Out of the Ashes

by Lori Dillon

  David stood in the middle of the arena, the vast openness of the place making him appear small and harmless.

  But she knew differently. She’d just witnessed for herself the caged beast within him.

  Sera walked slowly up behind him, afraid that one wrong move, one wrong word from her, would send him over the edge once more.

  He must have heard her approach, because he spoke without looking at her.

  “It’s too dangerous for me to be here anymore.”

  Dangerous? For him or for her?

  Chapter 20

  David glanced around, feeling like he was coming out of a mad magician’s trance and not quite sure how he got where he was.

  “What is this place?”

  “It’s the Amphitheatre.” Sera’s voice sounded soft and shaky behind him. Was she afraid of him? She should be. He scared himself right now.

  “It looks like a small replica of the Coliseum.”

  “Yes, but this one is older. The oldest one ever built, as a matter of fact.” She stepped up to stand even with him, but kept him at arm’s length. He watched her look around the arena herself, as if seeing it for the first time.

  It felt odd to be carrying on a casual conversation with her after all that had just happened. But he needed to talk about mundane things, anything to calm his rampaging emotions.

  She seemed to sense this and continued on.

  “When the games were held, twenty thousand Pompeians would gather here to watch hundreds of gladiators fight each other to the death.”

  David looked at the stone seats surrounding them, most now overgrown with green grass like a soft carpet of moss on river rocks. Rising four levels high, this was where bloodthirsty spectators once sat and watched men kill each other in the name of entertainment.

  His body grew cold in the warm air, his stomach tightening like a vise.

  “My God, how could men do that to each other?”

  Glancing down at his own bloodstained hands, he balled them into fists. Maybe he wasn’t so far removed from the violence after all.

  “Back then, they didn’t think it was wrong. They saw it as a way to rid themselves of the unwanted in society—their criminals, prisoners of war. There were professional gladiators who were paid to compete and made careers of it. I’m sure you’ve seen the graffiti on the walls—some gladiators were close to movie star status for their time.”

  “It still doesn’t make it right.”

  “No, but who’s to say two thousand years from now what people will say about what we’re doing to each other now in the name of war?”

  “You’re right about that.” He pried his eyes away from the empty stands surrounding them. The echoes of a cheering crowd from long ago seemed to howl in his ears. “My father would have loved it.”

  “What?”

  “The gladiator games. He would have loved them. I can just imagine him being in the thick of it, fighting in the arena for the glory of the win.”

  “What kind of man was your father?”

  He didn’t want to talk about his father, but that didn’t stop the memories from swamping him.

  “He was a full-fledged World War I hero. My old man blasted his way through Europe with a machine-gun and a take-no-prisoners attitude. It earned him a chest full of medals and what he thought was the right to demand his only son follow in his footsteps.”

  “And did you?”

  “Oh, I tried. I joined the army like he wanted, but that wasn’t good enough for him. Turned out, I wasn’t considered ‘leader material,’ so there seemed little hope of me ever being the man my father was.” David finally looked her in the eye, begging her to understand. “Until now.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “World War II came knocking at my door, and, like a dutiful son, I answered the call. I may not be good at the usual army stuff, but when it comes to languages, I’m one of the best there is. They needed someone who could speak Italian and pass as one for a special mission, so I volunteered.”

  Sera’s eyes flared, the old fight coming back into them at the mention of his mission. He watched her bite back whatever comment she thought to make about it. Instead, she took a deep breath.

  “That’s very brave. Your father must be proud.”

  An unpleasant feeling crept up on him, something close to shame.

  “No, he wouldn’t be. Not if he knew the truth.”

  She took a step closer, a question furrowing her brow.

  “What is the truth?”

  “I didn’t do it to be brave, to be a hero like him. Christ, I did it so I wouldn’t have to be on the front lines. So I wouldn’t have to kill anybody.” He could almost feel the dishonor smothering him. “I did it so I wouldn’t have to die.”

  Sera didn’t respond, not that he expected her to.

  He snorted, and a half-laugh cracked like a whip in the silence around them, but there was no humor in it.

  “Not very brave when it’s painted like that, is it?”

  David didn’t wait for her answer. He turned and walked out of the arena without looking back.

  *

  Sera stood alone in the middle of the Amphitheatre long after David’s retreating form had disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel. Strange. She’d stood in this very spot many times before, and yet she’d never felt the ghosts of its tragic past as acutely as she did now. Today they practically battled around her in the dust of the arena.

  She didn’t know what to make of his confession. As strange as it seemed, he saw himself as a disappointment to his father. Here he was, risking his life each day just by being here, and he thought he was taking the easy way out. At any moment, David could be discovered and shot, and he thought he was a coward.

  Sera walked back through the empty streets of the ruins. The hollow shops and empty villas that once welcomed her in a calming embrace were of little comfort to her now. The dead whispered from the open doorways, telling her secrets she didn’t want to know. There had been enough secrets revealed today.

