Torn

by Karen Moore

  “Are you okay?” Hanna asked, going over and putting a hand on her back.

  Ceri took a couple of deep breaths and straightened up, her face pale and slightly green. “It’s the bendy roads. I’ve always suffered with car sickness. I even used to get it on the coach sometimes in our tour guide days. I’ll be fine once I’ve got some fresh air and stretched my legs. Be back shortly.”

  Hanna watched her go into the woods, realising that she’d been left alone. No reason to be alarmed, she told herself. She followed their lead, taking a pee under the cover of the woods before returning to the car where Sergio was waiting. She breathed deeply; the mountain air was fresh and smelt sweet and slightly fragranced. Ceri appeared, still looking grim.

  “Feeling any better?” Hanna asked.

  “Think so. I just need some water before we set off again.”

  “Do you want to swap places and sit in the front?”

  “No, you need to be at your best. We can’t have you going sick.” Ceri returned to the car ahead of Hanna and had a quick conversation in low tones with Sergio before taking her place in the back again. She retrieved a bottle of water from her bag and took a long swig.

  The break had helped Hanna shake off her own nausea, and she felt refreshed as they set off again. Soon after they reached a little market town, Sergio’s phone rang. He listened for a few minutes on his headset, then rang off.

  “That was the police. They’ve just reached the handover point and are taking up position now. There’s no sign of the kidnappers as yet. There are several buildings, just as we thought. We need to focus on the main one while they’ll hide in the outbuildings. But you’ll have to be careful, Hanna, as there won’t be much cover on the way in and out. Apparently, the location is quite exposed: it’s a deserted quarry.”

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Sicily, Wednesday 6th December, 2017

  After passing through a small town, the road became narrower as it continued to climb through scrub and patches of forest, passing only a handful of houses and farm buildings and a deserted water mill. Sergio glanced at the sat-nav.

  “We should be nearly there by now but I can’t see where this turn-off is. I need to pull up and look at the map.”

  He braked sharply and brought the car to a sudden halt. “Sorry,” he said, seeing the girls’ reaction. “Old habits.” He spread the map across the steering wheel and peered at it closely.

  “I need to spend a penny,” said Hanna, opening the car door. “Must be nerves. I won’t be long.”

  She took cover behind a clump of bushes while the other two stayed in the car. It was only on her way back that she noticed a roadside shrine with a plaque underneath and a bunch of fresh flowers. Curious, she drew closer. The plaque marked the death of a 21-year-old man killed just fourteen months before in a family vendetta. She shuddered and hurried back to the car.

  “Found it!” announced Sergio, pointing to the map. “It’s a couple of hundred metres further on to the right. It’s not showing up on the sat-nav, maybe because it’s not very navigable. See, this is the rendezvous and this is where we are now. Even allowing for the last part being on foot, you should get there by about 2.45pm. Can you keep hold of the map in case we need it again?”

  “I’ve got it on my phone, remember? I need it to get to the rendezvous. And back again,” Hanna replied, beginning to feel really nervous now. “You’ve got it on yours as well. We checked before we left.”

  “Of course, but it probably only covers the route from the end of the track to the rendezvous. Humour me and keep the map open.”

  “Okay, okay,” said Hanna impatiently, keen to get the ordeal over with.

  The turn-off was no more than a little-used track, overgrown with brambles that scratched the paintwork as they drove slowly past.

  “This is no route for a Fiat 500,” said Sergio ruefully as they bumped along the rocky trail. “We could have done with a 4x4.”

  The track continued for some way before dipping steeply and bringing them into a tree-lined gorge. Sergio glanced at the sat-nav again. It had picked up the route and indicated that it would soon come to a dead end.

  “Can you see where we are?” he asked Hanna.

  She consulted the map before comparing it to the image on her phone. “Yes, got it. The buildings are showing up, too.”

  Minutes later, the track dwindled into thick vegetation. Sergio braked and peered at Hanna’s phone, zooming in on the image.

  “Look, that’s the way,” he said, pointing to their location. “There’s a narrow path that goes to a clearing. After that, there seems to be a more definite track that leads to the quarry. Probably a road at one time. You okay with that?”

