This is probably the longest chapter I've written yet, enjoy :)
"The hotel what?" Tiffany asked ten minutes later when we all came back together in front of a café a few streets away from the bar.
"The Grande Hotel Et Des Palmes, its a very high end hotel here in Sicily. It's definitely been known to house a mafia or two in it's time. I'm not surprised they're taking up a residence there now," Bianca shrugged her shoulders.
"And what makes you so sure that they're there?" Jacob asked with a skeptic look and his arms crossed over his chest.
"I have my sources," Bianca replied without further explanation.
"Well how do we know how reliable those sources are?" Tiffany asked her, eyebrows raised.
"Ok I know I'm not part of your little high school reunion group here but if you want to find your friend then you're going to have to trust me," Bianca reasoned. I wanted to speak up on her behalf but I wasn't sure what I was allowed to say. How much of her past was she willing to share with everyone?
"Why are you so interested in helping us find Blaire to begin with? From what I remember, the two of you weren't the best of room mates," Lavender recalled.
"This isn't just about your friend," Bianca replied through clenched teeth, her patience was beginning to wear down by the minute. Before anyone could ask any more questions Bianca turned to me with a pleading look and I nodded my head.
"Guys this is our only lead, we either take it or leave it," I tried to remind everyone how short on time we were. Every second we spent arguing was a second of uncertainty for Marco and Blaire. Anything could be happening to them as we speak.
"Alright, let's get going then," Tiffany nodded her head. Bianca sighed in relief and began to lead the way. I walked fast to keep up with her long strides.
"So you really think it's the same gang?" I asked her in a soft voice. She didn't slow down or give me any reaction at first but then she turned to look at me with wide eyes and a fearful expression.
"I never thought I'd see the day when I'd have to face my family's killers. I know my family was far from perfect but they didn't deserve to die the way they did. I was only a kid, I didn't deserve to be left homeless and without anyone to love me. So yes, I really think it's the same gang. I just wish I wasn't so sure," she replied before turning away and continuing her walk.
Several minutes later, we found ourselves standing in front of a rather large and elegant hotel. When they talk about the people who love the grandeur of traveling the world and having money to spend, I'd imagine they'd stay here.
With it's grand pillars at the entrance decorated by vines that cascaded down the sides, the hotel looked alluring and dignified. The glass windows allowed passerby's to catch a glimpse of crystal chandeliers and grande staircases just on the other side, almost in a tempting way. They were taunting others as if to show that paradise and luxury was just out of reach for anyone not lucky enough to reside within the walls of the Grande Hotel Et Des Palmes.
"So much for blending in," Eric commented as he caught a glimpse of nearby limos picking up some of the hotel's guests, each looking even more haughty than the last. In the clothes we were wearing, we'd stick out like a sore thumb.
"Like I care what a bunch of Italian snobs think," Jacob muttered.
"No offense," he added glancing over at Bianca wearily.
"None taken, we have a job to do," she replied heading straight for the gold coated revolving doors.
"You guys go sit in the lobby and I'll give you the signal when it's all clear. Akio, Palma, and Charlee, follow me," Bianca instructed and we all split up upon entering the hotel.
"We need to find out which room they're staying in," I reminded her as we headed to the front desk.
"I doubt they signed in as 'Tenebra Mafia' when they got here," Palma pointed out.
"I know, but there's another way of finding out," Bianca replied digging something out of her coat pocket. She tossed a packet of cigarettes at Palma who caught them in the air with one hand.
"You're a bio chemist, I'm sure you know what these do," Bianca told her.
"Sweetheart, I designed these," Palma smirked and pocketed the cigarettes.
"Good, Charlee make sure the coast is clear," Bianca instructed and I nodded my head. Bianca, Akio, and I walked up towards the front desk together while Palma lagged behind a bit.
"Hi, how can I help you?" the receptionist asked us with a smile but she eyed us up and down, clearly deciding that we were lost because there was no reasonable explanation as to why we were taking up oxygen in this establishment.
"We'd like a room please," Bianca replied matching her fake smile.
"I'm sure you would," the lady replied typing something into her computer before eyeing us again.
"Would you prefer a room with the view of the beach or the village?" the lady asked raising her brows at us.
"Surprise me," Bianca replied.
"I'm afraid all the hotel rooms are taken at the moment and the only things that are left are penthouse suites which I doubt you can... afford," she added the last part in a smug condescending tone. I took this moment to look around the deserted lobby. There were no other employees in sight so I nudged Bianca and she gave Palma the slightest glance in her direction giving her the signal to get into position.
"That's alright, I suppose we can find a room elsewhere-" Bianca began responding but then stopped halfway and sniffed the air.
"Do you smell that Charlee?" Bianca turned to ask me.
"I do, it smells kind of like smoke," I replied turning to look around. The receptionist began smelling it too and looked around. She soon spotted Palma who was leaning against a wall calmly having a smoke.
