Chapter 2 - The Man Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
Hannah couldn't speak.
Gabriel watched her closely.
"Where is your husband's phone?"
"I don't know."
"His laptop?"
"I don't know."
"Documents?"
"I don't know."
"Anything he left behind?"
She shook her head.
"He didn't leave anything."
Gabriel believed her.
That was what frightened him.
People who knew nothing were often the easiest people to manipulate.
And the people looking for Hannah had not spent months searching for her because they wanted her cleaning services.
Matteo returned.
He placed a folder on Gabriel's desk.
"Daniel Price worked security for Pier 41."
Hannah covered her mouth.
Gabriel opened the folder.
"Three years ago, he disappeared."
Hannah stared at the photograph.
She recognized her husband immediately.
"He told me he was working nights."
"He wasn't."
Gabriel turned another page.
"He was feeding information to federal investigators about a smuggling network."
Hannah shook her head.
"No."
"He had been doing it for eleven months."
"No."
"His death was reported as an accidental drowning."
Hannah's knees weakened.
Gabriel caught her before she fell.
She gripped his sleeve.
"They told me he slipped."
Gabriel looked at her.
"Who?"
"The police."
"Which officers?"
"I don't remember."
Gabriel nodded.
That was understandable.
Trauma destroyed details.
"Did Daniel ever tell you to leave New York?"
Hannah hesitated.
"Once."
"When?"
"The week before he died."
"What did he say?"
"He told me that if anything happened to him, I should never trust anyone from the harbor."
Gabriel's expression hardened.
"What else?"
"He said someone was looking for a ledger."
"What ledger?"
"I don't know."
Gabriel glanced at Matteo.
"Find it."
Matteo nodded.
Hannah suddenly looked toward Emma.
The baby was asleep on the sofa.
"What happens now?"
Gabriel answered without hesitation.
"You stay."
"I can't live here."
"You can."
"I work for you."
"Not anymore."
She stared.
"You're firing me?"
"No."
Gabriel's gaze softened slightly.
"You're becoming a protected person."
Hannah frowned.
"I don't understand."
"You don't need to."
She looked toward the door.
"Can I take Emma home?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because if someone found you here, they may already know where you live."
Hannah froze.
Gabriel was right.
Her apartment suddenly felt like a trap.
She whispered:
"Then where do we go?"
Gabriel looked at the baby.
"Nowhere."
That night, Hannah slept in the guest suite.
Emma slept beside her.
Gabriel did not sleep.
He sat in his office reviewing Daniel's records.
At 2:14 a.m., Matteo entered.
"We found something."
Gabriel looked up.
"What?"
"Daniel had a second bank account."
"Where?"
"Switzerland."
"Balance?"
"Eight hundred thousand dollars."
Gabriel frowned.
"From what?"
"Unknown."
Matteo placed another file down.
"And there's more."
Gabriel opened it.
A photograph.
Daniel standing beside a man.
Gabriel recognized the man immediately.
Victor Kane.
One of the most dangerous brokers on the East Coast.
A man Gabriel had been trying to locate for two years.
Gabriel stared.
"Where was this taken?"
"Three days before Daniel disappeared."
"Find Kane."
"We're trying."
Gabriel looked toward the guest hallway.
"Someone else?"
Matteo nodded.
"One of our cameras caught a man near the building yesterday."
"Description?"
"Black coat. Baseball cap."
"Face?"
"Not visible."
Gabriel stood.
"Enhance it."
Matteo hesitated.
"Already done."
He handed Gabriel a tablet.
The image was blurry.
But the man's wrist was visible.
A tattoo.
Three black circles.
Gabriel knew it.
The Harbor Saints.
A crew that officially did not exist.
Gabriel's phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
"Gabriel Marlowe."
A man's voice laughed.
"You have something that belongs to us."
Gabriel looked toward the guest room.
"No."
"You do."
"What?"
"The baby."
Gabriel's expression became lethal.
"You have five seconds to explain."
"Daniel Price left something behind."
"Where is he?"
"Dead."
"Who killed him?"
The caller laughed.
"You ask the wrong questions."
Gabriel's hand tightened.
"Try me."
"The woman has it."
"She doesn't know anything."
"Then why is she alive?"
Silence.
Gabriel's eyes narrowed.
The caller continued.
"Protecting her will be the most expensive mistake you've ever made."
The line went dead.
Gabriel stared at the phone.
Matteo looked at him.
"Boss?"
Gabriel walked toward the guest room.
He opened the door.
Hannah was awake.
Emma was crying softly.
Hannah held her against her chest.
"What's wrong?"
Gabriel stopped.
"Nothing."
Hannah stared.
"You're lying."
He looked at her.
"I received a call."
Her face changed.
"Who?"
"Someone looking for Daniel's ledger."
Hannah hugged Emma tighter.
"I don't have it."
"I know."
"Then why are they coming after me?"
Gabriel had no answer.
He walked closer.
"They mentioned Emma."
Hannah went pale.
"Don't let them take her."
Gabriel looked directly into her eyes.
"They won't."
"You don't know that."
"I do."
"How?"
His voice became quiet.
"Because anyone who tries will have to get through me."
Hannah stared at him.
For the first time, she believed him.
Not because Gabriel was kind.
He wasn't.
Not because he was safe.
He wasn't.
But because there was something absolute in his voice.
A promise from a dangerous man.
Gabriel looked at Emma.
The baby had stopped crying.
She reached toward him.
He hesitated.
Then took her.
She settled against his chest.
Hannah watched.
"You like her."
Gabriel looked down.
"I tolerate her."
Hannah smiled.
"That's not what it looks like."
Gabriel ignored her.
Then Emma grabbed his tie.
Again.
He sighed.
"She has a serious obsession."
Hannah laughed quietly.
The sound surprised both of them.
For a moment, the room felt almost normal.
Then the lights went out.
Gabriel immediately stood.
"Stay here."
Hannah grabbed his sleeve.
"What's happening?"
"Don't move."
He stepped into the hallway.
Gunfire erupted downstairs.
Gabriel drew his weapon.
Matteo shouted from the stairwell.
"Boss!"
Gabriel ran.
Three armed men had entered the penthouse.
One looked up.
Their eyes met.
The man smiled.
"Where's the baby?"
May you like
Gabriel fired.
And the night exploded.