  Hanna nodded, feeling the adrenaline kick in.

  “Ready to go?”

  Another nod.

  “Good luck, both of you,” said Ceri, taking her place behind the wheel. “I’ll be waiting.”

  “You go first, I’ll follow behind you. See you back here. Remember, any problems, call me or call the police, or both. Good luck and stay safe.” Sergio squeezed her hands.

  Hanna’s eyes had misted over now she was faced with the enormity of the task ahead.

  “Thank you both,” she whispered, struggling to pull on her backpack over the bulletproof vest. “See you later.”

  She set off resolutely down the path, clasping her phone with clammy hands. She had to concentrate hard to keep her balance along the stony path, and was grateful for Ceri’s light hiking boots. The going was tough, brambles tearing at her hands as she passed, overgrown vegetation masking loose rocks along the way. She stumbled onwards, determined to see it through, the wound on her leg throbbing and slowing her down.

  The straps of her backpack kept sliding off the bulletproof vest and she was constantly having to adjust them. This time, at least, she’d remembered to bring Orsina, Eva’s battered old teddy. She carried on with mounting trepidation, startled by all the different sounds that surrounded her. Birds shrieking, insects buzzing, loud snuffling noises – she remembered reading that there were wild pigs in this area – all seemed amplified and menacing in her mind.

  Soon she reached a clearing, after which the path dipped to the base of the quarry. From here, she had a clear view of the cluster of ramshackle buildings ahead. As she watched, a 4x4 with blacked-out windows drove up and stopped outside. Four men wearing balaclavas got out, one pulling a small wriggling figure out of the back seat. It was Eva! Hanna’s heart soared. The kidnappers had kept to their word. She set off again, quickening her pace, filled with renewed vigour despite the pain coming from her leg.

  The men disappeared into the main building with Eva, just as Sergio had predicted. Reaching the base of the quarry, she realised how exposed and vulnerable she would be crossing the area. The thought filled her with fear but she couldn’t back out now; she had to go on for Eva’s sake. The police presence gave her some reassurance and spurred her on. She continued at a brisk rate, breaking into a painful jog in her desperation to retrieve her daughter.

  As she approached the outer perimeter of the buildings, another 4x4 suddenly raced in, sending clouds of dust and stones flying in all directions. It skidded to a halt some way from the main building and five men wearing sunglasses got out. Three of them approached the building, holding something she couldn’t make out, while the other two stood guard outside.

  Hanna watched from the cover of one of the outer buildings, unsure what to do. Then she started running towards the main building. Her leg had become more painful now, blood seeping through the bandage, slowing her down.

  The next minute, several shots rang out, reverberating around the rock face of the old quarry. The three men moved stealthily towards the building, guns in hand. It was all happening so fast, yet for Hanna it was like watching a film in slow motion. Then a loud volley split the air. An urgent exchange of gunshots.

  Two of the masked men emerged from the building and made a dash for their 4x4, accelera
ting away at speed, under a hail of gunfire.

  The men in the second party cautiously entered the building. Minutes later, they emerged, dragging Eva with them. As they piled back into their car, Hanna heard Eva cry out. Her words were unclear but Hanna thought she heard “Babbo”. She stared intently at the men, feeling sick as she recognised the unmistakeable profile of the person sitting next to the driver. It was Luciano.

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Sicily, Wednesday 6th December, 2017

  Four uniformed policemen emerged from their hiding places, yelling to each other and brandishing guns, trying to shoot at the tyres of the second 4x4, but the vehicle sped off in a cloud of dust.

  Hanna sank to her knees with an anguished animal-like howl, her hands over her ears to shut out the deafening cracks of the gunshots echoing around the quarry. Sergio ran over to her from an adjoining building.

  “Hanna, are you hurt?” he asked, taking her in his arms, making soothing noises and stroking her hair.

  “I’d have got to her if it hadn’t been for this damned leg,” she sobbed, shaking uncontrollably.

