by J. L. Drake
Tony walked in to the labyrinth known as the caves. It was an underground city built two thousand five hundred years prior and still remained largely intact. He found the agents in a room just off of the entrance. He motioned to them. “Let’s go back in further in case they try to follow me in here.”
When they got far enough into the underground city, he stopped. “Agent Thompson?”
“That’s me,” the younger agent said with a clear American accent. Thompson was wearing jeans and a sport coat. The other agent with him was the unknown.
“And you are?”
“I’m Agent Manchetti. I’m with the Guardia di Finanza. We’ve been working together on this case for several months.”
Tony nodded. “Agent Thompson, how did my dad know you? Was he doing something illegal? Was he involved with the cartel?” He braced himself for the answer he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear.
“You said you had something for me. May I please see it?”
Clearly, Thompson wasn’t going to give up any answers easily. “How do I know I can trust you?”
Thompson shrugged. “I don’t suppose you’ll ever know for sure. Your dad trusted me enough to pass on a message.”
Tony was intrigued. “What message?”
Thompson looked around before he spoke. “He worked hard and long in his life to provide the best for his family. Italy was where he called home, but it no longer needs to be your home. I’ve promised your father to place any member of your immediate family in the witness protection program. If you work with us, I can provide you a new life in America.”
Tony put his hand on the wall next to him and doubled over. It felt like he’d just had the wind knocked out of him, and he struggled to take a breath. Just when he thought his dad was doing illegal business, he found out he was working with American’s for who knows what. How much more was there to his father’s secret life?
“I know this is a lot to take in.”
“I-I need you to tell me about my dad. How did he get involved in this? With you?” His breathing was ragged, but he managed to stand himself upright.
“Your father was a good man. He contacted my agency in hopes of getting some help. He was very untrusting of the Italian government. He thought they would try to cover up anything having to do with the olive oil cartel. Simply, the cartel had money and resources to buy people.”
Why did everyone keep saying Tomas was a good man? Did they know about his dealings with various government agencies? “But my brother, he was honest. He was trying to help.”
“He allowed your brother to help to a certain point. Your father knew the deeper your brother got in, the more likely he wouldn’t survive. As a result, he tried to handle it differently. That’s where I came in; I was only assigned to the investigation for a couple of weeks before I came in contact with your father. By then, Agent Manchetti and I were already working together. I connected with your father through him, and we’ve been trying to hit the cartel from all angles and it seemed to have been working. We busted a few operations and slowed their exports significantly. What I can’t figure out is why all of a sudden the cartel killed your family and how did you make it out alive?”
Tony pulled a hand over his face, trying to process the information. “I’m wondering the same thing myself. I’m not sure if it was an angel who helped me escape, or the devil cursing me with a life of loneliness and despair.”
“Mr. Bertalucci, you mentioned Katherine Anderson. Where is she?”
“I don’t know.” Tony hesitated. “I’m supposed to meet whoever took her at my factory at four. They want everything I’ve collected from my father. If I give it to them, they’ll give me Katherine.”
The agents turned to one another.
Sensing there was an unspoken conversation, Tony decided to find out if there was something wrong with his factory. “What? What’s going on? Did that blow up too?”
“No, we were just there. We didn’t see any sign of Katherine or anyone else.”
The abyss called despair grew exponentially in Tony’s heart.
“Are you sure that’s where you’re supposed to meet?”
Tony produced the note from his pocket and handed it to the agents.
“What do you have that they want Mr. Bertalucci?”
“The evidence my father built against the cartel. I’ve been traveling around this godforsaken country gathering random pieces of information that could bust the entire ring. The latest were some discs I retrieved in Geneva.” Tony retrieved one of the discs from his coat pocket. “He told me to give this to the authorities.”
Thompson took the disc. “Did you watch it?”
“Part of it. I couldn’t stomach it after I saw my dad working with the cartel. H-he looked guilty.”
“Is this all you have to give to them?”
“No. My dad made a different disc for them. I’m sure he knew the cartel would be after anyone who survived that accident. What I can’t figure out is how they know I’ve been collecting random packages. Everyone thought I was dead until recently. How did you know I was alive?”
Manchetti quickly explained, “We were able to collect DNA samples from everyone who was in your house. We knew rather quickly you weren’t in that explosion. But we didn’t release it to the local news until recently. We wanted time to be able to investigate without anyone knowing you were alive. We’ve been monitoring cameras in train stations, searching for your name at hotels, airlines, rental cars agencies, you name it. We’ve been in hot pursuit to find you before the cartel does.”
“Okay, that doesn’t explain how they found out.”
Manchetti glanced at Thompson. “It would appear your father had some reasons to be concerned. He did right by seeking out Agent Thompson.”
Tony pulled his hands through his hair as he paced back and forth. “I knew it. I knew it! How do I know I can trust you? How do I know you two aren’t responsible for getting my family killed?”
