Property of the Mafia

[44] In Plain Sight

"I'm sure they are." I responded, trying to disguise any anxiety in my voice with conviction. I couldn't falter here-I had to trust in everyone's abilities and experience, even if the odds were against us. "They must be safe. Besides, we've got a couple guys outside calling for backup." I responded confidently. I didn't think to ponder how the intruders could have gotten past the two mischievous brothers... but Arc was one indestructible little deviant. He must have had something to help him turn the tides in a worst-case scenario.

"Yeah... you're right." Silvio answered with a nervous laugh. "They must be--"

His words were cut off as Leon's head rammed into the solid surface above us. He cursed loudly.

"Finally!" He cheered. I felt like I could see the ecstatic look on his face despite the darkness.

"Okay Silvio, counting on you to help us get us out of here. Is this a trapdoor? Is there some kind of trick to it?" He pressed, already growing impatient. I could hear what sounded like his open palm colliding with the rough surface above us. It did not sound as hollow as I would have expected a wooden door or metallic lid to be.

"Ha-HA! You're lucky you're with me. Dante, Rosette and I designed these." He stated matter-of-factly, exuding arrogance.

"We get it, Silvio. Lets just get out of here first." I insisted. The thought of the water slowly growing beneath us was haunting me.

"You just need to put three hands into the slots. It's been wired up so that all fifteen spots need to be pressed at the same time-you need at least two people to do this." Silvio continued triumphantly.

"Great. Hurry up and lets just do it. Linette, you just rest and leave this to him and I." He muttered softly, clearly referring to my broken arm. It had started to throb again now that the numbness was wearing off. Next time we were going out I was going to bring at least five bottles of painkillers considering how much damage we always seemed to be receiving.

I could feel Silvio's weight shift as he pressed his two hands against the ceiling. Leon used one hand as the other one was to hold the ladder, of course. The three of us waited expectantly for some sort of "click" or "you did it!" signal but there was no change.

"... That's weird." Silvio grumbled irritably, to my dismay. "Why.. isn't... it... working?" He muttered between breaths. I could tell he was exerting all his force and it wasn't working.

Crap.

"You're joking." Leon laughed in exasperation. "It's not working? Why the hell not?"

"... Maybe it short-circuited somehow with all the electricity carrying a current?" He offered feebly.

"Then what the hell are we supposed to do?" I asked nervously my heart threatening to outpace itself.

"Sh*t... I'll just keep pushing and try everything, Silvio, damn it, you better come up with something fast!" Leon demanded as he began to pound the ceiling above us angrily. His desperation was only making me grow weaker in the knees. My legs almost loosened from around his waist.

Silvio and Leon continued to pound and press both the ceiling and also the walls around us with increasing frustration and rapidity. Feeling useless, I tried to muster every possible logical solution I could think of, but nothing plausible seemed to work. We didn't have any tools to pry the door open, any real manpower with Leon being one-armed (that made two of us) and Silvio burdened with the physical strength of a child. We didn't even have a light to see what the opening looked like, for crying out loud!

I reached back into my pocket, bewildered by the two options I had: two tiny rings and a wet tazer.

Besides being a deadweight, a wet tazer had no use to me. The rings? Well if I wanted to look fabulous I might as well look fabulous where people can actually see me.