The real target
Chapter 47: The Real Target
For the first time since arriving in Chicago...
Victoria Moreau looked afraid.
Not terrified.
Not panicked.
Not helpless.
Just afraid.
And somehow...
That was worse.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The rain continued falling around her.
Cold.
Steady.
Relentless.
The scarred man stood across from her with his hands still casually in his pockets.
Like they weren't discussing something that had just completely changed the rules of the game.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"You've been following me."
Silence.
The accusation came quietly.
Dangerously.
The man nodded.
Immediately.
The audacity.
The complete audacity.
"For months."
Absolute silence.
Victoria froze.
Because months meant before Chicago.
Before Romano.
Before Lorenzo.
Before Amara.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Which meant none of this had been about the mafia war.
Not really.
The realization settled heavily in her chest.
Dangerously heavily.
The scarred man smiled.
Slowly.
Almost sympathetically.
"You disappeared."
A pause.
"The organization wanted answers."
Another.
"You became expensive to find."
Silence.
Victoria hated that explanation.
Deeply.
Across the city, the underground hospital's security room had become very quiet.
The dangerous kind of quiet.
The kind that came right before terrible realizations.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Lorenzo stared at the monitor.
Then at Amara.
Then back at the monitor.
Because the more he thought about it...
The more he hated this.
A recurring problem.
A very recurring problem.
"What organization?"
Silence.
Immediate silence.
Every person in the room looked toward Amara.
Then toward Lorenzo.
Then toward the monitor.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Because nobody actually knew.
Victoria had never explained who she worked for.
Or worked with.
Or worked against.
The realization suddenly felt important.
Very important.
Back outside, one of Lorenzo's SUVs finally stopped near Victoria.
Doors opened.
Soldiers emerged.
Weapons ready.
Eyes alert.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The scarred man didn't react.
Not even slightly.
A concerning level of confidence.
Very concerning.
Victoria noticed.
Immediately.
Because confident people usually had reasons.
Dangerous reasons.
"What do you want?"
The question came again.
Sharper this time.
The scarred man sighed.
Immediately.
The universal sound of a man repeating himself.
"You."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Victoria's patience officially died.
Immediately.
The betrayal.
The vague-answer betrayal.
Undefeated.
Then the man surprised her.
A rare accomplishment.
A dangerous accomplishment.
"Not for punishment."
Silence.
Victoria froze.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Because that wasn't what she'd expected.
Not even close.
The man looked toward the rain-covered street.
Thoughtful.
Quiet.
Dangerous.
"The Director wants to meet you."
Absolute silence.
Everything stopped.
Immediately.
Victoria's blood ran cold.
Actually cold.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Because there were many people inside the organization.
Hundreds.
Thousands.
Operatives.
Handlers.
Analysts.
Assassins.
But only one Director.
The realization hit like a truck.
Dangerously.
The scarred man watched her expression change.
Then nodded.
Slowly.
"You thought he was dead."
Silence.
Victoria didn't answer.
Because she had.
Everyone had.
Five years ago.
The Director vanished.
No body.
No evidence.
No answers.
Just gone.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
And now apparently...
Not gone.
The betrayal.
The impossible-survival betrayal.
Undefeated.
Inside the security room, Amara suddenly frowned.
Immediately.
A dangerous sign.
Very dangerous.
Lorenzo noticed.
Of course he did.
"What."
The surgeon looked at the screen.
Thinking.
Analyzing.
Connecting pieces.
The usual.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Then she spoke.
Quietly.
Carefully.
"Victoria isn't worried about herself."
Silence.
Immediate silence.
The room froze.
Because she was right.
Again.
The betrayal.
The always-right betrayal.
Undefeated.
Amara pointed toward the monitor.
The specialist's posture.
Her expression.
Her eyes.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"She's worried about someone else."
Lorenzo looked back toward the screen.
And suddenly saw it.
Fear.
Real fear.
Not for herself.
For someone else.
The realization made his stomach tighten.
Dangerously.
Back outside, the scarred man stepped closer.
Just one step.
Enough to matter.
"Chicago wasn't an assignment."
Silence.
Victoria's jaw tightened.
Immediately.
Because she already knew what came next.
The worst part.
Always the worst part.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The man smiled.
Slowly.
Dangerously.
"The Director sent you here."
Absolute silence.
The world stopped.
The rain.
The street.
Everything.
Gone.
Victoria stared.
Then stared harder.
Because that was impossible.
Absolutely impossible.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
"You don't know what you're talking about."
The denial came instantly.
Without hesitation.
Without mercy.
The scarred man laughed.
Actually laughed.
The audacity.
The complete audacity.
"Then ask yourself something."
Silence.
His smile widened.
Dangerously.
"Why were you assigned to Romano?"
A pause.
"Why Chicago?"
Another.
"Why Lorenzo Vitale?"
Absolute silence.
Because suddenly...
Victoria didn't have answers.
And that terrified her.
For the first time since arriving in Chicago...
The specialist wasn't holding the puzzle.
She was inside it.
And somewhere deep inside the underground hospital...
Amara Queen got a very uncomfortable feeling.
Because if Victoria had been manipulated into coming here...
Then someone had been planning this long before Romano ever pulled a trigger.
And that meant the real game...
Had only just begun.
End Chapter 47