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“I want to know if the Sicilians are serious players in going after the territories that are becoming available.”
“You’re referring to AMPS’ territories?”
He nodded once.
“What you’re asking of me is outside the scope of what I do for you, Boss.” Again, I feigned disinterest.
“Name your price.”
“With all due respect, Valerio, we have spoken of my increased involvement in the past, and I have consistently declined.”
“Understood, Benito. Should your position change, my door will remain open.”
“Thank you, sir.” I stood and left not just the room but the compound.
He could, of course, hire someone to take me out, and one day, it may come to that. For now, I made my own rules, and he respected them. Had I agreed to “increased involvement,” I would lose that power. That I knew it as well as he did was another way I’d earned his respect.
On my return trip, I flew from Tropea to Milan, from there to Budapest, Prague, and finally, to London. After landing at Heathrow, I contacted Z and requested a meeting.
“Nemesis is onto something,” he said after I reported what was said about AMPS and in my private meeting. “Mithras’ death has crippled them.”
“Or that’s what they’re hoping their rivals believe. Meanwhile, they’re lying low, replenishing their resources.”
“I agree, Ty. What’s the next step?”
“This stays between you and me for now.”
“Roger that,” Z responded. “You should know I’ve spoken with Doc. Ripa is undecided about going undercover. Neither he nor Fatale will force him to do it.”
I smiled. I’d heard chatter about her running the private intelligence firm her husband had founded with three other partners. They were lucky to have her.
“If Nemesis pushes this, she may very well undo what it’s taken me years to put into place, Z. She will be in so far over her head that the ramifications of her actions may haunt us for years to come.” The other thing I didn’t say was it would likely end up blowing my cover. In other words, I’d be a dead man walking.
“What will you do, Typhon?”
“If anyone is going to infiltrate an Italian crime syndicate, it will be me. That’s the only way this can work.”
“Understood.”
I was about to leave when both of our mobiles lit up.
“Jesus fucking Christ. O’s been abducted!” I shot out of my chair and followed Z into the situation room.
“What else have you got?” he asked Reaper, who’d loaded surveillance footage showing the abduction taking place.
“Ares has engaged the NRO. They’ve pinpointed the vehicle. The rest of us are en route now, sir.”
Live footage from the overheads appeared on one of the digital boards. On the one next to it, a map was superimposed, showing the precise location we were viewing.
Z pointed at the screen. “That’s Ares and Poseidon. They’re five minutes out.”
He tossed me a comms set so I could hear the same thing he was.
We watched on the live feed as a car pulled up to a warehouse in an industrial complex. The front driver’s door and rear passenger door opened, and two people got out.
“The driver looks familiar. Who the fuck is she?” I demanded.
“Fucking hell,” Z spat. “We’ve been infiltrated.”