Chapter 14 #2
“It’s still too early to say. The body count will only be done when things have calmed down, and we’ll probably have a lot of injured people, so we have to think about the living first. The first step is to arrange medical assistance, then deal with the funerals and try to compensate the families.”
“What are you waiting for? We’re going to be here for a long time, sowe’d better get to work.
Let’s speed up the medical assistance.” He looks at me surprised, flashes a small smile in my direction, and nods slightly.
“My father has a radio at home; we can get in touch with him so that he can contact doctors and arrange a safe place for them to wait until they’re needed. ”
Francesco picks up the radio and tilts it in my direction, bringing it back close to his body a short while later. “Do you know the frequency?” I take the radio from his hand and put in the frequency of my father’s radio, hoping to get an answer.
“I know how to use a radio; my father has a weapons company, andI know how to use anything that might be needed in the field. Do you know how to handle a tank, Francesco?”
“I’ve never tried it, so I’m going to say no.”
“I do. Don’t think I’m naive just because I’m a girl and I study fashion; I know what I’m doing. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be engaged to Luca.”
“It wasn’t my intention.” I just nod my head, thinking that maybe I was too harsh, but they have to learn to respect me, to realize that one day I will be their boss.
“Salvador Mancini on the line.” Hearing my father’s voice causes a rush of relief to travel through my body, making me feel a little relaxed.
“Dad, it’s me!”
“Chiara, thank God you’re all right. We were so worried.”
“Everything is fine; I’m in the panic room with Francesco. Dad, I need you to help me with something.”
“What is it, dear?”
“You can speed up medical help in a safe house. I want the soldiers to have quick access to medical assistance as soon as things calm down.”
“Sounds like a good idea; I’ll get on it right away.”
“Dad, maybe we should start thinking about the funerals; the families need to say goodbye; let’s not prolong their suffering by making them wait.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything. As soon as things calm down, I’ll get you out of there and bring you home. I love you, Principessa.” I know he was worried about me, afraid of losing me.
“I love you, Dad!”
Francesco looks at me, looking grateful, probably not expecting me to actually do anything to help.
“How much longer are we going to have to wait? It’s been over four hours, Francesco, I’m worried.”
“When things quiet down, we will be notified, but before that, we can only wait.”
“Paolo hasn’t given any news…”
“Things can’t be quick; these kinds of attacks are complicated; we have to examine all the soldiers, make sure who is really loyal, andshow that we don’t accept betrayals.”
“Has it happened before?”
“Not of this magnitude, at least not with the current Capo. The last time something like this happened, Luca’s grandfather was the Capo; it was a slaughter; he personally killed the traitors to demonstrate his strength and set an example.
After that, things were quiet for a while, but then they forgot the mistakes of the past, repeated them out of ambition, and death always followed. ”
“They’re going to die, I mean the traitors…” I doubt Luca and his father will let them get away with it.
“They will; the Camorra will go after them with the strength and evil of Lucifer.”
“Lucifer is not completely evil.”
“He’s the devil, Chiara.” His expression and tone show amusement, probably thinking that I just want to see goodness where it doesn’t exist.
“He wasn’t always the devil. He was an angel, after all. Lucifer is a fallen angel, and don’t forget that he was once God’s favorite. Evil doesn’t take up everything; it can take up a large part, but not one hundred percent.”
“You still don’t know enough about the world of the mafia; when you do, you’ll realize that one hundred percent is possible.”
“Francesco…” the voice comes from the radio and I quickly recognize Paolo.
“Yes, Paolo?” Francesco’s voice sounds worried and relieved at the same time, feelings I can relate to.
“Chiara’s father is on his way to open the safe, and the orders are not to leave her side under any circumstances.”
“Understood.”
I take the radio out of Francesco’s hand, making him look at me, annoyed. “Paolo, how are Luca and his family?”
“I’m getting his mother and sister out of the safe right now.
“And Luca?”
“We’ll talk later.”
“Francesco, why didn’t he answer me? Luca he…”
“Don’t think the worst.”
“But he’s not okay, is he?”
