I awaken just as the blinding light from the wheel well's opening as the maw spreads, preparing for the descent. I need to get off before we land because there are going to be too many people once we touch down. I can do this, I can do this. Just jump Eden, just jump. I prep myself before gripping my duffel bag strap with a death grip and launch myself out of the wheel well. I'm immediately blown back from the sheer force of the plane and see the ground come hurtling towards me. I steer myself away from the planes slipstream and wake turbulence by keeping my arms behind me and maneuvering like a flying squirrel. I just glide until I'm a safe distance away before I use my wings like a parachute to come to a landing area in a vacant pasture. I take a running landing and stumble a little as my legs shake off the pins and needles feeling from being asleep.
I don't know which part of Rome I'm in I'll have to ask someone for directions. I look for a road or some sort of path to follow to civilization. I walk for miles before coming upon a small farmer's house. I walk up the path to the door and give a gentle knock hoping no one knows who I am. The door opens and an older gentlemen with olive skin and deep brown eyes steps out to greet me.
"Ciao." I say to him offering a closed eye smile.
"Ciao. Posso aiutarla?" hello may I help you? He asks
"Puoi mostrarmi la strada per la citta?" can you show me the way to the city?
"Ay si. Seguire questa strada per 5 miglia e poi svoltare sinistra, proseguire dritto per 2 migil poi svoltare a destra." Ah yes, follow this road for 5 miles and then turn left at the cross roads, go straight for 2 miles and then turn right.
"Grazie signore." thank you sir.
"Prego. Ciao." your welcome, bye.
"Ciao" I say and wave goodbye to him before returning to the road and running down the road towards the city. Once I get to the city things should be smooth sailing...
~~~
The city bustles with life, the chattering of passersby fill my ears with the beautiful intonations of Italian. I need to find St. Peter's Basilica and quickly. I look at any signs that say St. Peter on them. Slowly I make my way to the church and go inside. I need to climb up into the dome to the trap door that leads to the secret path way to Giovanni's villa. I need to get a ticket to join the crowd about to go up to view the dome. I need to steal one. Easy enough just simple pocket picking.
I scan the area for anyone with a ticket that they aren't holding in their hands. I lock on to a small group of giddy teenagers standing around waiting for their turn. One of them has their ticket in the side pocket of their book bag. Too bad it's not on her shoulders, and an easy bump and grab is all it will have taken to get that ticket. Still it's a easy grab. I make my way over looking around like I'm sightseeing. I peek over to see if she's paying attention. Of course she's not, she's posting on social media. Perfect. I bend down to tie my shoe and swiftly obtain her ticket, stuffing it up my sleeve and standing back up to look around.
I go back to the line and pass with the crowd showing security my ticket. After a breathless 551 steps, steep steps mind you, to the dome; I wish for death to take me in it's sweet embrace. I look at the faces on walls searching for my trap door. The angel's head that's pupil is hollow is the trap door I need to use. But of all things so copy repetitively the angel's head is one of them. I scan the faces closely examining every minuscule pebble, until I finally see my trap door. The only problem is that opening the trap door will be so loud and there are too many people close by. I can't just whip this puppy open and expect to not cause a scene. I'm going to be sooooo late in getting back to Bucky with all the supplies, he might kill me. Which honestly would be so much more generous than having to walk back up these stairs again. I'm going to have to mark it with something so that I can find it in the dark when I get back up here. I take my ticket out, tearing off a small portion of it and rolling it up. Stuffing it into the small pupil so that I will be able to see it reflecting off the moonlight that will hit it.
I move back down the hellish stairs with the group, keeping my head down. I look for an opening to hide in until nightfall. I find a very small nook to cram myself in. I check my surroundings for any wandering eyes before sneaking into my nook. Now I wait, it's been 11 hours since I left earlier today. Of course Italy's time zone differs from Washington's. It should be getting dark in a few hours. I'm so hungry all I can think about is pasta. Wine and pasta. My mouth waters at the thought. I remind myself that I'm a broke fugitive and food is just not in my agenda for right now. I'll help myself at Giovanni's if he doesn't kill me first. I shift a little to better conceal myself as I wait for night to fall. I close my eyes and let the bustle of the tourist drift me off to sleep.
I wake up to complete silence, as if time itself had stopped. I gingerly shimmy out of my nook and stretch my aching muscles. God the stairs are going to do a number on me. The poor guides who have to climb these stairs all day. I feel for them, I really do. None the less I unlace my boots and take them off so that the sound doesn't carry when I climb the stairs and my feet get heavy. Hugging the boots to my chest I begin my climb. I can hear the Swiss guards on their patrol. I can also hear the pounding of my heart as I climb higher up the stairway to hell. My thighs are burning as I get to the top.
