Total pages in book: 247
Estimated words: 248926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1245(@200wpm)___ 996(@250wpm)___ 830(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 248926 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1245(@200wpm)___ 996(@250wpm)___ 830(@300wpm)
“Man, I don't know why you do things.” Maxwell took a hit of the joint. Smoke left his nostrils. “I just know one thing.”
I stared at him.
“Don't bomb this place.” Maxwell pointed at the castle. “My people built this.”
“You are now related to the Etruscans?”
“They're distant-distant cousins.”
“As you would say. . .whatever.” I pulled out my phone and dialed Emily again.
She didn't answer.
I stared at the phone.
Smoking his joint, Maxwell watched me. “She already texted you that she got to the place safely. Why do you keep calling over and over?”
“The more important question is. . .why doesn't she answer?”
“Because she's probably tired of talking to you, man. You can't be all up in her ass all the time.”
“I can and I will.” I put the phone up.
Maxwell blew smoke out of his mouth.
“I want confirmation that she is safe.”
“She texted that they arrived.”
“Why a text and not a phone call?”
“Because you are supposed to be busy killing Don Fabrizio.” Maxwell gestured at the castle. “By the way, is the Don in there?”
“No.” I tapped the side of my pocket where the phone lay.
“Is he at least close by? We've been here for a good thirty minutes, man.”
“Do you have somewhere to be?”
“Motherfucker, I didn't get all my sleep last night due to your crazy ass woman.”
“She's not crazy.”
Maxwell blew smoke in my direction.
“And yes, the Don is close.” I turned around and pointed to the small fishing village with houses stacked right on the rocky shore. “Don Fabrizio lives in the city of Scilla, named after the legendary monster.”
The Strait of Messina outlined the village. Three kilometers wide, it was a narrow strait between the eastern tip of Sicily and the western tip of Calabria. The strait connected the Tyrrhenian Sea to the north with the Ionian Sea to the south, within the central Mediterranean.
Currently, tons of fishing boats floated in the strait. It was known for having strong currents and a bountiful amount of enormous swordfish. Apparently, swordfish couples liked to pass through the straits during certain seasons.
And these boats didn't resemble typical ones. They were six meters long and equipped with five oars. Plus, each boat had a mainmast tree trunk that stood in the center and rose twenty-five meters high in the air. There, a man climbed up to the top and served as look out for the swordfish.
Maxwell frowned. “You said the village was named after a monster.”
“Yes.”
“What monster?”
“Scylla, from Greek mythology.”
“Never heard of him. And I like Greek mythology.”
“Scylla was a female monster who lived on one side of the strait. Her counterpart monster, Charybdis lives on the other side.”
“Two sea monsters?”
I nodded. “Legendary heroes like Odysseus, Jason, and Aeneas had to deal with them.”
“But was she a pretty monster?”
“You decide? She had tons of octopus looking arms with heads for hands that had sharp teeth—”
“Then, hell no.”
“She had been a beautiful nymph who was turned into a monster.”
“Why?”
“That's not our concern. What is important is that we are looking at the capital of the 'Ndrangheta.” I gestured to the other side of it. “The Don's huge house is in that direction. We can't see it from here.”
I had chosen Ruffo Castle as a great place to wait since the castle overlooked Scilla, giving us a great view.
I took in the breathtaking landscape of the village. It was going to be a shame how much we destroyed it today.
Scilla stretched out in front of us like a painting. The coastline was a series of steep drops and rocky cliffs that fell into the sea. Every angle represented a work of art.
The quaint village had houses built right up to the sea. Boats and dinghies were perched up between the houses. Other boats were docked in the many narrow alleyways lining the steep slopes.
The few times I visited the Don, I enjoyed feasting on the dishes of fresh fish.
I spoke, “In anticipation of us coming for him, the Don locked the village up, placing barriers at the few road openings.”
“Then, how are we getting in?”
“That is King David's job to figure out.” I checked my watch. “And he will not disappoint.”
One of my men hurried over.
Along with the tons of gunners, we had brought five technicians with us. The men's job was to hack into any security system that we had to deal with. This man was one of the five technicians.
However, I had him looking into our new hotel's security system. I wanted a view of my mouse and to get a hint of why she wasn't answering the phone or calling back.
Maxwell eyed him.
“Excuse me, sir.” Fidgeting his fingers, the man stepped in front of me.
“Is my mouse in the suite?”
“She is not.”
“Is she in the hotel?”
“We are not sure, sir.”
I clenched my teeth. “Be sure.”
He pursed his lips.
Rage rose within me. “Where is she?!”