"So this is where you kept them, Father," I said, when the burned house came into view.
Father sat by my side, his hands locked around the head of the cape in front of him, his jaw clenched tight as he took in the ruins from our vehicle.
Nothing remained but a blackened skeleton gnawed by fire. On the way here, we've passed enough dead bodies of our soldiers and their soldiers alike to fill a mass grave. And the fact that this all happened in more than just a day after Rosie was taken, should've said enough.
Angelo had grown careless. He believed his security was unbreakable, his mean unbeatable. But even the greatest leaders make mistakes sometimes. This was just one of those times.
The car hadn't even fully stopped before I climbed out. The stench hitting me first. I had to try holding my wince. The burned wood, charred flesh and blood that had gone cold. I hated it.
