Chapter 22
DANTE
Our van idles two blocks from the old Trastevere club.
I sit in the passenger seat dressed in workman's coveralls with a contractor's logo stitched across the back.
Rico sits behind the wheel wearing the same uniform.
Marco is in the rear with equipment cases that look legitimate enough to pass a casual inspection.
We are posing as HVAC technicians responding to a service call.
The club won’t question us.
Half the businesses in Rome have maintenance crews coming and going at all hours.
The street's busy this evening.
Friday evening crowds spill out of restaurants and bars.
Music thumps from open doorways.
The chaos provides cover—nobody pays attention to a contractor van parked along the curb outside a business.
We can be in and out of there in under twenty minutes with every bit of intel we need to pull this off successfully.
"The grate should be in the service corridor behind the kitchen," I tell Rico as I check my weapon.
We're going in armed because I don't know what we'll be facing. "Angelica described it as a rusted iron panel set into the floor, sealed with concrete around the edges but still accessible if you know where to look." I'm not sure what to expect.
Gerard has been two steps ahead of us this entire time, so much so that I've kept even my closest guards out.
Only Angelica, Rico, Marco, and I know about this for now.
I can't afford for someone to tip my hand even inadvertently.
Rico nods. "And if he has guards watching it?"
"Then we abort and find another entry point. We're not here to fight. We're here to verify the tunnel exists and determine whether it's usable."
Marco leans forward from the back.
"What if the tunnel’s collapsed and Angelica's information is wrong, Boss?"
"Then we're back where we started with no solution and two days left on the deadline."
I give them a stern expression as I hide my gun inside the jumpsuit and reach for the door handle.
We exit the van and walk toward the club carrying toolboxes and a handheld device that looks like a thermal scanner.
I got the uniforms from the man who owns the HVAC business to ensure we look legitimate.
I just pray no one recognizes my face.
But the bouncer at the door barely glances at us.
He waves us through and points toward the kitchen entrance at the rear of the main floor.
The club is packed.
Bodies press together on the dance floor as the bass from the speakers vibrates through my chest.
Strobe lights flash in rhythm with the music that makes it impossible to hear anything else.
We move through the crowd toward the back hallway and not a soul stops us or asks a question.
For all they know, we've been called in by their boss and we're here to make sure their heat is working.
The kitchen is loud and chaotic.
Cooks shout orders.
Pans clatter on the stovetop.
Steam rises from industrial dishwashers.
We pass through quickly and find the service corridor on the far side.
The hallway is narrow and dim with exposed pipes running along the ceiling.
I count my steps the way Angelica described.
Fifteen paces from the kitchen door, then I look down.
The grate is exactly where she said it would be, a rusted iron panel set flush with the concrete floor.
The edges are sealed but the metal itself looks worn.
Someone's been down here recently.
The rust has been disturbed around the corners.
It just goes to prove that Angelica's intel is right and we might actually have a shot at this.
"Here it is," I grunt, looking up at the boys. "Watch the hall."
My order goes without saying, but I give it for my own reassurance.
The last thing I want is to be kneeling with my head down while someone walks up on me.
I kneel and examine the grate more closely.
There are fresh scrape marks on the concrete.
Someone pried this open within the past few weeks.
I pull a small flashlight from my pocket and shine it through the gaps in the metalwork.
Below is a ladder descending into darkness.
Rico kneels beside me while glancing up the hallway every few seconds.. "Looks accessible."
"Too accessible. Someone's using this regularly."
It's a knock against us.
If we plan to make a move while the tunnel’s in use, we could end up in a total loss situation.
I won't put my men in harm's way on purpose.
"Anything?" I ask Marco, and he looks down at me from where he watches up the hall.
"You're still clear, Boss," he grunts, and I decide to try it.
I open the bag of tools and pull out the crowbar I brought along, finagling it into the wisp of a crack between metal and cement.
To my surprise, it opens too easily.
It's just set here in place, not even held down by anything.
"Christ," I hiss when I lift it, exposing my worst nightmare.
A pinhole camera mounted high on the wall near the ceiling of the tunnel flashes red.
The lens is aimed directly at the darkness, and I know it's using infrared.
The device is small and modern, not something left over from six years ago.
This means we won't just need movers for the shipment.
We'll need a tech crew to hack the camera or we'll be caught instantly.
"There," I say quietly. "Camera. Upper left corner."
Rico follows my gaze. "Antonelli's monitoring this."
"Or someone who works for him. Either way, we are being watched."
Marco moves closer. "Do we abort?"
"Not yet. We need measurements. We need to confirm the tunnel connects where Angelica said it does. And then we'll hire a hacker to make sure we can get into this. Or we have to call it off."
I pull out the thermal scanner and activate it.
The screen displays a false reading that looks like we're checking for heat leaks in the walls.
Anyone watching the camera feed will see contractors doing legitimate work.
I move the device along the floor and walls while Rico uses a tape measure to record distances.
The ceiling clearance is low.
Maybe two meters at most.
The tunnel width appears narrow based on the grate dimensions.
This isn't a route designed for moving large shipments.
This is a path for small loads or people.
But that works in our favor.
We don't need to move bulk product.
We need to move enough to satisfy the Turks’ reservations that we can deliver.
"Do we go down?" Rico asks, but I look at the camera again.
Whoever's watching doesn't know we're here yet.
Going into the tunnel will trigger a response.
Antonelli will send people to intercept us or to seal the route.
