by Paul Heron
‘Michael, nice to meet you,’ Angelina said, sounding very military, almost robotic. She certainly didn't sound like she meant it. Her bright grey eyes cut straight through him. ‘We'll be taking over until we get-’
‘Hold on a second, doing what?’ Michael interrupted. ‘You can help us, if you want, that’s it-’
‘I don’t think you realise who I am-’
‘We don't give a shit who you are.’ Marcel jumped in to Michael's aid. ‘We're making the decisions on how we get them back.’
‘We haven’t got time to argue. Get in the cars, now!’ Scarlett shouted. ‘We're leaving. Move, all of you.’
Michael jumped into the back of the black Rolls with Marcel and George. Scarlett was in the front passenger seat with Ringo behind the wheel.
‘Where do we start?’ Marcel asked, ‘if Ajit has L'amico then we can’t track them. Better just retrace our steps and see what happens.’
‘We'll find them. We have some connections in the police service. It’s amazing what some money can do to persuade someone to give up some information,’ Scarlett said. ‘One thing that’s true about the world: money and greed will cloud a man’s judgement, almost every time.’
‘Which is why the world's in this mess in the first place,’ George said.
‘Wait, maybe we don’t need to get info from someone else.’ Michael pulled his phone out his pocket. ‘Eduardo was working on an app. L'amico was having an app built.’ Michael paused, as he flicked through his emails, finding nothing. After refreshing the page, an e-mail came through. It was from Eduardo. He looked at Marcel, then George, smiling. ‘He’s a genius.’ There was a link to download a new app. The Sirani app that allowed any device with the app to log into the data base, control L'amico as long as access had been granted by the two app managers: Ajit and Eduardo.
Marcel, Scarlett and George all checked their emails. After downloading their apps they all struggled to use it.
‘I’ve no idea how to work this thing,’ Marcel said. ‘It’s password protected.’
‘So is mine!’ Scarlett said, followed by George.
‘Good idea to protect them,’ Ringo said, as he led the convoy down the dark country road towards Madrid. The distant glow of the city's lights lit the area up like a Christmas tree, the black sky as a backdrop. ‘If that device fell into the wrong hands, we’d have a massive problem. Probably something we wouldn’t be able to come back from.’ He stopped just as the traffic lights went red. Flicking the parking break’s switch, he sighed and rubbed the top of his head. ‘I think we have more than enough problems.’
‘Yeah, but these are useless unless we can get into them,’ Marcel griped.
‘I'm in,’ Michael said. ‘Obviously Eduardo would have chosen a password only we could possibly know.’ He looked at Marcel, laughing. ‘You just have to know how Eduardo's mind works. Type in: thatweirdladywiththeblackhorse27.’
The entire car erupted into an uproar of laughter.
‘So, we can now control the electromagnetic spectrum?’ George asked.
Michael went into the database and selected the tab titled ‘secret mode’. The radio shut off, killing Ringo's musical vibes. Ringo jumped through the stations, nothing. Nothing but radio static.
George looked at Michael. ‘Was that you?’
Michael pressed the tab again and the radio came back on.
‘I don’t like this, guys!’ Ringo said. ‘It's too dangerous. The more devices we have with the power to do this, the more chance we have of Mancini agents getting their hands on one.’
‘It is, but Ajit's designed these apps so that they will only be activated from the L'amico,’ Michael said, feeling grateful to have the brains of Ajit and Eduardo. He was certainly impressed. Not only had they created such a gifted device, but they had the common sense to put protective measures in place in the event Mancini agents were to get their hands on it.
‘But Ringo's right,’ Scarlett said. ‘With Ajit in possession of that device all the time, both he and the device are in danger.’
‘I think moving forward we need to put a greater guard on both Ajit and Eduardo. The device should stay in a safe location. And keep Ajit and Eduardo with it to ensure it operates correctly,’ George said.
‘You mean split up the group?’ Marcel said, laughing under his breath, playing around with the app. ‘It seems we eventually get split up anyway. But this is the best creation I’ve ever seen.’
