by Robert Cuma
Linda responded, “You mean Jefferies and Sanders?”
“Yes, how do you know them?”
“Forget about those two, I went through training with them. Both of them almost flunked out of the program. If you want to use them, you’ll have to watch them closely. They are extremely incompetent.”
“We’ll use them only if we have to. I’ve decided to take Linda, Mike and Hannah back to Italy with us. Are there any objections?” They all agreed. I continued, “Okay everybody, let’s get our stuff together and be ready to move out tomorrow at 10 a.m. One other thing, Mike, you and Linda disguise yourselves from the pilots tomorrow so you can follow them once we arrive in Italy. Gina will give you a number to reach us in Naples after you check them out. Hannah, if the pilots begin to approach Mike and Linda, try to distract them.”
“Sure will, Steven.”
“Okay people, good luck to us all.” Everyone left to get ready and I went for a short walk with Miller to discuss other issues.
Frank said, “If needed, call me at the Baltimore phone number and I’ll have one or more of my units at your disposal within 24 hours.” The Baltimore phone number is a National Security Agency (NSA) number that will ring at the Taipei base communications center. It is impossible to trace.
I said, “Thanks, Frank, I may need your troop support for this mission. Do you want Cathy to stay at your place?”
“She should stay until your guys find out about the two pilots. If they’re dirty, then Cathy will have to move in. If not, then I think I can handle it just fine.” We soon arrived at his place where Gina, Bianca and Cathy were waiting. Frank’s housekeeper was preparing a meal for everyone while Bianca and Cathy were mapping out some procedures in case of an emergency. After a while, Cathy was ready to leave. She bid everyone a goodnight and told Bianca she would see her in the morning. I volunteered to walk Cathy to her place. It was a short walk from the base. I would miss her as I kissed her affectionately good night. Cathy never said anything about my traveling but her face always showed some sadness when we parted. Cathy and I shared a deep special relationship.
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The next morning, as planned, we took off returning to Italy - Mike, Linda, Hannah, Gina and I. It was a long flight, which left a lot of time for sleeping. We all kept quiet most of the trip since we were not sure of the trustworthiness of the pilots. Linda and Mike stayed in the back of the plane as not to be noticed by the crew. They both were wearing military uniforms. This would permit them to blend in at the air base when we landed. We were about six hours out of Bangkok when I went to see Linda for a few minutes. She was tucked away out of sight behind the last seat on the plane. When I sat on the floor with her, that’s when I told her to be very careful since these people were extremely dangerous. She seemed a little nervous so I held her in my arms for a while.
The flight arrived early in the morning at the Naples military base. I subtly asked Mike if he had the phone numbers to contact Gina. He nodded in the affirmative while he quickly left the plane with Linda. They moved toward the locker rooms for the military flight crews. It appeared they blended in quite well. The rest of us thanked the pilots and drove off the base in Gina’s car. She drove us to a downtown basilica near the center of Naples. Once there, she went around to the back and down an alley. After we stopped, some altar boys came out of the building and covered the car with a canvas top. We went inside and Gina led Hannah and me down to a basement area. It was a gloomy place. Some old unused dungeon I thought. It looked like something out of The Man in the Iron Mask. After some turns down dimly lit corridors, we arrived at a large well-lit room. It had TVs, communications equipment, kitchen facilities and cubicles with beds in them. Gina pointed out the door to the rest rooms and shower facilities. This seemed to be a good place to hide out. A few minutes later, two nuns came in with trays of coffee and some food. They quietly placed them on the table and left as quickly as they came. Gina said, “You all will be safe here. The only person from the outside who knows about this place is Enrico Bassie. Have some coffee and food, I want to study the maps to insert the information that Bianca gave me.”
I asked, “We just got here Gina. Can we relax a little?”
“I received good information from Bianca and I want to get started on it right away. Steven, you must understand I have been working on this case for years now. Since you’ve been with me, we have made some serious progress. I have to credit you with your idea to get Bianca to a safe place.”
