AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Might not have a choice,” I said as I used a knife to rip off the wood lining and leather padding inside the door.
“BRO – do you know how expensive that is?!” Adriano barked.
“A lot less expensive than having me in the hospital for a month,” I answered.
“Roberto would have a heart attack if he saw you doing that.”
“Good thing he’s in Hong Kong, then. If you don’t tell him, I won’t either.”
“Why are you doing that?” Adriano asked.
“You’ll see.”
I finished ripping everything off the inside of the door until it was down to the metal frame.
Then I began wrapping loop after loop of duct tape through the crossbar of the door. I kept the sticky side out and put my left arm through the non-sticky center of the loop. Then I kept wrapping.
Once I’d finished the entire roll of duct tape, I had a heavy-duty sleeve I could carry the door with and still keep my left hand free.
A bulletproof shield taken off a bulletproof car.
Adriano laughed. “You’re the Cosa Nostra Captain America.”
“I can make one for you,” I joked.
“And lug around a 150-pound car door? No thanks,” Adriano said. “You’re the only guy I know who’s strong enough to pull that one off.”
“Plus, I can stick magazines to the tape and keep them handy for reloading.” I demonstrated by sticking five separate clips to the outer surface of the duct tape.
“Huh,” Lars said, mildly impressed. “How’d you think of that?”
“It was a long drive down here.”
“Well, it won’t be a long trip to San Michele, so let me show you what we’re going to do when we get there.”
I set down the car door as Lars produced a computer print-out of San Michele Island.
“I should put on my suit from Signor Guillardo,” I said.
“As long as you can do that and pay attention, be my guest.”
“What about the other guys?” I asked, gesturing with my head to our foot soldiers.
“Lars briefed ‘em before we left,” Adriano told me. “And then he had them repeat it back to him a dozen times while we were driving up from Tuscany.”
Lars looked over at me. “You ready?”
“Go for it,” I said as I started to change clothes. “Tell me all about storming the beaches at Normandy.”
90
Lucia
After showering in the nuns’ quarters, I put on a white dress that Aurelio’s men provided. Just a simple frock – nothing fancy about it. It fit poorly and hung loose on my body, but it was a relief to wear something dry. Bedroom slippers took the place of my muddy hiking boots.
Before I left the bathroom, I turned the ring Massimo had given me around so that the plastic stone faced my palm. Then I made a fist to hide it.
There was no way the assholes were going to take it from me. I’d bite off anybody’s nose who tried.
