by J. G. Sumner
“That’s no concern of yours. We’ve assured Daddy that once he pays the money, we’ll be dropping you off at the nearest embassy.”
She looked past the man to a spot on the wall. “He won’t do it, you know.”
“I’m sure he’d do just about anything for his only daughter—the apple of his eye.”
“My dad’s not stupid. He’s not just going to hand over the money. He’ll get the authorities involved.”
“I suppose he might. But if the money isn’t wired to me in the next couple of days, it doesn’t matter who he gets involved. He won’t ever see you again.”
Her heart sank and her stomach tightened. There wasn’t a lot of time. She had to find a way out. Katherine looked around. She was in a basement with several windows along the cinder block walls that looked promising. There was only one door in and out. But that didn’t appear to be an option unless somehow her captors were distracted or she acquired a weapon.
“Don’t bother; you can’t get out of here. I practically have an entire army guarding the place. You might as well consider it Fort Knox.”
“I’m not sure what you mean. Why do you think I was looking to escape?”
“Honey, it doesn’t take a genius to see you were checking out the place. Any idiot would know you’re just waiting for an opportunity to flee. Unfortunately for you, I don’t plan on providing that opportunity.”
“When will you let me go?”
“That’s on a need to know basis. As far as I’m concerned, you don’t need to know. Maybe if I keep you in the dark, you’ll behave a little better or at least show some respect.”
The pressure building in her bladder started to become painful. “I give respect where it’s earned. You certainly haven’t earned it. I can’t even get a trip to the bathroom.”
She shifted in her seat trying to relieve the discomfort.
The man looked behind him. “Where’s that idiot? He was supposed to be back here already.”
As he stared at her, the hairs stood up on her arms. The longer she was around the man, the creepier he became. He had a certain edginess about him. I wouldn’t want to meet this guy in a dark alley. A smile surfaced across her face.
“What are you laughing about?”
“I was just thinking I wouldn’t want to meet you in a dark alley. Then I thought, what’s the worst that could happen? I get kidnapped, tied to a chair, and beaten? Been there, done that.”
She didn’t even have time to dodge the fist before it struck her. The blow knocked her out of the chair and onto the ground. Her world went dark.
Katherine wiped away the cool liquid trickling from her forehead. She slowly tried to open her eyes. The throbbing of her head and face were almost too much to allow her eyes to focus. She saw double—two men. No, maybe one. Who knew? The man who punched her stood with a glass of water, dripping it onto her face. She moved her hand and wiped the cool liquid away. The pain in her face was like daggers shooting through her eyeballs over and over. She was on her side and the shoulder on the ground ached, probably from her landing. She opened her eyes again as the water continued to assault her.
“Nice you could finally wake yourself up.” The dark-haired captor shook his head.
“Let’s go.” He reached out his hand to pull her up.
She reluctantly took it and stood up. Dizziness took over and she steadied herself with the chair until the lightheadedness subsided.
“Come on.”
She wasn’t sure she could walk across the room, let alone stand much longer. “Where are we going?”
“Since you pissed all over yourself and my floor, I thought I should take you to the bathroom to get cleaned up. The last thing I want to do is smell you for the next however many days.”
She quickly looked down to her pants and saw they were in fact completely soiled. If she wasn’t struggling so hard to maintain consciousness, she would’ve been mortified. She took small steps toward the stairs; her legs were heavy, and it was almost as if she were learning to walk again. One foot in front of the other, she kept reminding herself.
Katherine slowly shuffled to the other end of the basement until she reached the staircase. The unknown man held onto her arm, pulling her up the stairs. At the top were three doors; all of them were closed, leaving her in a small, dark mudroom. The smell of flowers permeated the air.
“The bathroom is in there.” The man pointed to the wooden door in front of her. “Don’t get any ideas. I have someone standing outside the window.”
Any ideas? She could barely hold her head up, let alone crawl through a window and run off into God knows where. She opened the door and turned on the light. When she shut the door behind her, Katherine realized there was no lock. Perfect.
She hesitated before looking into the mirror. A gasp and whimper surfaced when she saw her reflection; her face was unrecognizable, both of her eyes were blackened and swollen, and she could barely see their blue irises. Her lip was split with dried blood dominating most of the right side and matting her hair. Her cheeks were puffy and inflamed. She wouldn’t be winning any beauty contests today.
She forced her gaze from the mirror and looked around the room. The bathroom was tiny and only consisted of a toilet, a sink, and a small window. If she wanted to, she could fit through the window; she just didn’t have any strength to muster at this time. She would have to bide her time until she was strong enough.
Katherine turned on the sink and splashed some water onto her face. The coolness was refreshing and soothed the burning, so she closed her eyes and splashed a little more. When she opened her eyes, Katherine watched as the bloodstained water dripped from her face.
The water slowly warmed, and she cupped some in her hands, ran it through her hair, and watched as clumps of dried blood escaped down the drain. God, what she wouldn’t do for a rubber band to pull back her hair and get the knotted rats nest out of her face.
