by Vince Flynn
Milan, Thursday morning
The transatlantic flight went well with one exception; neither Anna nor Mitch had slept. Rapp hadn't really planned on it, but he was hoping the two glasses of champagne that Anna had consumed would knock her out. They didn't. In fact, the spirits only heightened her excitement for the week ahead. Two days in Milan filled with shopping at the major fashion houses and a night at the famous Teatro alia Scala, Milan 's grand opera house, and then they would board a train and head south for warmer weather and the romance of Sicily. They had talked excitedly about the trip. The anticipation of what lay ahead was absolutely intoxicating. But for fear of ruining the moment, neither of them spoke directly about engagement, wedding rings, marriage, or children. There would be plenty of time to discuss all of that later.
For Rapp, there was also a second reason why the elation was somewhat tempered. Before he could get on with his new life he had to confront his past, and not just anyone from his past, but someone with whom he had been romantically involved. Just being in Milan brought back a deluge of emotions. Most of them were good, but there were some bad ones too. Italy was his favorite place in the entire world. The history, the architecture, the smells, the people, even the dirt, it was all so real.
Getting through customs at Malpensa Airport proved to be relatively easy. as the testosterone-charged Italian customs officials were more concerned with Annas lingerie than the various weapons that Mitch had stashed throughout his luggage. With the time difference, and the seven-hour flight, they arrived in Milan just in time for the morning rush hour. On the way into the city Anna was all eyes, taking in the sights of the capital city of Italy 's Lombardy region. While at the University of Michigan she had spent a semester abroad in' Paris. During that time she had taken a week to visit Rome, and that was the extent of her exposure to Italy. They had debated the merits of the two countries, Anna siding with France and Mitch siding with Italy. Rapp planned on changing her opinion by the end of the week. He would be the first to admit that France had many redeeming qualities, but unfortunately that beauty was often overshadowed by the arrogance of its people.
Not in Italy, though. If anything the people added to the passion and history of the ancient country. There was genuine willingness to connect with and help foreigners, especially Americans. Their cabdriver was a perfect example. As they plodded their way through rush hour he pointed out, in English, the various sights of interest. During the early part of the commute Anna was slightly disappointed at how modern and industrial Milan was. Mitch assured her that once they reached the heart of the city she would not be disappointed.
He was right. As they turned onto the Via G. Mengoni, Mitch practically had to restrain Anna from leaping from the moving cab. The Duomo loomed so large she had to stick her head out of the window so she could take in the full height of the intricate spires.
"Oh my God! I think that is the most beautiful church I've ever seen."
The cabdriver nodded proudly and answered, "And one of the biggest." Anna continued gawking at the architectural marvel as the cab rolled slowly along the cobblestone street. "What's it called?"
"Duomo!"
"I have to see it. Can we see it?" She turned to Mitch. "Can we see it right now?"
Rapp laughed at her obvious excitement. "It's a short walk from the hotel. Only four blocks. After we take a nap this will be our first stop." "Nap?" she asked incredulously. "I'm not taking any naps, I'm too excited."
Rapp smiled and shook his head. It was nice to see her this way. Maybe this would work out for the best. If they stayed out all day she would collapse around dinnerdme, and then he could sneak out and meet with Donatella. Then if all went well, he could get the information he needed and be done with the whole mess. As they passed the Galleriavittorio Emanuele II, Rapp knew that was a lie. The harsh reality was that in all likelihood, whatever Donatella told him would only drag him in deeper. Donatella was one link in a chain that might be very long. Rapp would have to decide for the first time in his adult life if he was willing to turn something over to others and walk away. Anna kissed him on the cheek as they rolled down the old cobblestone street. Mitch pushed the depressing thought from his mind and forced a smile onto his lips. Maybe it would be simple. Maybe Donatella could answer all of his questions, and explain why he had been set up in Germany. Maybe? Mitch turned away, the smile melting from his face. This type of stuff was never easy, and it was one of many reasons why he needed to get out.