"Hey! There's a no smoking policy rule in the lobby," she yelled, heading over to Palma. When she got close enough to her Palma released the blow dart inside the cigarette, promptly knocking the receptionist out.
"Quick, get on the computer," Bianca told me and I headed on the other side of the desk.
"There's a password," I muttered.
"Here, use the key logger," Akio said fishing out the coin and tossing me the microchip that was hidden inside. I plugged it into the computer, unlocking it and began going through the stored information.
"What exactly are we looking for? We don't have a name," I reminded Bianca.
"We're not looking for a name, we're looking for a time," Bianca replied.
"If they're here at the hotel like her sources say, they would have checked in at about the time we boarded the train to Sorrento," I muttered as I realized what Bianca was thinking.
"That was at 10:58," Akio told me as he read the time off his train ticket stub.
"Someone checked in at 11:05," I offered looking through the list of guests. The one before it was at 8:17 which was too early and the 11:05 one was the last one that showed on the list.
"Alright then get the room number and lets go, she could wake up at any minute," Bianca said. I grabbed a random pen and wrote the room number down on my wrist.
"Got it," I muttered about to shut the computer off when I noticed something.
"Hey the little bitch lied, they have four unreserved hotel rooms," I said.
"Well then let's grab one and get out of here before she wakes up," Akio said and I nodded my head changing the room from empty to occupied in the computer and grabbing a corresponding room key.
"Ok, let's go," I said handing Akio his key logger back. We helped Palma drag the lady back to her place behind the desk and walked away.
"Don't worry, she won't remember what happened in the last fifteen to twenty minutes," Palma assured us as we joined the group.
"Oh, god we forgot about the cameras!" I exclaimed.
"Yeah but I didn't, we sent Tiffany to find the surveillance room and take care of anything you guys screwed up," Jacob added in with a smug face.
"So you are useful after all," Bianca smiled at him and he rolled his eyes.
"Let's get out of here," I interrupted them, handing Bianca the room key.
.
.
.
.
"So we know which room they're staying in but how are we supposed to get in?" Eric asked once we were all inside our hotel room.
"We can't just barge in there, they'll kill us before we even get a chance to find Marco and Blaire," I reasoned.
"Plus we can't even guarantee that they have Marco and Blaire with them. For all we know we have the wrong information altogether," Palma sighed.
"So then what options do we have?" Jacob asked.
"There's the laundry chute and the air vents," Bianca offered.
"The laundry chute sounds nearly as crappy as the trash chute we had to climb not so long ago. Plus if its designed in the same way, we won't be able to get up there without making a lot of noise. I think the air vents are the better option, as cliché as they may seem," I
"Yeah, plus that will allow us to observe what's going on before we take any further action," Tiffany nodded her head. She had returned from the surveillance room a few minutes ago reassuring us all that there would be no evidence that we had ever stepped foot in the hotel.
"Eric, Bianca, and I should go, the less people in the vents the less noise we'll make. I have a plan but I need the blue prints of the ventilation system so that we can find the one right above the hotel room they're staying in," I said.
"On it," Akio nodded his head fishing a laptop out of his backpack.
"And just exactly what are you all planning on doing if it is this Tenebra gang? If you do rescue Marco and Blaire they're still going to be on the loose. We have to arrest them," Lavender spoke up.
"We'll take care of them as soon as we know that Marco and Blaire are both safe," Jacob replied.
"Akio any luck with those blue prints?" I asked him.
"Well this is a large hotel and the ventilation system is quite complex but the best place to start is in through the vents that start in this room," Akio pointed to a room on his screen with his finger.
"What room is that?" Bianca asked.
"It looks like a supply closet, but it will probably be locked," he replied.
"Is there another option?"I asked.
"No, the vents in there lead directly into the room you guys want to get into," Akio said taking another look at the hotel's blueprints.
"Alright then, let's go," I sighed as I picked up my messenger bag and swung it over my shoulder. Eric and Bianca grabbed their things and followed me out the door.
"If we're not back in half an hour, get out of here. They will find you," Bianca warned them before closing the door of the hotel room.
We walked out in the hallway and headed towards the supply closet. Like Akio had predicted, the sucker was locked.
"Now what?" Eric asked.
"We wait," Bianca told him. We stood just around the corner and waited in silence. A few minutes later, a maid walked by. She parked her half empty cart outside of the supply closet and fished out a key. Bianca nodded her head and as soon as the lady had opened the door we walked inside the closet and closed the door behind us.
"Who are you?! What's going on?!" the lady asked in a high pitched and fearful voice.
"I'm so sorry," Bianca muttered as she fished out the bottle of sunblock spray from her backpack. Before the lady could ask any more questions Bianca let out a spritz of the 'sunblock' and the lady fell onto the floor.
"This won't last forever," I reminded Bianca and she nodded her head.