Katherine studied her clothes. They were disgusting; her shirt was filthy and blood stains covered it. And her pants? There were no words to describe how low she felt from soiling her own pants. What grown woman pees themselves? One that’s had the shit beaten out of them. That’s who.
She took off her pants and underwear and rinsed them out. She wasn’t going to allow herself to hit rock bottom by being forced to sit forever in her own urine. Her pants may be wet, but they would be clean.
When she finished cleaning herself up and finally peed, Katherine peered out the window. The man guarding the outside was preoccupied with his phone. Beyond the yard was a large olive tree and lush green fields extending as far as she could see. If she tried to run away in that direction, she would be noticed immediately. There was nothing to hide in.
Bang. Bang. Bang. “Let’s go. You’ve had long enough.”
She jumped at the sound of the first bang. Her already frayed nerves went into overdrive, causing her hands to shake.
She opened the door coming face to face with the man who had beaten the living daylights out of her. “Thank you for allowing me to use the bathroom. Can I please get a drink of water?” She attempted to peer through a door that was left open while she was in the bathroom. There was a kitchen; it was painted yellow with wallpaper trimming displaying a variety of citrus fruits, and a large oval table with several chairs randomly scattered around it took up most of the room. Just past the kitchen was a small hallway where a man sat on the stool armed with an unknown type of large gun. She shifted her attention back to the hand that grasped her arm yanking her out of the bathroom.
“You’re not going to see any more of this place. Your water is waiting for you downstairs. Now move it.” He pushed Katherine toward the stairs, causing her to almost fall over the top. She quickly grabbed the arm rail to steady herself.
Her legs seemed stronger so the walk down the stairs wasn’t nearly as tedious as the trip up. All she needed was time, and she would garner enough strength to try and escape.
“I see we’re in
the country. Where are we, exactly?”
“It’s a town called Umbria.”
“Ah, this is where all of the major olive production in Italy is.”
Seemingly unimpressed, the man replied, “You’ve done your homework.”
“I’ve learned a thing or two while I’ve been here.” She paused. The man was in a better mood. Why not press her luck and see what information she could get? “What’s your name?”
“You sure are nosy. Hasn’t anyone ever taught you to sit still and be quiet?”
“I’ve been quiet my entire life and look where it’s gotten me.”
“So now’s the time you decide to find your voice? You must either have a death wish or you’re not very smart.”
“Perhaps a little of both. So what am I supposed to call you? Obviously, you’re in charge of this operation. When you’re not around, who do I ask your lackey’s for?”
The man chuckled. “I can see now why Massimo took a liking to you. You can call me Ray.”
“Don’t pretend for a moment you know anything about me and Massimo. Ray. What kind of Italian name is that?”
“Watch it!”
“It just doesn’t seem to be very fitting.”
“I said that’s what you could call me. No more conversation.”
“Boss! Boss!”
Someone had run up behind her. She turned to find the stalky man who was called Dominic back and was clearly upset about something.
“What is it Dom?”
“There’s a situation that needs your attention immediately.” Dominick took a step back as though he was waiting for a blow that might be coming. Whatever was wrong would probably get him in trouble.
“Get her tied back up and meet me upstairs.”
Katherine turned her head to her captor and pleaded, “Is it really necessary? I promise to be good. I just need to stretch some more.”
Ray approached her. “I can already tell you’re going to be trouble for me. There’s no way I’m going to take any chances and allow something foolish to happen. You’ll remain tied up until I’m confident it’s safe otherwise.” Ray turned and walked swiftly out of the basement.
He might have been patient earlier and willing to put up with some of Katherine’s antics, but he was all business now. Not wanting to see the ugly side of Ray or any of his men, Katherine obediently sat in her chair and waited to be tied back up. Praying she wouldn’t have to be in that position for very long, she tried to think about some other place and some other time.
Chapter
Twenty-Three
Tony got out of his car in Orvieto and walked along the narrow path to the Park of the Grottoes where he found a picnic table to perch upon. Hundreds of tourists were scattered around the area. Some were getting ready for tours, while others just enjoyed the view.
A car had been following him shortly after he left the gas station where Katherine had been captured. He never saw the car when he was sleeping in his own vehicle, but he saw it the next morning and it had been following ever since.
Knowing he had to come up with a distraction to get away from them, Tony went to a local market and picked up a sandwich for lunch. He brought the food to the picnic table in hopes it looked as though he were stopping for a leisurely lunch. Hopefully, the man following him would stay in his car.
Tony arrived at the caves fifteen minutes early, but didn’t have to wait long for the agents to arrive. He wasn’t worried about finding them; they obviously knew who he was and what he looked like. However, when Tony got his first glimpse of the agents, he knew who they were immediately. They stuck out like a sore thumb.
The parking lot was behind him, and the agents approached from the side. He didn’t attempt to look in their direction before he spoke.
“I’m being followed. Meet me inside the caves in five minutes.”