‘Remember what I said in France about not putting all your eggs in one basket?’ George said, dropping his phone back in his pocket.
‘We need to get the rest back first,’ Michael said. ‘George, you’ve got the rings with you? We'll need to get the fragment back to the cave.’
‘They're safe,’ George said, never giving much away as if he didn’t even trust the air he breathed.
‘Ten minutes until we arrive at the car park,’ Ringo shouted. ‘We may need to break the speed limit tonight, but I’m ready to smash the world record if I have to.’ Radio Madrid talked about the warzone chopper that had gate crashed the Republic of Ireland versus France match and how it had done the same in Madrid. The only difference was that the president wasn’t taken as well. The reporter went on to talk about how “the Irish guy and his friends” were the culprits. They'd stolen something important for the Spanish people and were now being hunted. The Spanish felt they'd been attacked. That their liberty was under attack and in addition to what happened in France, the world was beginning to grow not only weary of the group but were also planning to meet and put a stop to them.
‘I had hoped that after this, our lives would go back to normal. But it's clear, that's not going to happen,’ Michael said.
‘Normal?’ Marcel laughed. His usual cocky attitude was changing, perhaps evolving into one that was realistic about their future. His was a mood that spoke volumes about how much he missed Carolina and undoubtedly the rest of the group.
As Ringo entered the underground carpark where they'd met Guillermo the first time, there was an eerie stillness to the car and to the carpark itself. They parked next to a brand-new red Ford Mustang and Ringo didn’t even comment.
Guillermo jumped out of the Ford but was told to get back in by Lorenzo and Angelina who were travelling in one of the Humvees with the team of Sirani agents. He got back behind the wheel and patched a call through to Ringo's car. ‘I’m glad to see you guys.’
Scarlett turned and looked at Michael and Marcel. ‘Glad you’re okay, Guillermo. Now let's go find the rest.’
Chapter Twenty-Seven
STILL IN THE CARPARK, from the back seat of Ringo's car, Michael looked out the side window at the Mustang, Guillermo smiling from behind the wheel. His smile, however, didn't look genuine. One that was forced in an attempt to appear confident. Guillermo, like the rest of the group were working hard to remain upbeat. Certainly, for Michael, Marcel, Scarlett, Ringo and even George, the rollercoaster they’d all been subjected to since they all met, had moulded them into naturally taking it all in their stride.
‘Glad to see Angelina and Lorenzo here,’ Guillermo said.
‘They're here to help us,’ Marcel said. ‘Now let’s get out of this creepy carpark. Before another bunch of Fomorians come.’
There was an awkward silence. Michael cleared his throat, waiting for a response from Angelina. A response that never came. The sound of the other Rolls starting up signalled their departure from the eerie car park. The fear of what they were facing as they left the underground caused a spike in adrenaline. Ringo put on Thunderstruck by AC/DC which was in a sense symbolic, since it was a lightning bolt during a thunderstorm that Elisabetta's black unicorn sent Pietro Mancini stumbling into.
‘How are we going to do this?’ Michael pitched the question to everyone listening on the group chat, hoping for some help. The lives of the rest were on the line, and they knew they couldn't just start shooting their way into a rescue mission. Like his dad's rescue in France, they had to be tactf
ul.
‘Michael, I think you should be grateful for the support from Sofia's family. They deserve our respect and therefore I urge you to hand the reins over to them. They know how Mancini Corporation operates, how they think, and how to fight them. Certainly, more than we do. They'll ultimately be our greatest resource. Use it,’ George said.
‘It’s not about pride. You’re not a failure.’ Scarlett turned and looked at both Marcel and Michael who both looked like they were about to go to war with Mancini Corporation. ‘Recognise the help when it's there.’
‘Okay! Angelina, Lorenzo!’ Michael shouted over the noise of the car engine, as Ringo accelerated through the barrier and into the streets of Madrid. ‘I’m glad, and if I’m honest a little relieved to have some of your help. So, what is the best way to go into the palace for them?’