“You don’t.” Manchetti paused. “Do you have any idea who the head of the cartel is right now?”
Tony whipped around toward the agents. “My dad told me it was some guy named Guliani Abatangelo, but I don’t know for sure though. I never had anything to do with them. It was my brother and my father who got us into this mess!”
Tony’s skin crawled when Manchetti placed a hand on his shoulder.
“We do know who’s in charge. Mr. Abatangelo is very high up in the organization, but he’s not in running it. I can guarantee you they want nothing to do with Katherine Anderson unless she has become of interest to you. Is there something going on between the two of you? How did you meet?”
For fuck’s sake. This was his fault. He got Kate in this mess. “Fuck!” He slammed his fist against the wall. He took a moment to calm down before speaking again. He took a deep breath. “I met her on a train. I befriended her in hopes I could travel with her and use her as a decoy to get out of the country unnoticed. Clearly, that planned failed.”
“So, there’s no other involvement between the two of you?”
“None.” He was letting Kate down again by not telling the truth. Until he knew more about these agents, he was going to keep their relationship as secret as possible.
“Does she believe the same?”
“I don’t know what Kate believes.”
Manchetti looked to Thompson before speaking. “If she continues to insinuate there’s a relationship between the two of you, they’ll kill her.”
“You just said it’s not her they want. Why would it matter if I was involved with her?”
“Because they want to get to you.”
Tony knew this already, but hearing it from the agents left a huge pit in his stomach. “I don’t understand. Why?”
“We don’t have time to go into the details right now. If you’re being followed, someone is bound to come upon us. We need to come up with a plan. There are only a couple of hours before you have to be in at the factory. I can’t let
you go in there alone.” Manchetti paused. “I need you to make another stop before you go to the factory. Is that all right?”
“I suppose but I need to know why.” Tony stuck his hands in his pockets. He wasn’t sure if it was the cool air in the caves or the information he’d just received that made the flesh on his arms raise into goose bumps.
“I need you to meet an agent in Umbria. There, the agent will wire you up so we can monitor what’s going on in the factory.”
“No! Absolutely Not! This is exactly what got my family killed. I’m not doing it.”
“There’s no other way.” Thompson placed a hand on Tony’s shoulder. The officer’s firm grasp forced him to calm down.
“How is it I’m suddenly working with you when all I wanted to do was get away from all of this?”
Thompson replied, “This is the only way to get you and Katherine out alive. I’m also sure you’d like to see the people responsible for destroying your family behind bars. We can make that happen. We just need you to cooperate.”
Tony contemplated what Thompson said before he answered, “If it comes down to saving her or me, I want you to save her. I got her into this mess; she doesn’t deserve any of this.”
“You have my word.” Thompson extended his hand. Hesitantly, Tony shook it.
“Do you have a cell phone?” Manchetti inquired.
“Yes.”
“I’m guessing, since we haven’t been able to track it, you got a pay as you go.”
“That’s correct.”
“Good. Give me the number and we’ll phone you shortly with where you’ll rendezvous with the other agent.”
Tony gave the agents the number before he left the caves. He navigated through them quickly to find the entrance. He had already been gone awhile and suspected the man following him was probably searching for him by now.
He saw the man as he exited the cave. Their eyes met for a brief moment before the man turned away trying to go unnoticed. In a fit of rage, he walked up to the tall, slender stranger with beady eyes and coldcocked him. The man fell instantly to the ground, and as bystanders rushed to the man’s side, Tony swiftly walked to his car adrenaline pumping through his veins, giving him the strength he would need to face whatever obstacles he encountered next.
Chapter
Twenty-Four
Footsteps startled Katherine awake; the sound grew louder as the steps became closer. Initially, her heart raced, but as she stretched her neck from side to side, she began to relax. Stiffness had set in from being tied sitting up for who knew how long, and that was doing wonders to her already sore and beaten muscles. She blinked repeatedly to clear the blurriness and attempted to focus.
“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty. I need some answers now!”
Ray was angry. No time for snarky comments or she might find herself beaten up even more and any chance of escaping would be lost. She sat quietly in the chair, acting the wallflower she was for so many years.
“What’s wrong? Earlier you wouldn’t shut up.”
She stared straight ahead.
“Your boyfriend tried to take out one of my men at the caves. What do you know about it?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she gritted her teeth. Inside, she was happy Tony was still alive and fighting. Outside, she was cold as ice.
“Let me see if I can jog your memory a bit. I’m sure you wouldn’t want anything to happen to dear old Daddy when he comes to transport you home. Maybe after he brings me the money he’s conjured up, he can call Italy his last stop and final resting place.”
She balled her hands into fists, nails digging into her palms. She pursed her lips trying to remain calm and not let this loser get the best of her. He wanted to anger her—get a response. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
“No? The threat of your dad dying to come rescue his little girl isn’t working? What if we find your mother and dispose of her as well?”
