’re better than me?”
“No.”
Luca’s voice was cold.
“I just know when a woman says no.”
Raymond lunged.
The fight was brutal and fast.
Amelia crawled to Richard.
She used broken metal from the chair to cut his restraints.
“Can you walk?”
“I think so.”
Police entered from both sides.
“DROP YOUR WEAPONS!”
Victor vanished through a rear corridor.
Whitmore ran.
Mills chased him.
Luca pinned Raymond against a steel column.
For one awful moment, Amelia thought Luca might kill him.
Raymond thought so too.
“Do it,” Raymond hissed. “Show her what you really are.”
Luca’s fist tightened.
Then Amelia spoke.
“Luca.”
He looked toward her.
She shook her head.
“Don’t.”
Something changed in his face.
He released Raymond.
Police tackled him seconds later.
Amelia thought it was over.
Then Richard shouted.
“AMELIA!”
She turned.
Victor stood on the upper catwalk.
A pistol pointed directly at Luca.
May you like
The gun fired.
And Luca dropped.
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