Chapter 6 - THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT
“Get the babies.”
Simon moved before anyone else.
Natasha ran with him.
Halfway to the nursery, every light in the penthouse died.
Darkness swallowed the corridor.
A second later, emergency lights glowed red.
“Simon.”
“Behind me.”
They reached the nursery.
Empty.
The cribs were empty.
Natasha stopped breathing.
“No.”
Simon became terrifyingly quiet.
He touched his earpiece.
“Marcus.”
Static.
Then a baby's cry echoed somewhere downstairs.
Natasha ran toward it.
Simon grabbed her wrist.
“Wait.”
“That’s Noah.”
“You don't know what's waiting.”
“I know what his cry sounds like.”
Simon released her.
Together they descended the emergency stairwell.
Another cry.
Closer.
Three armed guards appeared below.
Simon pushed Natasha behind him.
“Identify.”
Two responded.
The third raised his weapon.
Simon fired first.
Natasha flinched at the deafening sound.
The man collapsed.
“Move.”
They found Eli in the arms of a terrified nanny inside the service hallway.
“Where's Noah?”
The nanny sobbed.
“He took him.”
“Who?”
“Mr. Vale.”
Simon handed Eli to Natasha.
“Marcus!”
The elevator doors opened.
Marcus emerged with Anthony.
Anthony's face was bruised.
“He's heading to the garage,” Marcus said.
“Vale?”
“Yes.”
Anthony wiped blood from his mouth.
“He wants the ledger.”
Simon stared at his brother.
“You knew.”
“I knew something was happening. I didn't know about Vanessa until afterward.”
“You signed the transfers.”
“He threatened my daughter.”
Simon froze.
Anthony had a nine-year-old daughter attending boarding school in Connecticut.
Vale had photographs of her.
Schedules.
Teachers.
Routes.
“I thought I could fix it without dragging you into it.”
“You let my wife die.”
Anthony’s face collapsed.
“I was trying to keep my child alive.”
Simon stepped toward him.
Natasha spoke.
“Later.”
Everyone looked at her.
“Noah is still missing.”
That was enough.
Security cameras showed Vale entering the underground garage with Noah.
Simon and Marcus headed downstairs.
Natasha remained with Eli.
Then she remembered Vanessa's music box.
She took it from her pocket.
Three beats.
The twins responded to sound.
If Noah heard it—
Natasha ran toward the building's central intercom.
“Can this connect to the garage?”
A guard nodded.
She activated it.
The melody drifted through every speaker in the building.
Three soft beats.
Again.
Again.
Then Natasha heard something through the garage feed.
Noah crying.
And Vale shouting.
“Turn that off!”
Simon heard him too.
The sound gave away Vale's location.
Behind a maintenance door.
Simon approached.
Vale held Noah against his chest.
A gun rested beside the baby's head.
“Give me the drive.”
Simon stopped.
“You hurt him, you die.”
“I’m dead either way.”
Vale's eyes darted toward the exits.
Natasha appeared behind Simon.
His face hardened.
“I told you to stay upstairs.”
“I don't take orders well.”
Vale laughed nervously.
“The waitress.”
Natasha ignored him.
She tapped three fingers against her leg.
Noah’s eyes found her.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
His crying softened.
Vale looked down instinctively.
That second was enough.
Simon moved.
Marcus struck Vale's gun arm.
The weapon fired into the ceiling.
Simon caught Noah.
Vale hit the concrete floor.
Marcus restrained him.
Natasha rushed forward.
Simon handed her Noah.
She checked him carefully.
He was frightened but apparently unharmed.
Simon pressed his forehead briefly against his son's hair.
Then he looked at Vale.
“Why Vanessa?”
Vale smiled through blood.
“Because she found the wrong files.”
“Who protected you?”
Vale's smile widened.
“You still think this was about your brother?”
Simon stepped closer.
Vale laughed.
“Vanessa found your money, Gambino. But she never figured out whose money was buying me.”
“Whose?”
Vale looked directly at Natasha.
May you like
Then said:
“Ask her father.”