My eyes scan the walls for the reflective paper of the ticket. After a few moments I see it glinting as the moonlight hits it. I silently make my way over to the angel's head. I push in it's nose and it makes a clicking noise. I still and cringe at the sound in the silent church. After waiting a few breaths I push against the panel. The sound of the stone grinding against stone fills the silent church, and I die on the inside. Before slipping into the pitch black area. I turn around and shove the stone back into place just as I hear someone running up the stairs. The clicking noise strikes again as it locks into place. I put my lips to the pupil and breathe in, sucking the reflective paper from view if the guard were to scan the area. The sound of boots gets closer and I hold my breath. Peeking through the pupil hole I get a very small view of the guard as he goes past. The light from his flashlight brushes past my location as he searches for the source of the noise. After he does his thorough inspection, he heads back down the stairs.
I quietly breathe out through my nose and pick the balled up paper from my mouth. Putting my boots back on, I take in my surroundings. There are two small tunnels ahead of me. One leads to a dead end because the pathway was never finished and one leads to an opening that will get me into a bigger tunnel that will then lead me to Giovanni's Villa. I just can't recall if it's the tunnel on the left, or the one on the right. It's been years since I've been down here, and it looks different without light. Yes I have spectacular night vision, but it's different without natural light.
"Right leads to Rome, Left end is dead end. Think you can remember that bella?" Giovanni whispers as his lips graze my ear.
"Yeah, I got it." I say breathlessly. He takes my hand and leads me down the tunnel. His thumb drawing circles on the back of my hand as we go deeper into the small space.
I shudder at the memory and touch my ear. Giovanni and I had a complicated past, a past I want to keep from Bucky. Nothing good comes from Giovanni, at least nothing without a price. I make my way down the right tunnel weaving my way downwards. I come to a wooden door that leads out of the hidden tunnel of St. Peter's. I follow the earthen tunnel until it ends and feel for the gate that opens up into the bigger tunnels of the hidden old sewage lines underneath the city. My fingers feel the cold metal of the steel gate, and I shove it open. The loud piercing noise of the old creaking gate sounds like nails on a chalkboard. I walk through the opening and am immediately assaulted by another memory.
"Come this way bella, Seguimi." Giovanni says sweetly as the melodious words spill from his full lips.
"I'm right behind you Giovanni." I say as I squeeze his hand.
"My home isn't far from here Cara. Andiamo." He says leading me forward. We walk for a few miles till we come upon an old rickety ladder. He lets go of my hand to climb up and push the stone slab covering our exit out of the way. " Dammi la mano." He says holding out his hand. I place mine in it and he pulls me out with him onto his courtyard.
I sigh and move forward, pushing the memories to the back of my mind. At least I can remember more and more now days. It's unfortunate that I remember Giovanni so well when my other memories are still coming to light. I walk on at a quick pace until I see the old rickety ladder. I hold on to the fragile pieces and push the heavy stone slab a little to peek out into the courtyard. Just as I thought, he has his guards and dogs on patrol. He was always a paranoid man. I push the slab more so that I have room to get out of the tunnel. Once I'm out I move the slab back into place. Luckily I haven't been noticed yet as I stay crouched close to the ground. I make my way and hide behind some bushes. If I can get to the second level of his mansion I have a better chance to not get shredded by his dogs.
I use the thick vines that have been growing on the walls of his mansion, to climb up. I jump and grasp onto the balcony ledge and haul myself over it. These big glass doors separate me from his study room. Slouched over his desk, sleeps my old flame. The notorious Giovanni Graffanino.
I quietly shake the handle to see if it's locked, and of course it is. I look back at Giovanni and he stirs. The fireplace behind him plays a game of shadows on the walls so it's hard to tell if he's actually stirring or if it's just his shadow. I should have thought this through, I mean what does it look like to him? I'm breaking in? I'm trying to kill him? Steal from him? All these questions are acceptable because of the position I put myself in. I'm running out of time and I need his help but in every situation I play out in my head, I look really suspicious. Even if the truth seems a lie, I doubt he will believe me. With all of these thoughts running through my head I fail to notice him wake up. I fail to notice him see me at the window; and I fail to notice him walk to the door. When I snap out of my thoughts, his honey brown orbs are staring deep into my soul.