the alit alia flight pulled up to the gate at Linate Airport. It was one of more than a dozen Alitalia flights that would arrive from Rome throughout the day. Of the two major airports that service Milan, Linate handled mostly domestic flights. It was located just two miles from the center of the city, whereas Malpensa 2000 was more than thirty. The flight had left Rome shortly after nine in the morning and had taken less than an hour and a half to make the journey north. When the door opened a steady stream of business people marched off the plane. An unremarkable man near the middle of the group scanned the faces of the people waiting for the flight, but was careful not to look too interested. He was dressed in a pair of olive slacks, a light blue button-down and a blue sport coat. A pair of dark sunglasses concealed his piercing eyes.
On his first visual pass of the crowd he saw the man he was to meet, but instead of making his way over to him, he continued with the others toward the main terminal. This was Marc Rosenthal's second flight of the day. The first had left Tel Aviv well before sunup. After his meeting with the director general of Mossad he had wasted no time in moving his assets into position. Within hours he had two of his people on their way to Milan, each on different flights, and each stopping in another country before entering Italy. One was to obtain weapons and transportation and the other was to establish surveillance with the target. Freidman had given him the go-ahead to use one of the safe flats in Milan despite the fact that officially Mossad had nothing to do with the operation. Rosenthal had told Freidman that the alternative was to use a hotel; a less than ideal situation, since it was highly likely the Italian authorities would be investigating Donatella's disappearance and possible homicide. In a perfect operation they would take her out without a single witness, but that could not be counted on. There was always the chance that some neighbor, co-worker or passerby might notice several men who seemed out of place. At some point the description of those men would be checked against the security tapes at the local hotels. If they found any matches the next step would be to check the security tapes at the airports, and so on and so on.
When Rosenthal reached the main terminal he continued through the baggage claim area without stopping and walked out onto the curb. Along with the other travelers he got in line at the taxi stand. He noted the number of people in line ahead of him, tried to gauge who might be traveling together and who was traveling alone, and then he counted out the waiting cabs. Rosenthal marked the one that he would most likely be riding in and kept an eye on it. When his turn came, he took one last look around and climbed into the official white taxi. In fluent Italian he told the driver to take him to the Grand Hotel. It was not where he was staying, but that was none of the driver's business.
It was a sunny day, and unfortunately for Rosenthal, the tourists of summer were gone. It was nearing 11:00 a. m." and the streets were not very crowded. He frowned with concern as he looked out the window of the moving taxi. Rosenthal's early experiences as a kid on had left an indelible mark on him. He had been assigned to penetrate the deepest circles of the enemy. There was no more dangerous assignment that could be thrust upon an agent of Mossad than to enter the Palestinian camps. He had been asked to go behind enemy lines and identify the leaders of the various terrorist cells. He'd had to assimilate with the very people he hated.
Those early years had left scars. The shrinks at Mossad knew none of this, nor did anyone else. These were Rosenthal's own private demons. The solitary bravado of his early years had cracked. He hated operating alone. As a predator he had gone fr
om a lone wolf to developing a pack mentality. Never again would he hunt alone. He would never go back to the camps, never go back to the sleepless nights, worrying that he might let something slip in his dreams. No, that was all behind him. Now he did everything possible to stack the deck in his favor.
And his discerning eye didn't like the lack of cover on the streets. Over the last twenty-four hours Rosenthal had scoured the file Freid man had given him. It was obvious it had been heavily censored. Much of it was blacked out, and there were large gaps where entire operations had been omitted. Rosenthal had no doubt the old man had personally removed the information. Part of it was for reasons of compartmentalization and secrecy, but Rosenthal knew the old man too well to think that was the only reason. Freidman had removed information that might cause Rosenthal to hesitate rather than assassinate. Rosenthal was no novice. Although he had not yet reached the age of thirty he had been doing this work for close to a decade. Despite the heavily censored file, Rosenthal knew that this Donatella Rahn had done a lot for Israel, but this was the ugly side of his business. One day you're a prized asset; the next day you're a liability.