We can't risk exposing the plan before we're ready to execute.
"No. We have what we need. Mark the distance and let's leave."
Rico uses a piece of chalk to make a small mark on the wall that looks like a maintenance notation.
Then we seal the hole and gather our equipment and walk back through the kitchen.
The staff ignores us again and we exit through the rear door and circle around to the van.
Once inside, I pull off the coveralls and toss them in the back.
Rico starts the engine and drives away from the club at a normal speed.
Nothing that would draw attention.
"The tunnel exists," I say. "It's being monitored but it is usable." Inside I'm feeling chuffed. Angelica was right, and her intel might just save us yet. "We'll just have to do a micro load."
Rico glances at me. "How small is micro?"
"Small enough to carry by hand. Five kilos at most per man, two to three men. Enough to prove we have control of a supply line."
"Will that satisfy him?"
"It has to. We don't have time or resources to move a full shipment. But a micro load delivered through a route Antonelli doesn't expect proves we are still operational. That’s all Kemal needs to see."
Then maybe he'll side with us and help us end this damn war with Gerard and his men once and for all.
We still need to secure the product, but now that we have a route, that part will fall into place.
When we reach the villa, I go straight to my den and call Enzo to let him know we need to secure the shipment.
He'll be ready in twenty-four hours with top-notch stuff, and I can go ahead with the rest of the plans.
Then I head upstairs, walking to Sofia's room to check on her, expecting her to be asleep, but she's wide awake.
She sits up in bed when she sees me and her face lights up.
"You're home," she says.
"I am. Why are you still awake?"
"I was waiting for you. You said you'd read me a story tonight."
I walk to her bed and sit on the edge.
"I'm sorry. I got delayed with work."
"It's okay. Will you read to me now?"
I glance at the clock on her nightstand. It's late. She should be asleep. But I can't refuse her.
Not when she looks at me with those big saucer eyes and after days of not being here because Angelica kept me away.
"One story," I say. "Then you sleep."
She hands me the book from her nightstand, the same Italian Christmas folk tale I've read to her a dozen times already.
I open it and begin reading.
Her eyes grow heavy as I reach the middle of the story.
By the time I finish, she is already asleep.
The door opens quietly and Angelica steps inside.
She wears pajamas and her hair is loose around her shoulders.
She looks tired.
She moves to the other side of the bed and sits down.
"She refused to sleep without you," she whispers, and I find it endearing.
"I see that…" I smile. "Can we talk?" I ask, and she nods at me, following me to the door.
We stand in the hallway for a moment, making sure Sofia doesn't stir, and when I shut the door, Angelica speaks immediately.
"Did you find the tunnels?" she asks.
"Yes. They exist exactly where you said they'd be. The route's monitored but usable."
I take her hand and press it to my lips in a kiss.
I'm so thankful for her knowledge, but even more so for her presence.
Coming home never felt so good.
"Monitored?" She pulls her hand back and crosses her arms over her chest.
"Antonelli has a camera watching the entrance. But we can work around it. We're moving a small load tomorrow night. Hopefully, it's enough for Kemal."
She wraps her arms around herself.
"When do you need me to help move it?"
“Angelica…” I scowl.
Her eyebrows rise, and she says, "What? I know the layout of that club better than your men do. I worked there for months. I know where the blind spots are. I know how to move through the building without being noticed. If you need someone to access the tunnel, I can do it."
The idea of sending Angelica into that club to move product through underground tunnels is so absurd, I almost laugh. But she's serious.
She's offering to help despite everything she said about not getting involved in my world.
"No," I say firmly.
"Why not? You need people who can move through the club without drawing attention. I can do that."
"Absolutely not. You are not going anywhere near that operation."
"You said you needed help." She looks frustrated with me, but at least she's being civil and not shouting. All I want is to protect her, not anger her. "I'm trying to help you."
"And I appreciate that. But I can't bear the thought of sending you into danger. If something goes wrong, if Antonelli's people intercept you, I'd never forgive myself."
She starts to protest but I cut her off by stepping closer and kissing her, hooking my fingers around the back of her neck so she can't pull away. When I pull back, she looks stunned.
"Sofia needs her mother," I say. "That's why you aren't going."
She searches my face. "Is that the only reason?"
I cup her face in my hands and look directly into her eyes.
"No. That's not the only reason."
"Then what?" Her lip quivers and she tries to shake her head.
"I love you and the idea of losing you hurts bad enough that it makes it impossible to breathe. So no, you're not going into those tunnels and putting yourself at risk for this operation. I'd rather lose the alliance with the Turks than lose you."
Her breath catches.
Tears shine in her eyes but she doesn't let them fall. "You love me?"
"Yes."
Angelica stares up at me with wide eyes.
I hope she'll return my words, but her breath seems caught in her chest.
"I'm scared," she whispers.
"I know."
"I'm scared of losing Sofia… What if you don’t come back?"
She may not have said the words, but I hear them in the tremor of her voice at the idea that I won't return.
"I'm coming back, I promise." I kiss her again softly.
"You can't promise that."
"I can promise that I'll fight with everything I have to protect you and keep you and Sofia safe.
And I can promise that when this is over, we will have a good future together."
She closes her eyes and leans her forehead against my chest.
I wrap my arms around her and hold her while she processes everything I just said.
She's not a frail woman by any means, but I take her insecurities and fears seriously.
Sofia and Angelica are my family now.
And I'll do whatever it takes to protect them.
Even if it costs me everything.