Thanos couldn’t make out what he’d said above the noise in the crowded station, but he kept walking toward the exit, moving deliberately now so as not to spook the officers. He wasn’t a man to be made nervous easily, but in this instance he knew that being arrested wasn’t an option. He and his men could kill the police, but it would be in a room full of witnesses and cameras. Knowing the latter, he would have to rest his hopes on the diplomatic reach of his employer to get them out of trouble. Thanos hated having to do that. He’d only used Gikas’s influence one other time, when he’d killed a prostitute in Budapest. He feared he might have to make that phone call again tonight.
Less than ten feet away, the two policemen split apart and circled around the three men. Thanos watched, somewhat disbelieving, as the two uniformed policemen disappeared into the mass of people. He spun around and picked up the pace again with his two assistants in tow. They needed to get to the car and figure out just who this Vincenzo Cagliari was, and why Adriana Villa had thought him so important.
Chapter 21
The door to the cellar burst open, flooding a small area of the stone floor with light from a staircase. Dimitris Gikas stood on the threshold, staring in at the scene. The light silhouetted his figure. Niki scooted toward the back wall. Adriana returned his stare with fierce eyes.
“What is so important about Cagliari?” Gikas asked bluntly. He took a few steps into the cellar, clicking the hard bottoms of his Italian leather shoes with each one.
For a split second, Adriana’s eyes twitched. She instantly regained her composure, not wanting to give away the secret she held in her mind. “I do not know who that is,” she lied.
Gikas’s lips pouted mockingly and his eyebrows lifted. “Oh. So, you do not know the man whose name you wrote on the bottom of a bag and left in a locker in a train station? It seems highly probable that you do indeed know who Vincenzo Cagliari is.”
She shook her head, this time keeping her lips pursed tightly.
“Well,” Gikas put his hands behind his back and walked a little farther into the room. “That is a shame. Because right now I have three of my men en route to Cagliari’s home.” Gikas stopped a few feet away from Adriana. She glared up at him from the floor like an angry cat that had been declawed. “You see, my men found what you left in the train station in Rome. They are going to ask Signor Cagliari a few questions. Then, they are going to kill him. I figured since you knew him, I might tell my men to be merciful, perhaps execute him quickly. Since you do not know him, you would have no problem with my drawing out the old man’s death.”
Adriana fought to keep her breathing calm. If Gikas was telling the truth, her old friend would be in grave danger. Other thoughts mingled with the concern. How had his men found the key? They must have returned to the hotel room and discovered it on the floor near the entrance. She wished there was a way to reach out to Cagliari, but there was nothing she could do. Another thing occurred to her, something that brought a terrible sense of doom to her. Sean hadn’t found the key. That meant he was not on his way to save her. If she was going to get out of this alive, she would have to do it on her own.
“Nothing to say about that?” Gikas interrupted her thoughts. “Very well. I will tell my men to do their worst on the good professor.”
He swiveled on one foot and started to leave the room when Adriana stopped him. “Wait!” she shouted, freezing him just before he reached the entrance. He spun around, eager to hear what she would say.
“Please. Just wait.” She hesitated for a moment, not sure what to tell the evil man standing before her. “I have known Signor Cagliari most of my life. He was like an uncle to me. Please, I beg you. Do not harm him.”
A curious look washed over Gikas’s face. “Now that depends on what you are going to tell me. Doesn’t it?”
“What do you want to know?” she stalled, still formulating a story. She had to think fast. Gikas would easily smell a lie. Whatever she came up with had to be convincing.
He walked back to where she sat on the floor and leaned over her, bending down at the knees. “Cagliari either knows something, or you gave him something, or both. What is it? If you tell me what it is he’s hiding for you, I may consider letting the old man live. But if I find out you’re lying to me, or have misled me in any way, I will cut out your tongue, and Cagliari will suffer an excruciating death.”
Adriana swallowed hard, peering through narrow slits at the man standing over her. He was almost close enough to strike in the groin with her boot, but it would be a fruitless maneuver that would only bring worse consequences down on her, and possibly the young boy cowering in the corner. The latter concerned her more than her own safety.
She drew in a deep breath and waited before answering his request. “Let the boy go, and I will tell you what you want to know.”
A snort escaped Gikas’s nostrils. Something about the request must have amused him. “You are in no position to negotiate, young lady.”
Her steeled expression never faltered. “If I’m in no position to negotiate, then why are you here?”
He stood erect and thought for a few seconds. “Very well. I will have the boy taken to an orphanage in the city. He will be well looked after there. In return, you need to tell me what Cagliari is hiding.” Gikas raised his finger in warning. “But do not lie to me. If you do, I will know it. And if that is what happens, you and your friend will suffer greatly.”
“Call your men first.”
Gikas leaned back and tilted his head up as he laughed at the request. His voice bounced off the stone walls around them. “You are a bold little girl. I’ll give you that. You certainly have no fears.”
Adriana stared hard at him. Her hair had been pulled back tight in a ponytail, but one strand had slipped and was cascading down her face, past her cheek. “We all have fears, Dimitris. Even you.”
His curiosity aroused, he pushed the conversation further. “And what is it you believe I fear, Ms. Villa?”
When she answered, she didn’t flinch. “You fear losing. And you fear anyone who can make that happen.”
“Ah. That is what you believe? That I’m afraid to lose?” Adriana’s nostrils flared, but she didn’t answer. “You are mistaken. I am not afraid of losing because I never lose.”
“You will someday.”
“Perhaps. But it will not be today. Now, if you don’t mind, I would appreciate it if you would quit delaying and tell me what it is I want to know. My men will be at Cagliari’s within the next twenty minutes, so your friend is running out of time.”
Adriana let out a long sigh. “I gave him a map,” she said suddenly.
Gikas raised a wary eyebrow. “What kind of map? And what is so special about it?”
She swallowed, formulating what to say. “It is written on an ancient scroll. There were only three of its kind. The other two have been lost to history. They were created by order of Julius Caesar himself.”
Gikas listened intently, his eyes widening with every word. “And what is on this map?”
Adriana looked up into the man’s eyes. “It shows the way to the last antikythera.”
Chapter 22
Carl parked the car next to the sidewalk on the outskirts of the Piazza Navona. “You’ll have to go on foot from here,” he explained. “No cars allowed where you’re heading.” Both of the friends gave a thankful nod for the information.
A few minutes later, Tommy and Sean were making their way through the maze of old homes, shops, and cafes. They pushed quickly through the heavy visitor traffic at the Fontana del Moro, a fountain many believed to be a tribute to the ancient god Neptune. Its rose-colored marble base and dramatic sculptures drew the imagination and admiration of many a tourist.