Chapter 6 - THE BOY WHO WAS PAID TO BE AFRAID
Owen Pike agreed to meet Detective Ellis.
Not Matteo.
Not Lena alone.
The meeting took place at a police station.
Owen sat across from Nora with his hands clasped.
He looked younger than twenty-three.
Exhausted.
Terrified.
Lena watched through the interview-room window.
Matteo stood beside her.
Neither spoke.
Inside, Owen began talking.
He had been hired by Blackwater Transit Protection six months earlier.
At first, the work seemed ordinary.
Warehouse patrols.
Night shifts.
Vehicle escorts.
Then Travis Cole began assigning unusual jobs.
Watching houses.
Photographing people.
Following vehicles.
Owen had questioned it once.
Travis told him to stop asking questions.
Then came the diner assignment.
“We were told to provoke her,” Owen said.
Nora looked up.
“Who gave the order?”
“Travis.”
“Who gave Travis the order?”
Owen hesitated.
“I don't know.”
Nora waited.
Owen swallowed.
“But I heard him on the phone.”
“What did he say?”
Owen looked down.
“He said, ‘Marquez will come. He always comes at nine-thirty.’”
Lena felt cold.
Matteo's jaw tightened.
Inside, Nora continued.
“What was supposed to happen?”
Owen's eyes filled.
“Travis was supposed to start a fight.”
“With Matteo?”
Owen nodded.
“He had a knife.”
Lena covered her mouth.
Matteo went still.
Owen continued.
“If Matteo attacked him, Brent was supposed to record it.”
Nora frowned.
“Why?”
“Because they wanted footage.”
“Of what?”
Owen swallowed.
“Matteo hurting someone.”
Silence.
Nora leaned forward.
“Who wanted it?”
Owen looked terrified.
Then whispered:
“Gabriel Voss.”
Matteo closed his eyes.
The name hurt more than he expected.
Gabriel had once carried him out of a burning warehouse.
Had stood beside him during the worst years of his life.
Had promised to help him leave the criminal world.
Now Gabriel was trying to drag him back.
Nora continued questioning Owen.
He described payments.
Phone calls.
A warehouse office.
And a meeting where Gabriel discussed using Matteo's reputation to influence investors.
Owen agreed to cooperate.
He handed over messages and payment records.
When the interview ended, Lena approached him.
Owen looked down.
“I'm sorry.”
She stared.
He continued.
“I should have stopped Travis.”
“Yes,” Lena said.
He looked up.
She didn't soften the truth.
“You should have.”
Tears filled his eyes.
“I know.”
Lena took a breath.
“You still have a chance to do something right.”
He nodded.
“I'll tell them everything.”
She turned to leave.
Then Owen whispered:
“Mrs. Marquez?”
She stopped.
“Yes?”
“Your husband scared me.”
Lena looked at him.
Owen continued.
“But you scared me more.”
She frowned.
“Why?”
He swallowed.
“Because you looked at Travis and told him what he did was wrong.”
Lena stared.
Owen lowered his head.
“Most people don't.”
She said nothing.
Then walked away.
Outside, Matteo waited beside the car.
He looked at her.
“How are you?”
She exhaled.
“Tired.”
He nodded.
“Me too.”
She took his hand.
For a moment, they stood in silence.
Then Lena said:
“Gabriel knows you.”
Matteo looked toward the street.
“Yes.”
“He knows what makes you angry.”
“Yes.”
She squeezed his hand.
“Then don't give him what he wants.”
May you like
Matteo looked at her.
And nodded.
