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Chapter 6
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The Life Rebirth Chapter 7
GABRIEL "Who are you? why are you trying to hack into my system?" I pressed some keys quickly to stop the hacker from getting any further. "So, you've seen me. Pretty good." "You're not bad yourself; now answer the question." I was calm and cold as ice. "I'm someone who is trying to save you from yourself." "I don't compute." "You know exactly what I'm talking about. That road you're about to take, it's a dead end. You shouldn't be so quick to give up on yourself. I don't want to see someone with your capabilities wasted. Stay safe!" And he's gone. Who the hell was that? Whoever he is, he's good, very good. I almost didn't see him until it was too late. I shut down and reworked some stuff on my end to safeguard myself even further. I'm not exactly nervous, but this is the first time something like this has happened. Trying to save me from myself. Memnon? No, it wasn't his crawlers, so who? I could run a reverse hack, but I get the feeling this person is too good, and I'
The Life Rebirth Chapter 8
MANCINI The kid was a looker and not at all what I expected. There was just him and a girl in the pic, and the caption is what told us who he was. "Yeah, he looks young enough. Let's go with him. Gabriel Russo. Track, tell me what he told you again? About his mom." He went through the story again but admitted his friend was very young at the time, as was he, and he'd just been blowing off steam. It's what he'd said here and there over the years that added up in Track's mind to this kid planning to off himself once he was done with the UnSub. "Quinn, anything on the Fratelli woman?" "There's plenty; she's a social butterfly, not afraid of the camera. She's married to some hotshot investment banker. I'm combing through her life now, going back to her teens; I'll let you know when something pops. What do we know about the UnSub?" I looked at Track for answers. "Nothing, only what I told you. Nemesis never gave me a name." "Is that his handle?" "Oh shit!" "Don't sweat it. I w
The Life Rebirth Chapter 9
DRACO "Andros, how much do you trust this guy?" "He's in the top ten." "Good enough. Thanks for this. If this thing works out, I'll send you a bottle of that Scotch you like." We man hugged, and I left to go back home. My gut tells me Mancini is on the up and up. The fact that they'd pieced together so much just from one conversation that took place so long ago between two kids told me that he doesn't just collect geniuses; he's one of them. I don't care what he's up to, so long as he saves my son, he'll be in my top ten too. I let myself relax on the jet and made myself believe that this could be a way out. I've been on edge all week thinking that Gabe was about to leave again, but it's only when I went to board the plane, and the pilot told me about the flight out tomorrow, that I knew it was a definite. I've been fighting with myself ever since, trying to find a way to stop him from going back there. I almost called Uncle Guy and told him to take out Ricci and be done with
The Life Rebirth Chapter 10
LYON From the way my mother reacted when she walked into the room and saw the image on the wall screen, I knew no one was pranking me. Up until then, I was almost certain that it was some elaborate hoax, which now that I think of it made no sense because we're not known for pissing around when it comes to serious business. I watched her as she got closer to the screen and reached her hand back for my father. "She must be Eloise's. Must be." "Who dafuq…who is Eloise Ma?" "She was my favorite cousin. She and I were so close; we looked alike in some ways, but not like this. She's the only one I can think of that would have a daughter or granddaughter that looks like this." "She's the spitting image of you, love." Ma started crying, and the pothead hugged her into his chest like they hadn't just dropped a bomb. "Cousin, what cousin?" "Remember we told you how we left our home way back when even before you were born because our family did not accept us being together ev
The Life Rebirth Chapter 11
GABRIEL I had the insane urge to hug my dad. Like I didn't know I wanted him here until he was standing there in front of me. He'd found me, outplayed me. I was almost too proud of him not to smile. "What do you mean what I'm doing here? You're here." "I know, but how?" He walked over and hugged me, and I almost cried like an infant. Something about that touch, the fact that he'd gotten on a plane to come after me and most inspiringly, the fact that he'd been ten steps ahead of me this whole time, made me feel things I'd long given up on feeling. For the longest while, I'd battled my feelings about myself and what my father really felt about me. I know he said and showed he loved me in many ways over my lifetime, but that could've been out of a sense of duty. Until this very moment, I didn't realize that that was in me. Have I been testing him all this time? If I had, he'd just passed with flying colors. *** DRACO *** What a rush! I'd spent the last eighteen hours or so
The Life Rebirth Chapter 12
GABRIEL I didn't hear the news about Felice's passing until I left the hotel and went back to the palazzo. I still couldn't get over the fact that Pop was here, that he was no longer fighting me on this, though I think his presence is a two-edged sword. I'm sure that though he says he's given up fighting me on this that there's some underlying purpose going on that I can't see clearly yet. Sal was looking even more beleaguered than he had this morning, and the house was a whole lot fuller than it was then too. Everyone had gathered to commemorate and commiserate with each other over the dead woman. "I'm sorry niputi, that you had to be here for this. I will understand if you want to take dinner in your rooms, but it would do me a great honor if you should stay." "If you want me to, I will." He clung to my side all evening, introducing me as his grandson, and the proof that he held such power over everyone else in the room was evident by the mere fact that no one asked how I came
The Life Rebirth Chapter 13
GABRIEL The whole place was somber the next morning when I went down to breakfast, so I adjusted my mood accordingly. There was no sound other than the din of cutlery against dishes or the occasional clink of ice settling in a glass. Alonzo gazed off into space as he nibbled on a triangle of toast, and both his children looked like Children of the Corn rejects with dark circles under their eyes and a look of being lost in their gazes. Still, as bad as I felt for them, maybe, I had a job to do. Once breakfast was coming to a close, I retrieved the envelope Pop had given me the day before from beneath my shirt and slid it over to Sal, who was sitting back sipping his coffee. "What's this niputi?" He kept his voice low, so I leaned in to whisper close to his ear. "It's the meeting you wanted." "No!" He fumbled the envelope open and pulled out the sheaf of paper inside. "How did you?" All sadness was gone from his face now, and his eyes brimmed with excitement. In his hand was th
The Life Rebirth Chapter 14
GIANNA "What?" Lyon, why does that name sound so familiar? I knew I'd heard it somewhere in the not too distant past but couldn't for the life of me bring it to mind. It came to me in a rush when the woman spoke again. She'd just been standing there with her mouth hanging open as she stared up at me. "Oh, my word, Daniel, that face!" "I see; I told you she looked like you. Spitting image of you at that age." "It's uncanny, first little Catalina and now this beautiful girl." She came forward with one arm outstretched and the other clutching Thor to her chest and enveloped me in a hug so warm it brought tears to my eyes. "You dear-dear girl, I'm your aunty Elena, your grandmother and I are cousins." I was so flabbergasted I couldn't think of anything to say when she finally released me, so I said the first thing that came to mind. "How did you get Thor?" "Oh, that, Eloise said the boy sent him to her a few days ago. She asked us to bring him with us so you'd trust us." We wer
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