“I have the same information as you; after we leave, I’ll try to get more information.”
“Without hiding anything, I’ll be your boss one day; you owe me respect.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I didn’t like the look Francesco offered me, playing with the fact that I’m marrying Luca and demanding something from him, which isn’t something I really like, but I need to know how he’s doing.
Minutes later, a green light comes on above the vault door, and it slowly opens. I quickly get up from the sofa and see my father, accompanied by six security guards.
“Are you all right?” He turns away from me, examining my whole body, looking for any trace that I’m not well.
“Everything’s fine; how are things outside?” I hold his arm and walk with him toward the exit of the house.
“There’s been a lot of confusion, many people injured, a few deaths, and the news keeps going on and on about the attacks.
It’s going to be difficult to explain what happened, after all, to the public the Di Santis are just businessmen, and there have been too many attacks, even on places that people had no idea belonged to them. ”
Bodyguards are waiting for us outside; I make a small sign with my head to greet them, which everyone quickly responds to. I see Francesco heading toward them, probably trying to get information.
“Are they being treated?”
“Yes, I’ve put a large medical team in one of our safe houses, the most serious cases are going to hospital, but everything that can be controlled is being treated there. They’re still checking the bodies to notify the families and prepare the funerals.”
“Dad, Luca… Where he is, Paolo hasn’t given any information.”
My father’s face becomes tense, and I notice him exchanging glances with Francesco. He’s hiding something from me, and Francesco already knows what it is.
“Dad, where’s Luca?” he remains silent, still assessing the situation. “You’re my father; I need to believe that I can trust you. Don’t make me go to one of those men and use my status as Luca’s fiancée to get information.”
His face is still serious; I see Francesco slowly approach and look in my direction, giving my father a little nod.
I look at them impatiently; my father gestures for me to get into the car waiting for us.
I look at it in disbelief and end up getting in; he and Francesco sit next to me.
I see my father’s driver start the car, and we are protected by six cars with soldiers in them.
“Can someone tell me what happened, please?”
My father pulls my hand and intertwines it with his; I look at him without understanding the gesture.
“Luca is in hospital undergoing surgery; he has suffered some injuries, one of which was a gunshot wound to the chest near the heart; the bullet pierced the lung and grazed an artery. The bleeding was contained, but he was admitted to hospital unconscious. Don Henrico is also undergoing surgery, but more than a gunshot wound, one of them could leave him without movement in his legs.”
My breath gets stuck, my mind is foggy, I can’t think straight, and I feel I’m on the verge of losing control; a tear runs down my cheek, and I know I have to control myself; the Di Santis family is in crisis, and the eyes of the soldiers will be on me.
“Where are we going?”
“Home, you need to rest, Principessa.”
“Change the route to the hospital.” I see the driver look at my father, asking for confirmation, and anger surges through my body. “Now!”
“Chiara…”
“My fiancé is in surgery, probably on the verge of death. My place is in the hospital, and if they don’t let me go, I’ll be forced to get out of the car and make the soldiers respond to my orders.”
A heavy sigh leaves my dad’s lips, and he nods. “To the hospital.”
The driver quickly changes course, I look at Francesco and he gives me a small smirk and nods in agreement with my decision.
At the hospital, I see several soldiers with guns drawn and I spot six snipers at strategic points.
The soldiers escorting us get out of their cars and go to meet the soldiers present on the scene, confirming that the place is safe and gesturing positively for me to get out of the car.
Francesco gets out first, looking in all directions and holding the door for me.
“Good evening!” my voice comes out loud and sure; all the soldiers greet me, bowing their heads slightly in respect. “Take me to Luca.”
Paolo comes out of the hospital, bows his head in respect, and gives me an approving look. “Luca and Capo are still in surgery; it may be a few hours before you can see him. Lady Milena and Bella are in the VIP waiting room, we can take you to them.”
I nod, following him to the hospital entrance. “What’s the current status?”
“They both lost a lot of blood. Don Henrico came in conscious, but Luca didn’t, which makes everything more complicated.”
“What happened to make them like this?”