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“I understand.”
“Do you? Because if I find out there was any confusion, I’ll come looking for you.”
“There’s no confusion.”
A siren became audible in the distance and Rapp started for the hole next to the door. “Cut him loose and get your men out of here, Scott. Rendezvous at location bravo. And get hold of Maria. Tell her about the change in plan and give her an ETA.”
Coleman nodded and Rapp jogged out into the sunlight. He had five miles of hard terrain to cover with a marginal knee and a hundred and fifty pounds of dead weight bleeding all over his shoulder. Somehow he’d always known that Hurley would get the last laugh.
CHAPTER 31
ROME
ITALY
ISABELLA Accorso’s nausea reached its peak when her daughter’s school came into view through the windshield. She fought the urge to vomit, reminding herself that Bianca had promptly returned her text, as she always did. Still, for the entire drive, she’d been unable to fight back thoughts of police barricades, ambulances, and a single human form lying beneath a bloody white sheet.
The swaying of the car as she turned into the parking area -almost pushed her over the edge, but then she saw her daughter leaning safely against the building. She was clutching her backpack to her chest, an expression of concern etched into her normally smooth face. Isabella had given no explanation when she’d requested that Bianca be pulled from class. What explanation could there be?
“Mom?” she said as she opened the car door and slipped inside. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing.”
Isabella pulled away a little too quickly, once again checking the rearview mirror.
“Seriously, Mom. You’re scaring me. Why are you here? Why aren’t you at work?”
Isabella felt a tear starting down her cheek and wiped it away, trying to hide the emotions overwhelming her.
The man she’d met that day was deeply evil. She could feel it every time he turned his black eyes on her. There was nothing he wouldn’t do to get what he wanted. He would have murdered her daughter and a thousand like her without a second thought. There had been no choice but to follow his instructions exactly.
“Is Dad okay?”
“Of course he is, honey.”
She didn’t know that for certain, but saw no reason why he wouldn’t be. They’d been divorced for four years now. Bianca’s father wasn’t a bad man, but he’d taken a job in Sweden and their marriage hadn’t been strong enough to handle the distance.
“Is it because Dad’s getting remarried?”
Isabella smiled. “No. I’m happy for him and Agda. Are you all right with it?”
“Sure. It doesn’t matter. I hardly ever see him.”
“He’s your father, Bianca.”
“I know. And I love him. But he’s up there, you know? And we’re here.”
It was one of the reasons Isabella had formed such a strong bond with her daughter. Bianca was everything to her. Probably too much. One day soon she’d be an adult and leave. She’d start her own life. Her own family.
For now, though, they were together. And she was safe.
“Is it something at work?” Bianca probed. “You didn’t lose your job, did you? At the Christmas party, Mr. Cipriani said the firm couldn’t run without you. I heard him.”
She’d been prepared for the subject of work to come up and didn’t let the weak trickle of adrenaline show as she accelerated onto a two-lane highway. “My job’s fine. Stop worrying. Everything’s fine.”
“No it’s not.”
Isabella tried to smile, but it came off as more of a grimace. She’d done everything the man had asked—wiping all trace of the anonymous client from the mainframe. There was nothing she could do about the original copy of the instructions in the attorney’s office and the man appeared to understand that. He hadn’t seemed angry.
