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Until I heaved myself onto the muddy shore and collapsed.
I lay there for nearly 10 minutes – battered, exhausted, and chilled to the bone.
But I thought of Lucia…
And how she needed me…
And I shakily pulled myself to my feet.
I looked back up the river from where I had come.
It was impossible to see the dam or what was left of it –
But I estimated I’d been carried half a mile downstream. Probably more.
I had three big problems.
One: Zollner and Lucia were on the other side of the river. No bridges were in sight, so there was no way to get across the churning waters without almost certainly dying.
Two: I was wet and freezing, and the cold night air was only making it worse. I had to find shelter and get warm or I would succumb to hypothermia.
Three: even if I could get across the river, it would take forever to catch up to Zollner. My guess was that he was going to steal a car and get the hell out of Padola.
As though to confirm my suspicions, I heard a distant gunshot on the other side of the river.
Crack!
My heart stopped in my chest as I pictured Lucia getting shot –
But I knew that Zollner wouldn’t do that. He wanted to deliver her safely to Aurelio.
The gunshot had probably been for some unfortunate soul who stood in the way of Zollner’s escape.
The one thing I had going for me (other than being alive) was that I knew where Zollner was taking her: the cemetery island of San Michele.
It was obviously a trap. Zollner would never have revealed that information unless Aurelio wanted me to show up.
But at least I knew where Lucia would be in just a matter of hours…
So I knew where to go.
I limped away from the muddy riverbank, intent on finding someplace to warm up…
After which, I would go save Lucia and get my revenge.
As I stumbled through the darkness, I imagined her smiling face…
And all the horrors I would inflict on Zollner for taking her.
83
I got lucky. The first cabin I stumbled across was uninhabited.
Even luckier: once I broke in, I discovered it had hot water.
I stripped off my sopping wet clothes and stood under the shower until my body warmed up. Once I felt halfway human again, I dried off and searched the cabin for clothing that might fit me.
I wasn’t that lucky, unfortunately. Everything I found seemed designed for doll-sized people.
