Chapter 9 - The Longest NightJulian underwent emergency surgery.
The balcony door stood open.
Cold wind blew through the room.
Mia was gone.
Rosa made a sound Julian would remember for the rest of his life.
Not a scream.
Something deeper.
Animal.
Broken.
She ran toward the balcony.
Julian caught her.
“No.”
“They took her!”
“I know.”
“You promised!”
The words struck him like a punch.
“You promised she’d be safe!”
Julian did not defend himself.
Because she was right.
Nathan’s team searched the building.
Security footage showed a maintenance worker entering thirty minutes earlier.
Fake identification.
A delivery van exited the underground garage during the blackout.
Police alerts went out immediately.
Rosa could barely stand.
Julian knelt in front of her.
“Look at me.”
She could not.
“Rosa.”
Finally, her eyes met his.
“I’m getting her back.”
“Don’t promise.”
“I’m not.”
His voice cracked.
“I’m telling you what I’m going to spend every second trying to do.”
Her phone rang.
Unknown number.
Everyone froze.
Rosa answered.
“Mia?”
Victor Salazar’s voice came through.
“Elena.”
Rosa gripped the phone.
“If you hurt her—”
“She’s fine.”
“Let me hear her.”
A pause.
Then Mia cried, “Mommy?”
Rosa collapsed into Julian’s arms.
“Baby! I’m here.”
“I wanna go home.”
“I know.”
Victor returned.
“You have something I want.”
Rosa sobbed.
“What?”
“All copies of Gabriel’s evidence.”
Julian shook his head.
Victor continued.
“And Mercer withdraws opposition to the merger.”
Julian took the phone.
“Victor.”
“Julian.”
“You touch that child and there is nowhere on this planet you can hide.”
Victor laughed softly.
“You’ve become sentimental.”
“Where is she?”
“Tomorrow. Noon. Instructions will follow.”
The call ended.
Rebecca Han listened to the recording.
“We cannot give him the originals.”
Rosa snapped, “He has my daughter!”
“We can provide controlled copies.”
“And if he finds out?”
Julian said, “He won’t.”
Rosa turned on him.
“You don’t get to gamble with Mia.”
“No.”
He stepped closer.
“You decide.”
Silence.
Rosa stared at him.
“What would you do?”
Julian answered immediately.
“Give him everything.”
Rebecca protested.
“Julian—”
“Everything.”
He looked at Rosa.
“Companies can be rebuilt. Evidence can be recovered. Children can’t.”
Rosa started crying again.
At 11:40 the next morning, Victor sent coordinates.
An abandoned warehouse near the Hudson River.
Rosa was told to come alone.
This time, federal agents agreed.
They fitted her with a hidden microphone.
Julian insisted on being nearby.
Rebecca objected.
“You’re not trained.”
“I’m not asking.”
Rosa touched his arm.
“You shouldn’t come.”
“I know.”
“Then why?”
Julian looked at her.
“Because you shouldn’t be alone.”
She closed her eyes.
For a second, she leaned her forehead against his chest.
Then stepped away.
At noon, Rosa entered the warehouse carrying a laptop and the original flash drive.
Victor stood beneath a hanging industrial light.
Mia sat twenty feet away with Victor Jr.
Her hands were tied.
“Mommy!”
Rosa moved toward her.
Victor raised a hand.
“Stop.”
“Let her go.”
“The drive.”
Rosa lifted it.
“First Mia.”
Victor smiled.
“You’ve become brave.”
“No.”
Rosa’s voice trembled.
“I became a mother.”
Outside, agents listened.
Julian stood beside Rebecca.
His hands were clenched so tightly his knuckles were white.
Inside, Victor plugged the drive into a laptop.
He checked several files.
His smile returned.
“Gabriel was always too clever.”
Rosa stared at him.
“You killed him.”
Victor shrugged.
“My son made a mistake.”
Victor Jr. snapped, “Dad.”
Rosa looked at him.
“You drove the car.”
The younger man’s face changed.
Victor hissed, “Be quiet.”
But Rosa understood.
She stepped closer.
“You didn’t mean to kill him.”
Victor Jr.’s jaw tightened.
“He wouldn’t stop.”
“Stop what?”
“Talking.”
Victor said, “Enough.”
Rosa continued.
“He was driving home.”
Victor Jr. suddenly shouted, “He rammed us first!”
Outside, Rebecca looked at Julian.
They had confession-level evidence.
Inside, Rosa pushed.
“So you chased him?”
Victor Jr. breathed hard.
“He could have stopped.”
Victor grabbed his arm.
“Shut up.”
Too late.
Federal agents moved.
The warehouse doors burst open.
“FBI! Hands where we can see them!”
Chaos.
Victor Jr. grabbed Mia.
Julian heard her scream through Rosa’s microphone.
He moved before anyone could stop him.
He ran into the warehouse.
“Julian!” Rebecca shouted.
Victor Jr. dragged Mia toward a side door.
Julian cut across the floor.
A gun appeared.
Rosa screamed.
“NO!”
Victor Jr. aimed at Julian.
A shot exploded.
Julian fell.
Everything stopped.
Rosa screamed his name.
Agents tackled Victor Jr.
Mia ran toward her mother.
Rosa caught her, crying uncontrollably.
Then she looked across the floor.
Julian lay motionless.
Blood spread across his white shirt.
Mia broke from Rosa’s arms.
“Mr. Julian!”
Rosa grabbed her.
“No, baby.”
Paramedics rushed inside.
Julian’s eyes opened slightly.
Rosa knelt beside him.
“Stay with me.”
He tried to speak.
“What?”
She leaned closer.
Julian whispered, “Is Mia okay?”
Rosa sobbed.
“Yes.”
His eyes closed.
“Then…”
He breathed weakly.
“…good birthday wish.”
The ambulance doors slammed shut minutes later.
Rosa stood in the rain holding Mia.
Victor Salazar was handcuffed nearby.
His son was in custody.
The evidence was secure.
Gabriel would finally have justice.
May you like
But none of it mattered in that moment.
Because the man who had risked everything for her child was fighting for his life.
