Chapter 4 - The Sister's Voice
Evelyn's blood ran cold at the mention of her sister.
Sarah was a kindergarten teacher in Boston, living a quiet life completely disconnected from Evelyn's chaotic travel schedule.
The voice on the phone warned Evelyn that time was running out.
Evelyn dropped the phone onto the dashboard and reached over to the dead man slumped in the passenger seat.
Her hands were covered in Marco's blood as she frantically searched the man's jacket.
She found a folded piece of paper in his breast pocket.
She unfolded it under the dim glow of the dashboard lights.
It was a printout of Sarah's daily schedule, including her home address and the exact time she walked her dog.
There was a handwritten note at the bottom stating that the Boston team was currently in position.
Evelyn snatched the phone back and screamed at the man to leave her sister alone.
The man chuckled softly.
He said Sarah would live a long, happy life on one specific condition.
Evelyn had to bring Marco Bellini's phone to a specified drop point in downtown Dublin before sunrise.
The caller explained that Marco's phone contained the encrypted security codes to Antonio's private hospital room.
They needed those codes to finish what they started on the airplane.
If Evelyn delivered the phone, Sarah would survive.
If she refused, or if she warned anyone, the men in Boston would kick down Sarah's door immediately.
The line went dead before Evelyn could say another word.
Evelyn sat in the absolute darkness of the ruined estate, listening to Marco's ragged breathing in the backseat.
Marco was dying.
He needed a hospital, but taking him to one would expose them to the assassins hunting them.
Evelyn looked at Marco's jacket.
His encrypted phone was sticking halfway out of his pocket.
She knew she had to make a choice.
She could save Antonio, a ruthless mafia boss she barely knew, and risk her sister's life.
Or she could steal the phone, trade it to the assassins, and become responsible for Antonio's murder.
She climbed into the backseat and gently reached for Marco's pocket.
Her fingers closed around the cold metal of his phone.
Suddenly, a massive, bloody hand clamped around her wrist like a steel vise.
Marco's eyes snapped open in the darkness.
Despite his massive blood loss, his grip was terrifyingly strong.
He looked at the guilt written all over Evelyn's face.
With his free hand, Marco slowly raised his pistol and pointed it directly at Evelyn's chest.
He told her he was sorry, but he could not let her leave this car with that phone.
Evelyn looked down the barrel of the gun, realizing she was trapped.
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Then the silence of the night was shattered by the sound of approaching helicopter blades.
A massive searchlight suddenly ignited from above, blinding them both as the aircraft hovered directly over the SUV.
