Chapter 7 - Footprints in the Mud
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Luca knelt in the damp earth near the edge of the estate’s property line. He brushed away a layer of pine needles, revealing a clear, small footprint pressed deep into the mud.
"Boss," Luca called out over the radio. "I've got a trail. Heading north into the tree line. Looks like a woman's shoe. Barefoot or in socks, maybe."
Damian arrived minutes later, his face an emotionless mask. He stared down at the footprint. "She was carrying weight. The impression is too deep for a woman her size."
"The maid," Luca suggested. "Clara Hayes. She wasn't accounted for in the staff headcount. You think she took the boys?"
"I don't pay maids to be heroes," Damian said coldly. "If she took them, she's holding them for ransom. Or she was paid by the Morettis to smuggle them out."
"Should I call the police?"
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"No cops," Damian snapped. "We handle this in-house. Get the dogs. We track her down quietly. If she harmed a single hair on my sons' heads, I want her brought to me alive."
As the tracker dogs were brought in, Damian looked out into the dense, fog-covered woods. He felt a strange, violent hope clawing at his chest. They were alive. He could feel it in his blood. And he would tear the world apart to get them back.