He continued to look ahead as the agents walked in front of him a few feet and continued toward the caves. He finished eating the sandwich and tried to stay calm even though his insides were a jumbled mess. If he messed this up, it could mean Kate’s life.
He got up from the table and threw the waste in a nearby trash can. He stopped for a moment and took another leisurely look at the surrounding area before proceeding to the caves. If someone was watching, he wanted to make it look like he had no agenda other than to stop for a break.
Tony walked in to the labyrinth known as the caves. It was an underground city built two thousand five hundred years prior and still remained largely intact. He found the agents in a room just off of the entrance. He motioned to them. “Let’s go back in further in case they try to follow me in here.”
When they got far enough into the underground city, he stopped. “Agent Thompson?”
“That’s me,” the younger agent said with a clear American accent. Thompson was wearing jeans and a sport coat. The other agent with him was the unknown.
“And you are?”
“I’m Agent Manchetti. I’m with the Guardia di Finanza. We’ve been working together on this case for several months.”
Tony nodded. “Agent Thompson, how did my dad know you? Was he doing something illegal? Was he involved with the cartel?” He braced himself for the answer he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear.
“You said you had something for me. May I please see it?”
Clearly, Thompson wasn’t going to give up any answers easily. “How do I know I can trust you?”
Thompson shrugged. “I don’t suppose you’ll ever know for sure. Your dad trusted me enough to pass on a message.”
Tony was intrigued. “What message?”
Thompson looked around before he spoke. “He worked hard and long in his life to provide the best for his family. Italy was where he called home, but it no longer needs to be your home. I’ve promised your father to place any member of your immediate family in the witness protection program. If you work with us, I can provide you a new life in America.”
Tony put his hand on the wall next to him and doubled over. It felt like he’d just had the wind knocked out of him, and he struggled to take a breath. Just when he thought his dad was doing illegal business, he found out he was working with American’s for who knows what. How much more was there to his father’s secret life?
“I know this is a lot to take in.”
“I-I need you to tell me about my dad. How did he get involved in this? With you?” His breathing was ragged, but he managed to stand himself upright.
“Your father was a good man. He contacted my agency in hopes of getting some help. He was very untrusting of the Italian government. He thought they would try to cover up anything having to do with the olive oil cartel. Simply, the cartel had money and resources to buy people.”
Why did everyone keep saying Tomas was a good man? Did they know about his dealings with various government agencies? “But my brother, he was honest. He was trying to help.”
“He allowed your brother to help to a certain point. Your father knew the deeper your brother got in, the more likely he wouldn’t survive. As a result, he tried to handle it differently. That’s where I came in; I was only assigned to the investigation for a couple of weeks before I came in contact with your father. By then, Agent Manchetti and I were already working together. I connected with your father through him, and we’ve been trying to hit the cartel from all angles and it seemed to have been working. We busted a few operations and slowed their exports significantly. What I can’t figure out is why all of a sudden the cartel killed your family and how did you make it out alive?”
Tony pulled a hand over his face, trying to process the information. “I’m wondering the same thing myself. I’m not sure if it was an angel who helped me escape, or the devil cursing me with a life of loneliness and despair.”
“Mr. Bertalucci, you mentioned Katherine Anderson. Where is she?”
“I don’t know.” Tony hesitated. “I’m supposed to meet whoever took her at my factory at four. They want everything I’ve
collected from my father. If I give it to them, they’ll give me Katherine.”
The agents turned to one another.
Sensing there was an unspoken conversation, Tony decided to find out if there was something wrong with his factory. “What? What’s going on? Did that blow up too?”
“No, we were just there. We didn’t see any sign of Katherine or anyone else.”
The abyss called despair grew exponentially in Tony’s heart.
“Are you sure that’s where you’re supposed to meet?”
Tony produced the note from his pocket and handed it to the agents.
“What do you have that they want Mr. Bertalucci?”
“The evidence my father built against the cartel. I’ve been traveling around this godforsaken country gathering random pieces of information that could bust the entire ring. The latest were some discs I retrieved in Geneva.” Tony retrieved one of the discs from his coat pocket. “He told me to give this to the authorities.”
Thompson took the disc. “Did you watch it?”
“Part of it. I couldn’t stomach it after I saw my dad working with the cartel. H-he looked guilty.”
“Is this all you have to give to them?”
“No. My dad made a different disc for them. I’m sure he knew the cartel would be after anyone who survived that accident. What I can’t figure out is how they know I’ve been collecting random packages. Everyone thought I was dead until recently. How did you know I was alive?”
Manchetti quickly explained, “We were able to collect DNA samples from everyone who was in your house. We knew rather quickly you weren’t in that explosion. But we didn’t release it to the local news until recently. We wanted time to be able to investigate without anyone knowing you were alive. We’ve been monitoring cameras in train stations, searching for your name at hotels, airlines, rental cars agencies, you name it. We’ve been in hot pursuit to find you before the cartel does.”
“Okay, that doesn’t explain how they found out.”
Manchetti glanced at Thompson. “It would appear your father had some reasons to be concerned. He did right by seeking out Agent Thompson.”