Chapter 7 - PHASE TWO
Phase Two wasn't kidnapping.
It was worse.
Voss intended to turn the tracking technology into a predictive system.
Monitor children from infancy.
Stress.
Sleep.
Health.
Movement.
Family relationships.
Then build profiles capable of predicting how future heirs, politicians and business leaders would behave.
Children weren't people to her.
They were investments.
Maya mattered because Salvatore's genetic data and Elena's access made her the original test subject.
Nico was leverage against Matteo.
The black disc on the plane had been a demonstration.
Matteo looked at his sleeping son.
For once, violence wasn't his first thought.
Fear was.
“How do we stop her?”
Elena answered.
“We make the list public.”
Salvatore disagreed.
“You'll expose the children.”
“Not their identities.”
“Voss will disappear.”
Matteo looked at Leah.
She was listening.
Too much.
“Go play with Maya.”
“No.”
“Leah.”
“No.”
He sighed.
“You're exhausting.”
“So are you.”
Salvatore laughed.
Matteo glared.
They devised a trap.
Voss wanted the encryption key.
They would offer it.
The exchange would happen in New York.
At Leah's house.
The red door.
Exactly where everything began.
But when they arrived, the house was empty.
Too empty.
Leah entered the kitchen.
Four days earlier she had found the first disc beneath the table.
Now there were twelve.
Arranged in a circle.
Each blinking red.
Elena whispered:
“She's here.”
The basement door opened.
Dr. Miriam Voss walked upstairs.
Green scarf.
Gold bird ring.
She smiled at Leah.
“There you are.”
Leah stepped behind Matteo.
Voss looked amused.
“You think he's protecting you?”
“Yes.”
“Men like Matteo Rinaldi protect possessions.”
Matteo's face hardened.
Leah answered before he could.
“Then you don't know him.”
Voss's smile vanished.
She held up a phone.
On screen was Luca.
Bound.
Again.
Matteo's expression became murderous.
Voss smiled.
May you like
“Now we negotiate.”
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