CHAPTER 5 — THE HUNTERS IN THE RAIN
CHAPTER 5 — THE HUNTERS IN THE RAIN
Three red laser dots danced across the cave wall.
Then six.
Then ten.
Elena's heart stopped.
"They found us..."
Luca was already moving.
Despite the fever burning through his body, despite the fresh bullet wound in his side, he grabbed the black case and snapped it shut.
"Lights off."
"There aren't any lights."
"Good."
He pulled Elena against the rock wall just as the first burst of gunfire ripped through the cave entrance.
Stone exploded into razor-sharp fragments.
The roar of automatic rifles echoed like thunder.
Marco's voice followed.
"Luca!"
His words bounced through the darkness.
"You've lost too much blood. You can't protect her forever."
Silence.
Then—
"Give me the ledger, and I'll make her death painless."
Elena felt Luca's jaw tighten.
He leaned close enough that only she could hear.
"There's another exit."
"What?"
"Behind the waterfall."
She turned.
The cave ended in what looked like solid rock.
"I don't see anything."
"You won't."
He pointed toward a narrow crack almost completely hidden beneath vines and moss.
"It's barely wide enough."
"For one person?"
"For two."
Another volley of bullets tore through the entrance.
Marco was done negotiating.
Luca pulled a flare from the emergency kit.
"What are you doing?"
"Buying time."
He struck it against the stone.
Brilliant crimson light flooded the cave.
Then he threw it toward the entrance.
Instantly, the attackers opened fire at the glowing target.
Dozens of bullets shredded empty air.
"Now!"
He grabbed Elena's hand.
The touch shocked them both.
Cold fingers.
Strong grip.
No hesitation.
They squeezed through the narrow opening just as another explosion collapsed part of the cave behind them.
Dust swallowed everything.
The hidden passage dropped steeply downward.
The rock was slick with rainwater.
Elena lost her footing.
Luca caught her.
Then his injured leg gave out.
Together they tumbled down the natural tunnel until they crashed into an underground river.
The current seized them immediately.
The water was ice cold.
Pitch black.
Fast.
Elena surfaced once before another wave dragged her beneath.
She couldn't tell which way was up.
Her lungs screamed.
Then she felt a hand.
Luca.
Even underwater...
He hadn't let go.
He pulled her toward a pale circle of moonlight ahead.
The river burst from the mountain and emptied into a deep lagoon surrounded by towering cliffs.
They crawled onto the rocks, coughing violently.
For several seconds neither could breathe.
Finally Elena laughed.
It wasn't happiness.
It was disbelief.
"We survived another one."
Luca looked at the sky.
"Barely."
Dawn painted the island in shades of gold.
From the top of the cliffs, they could finally see where they were.
The island wasn't deserted.
Far from it.
Smoke rose from the opposite side.
There were buildings.
A dock.
Satellite antennas.
Armed patrol boats.
Elena stared.
"That's..."
"A private port."
Luca nodded grimly.
"My father's."
She looked at him in disbelief.
"He owns the island?"
"He owns many islands."
"And nobody knows?"
"The rich buy privacy."
"The powerful buy silence."
He studied the compound through narrowed eyes.
"They've turned this place into a prison."
"For who?"
Instead of answering, Luca lifted a pair of compact binoculars from the emergency case.
After only a few seconds, the color drained from his face.
"No..."
"What?"
He handed them to Elena.
Near one warehouse...
Nearly thirty children sat behind chain-link fencing under armed guard.
Some looked no older than five.
Others clutched younger siblings.
None of them smiled.
Elena lowered the binoculars with shaking hands.
"Oh God..."
Luca spoke quietly.
"This shipment wasn't supposed to leave until next week."
"You knew?"
"I knew there were rumors."
"You didn't know children were actually here?"
"If I had..."
He couldn't finish.
The guilt in his eyes was louder than words.
That evening they hid in the jungle overlooking the compound.
Luca finally opened the leather ledger completely.
Inside every page was meticulously documented.
Dates.
Ships.
Bribes.
Politicians.
Judges.
Police commissioners.
Names from five different countries.
Enough evidence to destroy an empire.
Enough evidence to start a war.
Elena noticed one page folded differently.
She opened it.
A photograph slipped into her lap.
A little girl.
Curly dark hair.
Bright green eyes.
Maybe six years old.
On the back someone had written only one sentence.
Find her before he does.
"Who is she?" Elena whispered.
Luca's expression changed instantly.
He snatched the photograph.
"You weren't supposed to see that."
"Who is she?"
Silence.
Then—
"My daughter."
The world stopped.
"You..."
Elena couldn't believe what she'd heard.
"You have a daughter?"
"I had."
His voice broke for the first time.
"They told me she died four years ago."
"And?"
"I found evidence last month that she may still be alive."
May you like
He looked toward the compound.
"My father took her."