“Okay, let’s see what we have. But first, Hannah, do you know Italy well?”
“I’ve been here several times. I know Palermo fairly well and the outskirts of Naples also.”
“Good, so you can help us with laying out the maps.”
“Sure, Steven, I’ll help Gina with what I can.” After several hours of analyzing the maps, we finalized the location of the three key processing plants.
Then Gina’s phone rang. She answered it and quickly handed it to me. It was Mike. He said, “Can’t talk too much. We both have made contact on the inside. Meet me at the Piazza Carita at noon tomorrow and don’t be late.” After that, he hung up. When he said ‘don’t be late, it was a code for me to meet him three hours earlier than what he stated.
I asked, “Gina, do you know the Piazza Carita?”
“Sure why?”
“Tomorrow at 9 a.m. we have to meet Mike there.”
“Okay, how do you want to handle it?”
“Is there a place nearby where we can lead him to for some privacy?”
“U-mm let me think for a moment. Ah, yes. Hannah, make contact with Mike and have him follow you into a shop. It’s right in the piazza.”
Hannah responded, “I can handle that. We should get there early to recon the area.”
“Sounds like a plan, girls. We’ll get on it first thing in the morning. Gina, can we all spend the night here?”
“We sure can. That’s why the beds are here. It’s not all that comfortable but it will do for now.”
“Okay, I think we’ll be fine here. Gina, do you need to contact anybody?”
“No. It’s just us guys on this mission for now.” The girls went to bed and I sat up for a while drinking coffee. I was thinking of ways to approach this situation without getting anyone hurt. That is always my prime concern on any mission. I didn’t want to think about it too much so I lay down in my cubical. I eventually fell asleep.
The next morning bright and early, we all were ready to move. We drove to the designated meeting place to prepare for our encounter with Mike. After driving around an alleyway, we came upon the back of some stores. Gina led us into a clothing store. There she said, “Hannah, I think you should go around to the front and sit at a table. When you make contact with Mike, have him follow you into the store. Once in the store, bring him to the back room where we are now.”
“Okay, Gina, I’d better get out there now as not to draw any suspicion. Steven, are you going to check for advance spotters around the piazza or do you want me to do it?”
“No, I’ll do a check from the rooftop. I assume we can get there from here, Gina?”
“Sure, I will show you while Hannah gets in place.” Hannah left for her position at the outside coffee shop in the piazza. Then I made my way to the roof of the building while Gina briefed her people in the clothing shop. The place was a cover for her operations. She had previously told Mike about the piazza and the shop for making contact while being undercover. I scouted around the rooftops of the other buildings and saw nothing suspicious. I watched Hannah sitting at a table, sipping some coffee and reading a newspaper. Precisely at 9 a.m., Mike arrived on the scene. He sat at a table close to Hannah. She told Mike to follow her in a few minutes. She kept the newspaper in front of her face as if she would be reading it while she spoke to him. Hannah folded up her paper, finished her coffee and got up slowly. She walked to the clothing store making sure that Mike saw were she was going. Shortly after, Mike made his way over also. I
was still on the roof watching for anybody who could possibly be a threat. No threats were visible. I went downstairs to meet with everybody.
Mike gave us all a briefing. He said, “Linda and I hooked up with the Hightower people through the two pilots. They are dirty, so I suggest you guys get word to Miller.”
I responded, “I’ll be sure to forward the information to Taipei. What about you and Linda?”
“We posed as two ex-government workers with access to a boatload of weapons to dispose of. It seems to be resonating throughout their organization.”
“Where did you tell them the weapons are located?”
“We told them we had access right here in Naples as soon as the shipment arrives from the Far East. The shipment is expected to be here by next week.”
“Is the scam working?”
“As far as I can tell it is. Linda is staying close to the buyers. One is a Hightower guy and the other is a guy by the name of Armand Campo. Do we know him?”
Gina spoke up, “Campo is one of Bono’s high-powered lieutenants. He is going to want proof before any commitment is made.”