  When she got back to the dig site, it was empty. David was nowhere to be found, and his pack was gone. The site felt lonely without him. Then she looked at the small hole in the earth, and her spirits lifted a bit.

  It wasn’t just any hole. Somewhere under the dirt and ashes lay the remains of an unlucky Pompeian. If she were careful, she could coax his or her story from the ashes.

  But first, the find would have to be thoroughly documented. She couldn’t take the chance that Giovanni might try something underhanded again.

  Leaving the site, Sera headed toward the main area of the excavations. As she approached, she noticed a crowd of archeologists standing outside the villa Professor Moretti used to catalogue the artifacts. Curiosity got the better of her, and she went to see what was going on.

  Alfonso Moretti stood in the doorway, his arms gesturing about his body like an angry octopus. The veins at his temples bulged, and his neck flushed red, a color that was quickly invading the skin of his tan cheeks.

  “What’s happened?” Sera asked Heberto, who stood in the crowd.

  “There’s been a robbery.”

  “What?”

  Heberto shook his head ruefully. “Some of the artifacts are missing.”

  Sera was stunned. She felt violated, as if someone had stolen something from her personally.

  “Well, isn’t that a coincidence?” Giovanni stepped out of the crowd, drawing everyone’s attention, his usual smug smile twisted grotesquely by his swollen lip. “So is David.”

  *

  “What are you doing?”

  David left Sera standing in the door of his basement flat and went back to stuffing his clothes in the beat-up, brown leather suitcase lying on his bed.

  “I’m leaving. You were right. My just being here is dangerous for you.”

  “What about your mission?” The harsh emphasis she put on the word dripped with disdain.

  He chose to ignore it.

  “I�
��ll find another way to do it, but it won’t be by working at the ruins and risking your life.”

  “How considerate of you.” There was a long pause while he searched under the bed for any stray socks. “So, are you taking any souvenirs back to the States with you when you go?”

  He turned to look at her. She remained in the doorway, her arms crossed in front of her like some prison guard barring the exit.

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “Oh, just that it’s interesting you’ve decided to leave now, when artifacts have suddenly started disappearing from the site. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

  “Someone has stolen some of the artifacts?” His momentary confusion at the sudden change in topic quickly faded.

  He shook his head. Somehow, it didn’t surprise him. After all, it wasn’t as if the ruins were kept under lock and key. Anyone who wanted to could probably walk right in and take whatever they wanted.

  “Yes, apparently some gold coins and jewelry, a small statue, and a silver cup went walking about the same time you did. If you leave Pompei now, you’ll look guilty.” Sera glared at him, the unspoken accusation blaring from her blue eyes. “I know for a fact you’re always wandering off into areas of the ruins you have no business being in. And I’m not the only one who’s noticed. Giovanni has already pointed out to the authorities that you left early today, just before the artifacts were discovered missing.”

  “Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t take them. Why would I?”

  “You tell me. When you gave me that American record, I wondered how you got the money. I know it cost you a small fortune. Maybe buying contraband on the black market isn’t the only illegal thing you’ve been doing.”

  David stood stunned. He couldn’t believe she actually thought he might steal priceless artifacts. Here he was, risking his mission by leaving to spare her any more trouble, and she was accusing him of theft. The irony of it really pissed him off.

  “You know I wouldn’t do something like that.”

  Sera snorted in disbelief. “Well, until yesterday, I wouldn’t have thought you’d turn out to be an American spy. Funny how things aren’t always what they seem.”

  No, he didn’t think it was funny. Nothing about this whole damn day had been funny.

  Out of the blue, a thought weeded its way into his brain. Maybe it was because she’d just mentioned his name, or perhaps the pieces finally fell into place in his own throbbing head, but suddenly an image of Giovanni in the German camp flashed through David’s mind.

  “Yeah, I know what you mean. You might want to ask the same thing of your ex-lover.”

  “What?” Her brow furrowed in confusion.

  “Giovanni? The high and mighty senior archeologist? The one who is so quick to point the finger at me? You may find it interesting that I’ve seen him several times in the German camp. It’s fascinating what you can see from on top of that wall.”

  David took a few steps toward her. He didn’t miss the fear that flashed across her lovely face or her involuntary step back. Good, she should be scared.

  “You might want to try it sometime. Once in a while, you should leave your safe little hiding place behind the ruins and climb up on that wall. Seeing more of the outside world might open your eyes to a lot of what’s going on around you.”

  He took two more steps toward her, bringing him so close he could hear her rapid breathing. This time she didn’t move away. Her eyes just flicked back and forth, staring into his.

  “And while you’re at it, you might want to ask Giovanni what he was doing in the camp the other day showing something shiny and silver to the Krauts. That wouldn’t have been your missing silver cup by chance, would it?”

  Her nostrils flared, but he could tell doubt was starting to seep into the fabric of her thinking.

  “He wouldn’t do that. He’s too much of a professional for that. He loves the ruins and the artifacts as much as I do.”