  Three of the policeman ran off to the main building, weapons in hand, while the older one came bounding over to them.

  “You must be Hanna. I’m Vincenzo, Sergio’s father. Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?” he asked in a concerned voice.

  Hanna took a couple of gulps and managed to shake her head. Vincenzo turned to his son and there was a rapid angry exchange in Italian. Hanna didn’t grasp what was being said; she was lost in her own world. Once again, her hopes had been dashed. She was beyond despair.

  A shout came from the main building, and Vincenzo excused himself and ran over to join his colleagues. Minutes later, he emerged grim-faced and strode over to them. He took Sergio aside and had a frantic, whispered conversation with him.

  The blood drained from Sergio’s face as he looked at his father incredulously. Pulling himself together, he turned to Hanna and said in a shaky voice, “Hanna, sorry, but I need to go back to the main building with my dad. Will you be okay here on your own for a minute? The kidnappers and their attackers have gone, so there’s no imminent danger. We won’t be long.”

  Hanna wondered what else could have happened. Something was wrong. Very wrong. She nodded, remaining on her knees as if rooted to the spot, too weak to move, her vision blurred by tears.

  The two men returned to the main building together. Hanna didn’t know how long they were in there; time for her had stood still. The shock was starting to wear off now. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. None of it seemed to make any sense. She could only hope and pray that Eva hadn’t been hurt in any way. What the hell was going on?

  Her despair was turning to anger. What was it going to take to get Eva back? What was Luciano’s part in this? She wiped her eyes and looked up to see Sergio coming back. He was ashen-faced.

  “What is it? What’s happened?” she asked, struggling to form the words, her mouth dry.

  “It’s…it’s…my brother Pino. He was one of the masked men. He’s been shot. He’s dead.”

  The next thing Hanna remembered was being escorted into the back of an unmarked police car with Sergio, his father in the passenger seat. A young police officer drove back to their car, stopping only briefly to speak to Ceri and tell her what had happened.

  They resumed their journey, Ceri following on behind. Few words were exchanged, apart from Sergio giving their address to the driver who nodded and punched it into his sat-nav. The tension in the car reminded Hanna of the journey on the way up, except this was different – one of desolation and loss. She fretted about what their next steps would be; she still needed to get Eva back as quickly as possible, but now Sergio was facing his own personal hell. At some point of the journey she must have dozed off. When she awoke, they were pulling up outside the apartment.

  The police officer took his leave. Wearily, the three of them made their way up the stairs to the apartment. Ceri had just arrived and she greeted Vincenzo and hugged Sergio.

  “I’m so sorry that this has happened,” she said quietly. “What a terrible shock. You must both be devastated. I really don’t know what else to say. Can I do anything? Bring you anything?”

  “A stiff drink, maybe. Ceri, Dad and I need to talk in private. We’ll go into the lounge, if that’s okay?”

  “Of course, go ahead. I’ll bring you that drink. Hanna and I can talk in the kitchen.”

  Sergio and his father disappeared into the lounge. The two friends went into the kitchen where Hanna slumped onto a chair. Ceri took a bottle of brandy out of a kitchen cupboard and poured a generous measure into four tumblers. She took two through to the lounge and handed one to Hanna when she returned to the kitchen. . “Here, drink this. It’ll help to settle your nerves.”

  This is becoming a habit, thought Hanna, taking a sip.

  “Are you up to talking about it?” asked Ceri, “The police officer only told me the bit about the shooting, nothing else. Did Eva get hurt?”

  “No, no, she’s fine. At least, I think she is. But I really don’t feel like talking about it right now. I just need to be on my own for a while. If you don’t mind, I’ll take my drink and go and have a lie down. Can you wake me if there’s any news?”

  Ceri squeezed her shoulder. “Will do, don’t worry. We can talk later when you’re ready. There’s no hurry.”

  “Thanks for being so understanding,” said Hanna, making her way on unsteady feet to her room, drink in hand.

  Hanna woke shortly after 9pm. Ceri hadn’t woken her; she must have let her sleep through deliberately. Images of the day’s events came flooding back. She was in no fit state to try and make sense of them. She lacked the energy and couldn’t think straight. Would this nightmare never end? She forced herself to get up.

