Chapter 6 - THE BROTHER WHO SOLD THE HEARTBEAT
Nicholas Russo was found inside a hotel near LaGuardia Airport.
He carried two passports.
A laptop.
And medical files stolen from Adrian’s cardiology team.
Federal agents arrested him before Vincent reached the room.
That prevented a killing neither brother might have survived emotionally.
Nicholas refused to speak until Vincent entered the interrogation room.
“You should not have come,” Nicholas said.
“You sold Lily’s address.”
“I sold a false apartment.”
“Volkov’s man was inside.”
Nicholas looked toward the camera.
“I did not authorize that.”
“You gave him the system.”
“He promised no one would touch the child.”
Vincent laughed once.
It contained no humor.
“You believed Dimitri Volkov?”
“I believed he wanted Adrian.”
“Why?”
Nicholas’s anger surfaced.
“Because Adrian takes everything.”
“Our loyalty.”
“Our time.”
“Our blood.”
“You chose him when I was seventeen.”
“I spent my whole life being useful to a man who still called me your little brother.”
Vincent lowered his eyes.
Some of the accusation was true.
Vincent had brought Nicholas into Moretti service.
He told himself the organization gave them stability after their father died.
Nicholas experienced it as another place where Vincent’s loyalty mattered more than family.
“That explains your resentment,” Vincent said.
“It does not explain Lily.”
Nicholas looked away.
Volkov had paid him to deliver Adrian’s medical records and real-time heart-monitor access.
The defibrillator communicated with a remote cardiology system.
Nicholas planned to create false alerts during a public event.
Volkov would force Adrian’s heart rate upward while a hacked signal prevented the device from responding correctly.
The death would look medical.
Afterward, Moretti crews would divide.
Volkov would take the port.
Nicholas expected to receive enough money to disappear.
“What event?” Vincent asked.
Nicholas remained silent.
Agent Quinn entered.
She placed photographs on the table.
Lily’s daycare.
Sarah’s bakery.
The botanic garden.
A children’s charity concert scheduled for the following week.
Lily’s class would perform.
Adrian had secretly planned to attend.
Only Vincent knew.
Nicholas looked toward his brother.
Vincent’s expression broke.
“You read my private messages.”
“I built the system.”
“So Volkov will attack the concert.”
Nicholas said nothing.
Quinn leaned closer.
“Children will be inside.”
“Volkov said no explosives.”
“What did he plan?”
“A panic.”
“False gunshots over the speaker system.”
“Emergency lights shutting down.”
“Adrian’s heart rate rises.”
“The device receives the wrong command.”
Sarah watched through the observation glass.
Adrian had wanted to attend Lily’s performance without revealing himself publicly.
Volkov intended to turn the first moment he appeared as her father into his death.
Quinn asked whether Nicholas had another operative inside the concert hall.
“Yes.”
“Who?”
May you like
Nicholas looked at Vincent.
“Someone Adrian trusts more than either of us.”
