Chapter 4 - The Man Behind the Door.
Daniel Cross had protected Gabriel for eleven years.
He had taken a bullet during an attempted kidnapping in Miami.
He had stood beside Gabriel at his father's funeral.
He had access to every building, vehicle, camera system, and safe house Gabriel owned.
And now Lena's frightened voice had placed him inside the conspiracy.
Gabriel called Daniel from the church basement.
"Where are you?"
Daniel answered immediately.
"At the estate."
"Stay there."
A pause followed.
"Something wrong?"
Gabriel looked at Rory.
"Everything."
He ended the call.
Mateo shook his head.
"If Cross is involved, the estate isn't safe."
"I know."
Gabriel turned toward Father Elias.
"Can Rory stay here?"
Rory stood before the priest could answer.
"No."
Gabriel looked down at her.
"Rory, this is dangerous."
"Mommy is dangerous too?"
He understood what she meant.
Her mother was still out there.
Leaving Rory behind felt to her like leaving Lena behind.
Gabriel crouched so they were eye level.
"You stay with me, but you do exactly what Mateo tells you."
"Okay."
They returned to the motel parking lot.
Sterling was gone.
One guard lay unconscious beside the vehicle.
The second was missing.
Gabriel stared at the empty back seat.
"How?"
Mateo checked the unconscious guard's pulse.
"Drugged."
A security camera above the motel office pointed toward the parking lot.
The manager reluctantly gave them the footage.
At 12:43 a.m., a black sedan had pulled beside Gabriel's vehicle.
The missing guard opened Sterling's door voluntarily.
Sterling climbed out.
Then Daniel Cross stepped from the sedan.
Gabriel felt something colder than anger.
Daniel had not been at the estate.
He had lied while standing less than half a mile away.
Rory leaned toward the monitor.
"That's the man from last night."
She pointed at Daniel.
Gabriel's face hardened.
"You're sure?"
"He had gloves then."
The motel manager looked nervous.
"Sir, should I call the police?"
Gabriel turned toward him.
"You should save three copies of that footage."
Outside, Mateo received a call from one of their trusted technicians.
The technician had checked Daniel's access logs.
"He entered your estate twenty minutes ago."
Gabriel looked toward the road.
"Why would he go there now?"
Mateo's expression changed.
"The archive room."
Gabriel's private archive held original contracts, old surveillance backups, and sealed personnel investigations.
Including Lena Hale's six-year-old theft case.
They drove toward the estate at dangerous speed.
Rain hammered the windshield.
Rory sat silent in the rear seat.
When the gates appeared, smoke was already rising beyond them.
Flames filled the archive wing.
Gabriel jumped out before the vehicle fully stopped.
Mateo grabbed him.
"Fire crews are coming."
"The files."
"Forget the files."
Then Rory screamed.
A figure stood behind an upstairs window inside the burning wing.
For one second the fire illuminated a woman's face.
May you like
Rory pressed both hands against the glass.
"Mommy!"
