Chapter 5
Gabriel answered the phone.
No greeting.
Just silence.
A woman’s voice came through.
“You’re late.”
Arthur closed his eyes.
Gabriel said nothing.
The woman continued.
“Caleb?”
Still nothing.
Then:
“Arthur?”
Gabriel finally spoke.
“No.”
Silence.
The call ended.
Arthur laughed.
“You learned nothing.”
Gabriel looked at the screen.
“Mother.”
“A label.”
“For whom?”
“No idea.”
Caleb muttered:
“She’ll know.”
Arthur turned.
That look could have cut glass.
Gabriel smiled faintly.
“Know what?”
Caleb said nothing.
Arthur answered for him.
“That something went wrong.”
“Something?”
Arthur shrugged.
“This.”
Gabriel stepped closer.
“What was supposed to happen tonight?”
“No plan.”
Olivia was reading the wall calendar.
Her expression changed.
“There is.”
Gabriel looked.
Tonight’s date had one note:
CHARITY GALA — HOUSE CLEAR 11:30.
Below it:
GABRIEL EAST CORRIDOR 11:42.
Gabriel checked his watch.
11:38.
He stared at Arthur.
“You expected me here.”
Arthur said nothing.
Gabriel continued.
“Nero was supposed to bark.”
Silence.
“Olivia was supposed to find the vent.”
Nothing.
Caleb’s face betrayed surprise.
Interesting.
Arthur knew.
Caleb didn’t.
Gabriel looked between them.
“This room was meant to be discovered.”
Arthur smiled.
Finally.
“Very good.”
Olivia stared.
“Why?”
Arthur looked at her with contempt.
“Because sometimes you don’t hide a trap.”
He looked at Gabriel.
“You make a powerful man think he found it himself.”
Gabriel’s expression hardened.
Arthur continued:
“You were supposed to come down here angry.”
“And?”
“See enough to panic.”
“What then?”
Arthur smiled.
“Call the wrong people.”
Gabriel understood.
A loyalty test.
If he discovered a shadow room and immediately summoned certain capos—
Arthur learned exactly who Gabriel trusted under pressure.
But the memory cards?
The devices?
Too much risk.
Unless—
Gabriel looked at the map again.
Some pins were red.
Some black.
Some white.
“Who do the colors represent?”
Arthur said nothing.
Olivia answered quietly.
“Not places.”
Gabriel turned.
She pointed at three red pins.
All belonged to capos Gabriel trusted most.
Then black pins.
Men Arthur had recommended over the years.
Gabriel looked at his adviser.
“You weren’t mapping territory.”
Pause.
“You were mapping loyalty.”
May you like
Arthur’s smile faded.
Exactly.
