Feeling the plane moving, she sat in the recliner and buckled her seatbelt. I’ll make it through this, she thought. Somehow, I’ll find a way to escape.
Chapter Thirteen
THE FLIGHT WAS LONG and tiresome. Christina had taken a shower, trying not to get the bandage on her arm wet. However, she had to put on the same filthy clothes since she had nothing else to wear.
At some point, the guy who had brought her into the plane brought her a sandwich and some coffee. Christina ate and drank, trying to regain her strength.
From time to time, she would look outside the window but couldn’t see anything except a thick veil of clouds right below them.
When she finally felt the plane descending, she was exhausted. She rushed to the windows, and the spectacular view of the sapphire waters of the Ionian Sea, sparkling like liquid gold from the reflection of the sun’s rays, left her speechless.
Her breath caught in her throat as her gaze rested on this enchanting island where nature existed lavishly in hundreds of shades of green and blue. The real thing was far more impressive than any photos she had ever seen. No wonder so many nations—the Turks, the Venetians, the French, the British—had fought throughout the centuries for the occupation of Kefalonia, along with the rest of the Ionian Islands.
Soon enough, the plane took a turn and started descending toward the airstrip right by the water. Christina knew that the airport was a few miles outside Argostoli—the capital of the island.
The plane had barely stopped when the door to her cabin swung open, and Roberto appeared at the entrance. “Let’s go,” he ordered her, abruptly.
Christina followed him, cautiously. Every step pressed the scissors she hidden at the small of her back into her skin, reminding her that she still had a chance. Adriano and his other two bullies were waiting for them in the main cabin. They all descended the ladder, rushing toward a black limo waiting near the plane.
Christina glanced around, but the plane had parked quite far from any living soul. Besides, the firm grip of Roberto’s hand on her arm didn’t leave her any room for trying anything.
One of the bullies opened the back door of the limo, and Roberto shoved her inside. Then Adriano, Roberto, and the other bully followed while the fourth mobster sat up the front, next to the driver.
The limo took off, and Christina watched in despair as they drove by the main building of the airport and right in front of hundreds of people. However, the tinted windows of the limo kept the car passengers invisible to the public.
Following the main road, they drove into the relatively new town of Argostoli—rebuilt after the devastating earthquake of 1953—with the picturesque houses, restaurants, shops, and churches, drowned in palm trees, red, pink, and white bougainvilleas, yellow and white jasmines, and a colorful spectrum of other bushes.
For a moment, Christina forgot about her troubles and the fact that she was in a car with five mobsters as her eyes wandered over the impeccable beauty surrounding her.
They soon left the town behind and drove through the wonderful countryside, driving toward God knew where.
“Can you at least tell me where we’re going?” she asked.
“Myrtos,” Roberto replied to her surprise since she wasn’t expecting an answer.
Myrtos, she thought. The breathtaking beach in the northern part of Kefalonia… Of course, it dawned on her. The Rosettis had probably taken over the property that used to belong to her maternal grandparents, overlooking the famous beach. Her mother had described her birthplace in her letter, writing what she remembered from her early childhood years on the island. When Natalie was eight years old, her American mother wanted to return to the States, and so her Greek husband followed her to Tampa where Natalie grew up.
A feeling of anxiety washed over Christina, realizing that she was about to see the house her mother was born in and lived during her early childhood years. No matter what happened to her, somewhere deep inside she didn’t regret this trip to Kefalonia—it felt like a trip down memory lane.
The road twisted and turned among beautiful scenery, and they passed through a couple small villages before they saw a sign for Myrtos. Approaching the legendary beach, Christina’s breath caught in her throat. Coming around a curve, she saw an impressive mansion, built on top of a hill with a spectacular view of the beach.
The limo stopped in front of the massive iron gates. A minute later, the gates opened, and they followed a winding, paved road going uphill to the mansion.
