"They're coming," Luciana whispered.
"It's okay," Georgio whispered. "Dad will find us."
"It's just like hide and seek. You don't have to be scared," Luciana said. I couldn't tell if she was trying to reassure us or herself.
I turned on the flashlight app on my phone and looked around. We were in some sort of hidden passageway in the wall. It went on past Georgio. I angled my phone, but couldn't tell how far it continued.
The twins were visibly scared, but also eerily calm. They'd acted so quickly.
"Does this happen often?" I whispered to Nonna.
Heavy footfalls on the other side of the wall kept her from answering. Luciana started trembling, so I pulled her in for a hug. The four of us held our breath and listened.
"They're not in here," a muffled voice said.
"Well, they've gotta be here somewhere. Check the rest of the rooms." Names and directions were called out as the footsteps retreated.
My cell phone rang.
It pealed through the darkness, startling me. I jumped, and then fumbled to silence it. Angel's face appeared, and then vanished when I hit the button to send him to voice mail.
"You hear that?" someone asked.
"Sounded like a phone."
"Where?"
More footfalls. They were searching for us.
Georgio grabbed my phone, removed the battery, and set both phone and battery on the floor.
"They can use it to track us," he whispered. "We have to go."
He was like a seven-year-old James Bond. His father had prepared him for an attack. Why? Who would break in to a well-guarded mansion, to assault a couple of kids?
If this was a common occurrence, no wonder Dom had been so freaked out about me.
The four of us held hands so we wouldn't get disconnected in the dark, and tip-toed through the hidden passageway with Georgio in the lead.
After a few minutes, there was a faint click, and then a rush of fresh, cool air. Still holding hands, Georigio led us outside and in between a line of tall bushes. Staying low, we crept away from the house, stopping at a tall fence.
"How you doin', Nonna?" I asked, looking over my shoulder.
She was breathing heavily behind me. "Don't you worry about me. Just do what you need to do to keep these two safe."
Loud banging came from the house. Someone was tearing the place apart. Fearing that they'd find the passageway and follow it to us, I helped Nonna through the hidden gate the twins opened.
Once we were on the other side, Luciana looked up at me with big trusting eyes and asked, "Which way?"
Sirens blared in the distance. The cavalry was coming to save us. "Maybe we should wait here for the cops," I said.
Georgio shook his head. "No cops. We can't trust them."
Sure couldn't, but hearing him say it broke my heart a little. "There are good cops, too," I argued. My parents had been two of the best. Of course, they'd also died for it.
"Too risky," Nonna agreed.
Gunshots coming from the back of the house told me we needed to move.
