27. Dante
Dante
As the four of us round the block, my eyes land on the Novikov house. “Seb. Street lights.”
“On it.” A second later, the streetlights on this block and the three surrounding go out.
As we approach the side of the house that is backed up against the street, I do a quick scan, looking for the gate we know is on the fence.
Since the main entrance is located on the beachfront side, this is the only way to access it from here.
Sebastian was easily able to access the blueprint for the house. The five of us spent all last night and this morning studying it, ensuring we know it like the back of our hands.
I take a few more steps knowing it should be right… here.
“Cameras,” I instruct Seb.
“Looping the feed now.”
“Gate.”
“Give me just a second.” I listen as I hear Sebastian typing feverishly at the computer as his system figures out the access code to the gate. We stand there waiting for a moment, and suddenly the light turns green just as Seb says, “Alright. Should be good.”
“Enzo,” I whisper.
Enzo draws his gun and moves through the gate first. Enzo breaks left toward the door that leads down into the basement, then Luca to the right in the direction of the stairs that lead to the upstairs balcony. I look behind me at Joe. “Hand on my back. Stay close to me.”
Joe draws her gun with one hand and places her other on the center of my back, making it easy to know that she’s close.
That she’s safe.
The two of us move around the pool and to the back patio door. I wait a moment, giving time for Enzo and Luca to get in their place. “Seb, front door locked?”
“Locked.”
“Alright, Everyone ready?”
“Ready,” Enzo answers.
“Ready,” repeats Luca.
“On my mark.” I focus on the feel of Joe’s hand on my back before counting down. “3… 2…” All four of us move into the house on one.
It takes me all of two steps into the door to know that something’s wrong. There’s no one here. The lights are on and I can hear the speakers blaring music, but nobody is here.
“Check in,” I say eagerly.
“There’s no one here,” Luca says as he makes his way across the house toward me.
“Enzo?”
“Nobody down here either.”
“Dante.” Josephine taps the center of my back.
I look to my left where I know the kitchen is and move the two of us in that direction. Nobody. “Did you see someone?” I ask her.
“No.” She takes her hand off of me, holsters her gun, and makes her way toward the fridge. The open fridge. “Look.”
The fridge is wide open and there are three freshly poured pints of beer on the kitchen island. “They were just here.”
“Where the hell did they go?” Luca asks as he walks into the kitchen.
“Sebastian, did you see any of them leave the house?”
“No. Nothing. The front door is still secure and I haven’t seen anyone on the live feed. They should all still be there.”
“You’re sure?” I ask him even though I know he is.
“Positive,” he replies definitely
“How many people were supposed to be in here?” Josephine asks.
“Andrei, Maxim, and four guards,” Seb answers.
I look around the kitchen, a sense of panic tightening in my chest. “Where’s Enzo?”
“He should be up here by now,” Luca says, the worry in his voice clearly evident.
“Enzo?” I ask over the comms but there’s no response. “Lorenzo!” I shout, hoping he’ll hear me but nothing.
Joe throws off her mask, her eyes already glistening with unshed tears. “Where is he?”
“Luca, stay here with her.” I don’t wait for his response, I just sprint toward where I know the door to the basement is. As I move down the stairs I suddenly remember. “Seb, where does his tracker say he is?”
“It says he’s still in the house.”
Once I reach the bottom of the stairs, I quickly scan the vast rec room, noticing the large flat-screen TV, couches, pool tables, but no Enzo.
“Where are you?” I mutter to myself as I look behind the bar.
Nothing.
But as I round the corner of the bar I see it.
There in front of a large bookcase, I see it on the floor. A small piece of metal. One that most people would miss.
But I’m not most people.
My heart falls out of my chest because I know what it is before I even get to it.
There on the floor, lying in a small puddle of blood is Enzo’s tracker.
“He’s…” I mutter to myself but I know they can hear me.
“What?” Sebastian snaps. “What do you mean he’s gone?”
“Dante?” Luca shouts from upstairs. I can hear him and Joe running above me.
Bending over, I pick it up, letting Enzo’s blood coat the tips of my fingers.
I hear Luca and Joe sprint down the stairs, and as they near me, I turn around and hold it out to them.
Their eyes move from mine to the tracker and back up to mine.
Each of them looking like I’m holding Enzo’s heart in my hands.
I vaguely hear Sebastian shouting in my ear but can’t find it in me to answer. Then I suddenly hear him say, “Fuck it. I’m coming in.”
Not more than two minutes later, I hear the back door slam open before Sebastian comes running downstairs.
Once Sebastian reaches us, panting for breath, he sees what I’m holding in my hand.
He studies it for a second before he picks up a crystal tumbler sitting on the end table next to him and whips across the room.
The glass hits the wall next to the bookcase and shatters into a million pieces.
“God fucking damnit,” he hisses, his voice laced with rage.
“Wait!” Joe shouts before moving past me.
I turn to look at her, but she’s just standing there, staring at the case of books. “What is it, Amore Mia?”
She doesn’t say anything. Instead, she reaches down in front of the bookcase and rubs at the carpet.
Looking up at me from her crouched position, she finally says, “It looks like… like someone opened a door right here.” And then, it dawns on every single one of us.
Joe stands, grabs the side of the bookcase, and gives it a firm pull.
The entire thing pulls away from the wall like a door, and behind it…
a cement tunnel lined with lights. She turns to face us, complete fear has taken over her expression, and a tear spills from her eye and rolls down her cheek. “They took him.”