‘Michael, you’re in charge of this,’ Angelina said, ‘however, we will clear the path for you to go in. We'll soon make these bastards sorry for this.’
‘And I think, the second they kidnapped the rest of your team, especially the way they did – shooting you with tranquillisers like wild animals, they crossed a line. We have no need to be tactful in getting them back now.’ Lorenzo paused for a second as he said something to Angelina in Italian, laughing as if he was preparing to have some fun. ‘We take back our team. Putting as many agents down that get in our way is something we need to accept, without remorse.’
‘Alban, perhaps it’s time you go back and get the chopper ready,’ Scarlett said.
‘I agree with Scarlett,’ Angelina said.
‘Okay, I’m on my way.’ Alban confirmed.
‘Lorenzo will go with you, Alban,’ George said. ‘As of this moment, nobody in this organisation travels alone. Angelina, you can stay in the car with Guillermo.’
Pulling over in an empty bus stop, Angelina jumped out of the Mustang to let her brother out of the back. She flashed her sexy white smile at Ringo's car as she got back in. They continued.
Marcel looked at Michael. ‘She's hot.’
‘You're right she is.’ Michael laughed, both sniggering in the back seat of the car.
‘Men!’ Scarlett mumbled below her breath, as she looked back at Michael and Marcel, tutting. ‘You two, sitting back there sniggering like Beavis and Butthead.'
AS THEY CONTINUED TOWARDS the palace, Marcel put his window down to let some fresh air into the stuffy car. ‘So, we go in, knockout whatever guards are at the door and go in from there?’
Michael nodded. ‘And we've got the control of L'amico from our phones now, thanks to the app.’ He looked at the Sirani app on his android, feeling the power of such as device.
‘You'll need something to put them to sleep with,’ Angelina said.
‘I’m happy to use my hands to put them to sleep,’ Marcel laughed, cracking his knuckles.
‘Too easy, Marcel. But I agree, that would be my preferred method – up close and personal,’ Scarlett said. ‘They're getting the same treatment they gave to you all earlier today.’ She leaned forward and opened the glove compartment, producing a green and yellow plastic box with the Sirani logo on the front. Pulling out a dart, she smiled. ‘This is what they're getting.’
‘What if they’re not human?’ Marcel said.
‘This isn’t for humans. This is for any of those Fomorians that are now walking among us.’ Scarlett looked behind her, handing it to Marcel. He looked at it then handed it back.
‘What if they are human?’ Michael said.
Scarlett put the dart back into the container. ‘Then it’ll just knock them out and cause them a lot of pain.’
As they cruised the streets of Madrid, just a few miles from the location, night time was welcome. At least they’d have some cover. People were on the streets, continuing their celebrations from the day's events. Michael watched in disbelief as members of the public, dressed as bulls roamed the streets; on the road, on the foot path and on each other’s back. They clearly weren’t allowing the events at the arena to dampen their spirits. Michael remembered seeing that odd person dressed as a bull sitting close to Ahmad and the other Mancini agent in the arena. He wondered who the hell dresses up like that and just sits down as if waiting at a job interview. Perhaps a Mancini agent in disguise. He threw the thought out of his head as fast as it had entered.
‘Everyone's shit faced,’ Marcel said, pulling a bottle of water from his backpack. ‘I’m never touching alcohol again.’ He looked at Michael. ‘Not after what happened at the Little Camberly Inn.’
‘I think it’s better for everyone that you guys don’t drink,’ George said, grinning at Scarlett who was biting her lip trying to hide her laughter, clearly thinking about the first time they'd all went out together.
Ringo laughed out loud, shaking his head. ‘The look of you fools in the police station was hilarious.’
Scarlett interrupted. ‘We're about to arrive.’ She shouted for the guys in the other car to hear. ‘Okay, Angelina, you guys in your car pull over and wait here. The palace is just around the corner. As soon as the security guards go to sleep, we'll call you.’
‘Pay attention!’ Angelina said.