I said, “I might be able to convince Major Reed to dummy-up a shipment of arms from the Far East. By the way, Mike, what is the name of the Hightower guy?”
“His name is Clark, Fred Clark, I believe.”
“You must have been very convincing Mike because Clark is Hightower’s headman out here. How did you get to the top people so fast?”
“Linda was quite the charmer. She had them eating out of our hands in no time. The two pilots were also especially helpful. They seem to have the direct line to the top, around here anyway.”
“Great work. Mike, where are you staying?”
“Downtown Naples, in a high-rise hotel right off of the Corso Umberto, we spent some money to rent the penthouse suite. We had to look like we were big time dealers.”
“That’s great, Mike. Gina, is that the hotel where we rented the room for the month and do we still have it?”
“It’s the only high-rise in the area and we still should have access to the room.”
“Okay, a lucky break. Mike, tonight when all is quiet, call room 950 and we’ll have some equipment in our room to bug the place. The code will be, “Is it red yet?” That will be an all clear signal.”
“Roger that, Boss.”
“Okay, Mike, I’ll get you some information on the bogus shipment to pass on to our friends. Good show and keep an eye on Linda.”
“Will do, Steve,” as Mike was on his way out of the store. I asked Gina to get some bugging equipment for the stakeout and to take Hannah with her but to drop me off at the base first. I told her I would get a car from Reed and meet them in the room later on. She agreed and we all took off.
At the base, I spoke with Reed and told him of our plan. He explained to me that we could arrange for a bogus shipment of stinger missiles coming into Naples in five days. He also said that he would put the alias names of Mike and Linda on the manifest so whoever checks it out will see some legitimacy to the scam. In conversation with Reed, he told me the pilots never knew who Bianca was on the flight. I told him we couldn’t take any chances. I would have to warn Miller. He agreed. Then using Reed’s secure communications system I got in touch with Miller. I said, “Frank, the pilots are dirty so I would suspect that Bianca is in danger.”
“But Reed told me the pilots were not briefed on the reason for the trip.”
“He told me the same thing but I think you should take the necessary precautions.”
“Okay, I’ll keep her well protected.”
“How is she doing?”
“She’s doing exceptionally well. I take her all over Taipei showing her the good life here. But of course, Cathy is always in the shadows. Now with this new development I’ll never be able to get rid of Cat.”
“Frank, are you falling for this woman?”
“I enjoy having her around. She sure makes me feel alive. And I think she’s happy, too. She tells me she never wants to go back to Italy.”
“I hope she doesn’t want to return, since she has a lot of bad memories here. Stay well, my friend and be on your toes.”
“You do the same, buddy.” We broke our connection for the time being. I got a car from Reed and he told me to call him on his private line if we needed his help in anyway. We shook hands and I left. When I arrived at the hotel, there no one was around so I made myself a strong drink. As I sat there, I gave some thought to Frank getting hung up on Bianca. If she truly wanted to forget about her life in Italy, a relationship with Frank would be the way to go. He’s a decent guy, never married since he spent most of his life dedicated to the military. Sipping on my drink made me think of Hannah. I knew she was not a drinker. She was into bodybuilding and healthy living, but what a beautiful woman. We had a onetime thing about a year ago and it was great. We never had the opportunity to do it again. Maybe it was just as well this way, maybe!
Awhile later, Gina and Hannah arrived. They acquired the necessary equipment to bug Mike and Linda’s room, along with some regular cell phones for everyone. The three of us sat around the room just chatting with each other. I couldn’t help notice that Hannah and Gina were becoming closer. This was a good thing. I needed Gina to get closer to Linda and Cathy. Now that would be a great thing.
It was about 11 p.m. when the phone in the room rang. I picked up the phone and the caller said, “Is it red yet?” I quickly hung up and all of us took off for the penthouse. Once there, we found Mike alone.
I asked, “Where’s Linda?”
Mike replied, “She thought it would be best if she went out with these guys to keep them busy while we set up the room.”
“Mike, I told you to keep an eye on her.”
