Chapter 82: Mafia Kings: Massimo: Chapter 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.

So I drenched my clothes in hot water, then wrung them out as much as possible before I put them back on. Everything felt cold again within minutes, but I had no choice unless I wanted to go naked.

Once dressed, I walked outside and started limping down the muddy road towards town. The one thing I took from the cabin was a poncho I’d found. At least it kept the drizzling rain from soaking me to the bone again.

I thought about trying to find the property where Lucia and I had killed Aurelio’s men. The cabin would have my cell phone and all the dry clothes I’d left behind – if the police hadn’t found the two dead bodies and confiscated everything as evidence.

However, if I went back to my cabin – the place where Lucia and I had spent the first night – I could retrieve the car I’d stolen from Treporti. And I had plenty of dry clothes at my place, too.

But considering I had no idea where I was at the moment, looking for either of those places would have been like searching for a needle in a haystack.

At least if I kept going down this road, I knew I would eventually reach Padola.

Which I did. After two hours of stumbling along in the dark and nearly freezing to death again, I finally reached town.

It was dark – probably about 2 or 3 in the morning – and nothing was open.

So I went to the phone booth I’d originally called Niccolo from.

I knew it was bugged, but I didn’t give a shit.

In fact, I wanted Zollner to overhear the conversation.

I wanted Aurelio to know I was coming for him.

I still had some change in my pocket, along with a wad of soaking-wet bills, so I dropped some coins into the phone and dialed.

The phone rang five times before Niccolo answered. His voice was a mixture of sleepiness and alarm.

“What’s wrong?”

“Aurelio sent a professional. He got Lucia.”

“Shit. Are you alright?”

“I’m alive.”

“Are you injured?”

“Banged up a bit, but I’ll be fine.”

“Lars isn’t here yet – he’s arriving in another four or five hours – ”

“I know. I want you to let him know he shouldn’t come to Padola. He should meet me somewhere else.”

“Where?”

“I’ll call from the road and let you know. This phone is bugged.”

There was a pause on the other end.

“Then what the hell are you doing CALLING from it, then?!”

“I want Zollner to know that I’m going to fuckin’ kill him,” I snarled. “Do you hear that, Friedrich? You’re going to die a very slow and painful death.”

Niccolo sounded confused. “Let me get this straight – right now, you’re basically sending a MESSAGE to the man who took Lucia.”

“Correct.”

“‘A slow and painful death’ – that’s making it personal.”

“It is what it is.”

“In fact, it’s VERY personal, considering you were just supposed to be Lucia’s bodyguard.” When I didn’t answer, Niccolo groaned. “TELL me you didn’t sleep with her.”

“I could, but I’d be lying.”

“You fucking IDIOT – the Widow will – ”

“It’s not like that,” I interrupted.

“Then what is it LIKE, exactly?!”

“I asked her to marry me.”

Another long pause.

“Every time you speak, I don’t think you can shock me again – and then you go and prove me wrong. You PROPOSED to her?!”

“And she said ‘yes.’”

“Jesus – Massimo – ”

“Don’t start. You can chew me out later when she’s safe.”

“Why are you telling me this over a recorded line?! He’ll have that much more leverage over you – ”

“Zollner already knows. He knew before he came after us.”

Niccolo groaned again. “Wonderful. So tell me, how the fuck are we supposed to save your new fiancée?”

“Zollner is taking her to San Michele, the cemetery island near Venice. That’s where he’s going to turn Lucia over to Aurelio.”

“How do you know all that?”

“Zollner told me.”

“He TOLD you?!”

“Yes.”

“Then it’s quite obviously – ”

“A trap.”

“He’s using her as bait – ”

“Because he knows I’ll come after her.”

“Not only THAT, but he wants you to bring us so he can kill all of us at once!”

“I know.”

“And you want to, what – just walk right into the trap he’s set?!”

“If it’s the only way I can save Lucia, then yeah, I’m going to walk right into it,” I said grimly. “I’ll do it alone if I have to.”

“For God’s sake, don’t do THAT. Just… call me when you’re on the road so I can tell Lars where to meet you. I’ll wake Dario and Adriano, and we’ll put together a plan.”

“Alright.”

“…Massimo?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m glad you’re alright.”

“I’m alive,” I said. “I won’t be alright until she’s safe.”