  The kitchen was empty. No sign of Ceri. She found Sergio in the lounge, his head in his hands, the half-empty bottle of brandy by his side.

  He looked up as she came in. “How are you feeling?” he asked, slurring his words slightly.

  “I can’t begin to describe how I feel. None of it is positive. More to the point, how are you feeling?”

  “Numb, shocked, resigned, slightly pissed.” He attempted a smile but couldn’t quite manage it. “Ceri’s driven my dad home. We offered to put him up overnight, but he wanted to break the news to Mum in person. I’ve had too much to drink, so Ceri offered. She should be back any minute.”

  Hanna sat on the sofa next to him. “Want to talk about it?” she asked.

  “No,” he replied, tears in his eyes. Hanna put her arm around his shoulders; her turn to comfort him.

  The act of kindness was too much for Sergio to bear, and he buried his face in her shoulder and wept silently. They stayed that way for what seemed an age, both stricken with grief in different ways, until the key turned in the lock, signalling Ceri’s return. They sprang apart as if a spell had been broken just before Ceri appeared in the doorway.

  “How was Dad?” asked Sergio.

  Ceri shrugged. “Distraught, wondering how he was going to break the news to your mum.”

  “Did you see her?”

  “Only briefly to say hello. She could tell that something had happened. I left them to it. Thought it best.”

  Sergio nodded. “I’ll call them tomorrow and check they’re okay.”

  “Hanna, are you feeling any better?” Ceri asked. “I didn’t wake you. Thought you needed the rest.”

  “A bit better, thanks. Just wondering what we should do next. Hope I’ve got the strength to keep fighting to get Eva back.”

  “Don’t worry, you will. Enough’s happened for one day. You’re probably not hungry but we all need to eat something. I’m going to rustle up a frittata, then I think we all need to get some sleep. We can talk in the morning,” said Ceri.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Sicily, Thursday 7th December, 2017

  Hanna was finishing off her account of the previou
s day’s drama when Sergio staggered bleary-eyed into the kitchen.

  “Morning, amore. How are you feeling?” Ceri asked.

  “Rough,” he replied in a gruff voice, his brows knitted. “I need to call the paper and let them know I won’t be in today.”

  “I’ve already done it,” said Ceri. “Told them you’d had a family emergency. I didn’t specify what.”

  “Thank God for that,” he muttered, flopping onto a chair. He reached for the coffee pot on the table and filled an espresso cup, downing the contents in one go. “And how are you this morning, Hanna?”

  Hanna shrugged. “Devastated, mystified. I was just telling Ceri about Luciano whisking Eva away. God knows what’s going on and where we go from here. I’m beginning to think that we’re never going to get Eva back.” Her words sounded flat. Inside, she felt hollow, deeply depressed at the lack of progress in getting her daughter back.

  “We came so close, it’s just a matter of time,” said Sergio. “Let me come round a bit and we can talk it through. I need to call my parents first to make sure they’re okay and discuss the arrangements we need to make for Pino.”

  Hanna nodded, mindful of his distress. “Go ahead. We’ll discuss it later.”

  Sergio picked up his mobile phone and slipped out onto the balcony to make the call.

  “How are they?” Ceri asked when Sergio returned to the kitchen after calling his parents.

  “As well as can be expected,” he replied, sinking wearily into a chair.

  “Does your father know why Pino was there with the kidnappers?” asked Hanna.

  “He was obviously one of them. I’ve never talked much about Pino and there’s a good reason for that,” he admitted, rubbing his eyes and refilling his cup with coffee. “Pino was always trouble, even as a boy. First, it was just juvenile scrapes, but then he fell into bad company in his teens and got into more criminal activity and became involved in a mafia clan. My father did everything he could to bring him back into line, but nothing he did had any effect. Pino brought shame on the family and became the black sheep. He left home at seventeen and went his own way. He didn’t really keep in touch with us any more. We tried to contact him from time to time but it was difficult. We lived in separate worlds.”