Chapter 12 - Fire Below
Vincent carried Nico. Sofia led the way.
Smoke thickened fast in the tunnel stairwell.
“Grace went toward the carriage house,” Vincent said.
Sofia stopped. “No. That passage dead-ends if the old storm gate is closed.”
Vincent felt ice in his chest.
“Why didn’t Grace know that?”
“Because it was open three years ago.”
They ran.
At the junction, Dominic appeared through the smoke, dragging Michael by the collar.
“Grace and Emily are trapped!” he shouted. “Isabella’s with them!”
Sofia stared at Michael.
“You.”
Michael looked away.
“We can settle that later,” Vincent said.
“If there is a later.”
They reached the storm gate, an old iron barrier warped with rust. Beyond it, Emily’s small hands gripped the bars.
“Mr. Moretti!”
Grace was on the floor coughing. Isabella knelt beside her, shoulder wound bleeding through the bandage.
Dominic pulled at the gate. “It’s jammed.”
Smoke poured along the ceiling.
Vincent handed Nico to Sofia and grabbed the bars.
Michael backed away.
Dominic saw him. “Help me!”
Michael shook his head. “Rocco said the tunnels are lost. There’s another exit.”
“For you?” Dominic asked.
“For us.”
Dominic stared at his brother.
Michael held out a hand. “Come on, Dom. You owe me.”
Dominic looked at Grace. At Emily. At his brother.
Then he punched Michael in the face.
“I already paid.”
Together Vincent and Dominic ripped the gate loose enough for Emily to squeeze through. Isabella pushed Grace after her.
The ceiling boomed behind them.
Fire raced along the old wooden supports.
Sofia grabbed Emily. “Run!”
They made the junction as a section of tunnel collapsed.
Michael was gone.
“Where?” Vincent shouted.
Dominic pointed to a narrow service shaft.
“He took the escape route.”
Sofia’s eyes widened. “That leads to the river dock.”
Vincent understood immediately.
Rocco had a second way out.
They reached the cellar stairs and forced open a door into the mansion’s kitchen. Smoke alarms screamed overhead. Sprinklers had started.
Tony, Vincent’s security chief, stumbled in from the hall with blood on his temple.
“Boss, we got outside communications back.”
“Call fire. Police too.”
Tony hesitated.
Vincent saw it.
“What?”
“The police are already here.”
May you like
Sirens wailed beyond the windows.
Then Tony added, “And they have a federal warrant for your arrest.”