  “Oh, I can tell. He was the consummate professional this morning when he tried to flatten the cavity. No, you’re absolutely right. He’s not at all likely to do something like steal artifacts. He just threatens to destroy them.”

  “Why are you trying to place blame on him?”

  David mimicked Sera’s stance with his arms crossed in front of him.

  “Why are you defending him?”

  Seconds ticked by before she answered.

  “The way I see it, Giovanni doesn’t have a reason to be worried. You do. He’s not the spy here. He’s not the one who’s done something wrong.”

  “You want to know something? One of the first things they taught us in ‘spy school’ was how to throw up smoke screens.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “When you’re in danger of being found out, you point the finger in the other direction, send them on a goose chase. That way, if they’re busy looking at someone else, they can’t look too closely at you. You might want to try taking a closer look at your ex-boyfriend.”

  “I’ve known Giovanni most of my life. He loves the ruins as much as I do. Maybe he isn’t above stealing credit for discovering artifacts, but he would never sell Pompeii’s treasures to the Germans or anyone else.”

  “Are you sure, Sera? It seems to me you thought you knew him well enough to marry him and then found out you were wrong. Can you really trust his word now?”

  Whatever she had been about to say became lost in the echo of footsteps down the hallway. They both turned to see two Italian police officers standing in the open doorway of David’s flat.

  “Are you David Corbelli?”

  “Sì.”

  “You need to come with us. You are wanted for questioning in regards to some stolen artifacts.”

  David laughed humorlessly. “Surprise, surprise.” He turned his own accusing look on Sera. “Guess you knew this was coming.”

  “I haven’t told anyone anything.”

  “Perdono?” one of the officers asked.

  “Am I being arrested?” David broke in before they could question her further. He was in enough trouble as it was. He didn’t need her accidentally revealing his secret in front of the Italian police.

  “No, signore. You are just wanted for a few questions, for now.”

  David nodded and walked past Sera, heading for the door.

  The other officer glanced behind him, taking a good look inside his apartment, with the half-packed suitcase lying open on the bed.

  “Are you going somewhere, signore?”

  Standing in the hallway, David made his expression go blank. He couldn’t risk them seeing anything that might be construed as guilt.

  “Sì. After my argument with Signore Ragusa, which I have no doubt you already know about or you wouldn’t be here, I assumed my job at the ruins was over. I figured I’d go ahead and leave before they had the chance to fire me.”

  The second officer’s eyes narrowed, suspicion obvious in his wary features.

  “Then you will not mind if we take a look around your apartment before we leave?”

  He watched Sera stiffen as she stood behind the two officers. He knew what she was thinking. What if they found something that revealed who he really was?

  “Of course,” he told the officers. He wasn’t worried. There was nothing to find. He was too careful for that.

  But Sera didn’t know it, and the thought sent a visible tremor through her body. The officers didn’t see it, but he did. He found it almost funny that she could accuse him of being a thief one minute and worry about his safety the next.

  They forced David and Sera to stay in the hallway while they ransacked what there was of his small flat. None too tidy when they first arrived, it looked like an earthquake had hit it when they were done. Of course, they found nothing, just as he knew they would.

  But that didn’t stop them from taking him in.

  *

  “Which is it, Serafina? Who do you believe is telling the truth?”<
br />
  Giovanni and David stood in middle of the atrium of the villa the artifacts were stolen from. Sunlight spilled in from the opening in the roof, casting the men in bright light as they stood before the artifact table like criminals before a judge.

  “You have worked with both of these men. Each is saying the other is responsible for the missing artifacts.” Professor Moretti looked back and forth between the two men and pushed his dark-rimmed glasses up on his nose. He would have to be blind not to notice they hated each other. Even Sera could feel their barely contained animosity reverberating off the plaster walls.

  “Who do you believe?” the professor repeated, looking pointedly at her.

  Sera looked at Giovanni. She’d known him all her life. They’d grown up together, worked side-by-side in the ruins for years.

  Then she looked at David. He had only been here a few weeks. She hardly knew him.

  She looked to Heberto, who stood off to the side. Seeing him reminded her of Maria, and the old woman’s voice whispered to her, trust your heart.

  Giovanni had already stolen credit for one of her finds. That in itself no longer surprised her. But would he really steal artifacts and sell them to the highest bidder? He loved the ruins as much as she did. Or at least he used to.

  David was an American spy. Everything he’d told her before was a lie. What if he was lying to protect himself now?

  Trust your heart.

  Giovanni had threatened to destroy the body cavity, although he’d vehemently denied it in front of Moretti when questioned about the fight, claiming he hadn’t realized where he was stepping. But she knew differently.

  David had fought with Giovanni to protect the cavity and, to her surprise, to defend her honor. No one had ever done that for her before.

  Trust your heart.

  She’d loved Giovanni, once. And then he’d broken her heart.

  David lied to her about who he was, destroying any chance of trust between them.

  Trust your heart.

  Sera wanted to, but she couldn’t understand what her heart was telling her. At the moment, she was so confused, she didn’t know what to think.

  “I don’t know.”