Chapter 20 - THE NIGHT NOAH DISAPPEARED AGAIN
Noah vanished at 9:17 Friday morning.
His phone was found on the passenger seat of his car.
His cane was on the pavement.
There was no blood.
Caitlyn stared at the cane until Marco gently moved her back.
“No.”
“Caitlyn.”
“No.”
Her voice shook.
“This is not happening again.”
Damian stood five feet away, speaking into his phone.
Every trace of the husband Caitlyn knew had disappeared beneath the cold precision of the man New York once feared.
“Close the bridges.”
Marco looked at him.
“We can’t close bridges.”
“Then put people at every exit.”
“Damian—”
“Do it.”
Caitlyn turned.
“Stop.”
Damian looked at her.
“Rebecca has him.”
“We don’t know that.”
“I do.”
“You don’t.”
“He is gone because of me.”
Caitlyn walked toward him.
“This is exactly what she wants.”
“What?”
“She wants Dominic Vale.”
Damian’s jaw tightened.
“She wants the man your father created. The one who answers fear with control.”
“My brother is missing.”
“My brother.”
Damian stopped.
Caitlyn’s eyes filled.
“My brother is missing.”
His anger collapsed instantly.
He stepped closer.
“I know.”
“Then don’t make this about your guilt.”
Damian looked like she had struck him.
Good.
He needed to hear it.
“Find Noah,” she whispered. “Not the version of yourself you hate.”
For six hours, there was nothing.
Then Caitlyn received a video.
Noah sat in a chair.
Not tied.
Not injured.
Rebecca stood behind him.
Julian was nowhere visible.
Noah looked annoyed more than frightened.
“Cait, before you lose your mind, I’m okay.”
Rebecca stepped into frame.
“For now.”
Noah rolled his eyes.
“She hates when I do that.”
Rebecca ignored him.
“Damian knows where to come.”
The camera shifted.
Behind them was a rusted sign.
PIER 41 STORAGE.
Damian went still.
Caitlyn stared.
“That’s where the twelve people were taken.”
“Yes.”
Rebecca looked directly into the camera.
“Come alone, Dominic.”
The video ended.
Damian grabbed his coat.
Caitlyn stood in front of the door.
“No.”
“Move.”
“No.”
“Caitlyn.”
“You are not going alone.”
“She has Noah.”
“And she specifically wants you emotional and isolated.”
“She’ll kill him.”
“No.”
“How can you know?”
“Because she could have killed him this morning.”
Damian stared at her.
Caitlyn continued.
“She wants something else.”
Marco entered.
“I agree.”
Damian’s voice became dangerous.
“I didn’t ask.”
Marco folded his arms.
“Good thing Caitlyn signs my paycheck through the restructuring committee.”
Despite everything, Noah would have enjoyed that.
Caitlyn almost smiled.
Damian did not.
They went together.
Not an army.
Not a convoy.
Caitlyn.
Damian.
Marco.
Vincent.
Four people.
One car.
Pier 41 had been abandoned for years.
The warehouse smelled of river water and rust.
Rebecca stood beneath a broken light.
Noah sat twenty feet away.
Alive.
Caitlyn moved toward him.
Rebecca raised a gun.
“Stop.”
Caitlyn froze.
Damian stepped forward.
“Take me.”
Rebecca laughed.
“You still think everything is about your life.”
“Then what?”
She pointed toward a table.
Documents.
Photographs.
A laptop.
“Sign.”
Damian walked closer.
“What is it?”
“Transfer of controlling shares.”
“To whom?”
“The restitution trust.”
Vincent examined the first page.
“This gives away forty-eight percent of Hamilton Holdings.”
Rebecca looked at Damian.
“Correct.”
Caitlyn stared.
“Why kidnap Noah for shares?”
“I didn’t kidnap him.”
Noah lifted a hand.
“She technically asked me to get in the car.”
Caitlyn stared at him.
“You got into a stranger’s car?”
“She knew things about Dad.”
Caitlyn closed her eyes.
“Fantastic.”
Noah shrugged.
“I admit it wasn’t my best decision.”
Rebecca lowered the gun slightly.
“I needed Damian here.”
“Why?”
“Because Julian is coming.”
Everyone froze.
Damian looked toward the shadows.
“You’re not working together.”
“No.”
“The car—”
“He forced me into it.”
Rebecca’s voice changed.
“For three months Julian has been following me.”
Caitlyn looked around.
“Then why bring us here?”
Rebecca’s eyes settled on Damian.
“Because this is where he thinks the missing evidence is hidden.”
A gunshot exploded.
Marco shoved Caitlyn down.
Glass shattered.
Rebecca screamed.
Damian pulled her behind a concrete pillar.
Noah dropped from the chair.
Vincent crawled toward him.
More gunfire.
Then Julian’s voice echoed through the warehouse.
“Always dramatic, Rebecca.”
Damian looked toward Caitlyn.
“Stay here.”
She grabbed his sleeve.
“Don’t.”
He touched her cheek once.
Then stepped into the open.
“Julian.”
Silence.
“Come out.”
Julian emerged from behind a stack of containers.
Three armed men followed.
“You really did become soft,” Julian said.
Damian looked at Noah.
Then Rebecca.
Then Caitlyn.
“No.”
His voice was calm.
“I became selective.”
Julian smiled.
“About what?”
“Who I’m willing to lose.”
Something in his tone made Julian’s smile fade.
Damian continued.
“And you’re not on the list.”
Julian raised his weapon.
Before he could fire, Noah shouted.
“Damian!”
Damian turned.
Julian fired.
Caitlyn heard the shot.
May you like
Saw Damian stagger.
And watched blood spread across his white shirt.