"Eric, take her out and put her next to her cart. She might think she passed out when she wakes up," I told him and he nodded his head quickly picking up the maid and taking her outside.
"The vents are screwed in," Bianca noted.
"I don't have my screwdriver with me this time," I sighed.
"What's the problem?" Eric asked upon reentering the room. I showed him the sealed vents and he smiled, grabbing his backpack.
"A pack of gum?" Bianca asked with raised eyebrows.
"Explosive gum," Eric corrected,"you just chew on it and then place the gum on top of the screws. It should do the trick," he handed each of us a stick of gum.
After having chewed the gum, I placed it on top of the screws and so did they. Eric chewed an extra one to place on the fourth screw and then we all took a step back. The chewed up pieces of gum let out small explosions that blew the ventilation panel right off.
"Well then, let's go," I smiled nervously as I crawled in through the vents. The room we were looking for would be straight ahead. All we had to do was wait until we got to the next vent opening.
Once we had reached it, Eric and I stood on both sides as we looked down into the room. The vent opening was larger than that of the vents back at the Embassy. It allowed me to look directly into most of the room.
"It's pitch black," I whispered.
"Here," Bianca replied, handing me the pair of sunglasses that had night vision. I placed them on and then took another look into the room. There were two men standing on either side of the door, basically standing guard. There was someone just a little to the right of the vents so we had to be very quiet. I could see a few other people standing next to the wall.
In the far corner of the room there were two chairs and on it I could see two people who's backs were facing me. They were slumped up next to each other and their hands were bound to the chair by something I couldn't see quite clearly.
"It's them, I think I see Marco and Blaire," I whispered.
"Are you sure?" Eric asked.
"Well either someone is being kept a prisoner in that room or we have some very kinky neighbors," I replied sarcastically. Eric rolled his eyes and handed me the sunblock. I took the cap off and let it fall through the vent opening. It made a loud smack as it hit the hardwood hotel room floor.
The noise got the attention of the guards who cautiously began walking towards the vents, save for the two who had been standing guard in front of the door.
"Get the gum ready," I whispered as I pressed down on the can allowing the spray to fall through the ventilation opening. Within seconds, everyone in the small room was knocked out cold. I moved aside so that Eric and Bianca could place pieces of gum on the opening.
When there was a clear opening, Bianca went in first and Eric was about to follow him but I grabbed his arm and stopped him.
"I know this might not be the right time but I have to tell you something," I told Eric.
"Are you kidding? We're kind of on a tight schedule here," Eric replied.
"I know, but I just need to tell you this in case anything goes wrong," I told him pleadingly. He waited expectantly and I took a deep breath.
"Jacob and I kissed," I replied quickly.
"You did what??" Eric almost yelled but I stopped him by putting my hand over his mouth.
"It was an accident and neither of us feel that way, I swear. I only love you," I told him before jumping down the vent opening. Eric jumped down after me but didn't look me in the eyes. Bianca had switched the light on in the room. I headed over to Marco and Blaire so I could untie them but gasped when I saw their faces.
"This isn't Blaire and Marco," I said looking at the boy and girl who were tied up. They looked similar from the back but they were completely different people from the front.
"Oh darling, you didn't think it would be that easy, did you?" a woman's voice purred as the bathroom door swung open. A tall, black haired woman walked in with two men behind her. They dragged in two bodies. Marco was limp in one of the man's arms but Blaire was kicking and writhing her whole body trying to get free.
"Charlee I'm sorry. I'm so sorry this is all my fault," Blaire let out in tears. Her face was bruised and she was trying not to cry.
"Let them go," Bianca hissed holding a gun she had stolen from one of the guards and pointing it straight at the woman
"Now, now. You're in no position to be giving orders," she replied with a smile. The guards had guns pointed at Marco and Blaire's heads.
"What do you want?" I asked her arms crossed over my chest.
"I'll make you a little deal. I'll let your friend here go if you give me an hour alone with my son," the lady smiled pointing to Blaire.
"Your son?" I asked confused.
"I'm sorry I haven't introduced myself, my name is Camallia Inga and I know its been a while but a mother never forgets the face of her own son," Camallia smiled looking directly at Eric.
"I don't know who you think I am but I'm not your son," Eric replied.
"Eric Alonzo is your name now huh? I much preferred Angelo but I guess it's been a while. Like I said, we should catch up. Don't you want to know all about your birth mother? I'll let your friend Blaire go and then after, I'll tell you the price for the boy," Camallia said pointing at Marco.
"Deal," Eric muttered in barely above a whisper.
"Excellent," Camallia laughed and Blaire was thrown on the floor toward us.
"Come back in an hour, I promise your little boyfriend will still be alive," Camallia told Blaire with a laugh.
~~~
OK so that happened. Next chapter is the last one before the Epilogue and yes I know you're all wondering how the hell I'm supposed to fix this mess in less than two chapters. Worry not for I have a plan. Hang in there until next week!!
~Lorna~