Chapter 4 - The Storage Hall Ambush
I sprinted past the counter, vaulting over the swinging wooden gate where the receipt printer still hummed faintly, spitting out a blank strip of paper. The air in the back hallway smelled of old bleach, damp cardboard, and frying oil.
The restroom door was jammed, the frame splintered where someone had applied a crowbar or a heavy shoulder.
"Ruby!" I called out, hammering my palm against the white-painted wood. "Ruby, can you hear me?"
A weak scratch came from the other side. "Mr... Mr. Moretti? The big one... he went out the fire escape when he heard the shot."
"Step back from the door."
I planted my boot right beside the brass knob and kicked with all the fury of a father whose world had been upended. The lock gave way with a sharp metallic snap, and the door swung inward, scraping against the tiled floor.
The room was cramped, dominated by a metal utility sink and stacks of paper towel boxes. Ruby was huddled in the corner near the mop bucket, her uniform apron stained with white industrial foam, her hands tied behind her back with plastic zip-ties. Next to her, sprawled motionless against the base of the shelving unit, was Sofia.
Her face was pale, her dark hair tangled across her forehead, but as I dropped to my knees beside her, I felt a faint, warm puff of air against my wrist.
"Sofia," I choked out, gathering her small, limp body into my arms. "Sofia, Daddy’s here. Open your eyes, baby. Look at me."
She stirred faintly, her eyelids fluttering. A low, incomprehensible murmur escaped her dry lips, and her small fingers twitched, brushing against my sleeve.
Ruby wriggled forward, working her wrists against a jagged edge of a metal shelving bracket until the zip-tie snapped with a sharp plastic pop. She rubbed her raw skin, breathing heavily. "They... they gave her something, Mr. Moretti. A sedative in her juice box from the cooler. I found her right after they dragged her down here. They were looking for the flash drive she took from Dante's desk."
"Flash drive?" I scooped Sofia up into my arms, pressing her securely against my chest. Her head lolled gently against my shoulder, safe for the moment, but deeply asleep.
"She told me before she passed out," Ruby said, struggling to her feet and wiping a smudge of grease from her cheek. "She said her uncle was doing bad things with the ships, and she copied the files because she wanted to show you before you signed the final partnership papers tomorrow morning."
My heart hammered against my ribs. Sofia hadn't just stumbled into danger; she had tried to save me from making the biggest mistake of my life—tying my legacy permanently to a brother who had already sold his soul to the highest bidder.
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"Can you walk, Ruby?" I asked, looking down at the young woman.
She nodded firmly, jaw set. "I'm not staying in this diner another minute. My car is parked behind the dumpster. Let's move before Dante wakes up and brings the rest of his crew."