Driving around a beautiful marble water fountain with a statue of Goddess Aphrodite in the middle, they stopped in front of a marble staircase, leading up to the enormous front veranda of the two-story building dominating the area. By the time the car stopped, Antonio had come out on the veranda, followed by two men.
Adriano and the other mobsters exited the car and pulled Christina out. Dragging her behind, they walked up the steps to meet Antonio.
“Hello,” Adriano said, but Antonio dismissed him with one movement of his hand. His eyes were set on Christina, who had just stepped on the veranda.
“You look exactly like your mother,” he said and approached, extending his hand.
Christina remained motionless, watching him cautiously.
“Come in,” Antonio said and jerking his hand back, he turned on his heel and walked inside.
Adriano and his men followed right behind him, dragging Christina along, while Antonio’s men remained last, watching everybody closely.
Stepping inside, Christina’s breath caught in her throat; the house was even more impressive on the inside. Extravagant wealth was evidenced everywhere, from the marble floors to the vaulted ceilings with the fancy trimmings. Rich oriental carpets, crystal chandeliers, ivory and gold artefacts, and expensive paintings decorated the foyer and the sunken living room with the tall stained glass windows, providing a fantastic view of an infinity pool with Myrtos Beach as a backdrop.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Antonio inquired as his gaze followed Christina’s.
“Yes,” she admitted. “It sure is.”
“The building is the same as it used to be when your mother grew up here,” he said. “It has been redecorated, though, and, of course, we added the pool.”
“It’s very impressive,” Adriano commented, and Christina realized that it was his first time here, too.
Adriano was about to say something more when an older gentleman appeared at the French doors leading to the back veranda and walked inside.
“Marcos, come in,” Antonio said. “I want you to meet my niece, Sophia, Paolo’s daughter.” And turning to Christina, he continued, “Sophia, this is Marcos Deligiannis, chief of the Kefalonia Police Department, and a very close friend of mine.”
Christina was dumbfounded; however, the one who seemed shocked was Adriano.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” the chief of police told Christina in English with a heavy foreign accent and extended his hand.
She shook his hand and glanced at Antonio, puzzled. What kind of game was he playing, having her abducted and inviting the chief of police to his mansion? And what should she do now? Should she expose them to the policeman if he were really who Antonio said he was? No, she decided, on a second thought. He couldn’t be the chief of police. Antonio was probably up to something, and she had a feeling this had more to do with Adriano than her.
“I’m sure Sophia is tired,” Antonio said. “Giovanni, why don’t you show Sophia to her room?” he added, addressing one of his men.
Christina followed the tall, heavy built mobster up the main staircase and down a carpeted corridor to a beautifully decorated bedroom.
“You do look exactly like your mom,” Giovanni said, repeating what Antonio had said before.
Christina stared at him surprised. “Did you know her?” she inquired.
“Yes,” he admitted. “Natalie was the sweetest and most beautiful woman I have ever seen, and you remind me of her so much,” he continued.
> Christina felt tears coming to her eyes. “You loved her, didn’t you?” she dared to say.
“Yes,” he replied simply. “I loved her more than life itself, but that wasn’t enough. I wasn’t able to save her. I helped her escape, but he caught up with her. I didn’t make it there in time. By the time I arrived in Tampa, she was already dead.”
“So my father killed my mother,” Christina whispered, feeling a hollow in her stomach. She’d always known that, but deep down inside, she’d hoped that the woman found dead wasn’t Natalie and that her mother had managed to escape.
“Yes, he did!” the man said, and Christina could tell that he was terribly upset. “He never loved her. She was more like a prize for him. She was young, beautiful, and valuable for his image. But he never loved her. He treated her badly and left her alone, spending most of his time with his mistress. I guess, he probably loved Maria, but she was a prostitute. The Rosetti family—obsessed with money, power, and prestige—would never accept someone like that. So he married Natalie and kept Maria on the side. They both knew about each other, and that made things even worse.”
