The hidden witness
881 Words
The drive back from Pier Nine was silent.
Rain clouds gathered once again over the city, casting long shadows across the empty streets. Inside the lead SUV, Luca Moretti stared at the gold cufflink resting in his palm. It was more than a clue—it was proof that his grandfather had been alive only hours earlier.
"They're always one step ahead," Vincent muttered from the driver's seat.
"Not for long," Luca replied, his voice calm but cold. "Every mistake they make brings me closer."
Antonio's phone rang.
He answered, listened for a few seconds, then turned toward Luca.
"Boss... one of our informants just called."
"What is it?"
"A fisherman claims he saw several armed men loading an elderly man into a black van before sunrise near Pier Nine."
Luca's eyes lit up.
"Where is he now?"
"He's waiting at the old harbor police station."
"Take me there."
---
An hour later, Luca entered the abandoned station.
The fisherman sat nervously on a wooden bench, twisting his cap in his hands. He looked to be in his sixties, his weathered face showing years spent at sea.
When he saw Luca, he immediately stood.
"I... I didn't know who else to tell."
Luca sat opposite him.
"Tell me exactly what you saw."
The old man swallowed hard.
"I was preparing my boat before dawn. I heard engines, so I hid behind some crates."
"And?"
"I saw four men carrying an older gentleman. His hands were tied, but he was conscious."
Luca leaned forward.
"Did you hear them say anything?"
The fisherman nodded.
"One of them shouted, 'Hurry! We have to cross the East Bridge before the checkpoint changes.'"
Antonio quickly unfolded a city map.
"The East Bridge leads out of the harbor district."
"It also connects to the old industrial zone," Vincent added.
The fisherman hesitated.
"There was one more thing."
"What?"
"The old man dropped something while they were moving him."
Luca's heartbeat quickened.
"What did he drop?"
The fisherman reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver ring engraved with the Moretti family crest.
Luca recognized it instantly.
It belonged to Giovanni.
His grandfather hadn't given up.
He was leaving a trail.
---
Meanwhile...
Giovanni Moretti sat in complete darkness.
The kidnappers had moved him again.
This place was colder than the last.
Water dripped steadily from somewhere nearby.
The heavy metal door creaked open.
A masked guard entered carrying a bottle of water.
Giovanni accepted it without speaking.
As the guard turned to leave, Giovanni spoke.
"You've never killed anyone before."
The guard froze.
Giovanni smiled faintly.
"I can hear it in your breathing."
The young man remained silent.
"You're scared."
"I said nothing."
"You don't have to."
The guard's hands trembled.
Giovanni had spent decades reading people.
He knew fear when he saw it.
"Tell me," Giovanni continued. "Do you even know why I'm here?"
The guard hesitated.
Finally, he whispered,
"No."
Before Giovanni could respond, another voice thundered from outside.
"What are you doing in there?"
The young guard immediately stepped back.
"Nothing!"
The door slammed shut.
Giovanni leaned against the wall.
Not every man guarding him believed in the mission.
That weakness could become an opportunity.
---
Across town...
Isabella tried to ignore the anonymous phone call she'd received earlier, but the fear lingered.
As she left the university, she noticed a black sedan parked across the street.
The windows were tinted.
The engine was running.
She walked faster.
So did the car.
Her heart pounded.
Suddenly, the sedan accelerated.
Before it could reach her, another vehicle swerved between them.
A black SUV.
The sedan immediately sped away.
The SUV door opened.
Vincent stepped out.
"Miss Bennett."
Isabella stared in surprise.
"You?"
"The boss sent me."
"Luca?"
"He believes you're in danger."
Isabella frowned.
"I don't understand. Why would anyone come after me?"
Vincent's expression turned serious.
"Because someone knows you've crossed paths with Luca Moretti."
---
Back at the Moretti Estate...
Luca placed the silver ring beside the gold cufflink on his desk.
Two clues.
Two messages.
His grandfather wasn't simply trying to survive.
He was guiding Luca toward him.
Antonio entered the office carrying another file.
"Our people checked every warehouse in the industrial district."
"And?"
"Nothing."
Luca sighed.
"Then we're searching the factories next."
Antonio hesitated.
"There are hundreds."
"We'll search every single one."
Just then, one of the estate's security guards rushed inside.
"Boss!"
Luca stood immediately.
"What happened?"
"We intercepted a message."
"From who?"
"The kidnappers."
The guard handed Luca a small envelope that had been thrown over the estate gates.
Inside was a single photograph.
Luca's face hardened.
The picture showed Giovanni sitting in a chair, bruised but alive.
Written across the back in bold black ink were six chilling words:
YOU ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME.
Luca slowly folded the photograph.
"They wanted me to panic."
Antonio nodded.
"What now?"
Luca looked at the picture one last time before slipping it into his jacket.
"Now..."
His eyes burned with determination.
"...we stop reacting."
"We start hunting."
For the first time since the kidnapping, Luca realized something important.
His enemies wanted him desperate.
Instead, they had just given him another clue.
And he intended to use every single one until he found his grandfather before time ran out.
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