3: Almost Caught

Chapter 3 Almost Caught

Molly jumped out of bed, throwing all the suspicious items away before her mother could notice.

"Mom, is something wrong?" she asked as soon as her mother entered, visibly nervous.

"Have you delivered all the packages?" Matilde asked, showing concern.

"Yes."

"Let's go!" she announced, pulling her hurriedly as if they were fleeing.

Madson had no idea what was happening. They headed to the car and drove off at high speed. Her mother kept her eyes on the road through the rearview mirror, making sure no one was following them. Madson just shrunk into her seat, frightened, without asking anything else.

"It seems like someone is following us," Molly suggested, alarmed.

"Damn it!" Matilde exclaimed upon seeing a motorcycle behind them. "Here!" she threw the phone into Molly's lap. "Call Matheus, now!"

Madson complied without questioning. Then, she received a piece of fabric thrown onto her face.

"Are those the men who want to kill our family?" she asked, frightened, while making the call.

"Cover your face and don't let them see you," her mother ordered as three more bikers approached the car. Then, she stepped on the accelerator. Despite her car's power, the motorcycles were also fast.

"Are they following us?" Matheus asked bluntly as soon as he answered, as if he already knew it would happen.

"Yes! There are several bikers," Molly replied.

Matheus smiled between his teeth, with a precision rifle positioned.

"We're just a few minutes away!" Matilde shouted from the front seat, desperate.

As she crossed the street with the three bikers, Matheus managed to see them. He simply waited for the right moment and easily took down one of them, while the other two became confused but continued to pursue. However, when the second one fell, the third attempted to flee.

"Amateurs!" Matheus sighed as he brought down the third.

They were able to proceed to the secret location. Matheus also fled on his motorcycle, following their mother's car, as they were still ten kilometers away from the hideout.

As soon as they arrived, they were greeted by Lincoln, who was already aware of everything that had happened.

"Matheus warned you not to take risks!" Lincoln shouted as they waited in front of the warehouse, after passing through the gate.

"I didn't expect them to recognize me," Matilde lamented.

"And Molly?" he asked worriedly, looking at the girl with her face still covered.

"No one saw her. At least, they probably think she's just one of the girls who works there," she warned, pulling her into the basement. However, Matheus had not arrived there yet; he was checking if no one else was following them and if there was no tracker on the car.

It didn't take long for Matheus to arrive on his motorcycle, so they went together to the secret underground area, which was built like a house, with three bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, and bathrooms.

"What really happened?" Lincoln asked impatiently as everyone gathered in the living room.

"I found out today that my account was blocked," she recounted, looking lost as Matheus joined them, also listening to the conversation.

"Oh!" Matheus feigned surprise, clapping his hands. "You've been working illegally at that place for years. Did you think the mafia wouldn't investigate you? Mom! You're so naive. I can't even believe it was you who taught me what I know today," he grumbled indignantly.

"Why didn't you teach me to be like that too?" Molly protested suddenly, pulling the cloth covering her face, revealing a furious expression.

"Shut up!" their voices merged into a single sound against her, and she sat annoyed on the couch.

"Well, what's our situation now?"

"The only one who still has money is Madson, Molly." All eyes turned to her.

"Me? I didn't even know I had a bank account."

"But you do, for your college and your future in case you were good for nothing, because let's be honest, your mother raised you too naive."

"You took me out of school when I was 14! What are you talking about? None of this is my fault!" she grumbled, indifferent, with her legs dangling over the armrest of the chair.

"Look at this girl!" Matheus grumbled. "The only one free from the hunt in this concrete jungle and still so rude!" he asserted, furious, giving her a tap on the foot, making her sit up straight in the chair.

"But getting back to the point, we still have money, but it's in my office. Someone needs to go back and get that suitcase. There's a secret compartment under the desk; they surely ransacked everything there but couldn't find the suitcase. No one except me knows about that place."

"We need that money to escape," grumbled Caio.

"Is it that much money?" Matheus asked.

"150 thousand," Matilde replied.

"It's a symbolic amount. It can keep us going for a few months in another country," commented Matheus indifferently.

"But that amount is what's in the briefcase. Molly, in her bank account, has over 990 thousand," said Matilde.

"How can she have so much money? She didn't even work for it!" asserted Caio.

"But I didn't even know I had money! I don't even have 10 reais now!" Molly grumbled irritably, getting up and leaving them alone, but as she left, she just stayed there, since they were always wary when she was nearby and never talked about the family's real situation.

"Now that she's gone, tell me what the real situation is," Lincoln asked Matheus.

"The city is surrounded. We won't be able to leave, and this hideout won't be secret forever," he said, unaware that Molly was a few meters away, listening to everything.

"Some of Teodoro's killers have been recruited, others are in the grave. All the bodies are being crushed and thrown to the dogs. No one will ever know what's going on."

"Isn't there a safe way out?"

"You know our only way out is that seal," she commented indifferently, sitting in the armchair that once belonged to her sister.

"We can't negotiate with the capo," Lincoln retorted, uncomfortable.

"No! That's an unacceptable idea. You won't sell her for a seal!"

"The only one with crazy ideas here is Lincoln. Let's not treat her like one of those girls. You know very well what her future could be if she's disapproved. The marriage won't last, and she'll become like the girls I take care of. Most were married to one of those scumbags, who abandoned them without a destination, rejected even by their own family."

"Mother is right. If the woman isn't like her, it's obvious she has no chance in our world," Matheus agreed indifferently.

"And she, as intelligent and attractive as she may be, that won't mean much since the upbringing by the madam Dona Matilde made her a rebellious child and somewhat useless," commented Caio. "So, we'll have to protect her to the last thread of the sword!" he announced, and both Matheus and his mother agreed fervently, except Lincoln, who still had doubts.

"Three against one is unquestionable. You can't do anything, Dad," Matheus suggested proudly.

"I'm still the sottocapo!" he growled furiously.

"We respect you as such, but our girl won't end up in the hands of any killer!" Caio announced vehemently.

"Don't make me feel like I don't love my daughter, but have you considered that it's just a way to save her at least? I'm at the top of the hunted list, and besides, you, Matheus, are on my side. Your head is always at stake, and your reputation only increases because of all the public and important figures you've killed for Teodoro to rise to power," Lincoln sighed, resigned.

"I'm not proud of it, but I won't die because of it. And we'll still protect our sister at all costs."

"Even on the brink of death, they still think of protecting me," Molly pondered, forcing her mind to remember. "On the day they took me out of school, I heard a man... I had seen him talking to my parents in the office, I could only see his tattooed arm, but as far as I know, it could be anyone, because even Matheus has tattoos all over even though he tries to hide it from me." The memory made her quickly return to the room.

"I have an idea!" Molly shouted abruptly, bursting in and catching the attention of the four. "I can go to the building and get the money."

"You were eavesdropping behind the door again!" her father asserted, pulling her ear.

"Ow... as I was saying, I'll go there and bring the money."

"You're not going alone to that place!" Lincoln protested.

"But they don't know me. Besides, they might think I'm an employee there."

"And that's the problem!" Matheus retorted, moving towards her.