“How sad,” Christina said. “The life of five people destroyed to satisfy the obsession of a family.”
“Five?” Giovanni looked at her puzzled. “Besides Natalie, Maria, Paolo, and yourself, who is the fifth one?”
Christina shifted uncomfortably. She had already said more than she intended.
“So you know about Adriano,” he stated, after a few minutes of silence.
“Yes,” Christina admitted. “He told me, himself, among other things…”
“I guess he threatened to kill you,” Giovanni said, watching her closely.
“Worse,” Christina replied, unable to believe she was confiding in a mobster she had only met a few minutes ago. Then again, she’d been through so much the last few hours, and he seemed to care...maybe because he used to be in love with her mother.
“What do you mean?” he asked, staring at her puzzled.
“He threatened to marry me,” she replied.
“He did what?” Giovanni cried out. “Marry you? His sister?”
“He said that if Antonio gave him his niece in marriage, it would be like nominating him as his successor at the top of the organization.”
“Antonio would never give you to Adriano in marriage,” Giovanni pointed out.
“Well, Antonio wasn’t supposed to be around to expose him,” she explained, having decided that turning Antonio against Adriano would be to her advantage. If they were busy fighting each other, she might find a chance to escape. And if not, she was probably better off with Antonio than that crazy half-brother of hers.
“I can’t believe that I sometimes felt sorry for him,” Giovanni said.
“For Adriano?” Christina asked surprised.
“Yes. Paolo treated him like dirt. He was a mean person who liked watching others suffer. I think that he probably took out on Adriano his anger for not being able to marry Maria and do as he pleased. He was very vindictive.”
“So Adriano spent his entire life trying to prove his worth to his father while Paolo hated him and treated him badly… I can understand why he has so much animosity inside him,” Christina said. “But I can’t feel sorry for him. He’s mean and crazy.”
“He took after his father,” Giovanni pointed out. “Paolo was mean and crazy, as well. I’m glad he never found you. He would have killed you, for sure. He killed Natalie and still wasn’t satisfied. He was mad at the whole world for her daring to walk out on him.”
“I wish I’d known her,” Christina whispered and wiped a tear sliding down her face.
“You do know her,” Giovanni told her. “You carry her in your heart.”
Christina looked at him, puzzled. He was probably right. She’d always felt her mother’s love, ever since she had first found out about her. However, it was strange hearing this kind of talk from a criminal.
“Your mother was a wonderful person,” he continued. “You should be proud that she was your mother.”
“Thank you, Giovanni, for telling me all this, and thank you for loving her,” she said and gave him a warm smile.
All a sudden, they heard angry voices and commotion from downstairs. Giovanni was out the door in a minute with a gun in his hands. A few seconds later, Christina heard gunshots blasting.
Fear washed over her, and she rushed to the door. She tried the handle and found it unlocked. Now what? she wondered. Should I try to escape or would I be safer in here until the war raging downstairs subsides? Not being able to stay put, she walked carefully to the top of the stairs. From up there, she could see part of the living room… Furniture was turned upside down, and bodies lay everywhere while the cream-color carpet was stained with blood. Her breath caught in her throat as she recognized Adriano lying on the floor, shot right through the head.
“Take that piece of shit out of my sight and clean up this mess!” she heard Antonio’s voice, vibrating with wrath.
Christina’s hair stood on end on the back of her neck. She suddenly had second thoughts if she would be better off with Antonio. But what did I expect? she mocked herself. He’s a mobster for crying out loud.
The blood ran ice-cold in her veins as one of the men downstairs turned around and saw her at the top of the stairs. She drew a sharp breath and felt rooted to the floor, expecting to be shot on the spot. However, nothing happened. She looked down again and saw that it was Giovanni staring intensely at her. She understood his message and returned to her room as quietly as possible.
Closing the door behind her, she leaned against it and exhaled heavily. Her knees grew weak, and she landed on the thick carpet, shaking. Oh, God, what am I going to do? How am I ever going to get out of here?