As the taxi neared The Galleria Vittorio, Rosenthal told the driver they were close enough to the hotel and asked him to stop. He paid the man and got out. He gave a quick glance over both shoulders and then entered the magnificent nineteenth century architectural structure. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II was laid out in the formation of a cross, the north-south section connecting the Piazza del Duomo and the Piazza della Scala. Instead of open air between the buildings the large bisecting avenues were covered with an ornate iron framework and glass. It was closed to all but foot traffic. The floor was made of an intricate mosaic of colorful tiles and elegant shops lined the walk.
Rosenthal stopped into a bookshop and purchased a copy of the London Times. He loitered near the front of the shop for a moment to see if he was being followed and then continued on his way out the north end of the structure and across the Piazza della Scala. On the other end of the plaza he leaned against a light post and acted as if he were reading the paper. After several minutes a maroon Flat sedan pulled up to the curb and Rosenthal got in.
It was the man from the airport. He pulled back into traffic and said, "You're clean."
"Good. And the woman?"
"She's at her office. Yanta followed her to work this morning. She got there at nine and hasn't left."
"What about her apartment?"
"We decided to wait for you before we made that move."
Rosenthal nodded. The man driving the car was Jordan Sunberg. Although he looked a good ten years older than Rosenthal he was actually two years younger. Sunberg had a thick black beard and an unruly head of curly hair. The two had worked with each other on many occasions in recent years. They were two of Freidman's favorite katsas. "Did you get the things I requested?"
"Yes. It's all back at the flat."
Rosenthal checked his watch. "Good. We'll make our move this evening."
CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
Rapp watched Anna twirl around the middle of the beautiful room, her arms spread and her little chin tipped up toward the vaulted hand-painted ceiling of the fifteenth-century monastic cell. She could not believe this was their hotel room and not a museum. Rapp couldn't have been happier over her reaction. Watching her spin around in circles made him think of what Anna must have been like as a little girl. He felt a brief pang of sadness that he'd missed so much of her life. It was irrational, he knew. There was no way they could have known each other. She had grown up in Chicago and he in Virginia. Besides, if they had met it would have virtually guaranteed that they would not be together right now.
Anna moved across the room and out onto the small balcony overlooking the inner courtyard. Mitch followed her and wrapped his arms around her waist. They stood together, front to back, looking down on the immaculately manicured courtyard. Every tree, every bush, every table, every umbrella was perfect.
Anna reached up with her left hand and touched Mitch's face. Turning her head back she found his lips and gave him a long kiss. As their lips parted she said, "I love you so much"
"I love you, too." He squeezed her tightly and began kissing her neck. After a minute he led her back toward the king-size bed.
"What are you doing?" asked Anna in a playful tone. "I'm trying to seduce you." He held her tight, continued the kissing and made the last step toward the bed.
Anna grabbed his hands, twisted free and pushed him onto the bed. Mitch willingly let her win and landed comfortably in the middle of the bed. With his hand held out he gestured for Anna to join him. To his great disappointment all he got was a defiant pose; hands on hips with a shaking head. "Come on, honey," he pleaded.
Nope. We only in Milan for a day and a half, and I'm not going to spend it in bed."
"Why not?"
"Don't ask stupid questions." "Come on," he said baiting her. "It won't take long."
"Maybe for you."
Rapp laughed. "Now now. Be nice."
"It has nothing to do with being nice. I'm being a realist. If I get into bed with you, we'll have sex, and then you'll fall asleep. I don't want to sleep right now. I want to get out and see the city." She started for the bathroom. "Besides, you're always better when I make you wait."
Rapp stared up at the mural on the ceiling. "I'll have to work on that." He let out a loud groan that was mostly for show and then got off the bed. After peeling off his clothes, he strutted into the bathroom.
