Chapter 20 - The Unfinished Game|
Six months later, life had settled into a beautiful, mundane rhythm.
Lucas had been indicted on twenty-two federal counts of wire fraud, conspiracy, and murder. He was sitting in a maximum-security federal holding cell, awaiting a trial he was guaranteed to lose. Helena had retreated from public life entirely, her family name permanently tarnished, though she managed to keep herself out of prison through her cooperation.
Ricardo and Bia had moved out of the cramped city apartment and bought a small, quiet house in the suburbs with a large backyard and a massive oak tree.
It was a Saturday morning. The sun was shining, and Bia was in the backyard, laughing as she tried to teach a newly adopted golden retriever puppy how to fetch a tennis ball.
Ricardo stood at the kitchen window, sipping his coffee, watching her. For the first time in years, he didn't feel the need to constantly check the locks on the doors. The storm had passed.
The doorbell rang.
Ricardo set his mug down on the counter and walked to the front foyer. He opened the door.
Nobody was there.
He frowned, stepping out onto the front porch and looking up and down the quiet suburban street. It was empty. The neighborhood was completely still.
But sitting on the welcome mat was a small, unmarked brown cardboard box.
Ricardo’s heart did a slow, uneasy flutter in his chest. He bent down and picked up the package. It was light. There was no return address, no postage stamp. Someone had hand-delivered it.
He carried it inside, placed it on the kitchen island, and grabbed a box cutter. He sliced through the heavy packing tape and pulled open the cardboard flaps.
Inside the box, resting on a bed of crumpled newspaper, was a brand-new, modern smartphone.
Ricardo stared at it.
The screen suddenly lit up on its own. It wasn't locked.
A single text message appeared on the screen, sent from an encrypted, untraceable number just seconds ago.
May you like
Ricardo read the message, the blood slowly draining from his face as the illusion of peace shattered into a thousand pieces.
“Lucas was only the middleman. Vanguard belongs to us. We want our money back, Ricardo. And we know where you live.”
