A small, cramped corridor led to steps that descended to a stone passageway with lightbulbs spaced every twenty feet.
Within a hundred feet of entering the tunnel, I saw the tail end of a long line of people – servants from the household. They looked terrified as they huddled in the gloom.
“Excuse me,” I said as I passed them. “Coming through.”
Servants gave way to foot soldiers. Finally, at the far end of the tunnel, I found Niccolo, Sofia, Bianca, Lucia, Roberto, Mei-ling, Valentino, and Caterina.
Bianca and Caterina looked as terrified as the servants.
Sofia, Mei-ling, and Roberto were remarkably calm for being thrust into the middle of a war zone.
Lucia and Valentino looked seriously pissed off.
And Niccolo? Exasperated as always.
Months ago, Lars had turned the end of the tunnel into a mini armory for just such an occasion as this. Valentino had found an automatic rifle and looked ready to fight –
Which was probably what Niccolo was worked up about.
“Finally,” Valentino said when he saw me. “What’s the plan?”
“I’m going outthere,”I answered as I rummaged in the armory supply cases.“You’restaying inhere.”
“Fuck that,” Val snarled. “I’m going with you.”
“The whole point of my job is so you don’thaveto.”
“I don’thaveto – Iwantto! I’m not going to stand around while they fucking destroy our home!”
I didn’t answer, because I’d found what I was looking for: two heavy-duty nylon straps used for carrying rifles. Both straps had steel hooks and buckles at the end. I unclipped the straps from the guns and stuffed them into the waistband of my pants.
“Listen to Rachel,” Niccolo ordered his younger brother. “You’ll get slaughtered if you go out there.”
“No I won’t,” he shot back. “Lars trained me.”
“That doesn’t make you bulletproof,” I said.
As Niccolo and Valentino continued to bicker, I inspected the huge steel door at the end of the tunnel.
Lars had told me a gangster named the Turk had destroyed the original door with thermite, and that the family had to replace it.
The new door looked like a miniature bank vault, with a circular wheel to unlock it.
I spun the wheel and heard the bolts slide out of their housings. Despite the massive weight of the door, it was so perfectly balanced that it swung open easily, revealing ancient stone steps that led up to a thick mat of vines growing overhead.
Daylight peeked through the strands, and I could hear the choppers clearly now – along with another explosion.
“As yourconsigliere,I’m ORDERING you not to go out there!” Niccolo yelled at Valentino.
“Then punish metomorrow,afterwe all make it through!”
“Please don’t go, baby,” Caterina pleaded with her husband.
“I have to,” Val said as he kissed her. Then he turned to me. “I’m coming with you.”
He wasn’t going to be deterred, so I opted for a compromise instead. “Give me three minutes before you come out.”
Val frowned. “Why?”