As Ringo pulled up to the gates, they could physically cut through the tension in the car. Ringo pulled up to the security guard’s hut. He put down the window. Pulling his driving licence from his wallet, he greeted the security guard in Spanish, the smell of cigarette smoke wafting in the window. The guard walked over to the car, swinging his keychain as if desperate for some entertainment. Ringo's greeting was met with a grunt. Before he could take Ringo's licence, Scarlett produced a pistol. She shot the guard in neck. He hit the ground clutching his neck with both hands. As soon as he went down, Michael and Marcel jumped out, dragging the unconscious body into the guard's hut.
Michael raised the access barrier. Ringo drove through, into the green, tree-lined grounds, lit up by blue lighting that hung above bull shaped bushes.
After tying up the guard, Marcel and Michael waited for the other cars to arrive. Three of the Italian Sirani agents jumped out of a vehicle, producing automatic weapons. ‘Go get your team,’ one of them said, looking very stiff and military. ‘We'll watch the gate. Our men will spread out across the grounds. Anyone we don’t like, gets a bullet for their trouble.’
Michael and Marcel jumped into the Humvee and followed the other cars. Catching up with the rest, they all made their way towards the entrance.
On arrival, Angelina was fast at producing her pistols, one in each hand. She put a dart in the neck of each of the guards that watched the doors. She ordered two of her agents to guard the door. By using L'amico, Michael had shut down the local communication systems. They were ready to go in. According to the Sirani tracking device, the devices of the rest were only fifty meters away – somewhere inside the building. But that didn’t tell them whether or not bullets were about to start flying when they went in.
Michael searched the pockets of the unconscious agents. He took their phones, their weapons and to Michael's surprise, a necklace with a stone that looked a lot like the necklaces Elisabetta had given them containing a piece of the cave. He looked at the ring, but in that moment, he couldn't piece together a reason for it, so he shoved it in his pocket.
Scarlett whispered. ‘Ringo, you and George wait in the cars for a quick get away if we need it. Angelina and I can watch Michael and Marcel.’ She looked at Marcel then Michael. ‘Let’s go.’
‘Where are we going exactly?’ Marcel hissed.
Michael checked his phone again. ‘According to this, they're fifty meters inside this door.’ Michael shoved his phone in his pocket. ‘I'm guessing they're being held in a restricted area, an area closed off to the public. Maybe the president’s office again?’
‘So, we can cut the power again.’ Marcel was quickly stopped by Angelina.
‘No, I want these bastards to see my face when we go in. My mother was murdered by Rodriquez.’ She loaded up. ‘Scarlett, have you got any more guns f
or this pair?’
‘Si.’ Scarlett handed Michael and Marcel a Beretta each. ‘Don't miss.’
The four entered the palace. It was quiet. Too quiet, looking vacant. Either that or it’s occupants were expecting visitors. Either way they had no choice but to go in. Upon hearing the sound of hard heels clicking off the marble floor – approaching from around the corner where the foyer tailed off into a tea room – Angelina looked at Scarlett at the same time, they both turned their backs to face the front entrance. They stood there, looking all around, as if they were lost. Two Mancini agents appeared from around the corner, walking directly past Michael and Marcel, clearly wanting to help the “damsels in distress”.
Michael and Marcel were about to spread the men around the foyer, but Angelina shot one of them with a dart. Scarlett did the same to the other.
‘Go,’ Scarlett hissed at Michael and Marcel, gesturing for them to get moving towards the lift.
‘What about them?’ Michael said, looking at the unconscious agents on the ground. ‘We can’t just leave them, someone will see them and give us away.’
Angelina rummaged through the agents' pockets, taking their phones and weapons. ‘We'll not be here for long, now go!’
They marched across the foyer towards the lifts. The palace looked completely different than it did on their first trip, empty without being crammed like a sardine can with tuxedos and elegantly dressed ladies. It was just too quiet. The bubbles from a six by twelve-foot tropical fish tank and was the only thing that proved there was life in the building.