“Steve, she insisted and you know how hard-headed she can be. Besides, they are downstairs in the hotel bar. They think we are married or something like that.”
“Okay, everyone, let’s get set up in here quickly.” There were two bedrooms and two baths in the suite. We had a lot of work to do and little time to do it. I was exceedingly worried about Linda. Everybody worked fast and Hannah ran down to our room and checked the surveillance system. When we got the okay from Hannah, Gina and I left also. Once we were in our room, we began to observe the suite. We had every inch of the place wired with audio and video. Devices were everywhere, except in the bathrooms. It wasn’t long after, when these two jerks returned with Linda. I was relived just to see her okay. Campo was a large middle aged man about fifty pounds overweight. While Clark was talking to Mike, Campo pulled Linda into one of the bedrooms. He slammed the door behind them. Mike figured we were watching so he didn’t get too excited. Campo threw Linda on the bed and jumped on top of her. He kept on grunting at her like some kind of animal.
Gina exclaimed, “Steven, do something. He’s going to hurt her.”
I replied, “Let’s wait a few more minutes before we blow this whole sting.”
Just then, Linda broke free and stood up. She said in an angry voice, “Listen, stupid, if you want to have some fun with me it will have to wait until the deal is closed, I’m strictly business! Do you get my point?”
Campo responded, “Okay, okay, take it easy, I was just trying to have some fun.”
“When the deal is complete we’ll talk about it. Until then, you keep your distance. Now get out of here and take your creepy friend with you.” Campo grabbed Clark and they left in a hurry. She looked into the camera and said, “Still the same. Right, Steven!” I knew she was pissed because I always push her to the limit.
I said, “Gina, you and Hannah follow the Bono thugs. If they split up, you two split also. I want to see where they go. Call me if there’s a problem and be back here before morning.” The girls were on their way in a matter of moments. Once they were gone, I went upstairs to the penthouse suite. I knocked on the door and Mike opened it.
I asked, “How is our girl doing?”
Mike responded, “Take her for a
walk or something before she rips the place apart.”
“Linda, come with me for a while. Please.” Without talking or acknowledging my presence, she walked out of the room and went to the elevator. She stood there waiting for me.
Mike said, “Have fun, Boss,” as he closed the door to the room.
I walked over to the elevator and put my arm around Linda. I whispered, “Linda, you do know how much I love you? Don’t you?”
“I know you were watching me getting abused again. You always push me to the edge.”
“I wouldn’t let anybody hurt you, baby.”
“I know. It just gets to me sometimes.”
“Let’s go down to my room for a while.” I called for the elevator and we went down to the other room. Once there, we sat on one of the two beds in the room.
Linda said, “I know I shouldn’t say these things but I think my nerves are a bit shot with this business.”
“Linda, I understand how you feel when these creeps go too far but, I need you to hold it together until the mission is complete. Can you do that?”
“I understand, Steven, don’t worry about me, I’ll be okay. I just get the feeling that I can’t do this anymore but it will pass.”
I held her like a little child for a while, until she seemed all right. I kissed her tenderly. Then she went back to the penthouse suite.
A short while later, Gina and Hannah returned. I was still up drinking coffee when they came into the room. I asked, “Well, girls, how did it go?
Gina replied, “Steven, we have big trouble.”
“What do you mean?”
“We followed the two men to an office not too far from here. It was a low rise building three stories high. When we saw lights on the top floor, Hannah quickly climbed up the side of the building like a spider. I’ll let Hannah tell you the rest, Hannah.”
Hannah spoke, “When I climbed to the roof I found a skylight that happened to be opened. I was able to hear their conversation. The Hightower guy asked the big guy, ‘Do you really trust these Americans?’ He responded with, ‘Hell no, I want to toy with the pretty one for a while. She may be useful. Our pilot friends have already told Bono where his wife is. Bono is going to use them to attack the military base where she is being held.’ He also said a large group of Bono’s people from around the world, will be converging on the target area. They also are making plans to snatch Linda and to kill Mike.”