Anna turned from the mirror where she was touching up her makeup. She looked at her boyfriend's naked body and asked in an incredulous tone, "You can't want it that bad?"
"You wish," grinned Rapp as slapped her on the butt and continued past her and into the shower.
After the shower Rapp went out into the bedroom and put on a fresh set of clothes. He stood over his suitcase and wondered what was the best way to handle his next move. He was tempted to assemble the gun and slip it into the specially designed interior pocket of his leather jacket, but he knew that was an invitation for disaster. Anna would wrap her arms around him the second they got outside and she would check for the weapon. She always did. She had gotten used to it, at least in America. She had been raised in a house full of guns. Her father was a cop as well as two other brothers. Rapp had met the family, and like all good Chicago cops they carried their sidearm with them when they were off duty.
The best way to handle it with Anna was to be up front, but then again if the room was bugged he didn't want to get into it with her here. He made the decision to tell her when they got outside. Rapp picked up his suitcase and carried it into the drawing room. After setting it on the ottoman he quickly grabbed the hair dryer, the can of shaving cream and the radio and pulled them apart. In less than two minutes he had the weapon assembled and the items put back together. Rapp's leather jacket was on the arm of the chair. He opened it and put the automatic into an inside pocket designed to conceal the weapon.
When Anna was ready they went downstairs to La Veranda for a quick bite to eat. They had the restaurant to themselves. It was post breakfast and just prior to the lunch rush. Anna ordered a bowl of soup and Mitch ordered a roast beef sandwich for which he received a concerned look from his girlfriend.
"Doesn't the mad cow thing scare you a little?"
Rapp looked quickly over both shoulders. "Where? Is one on the loose?"
Anna laughed and shook her head. "You know what I mean."
"Yeah, I know what you mean, and I appreciate your concern, but I stand a better chance of getting hit by lightning than contracting mad cow
disease."
Anna decided not to make a big deal out of it. She took a drink of water and then asked, "When are you going to take care of your business?"
With a serious look he said, "I'd tried to upstairs but you shut me
down."
"Oh," she smiled. "I can see you're in a real juvenile mood today."
"Just in love,
darling. That's all."
"Can we be serious for a minute?"
"Absolutely." Rapp grabbed a bread stick and bit off the end.
"When are you going to meet with this person?" Rapp took another bite of the breadstick and said, "I'm going to try to make contact this afternoon."
"Is this going to interfere at all with our plans for this evening?"
He thought about it for a second and then said, "It shouldn't."
Anna shot him a disappointed look.
"Darling, you're not being fair. I told you I had to take care of this. We're going to have a great trip, but I have to take care of this first." He took another bite from the breadstick and waited for her to give him a sign that she wasn't upset. When she smiled he reached across the table for her hand and said, "Besides, I have a sneaky feeling that you're going to be wiped out by the time tonight rolls around."
Their food arrived in short order and they ate quickly. Before leaving Rapp ordered a double cappuccino for a little extra burst of energy and suggested that Anna do the same. He didn't care how' beautiful the Duomo was, tours made him more tired than a two-mile swim. Anna ordered a single cappuccino. The hot drinks came in to-go cups. Rapp signed the check and they left the hotel.
It was a bright sunny day. The temperature was in the mid fifties. It was perfect walking weather. Anna was dressed quite a bit more stylishly than Mitch. The fact that Milan was the fashion capital of the world was not wasted on NBC's White House correspondent. Instead of heading directly for the grand church, Rapp led Anna half a block to the north and took a right onto Via della Spiga. A short block later they took a right onto Via Sant'Andrea. It was at about this point that the tour of the Duomo was put on hold. The first fashion designer that came into view was Hermes, quickly followed by Fendi. Rapp knew the street well, and it was having its intended effect on Anna. He was guessing that it would take them several hours to travel the next full block. They would have to run the gauntlet of Prada, Moschino, Chanel, Gianfranco Ferre and Giorgio Armani. Prada alone could take two hours.
