In the heart of New York City, Jacob Daniel leads a seemingly normal life, running a café near Central Park with his closest friends, Sam and Katie. But when Katie's boss is found murdered and the FBI pulls her into a high-stakes investigation, the...
The sun was just beginning to rise, casting a soft light over the smoky remains of the café. It was around 6 AM, and the firefighters had finally given the all-clear that the fire had been completely extinguished. Jake sat on the sidewalk, motionless and silent, his eyes fixed on the charred wreckage that had once been his pride and joy. His thoughts spiraled inwards, heavy with grief. Just a few feet away, Lisa, Alexandra, Sam, and Katie spoke with the police officers and fire marshals, trying to piece together the details of what had happened.
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After a brief conversation, Lisa pulled out her phone and texted James, their attorney, letting him know about the fire and asking for his help with the insurance claims. Her fingers moved mechanically, her mind still reeling from the shock. Once done, she pocketed her phone and approached Jake, sitting beside him in silence. Neither said a word. Jake leaned his head on her shoulder, his body weighted down by exhaustion and loss. Lisa, sensing how fragile he was, quietly gestured to the others to get him something to drink. Nodding in understanding, Alexandra, Sam, and Katie headed off to a nearby coffee shop.
As they walked away, Jake’s phone rang. He glanced at it, but in his daze, he let the call go unanswered. A few moments later, Lisa’s phone vibrated. She carefully pulled it from her pocket, not wanting to disturb Jake’s fragile state. It was James.
“Hi, Lisa. I just heard... I’m so sorry about the café,” James said, his voice filled with concern.
“James, I don’t know what to do,” Lisa admitted, her voice shaking. “Are you back from Boston?”
“I got in around midnight. I’ll be there in thirty minutes,” James assured her before hanging up.
Lisa placed the phone back in her pocket and gently took Jake’s hand, her fingers brushing against his. “Talk to me, Jacob. Your silence is scaring me,” she whispered, her words barely audible over the distant hum of the city waking up.
Jake slowly exhaled, lifting his head from her shoulder. He stretched slightly, his body heavy with fatigue, and looked toward the rising sun. For a moment, there was a flicker of something in his eyes—maybe acceptance, maybe resignation. He turned to Lisa and gave her a faint, tired smile. Then, with a small nod toward the smoldering remains of the café, he muttered, “It’s all gone... just ashes.”
Lisa’s heart broke as she heard the words. Her eyes filled with tears, and she was about to say something comforting when her phone rang again. She saw the caller ID—Cynthia, calling from D.C. She quickly stood up and walked a few steps away to take the call.
“Lisa... what happened? I just heard,” Cynthia said, her voice full of concern.
“It’s all gone, Cynthia... burned to ashes,” Lisa sobbed, unable to hold back her tears any longer.
“Oh God, how’s Jake?” Cynthia asked softly.
Lisa turned to look at her brother, who was still lost in his own world of sorrow, waving her over as if needing her nearby. “This café was everything to him... and now, he’s back in that dark place. Again,” she whispered, her voice cracking as memories of Jake’s spiral after Anna Marie’s death came rushing back.
“I’m so sorry, Lisa. I wish I was there with you,” Cynthia said, her tone laced with regret. “Let me know if you need anything. I’ll be back tomorrow.”
Lisa nodded, even though Cynthia couldn’t see it. “Okay... thanks,” she whispered before ending the call.
As she returned to Jake, she noticed him speaking with Officer Francis. The officer’s voice was calm but firm as he spoke to Jake.
“We’ve reviewed the situation, Mr. Daniel, and this isn’t looking like an accident. This was a deliberate attack,” Officer Francis explained as Lisa approached.
Jake turned to her, his expression dark and rigid. “It’s arson, Lisa. Someone did this.. on purpose,” he said coldly, fury beginning to brew beneath his calm facade.
Before Lisa could respond, Lieutenant Mathew and a group of officers, including Nathan, approached them.
“Mr. Daniel, I’m Lieutenant Mathew, 34th precinct,” the lieutenant introduced himself, shaking Jake’s hand. “I want you to know, something like this happening so close to our precinct... we take it personally. We’ll get to the bottom of this.”
Jake, still seething, nodded in acknowledgment, but the words felt hollow in his ears. Mathew gestured to Nathan, who was working on a laptop nearby.
“Lieutenant, we’ve pulled footage from the building next door and one from the intersection. You need to see this,” Nathan said as he motioned for them to gather around.
Nathan pressed play on the footage, and the grainy video showed a black SUV driving slowly past the café. As the vehicle reached the windows, the passenger window rolled down, and two containers were hurled inside. Seconds later, flames erupted from within the café, and the SUV sped off.
Jake closed his eyes, clenching his fists. Without a word, he turned and began walking toward the café’s charred remains. His mind was swirling with memories—the laughter, the friendships, the milestones that had all taken place within those walls. Now, they were reduced to blackened debris. He stepped through the wreckage, his eyes scanning the broken photo frames that once hung proudly on the wall. Every cherished moment was now destroyed.
He stopped in front of what used to be the photo wall, where dozens of framed pictures hung—moments frozen in time, now shattered and scattered across the floor. As he stood there, lost in the ruins of his past, a familiar voice called out from behind him.
“Jacob!”
He turned to see Angela, her face a mixture of shock and sorrow as she approached him. She had clearly heard about the fire and rushed over, her concern evident in her expression.
“I’m so sorry, Jacob...” she whispered, stepping closer.
Jake didn’t respond. He simply gestured to the ruins around him, his eyes brimming with unshed tears. Angela hesitated for a moment before wrapping her arms around him, pulling him into a comforting embrace. Jake stood frozen, torn between grief and anger, as he rested his head on her shoulder.
Outside, the others watched in silence—Alexandra, Sam, Katie, the officers. No one said a word as they observed the quiet moment of grief unfolding. Alexandra’s eyes narrowed as she saw Jake with Angela, the unexpected intimacy between them raising questions in her mind.
She turned to Lisa, confusion clear on her face. “Who is that?” she asked quietly.
Sam and Katie exchanged bewildered looks as they watched the scene, surprised at the sight of Jake so close to Angela.
Moments later, James arrived, quickly falling into conversation with Officer Francis and the fire marshal about the process for filing insurance claims and opening an investigation. As they came out of the café, Angela released Jake’s hands, sensing the eyes on them. She offered him a soft smile before turning to leave.
“Call me if you need anything,” she said gently before walking toward her car.
As she passed by the group, she gave Lisa a polite nod, which Lisa returned. Alexandra, however, glared at Angela, her expression far less welcoming.
Before leaving, Angela stopped and called out to Katie, “Katie, tomorrow at 8 AM. Don’t be late.” Katie nodded, still processing the whirlwind of the last few hours.
As the cops began sealing off the café, Jake stood in front of the building, his face hardened. The fire had consumed more than just wood and brick—it had ignited something dark inside him. The rage was now coursing through his veins, and he knew that retribution would follow.
But the question remained: who would pay for what was done?
