The number displayed across the screen was an Italian phone number, however nothing but empty silence plagued the line.
“This is Agent Thompson. Can I help you?” Thompson was quickly becoming inpatient. He was sick of the cat and mouse game he’d been playing over the last several days. Italy was a beautiful country, but he wanted nothing more than to get back to his apartment and into his own bed.
“I-I’m not sure.”
“Who am I speaking to?”
“My name is Massimo Bertalucci.”
Thompson froze for a second as realization set in. The elusive individual who seemed to hold all the cards was on the phone. He turned to Manchetti, gestured that they got him, and Manchetti rushed to his side.
“Mr. Bertalucci. What a surprise. Why are you calling today?”
“I have something you may be interested in.”
He nodded to Manchetti. This was it—everything was going to work out. “What might that be?”
“First, I need to know what your relationship was with my father.”
He paused, waiting for confirmation from Manchetti the call was being traced. “I see. How about we meet to talk about this face to face?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t do that. I’ve got to be somewhere by four.”
“Mr. Bertalucci, you’re a hard man to track down. Perhaps we can arrange a meeting at some point in the very near future.” Still waiting for the signal, Thompson was growing impatient.
Silence. It was as if the line went dead.
“Mr. Bertalucci?”
“Yes, I’m still here.”
He tried to keep his cool, but inside, his heart was racing a hundred miles an hour. He couldn’t screw this up. “A meeting?”
“My father left me something to give to you.”
His heart skipped a beat. He hoped it was something that could help indict the cartel. “May I ask what it is?”
“My dad left a video and gave directions to give it to the authorities. This number was on the case. What was your connection with my dad?”
Bertalucci’s voice had grown more stern, and Thompson knew he didn’t have long before the man refused to cooperate and would hang up the phone. He had to say something to keep Bertalucci on the line. “Your father and I were working together on a mutual project.”
“Does this involve the cartel?” Static continued to invade the line.
“What do you know about the cartel?”
“I know enough to know my entire family was murdered by them. Did this happen because he was working with you? Are you the one who turned my dad to the wrong side? Are you the reason he sold out his family and began working with them?”
“I think we need to have that meeting sooner rather than later. Why don’t you bring Ms. Anderson in with you?”
The line hummed for several seconds before Bertalucci spoke.
“I can’t.”
The hair raised on his neck. “Why not?”
His voice was so solemn. “They have her.”
This was bad. The muscles in his shoulders and neck tightened, and his hands started shaking. “What do you mean they have her? Who?”
“I presume the cartel.”
“Mr. Bertalucci, I need you to tell me where you’re at.”
There was a heavy sigh on the other end of the phone. “How do I know I can trust you? How do I know you weren’t the cause of my family dying in that explosion?”
“I’m an agent from the United States Food and Drug Administration. Your father sought out my services. For whatever reason, he didn’t trust the local authorities. I’m working with Agent Manchetti with the Guardia to not only make sure you’re safe, but bring down the people who killed your family and wanted to bring down your family business. I also need to make sure Ms. Anderson gets back to the States safely.”
Bertalucci cleared his throat. “Where can I find you?”
“Currently, I’m in Rome. I’m across from the embassy. I’d be happy to meet you anywhere.” Silence filled the line like prayer time in a church. “Mr. Bertalucci, you’re wasting time. I need to know where you’re at and we need to find Ms. Anderson immediately. Her life depends on our swift action.”
Finally, Bertalucci spoke. “I’m next to the Switzerland border.”
“It’s going to make it much more difficult for me to help you if you cross.”
“I’ve already crossed and I’m on my way back. I don’t have time to get to Rome. Can we meet in Orvieto at two o’clock?”
Manchetti nodded at him. “Yes. We’ll be there.”
“Meet me at the entrance to the caves.”
He looked to Manchetti for approval and again he nodded. “Okay. Two o’clock at the caves.”
The silence on the other end of the line was deafening. Bertalucci had hung up.
“Why do you think he called?”
Manchetti crossed his arms and placed one hand to his chin. “I think he’s scared. Something must’ve happened with Anderson.”
“Well obviously, since she’s no longer with him. We’ve got to find her. Any idea where the cartel might keep her?”
“None. Since the explosion, they’ve been silent. There haven’t been any shipments, deliveries, or anything out of the ordinary.”
“What about the Bertalucci factory? Is it still being investigated?” Thompson crossed his arms and leaned against the desk.
“No, the investigation there wrapped up a few days ago. The crime scene tape is still up, but that’s about it.”
“Any chance I can take a look at it?”
“Sure, it’s not too far from Orvieto. We can head there before we meet up with Bertalucci.”
“Great, I need to check in with my superiors at the D.C. office. Let me make a quick call and I’ll be ready to go.”
As he punched the numbers into his phone, a throbbing pain set in behind his eyes. How was he going to explain this? How was he supposed to tell his boss that Katherine was missing? His hands shook as he held the phone to his ear. He felt like a young boy telling his dad he’d done something wrong. Thompson brushed his free hand through his thick brown hair.
“Thompson, I was just getting ready to call you. Where’s Katherine Anderson?”
He cleared his throat. “At this time, her whereabouts are unknown. We’re meeting with Bertalucci in a few hours to gather more information.”
“In a few hours? She could be dead!”
He cringed at the sound of glass shattering against a wall. “I’m aware of that. Unfortunately, Bertalucci is on the opposite end of the country from us. We are rendezvousing in the middle.”
“Her dad received a ransom call this morning.”
Sweat beaded up on Thompson’s forehead and he swiped it away with the back of his hand. “Jesus.”
“What’s going on there? I thought the Guardia located her whereabouts.”
He informed his superior of the progress to this point. He gave as many details as possible. Each time Thompson was berated, the tension in his jaw grew tighter until it felt as though it would snap. When his boss finally finished, Thompson agreed to reconnect after the meeting with Bertalucci. Katherine’s dad had been given seventy-two hours to come up with five-million dollars, and have it wired to an unknown account; he had to find her before the deadline.
“We’ve got to go.” Thompson grabbed his jacket off the back of a chair. He stormed out of the building with Manchetti in tow. A black car awaited their arrival at the curb and he pulled open the door and jumped in the back seat. He needed to get answers from Bertalucci. If not, Katherine might disappear forever. He couldn’t get to Orvieto fast enough.