All control was lost. The thought of something happening to her mother was unfathomable. She fought against the ropes in an attempt to stand up and do what to the man, she didn’t know. Clearly, he could overpower her. Instead, she yelled at the top of her lungs, “You can’t do that!”
“I can and I will if you don’t start answering my questions.”
She bit down on the inside of her cheek in an attempt to stop the tears from welling up in her eyes and the emotions from taking control.
“Tell me what your boyfriend was doing at the caves.”
“He’s not my boyfriend, and I don’t have a clue what caves you’re talking about.”
“Surely he must’ve discussed them with you. He was there for thirty minutes, so he had to be doing something.”
She saw red as anger ripped through her body. The urge to claw the man’s eyes out was overpowered by the desire to remain in control and escape. “I don’t know. Maybe he would’ve told me if you hadn’t snatched me out of the car! Since I haven’t seen him since the gas station, I don’t have a clue what he’s been up to. I’ve never known anything; he just takes me along for the ride and shows me all of the sites in different cities. I don’t know anything about the man!”
“You know enough that you’ve kissed him and decided to travel with him through a foreign country. That doesn’t seem like the behavior of a good American woman here for a casual visit. It sounds like a woman connecting with her lover.”
Tears streamed down her face, landing in a growing wet spot on her blouse. She didn’t know who Tony really was. That fact hit hard. In a short amount of time, she turned into someone completely different; someone she didn’t recognize. Perhaps she wasn’t transitioning from a caterpillar to a butterfly. Maybe she’d just lost her way. “I don’t know what to tell you. I got caught up with a man who seemed to be nice. Obviously, I’m a poor judge of character because I got played.”
“Don’t try to play the martyr. It’s not going to work with me. I don’t give a shit if your feelings got hurt. The only thing that matters to me is whether or not he gives a shit about you. Is he coming to look for you or not?”
“How should I know? Right now, I don’t know if I want him to.” Her lip quivered as tears continued to trickle from her eyes. More than anything, she wanted this nightmare to end—Tony or no Tony. She didn’t care.
“You better hope he does, or forget about ever getting out of here.”
She regained her composure; time to return to her role as the proper heiress she’d been raised as. She stared straight ahead.
“Tell me where you two were heading.”
“I already told you. We…”
“No! Dammit! I want the truth!” The man slammed his fist against the wall behind her head.
She counted to ten before answering. In her most even-keeled voice, she answered, “We were going to Geneva. His dad left a message for him to go there and pick up a package.”
“What’s in the package?”
“Like I told you before, I don’t know. He never spoke about what his dad left and obviously, I wasn’t there if or when he retrieved it.”
“Yet you’re wearing his mother’s engagement ring.”
She gasped. “How do you know that?”
“Why do you have that ring on?”
Her mind raced, desperately trying to fill in the blanks. There was more going on here. “How do you know it’s his mother’s?”
“I’m only going to ask you one more time. Why. Do. You. Have. That. Ring?” His breath was hot against her face.
“He gave it to me for safe keeping.”
“And yet it’s on your ring finger.”
“It’s the only finger it fit on.” She closed her eyes. The intensity of the man staring was too much.
“Sounds like a match made in heaven—a real love connection. You’re trying to make me believe there’s nothing going on between the two of you?”
She rolled the ring around on her finger with her thumb. It did seem suspect, that she was we
aring the ring. Why would Tony give it to her? Did he know who was after him? Was he setting her up to take the fall?
“What’s rattling around in that pretty little head of yours?”
She looked down. “I don’t know why he gave me the ring.”
“You said yourself it was for safekeeping. Were you lying?”
She looked the man straight in his green eyes. “No! That’s what he told me. I’m just wondering if there was an ulterior motive.”
“I guess we’ll find out soon enough.” The man went behind her and forcefully pulled the ring off of her finger. “It has 0416 engraved on it. This ring has a lot of sentimental value for Massimo. I’m surprised he would give it to a random woman.” Ray came back and knelt down in front of her, staring into her eyes. He held up the ring. “I’m going to know soon enough whether or not you’re lying to me. For your sake, I hope you aren’t.” Ray jumped to his feet and walked toward the stairs.
She didn’t hear what the man said. She just saw the emeralds. “You…You’re related to him.”
The man spun on his heels, locking eyes with hers. A sinister grin formed across his face. “Now, my dear, why would you ever think such a thing?”
“You-Your eyes. Your eyes are just like his; only his have more gold. And your accents are very similar. They’re more polished and easier to understand than most Italian’s. You’re his brother, aren’t you?”
“No. I’m not his brother. Nice try.” Without another word, Ray ran up the stairs, leaving her alone to try to connect the dots.
Chapter
Twenty-Five
Tony was running behind and traveled well above the speed limit in order to make up some time. Fortunately, the drive into the Umbria region didn’t take long. However, the stop at the caves took longer than he expected. Now he had to make another stop; he was pushing his luck if he was going to make it to the factory on time.