Chapter Fourteen
DAN GLANCED OUTSIDE the window, anxious for the plane to land in Athens. Having to stay still for so many hours drove him crazy. He leaned back and closed his eyes for a few minutes, thinking of the madness of these last few days.
In a large-scale sweep, the police—in cooperation with the FBI—had been able to arrest several mobsters in Georgia, South Carolina, and Nevada. However, Antonio Rosseti, Adriano Reynolds, and, of course, Christina were nowhere to be found. So, they had come to the conclusion that they had probably fled to Greece where Antonio Rosetti had a mansion on the island of Kefalonia.
That was way out of their jurisdiction, so the Greek authorities had been notified and taken over the case. However, Dan wasn’t about to sit around and wait in the States. Besides, he was no stranger to Greece.
Ever since he was a little boy, he’d been spending his summers in Greece, either on the island of Ithaca, where his stepmother was from, or in Kalamata—his paternal grandparents’ birthplace. He had plenty of friends in Greece, and his best friend there, Alexis Psarianos, had recently been promoted to Commissioner at the General Police Directorate of Ionian Islands that had the Kefalonia Police Headquarters under its supervision.
Dan had called Alexis from the States, and his friend was thrilled to hear from him and more than willing to help him with this case. Alexis was surprised that a criminal like Antonio Rosetti was residing on Kefalonia, and the Greek authorities didn’t have any information about him so far.
The sudden bump of the plane landing drew Dan from his thoughts.
Disembarking the plane, he glanced around at the Eleftherios Venizelos—the Athens International Airport named after the prominent Cretan politician and Prime Minster of Greece who’d made an outstanding contribution to the developments of Greek aviation and the Air Force in the 1930s. Dan had been to this airport once before since it had replaced the previous one in 2001. He remembered how impressed he was with the huge, modern, and efficient facilities of this award-winning airport. But now, he had no time to waste.
Walking through customs, he found a police officer waiting to escort him to the connecting flight to Corfu, where the General Police Directorate of Ionian Islands had its offi
ces.
***
After enduring almost nine hours of flying from the States to Athens and another hour to Corfu, Dan was ready for some action. However, glancing out the window, his breath caught in his throat at the beauty stretching out beneath him as the plane approached the airstrip.
He let his eyes wander over the panoramic view as he listened to the guide of a tourist group flying on the same plane explain about the amazing sights beneath them. She talked about the Pontikonisi—meaning the mouse island in Greek—a breathtaking isle that housed the Byzantine church of Pantokrator built in the eleventh or twelfth century. Right next to it was the Vlaherna islet—a picturesque convent on a small isle, dedicated to Virgin Mary. And then they flew over Kanoni—once the capital and heart of the island, rich in nature, history, and culture. She explained that it derived its name from the canons that were protecting the city at the entrance to the lagoon.
Until the plane landed, Dan momentarily forgot his worries.
***
The door to Christina’s room swung open, and Giovanni appeared at the door. “Hurry up,” he said, and Christina stared at him agitated. “We have to get out of here, right now,” he added and seemed restless.
“And go where?” she inquired.
“Come on. I don’t have time to explain.”
Christina followed him to the corridor and down the steps. Another man was waiting for them downstairs, and all three of them walked through the glass doors leading to the veranda in the back of the house. They rushed around the pool and took a small, bumpy trail going downhill. It was steep and slippery, and Christina had a rough time keeping up with their fast pace.
A couple times, she fell to the ground, and Giovanni helped her to her feet and urged her to move on.
“What’s happening?” she asked. “Where are we going? Where is Antonio?”
However, she got no answers to her questions. Could it be that he’s helping me escape? The thought crossed her mind, but she immediately dismissed it. The fact that he loved her mother once didn’t mean that this mobster was going to turn against his boss and put his life on the line for a girl he hardly knew. No, she decided. Something else is up.