Agents Thompson and Manchetti exited the train in Siena. The terminal was fairly empty and they were able to get out of the station in record time. Once on the sidewalk, they searched for the black, unmarked car waiting for them. Although it was just a few feet away, the night sky made the car difficult to see. Thompson thought it was somewhat comical the car was not a sedan, but instead a four-door Mini Cooper. Cars were smaller here, but he figured at least the agents might have something a little bit bigger.
“Is this what you normally drive around in?” he asked as he motioned to the car.
“What do you mean?”
Thompson chuckled. “Well, it’s kind of small.”
“It’s true what they say about Americans, isn’t it?”
“What’s that?”
“You Americans like everything big.” Manchetti plastered a smile on his face.
“Ha! I guess you’re right. It just seems like a bigger car can provide better protection in our line of work.”
“We are more concerned about blending into the rest of the population—going unnoticed.”
“I suppose you have a valid point there.”
“Don’t be fooled. This car is loaded with safety features; it’s completely bulletproof and souped-up to go in excess of three hundred kilometers per hour. Not to mention the airbags placed in the ceiling. I’m sure this car can rival any you have in the States.”
“Damn! That’s impressive.”
They traveled through the city taking some sharp turns and narrowly missing pedestrians. When they arrived in front of the Hotel Athena, the two agents got out. Thompson checked the area out and noted the wall surrounding the city next to the hotel.
“What’s the purpose of the wall?”
Manchetti cleared his throat. “Every city has a wall. It was the people’s way of keeping out the citizens from neighboring cities. There wasn’t really a united government, so at one point every town ran individually.”
“Have any of the cities taken them down?”
“I’m not sure. Many have started falling down over the years. Most of the major cities still have them. Venice, however, doesn’t; my guess is because the city is surrounded by water it never needed one.”
Thompson looked around once more before entering the hotel. The building was located at the end of the road and was several stories tall with balconies on the higher level overlooking the street and the countryside beyond the walls. Up the road was a hill with several other small buildings. Compared to Rome, it seemed quaint and serene. Birds chirping and bells were ringing from a nearby church. The area was peaceful.
The agents entered through the large wood and glass doors. The reception desk was only twenty feet from the entrance. Thompson listened to the employees at the desk speak to other customers. It was clear they were fluent in multiple languages; one person spoke Spanish, and another spoke Chinese.
“Buongiorno.”
Thompson directed his gaze at a woman with long brown hair. She had a petite build and a very big smile.
“Buongiorno,” he replied.
Manchetti proceeded to run the conversation in Italian. Thompson could speak quite a bit of Italian, but Manchetti was obviously fluent.
Manchetti identified himself as an agent and they both produced their badges. The employee shifted her stance and was visibly nervous as she studied the badges and their faces to ensure they were legitimate.
When Manchetti finished talking with the woman, he handed Thompson a key. “We’re in the room next to Anderson’s. She does have someone staying with her fitting the description of Bertalucci, but it appears they stepped out for the evening. So that will give us a chance to wire her room, and get everything set up in ours before they return.”
Thompson sighed with relief before they headed upstairs. On the way, Manchetti called the surveillance team. He informed them of where their location was at and instructed them to bring their equipment immediately.
Once they opened the door to their room, the one bed stood out like a sore thumb.
“What are we going to do about that?” Thompson gestured to the bed.
“Do you plan on sleeping much?”
“No, but I figured at some point we would need to shut our eyes for a few minutes.”
“We can take shifts. In the event we are both able to sleep at the same time, the bed is actually two twin beds put together. We can have them change the bedding.”
“We should probably have them do it now before the surveillance team gets up here. I don’t want anyone getting wind of this and alerting Anderson and Bertalucci.”
“Very valid point.” Manchetti walked over to the nightstand, picked up the phone, and pushed the number for housekeeping.
“Yes. I need someone up here immediately to change out the linens on the bed. We’ll need two beds. Grazie.”
“You know, if you butter them up a little more, it’s more likely they’ll help us out when needed.”
Manchetti looked to him. “I mean no disrespect, but you’re a foreigner in my country. I was plenty respectful to her. She’ll be up momentarily.”
The bang on the door stopped them dead in their tracks. “If that’s her, she got here in record speed, and I’ll take back my original comment.”
Manchetti looked through the peephole. “It’s the surveillance team.” He opened the door, allowing two gentlemen in street clothes into the room. They were both wearing khaki pants with multiple pockets that zipped off at the knees. One was wearing a brightly colored striped shirt, and the other one was wearing a yellow shirt with a black zigzag similar to Charlie Brown’s.
“The room I need you to work on is next door. But stay in there for the next few minutes. We have housekeeping coming up here to change out some things. Once she’s gone, we’ll come get you.”
“How much time do we have?” inquired the man wearing the Charlie Brown shirt.
“According to the people at the front desk, they have been gone about forty-five minutes. I would think you have at least an hour.”
“Great, it shouldn’t take more than twenty minutes to get it wired up.”
“Here’s the key.” Manchetti pulled the plastic card from his pocket and handed it to the men. “Go work your magic, boys. We’ll need to know everything the two of them are talking about.”
“No worries. Once we get everything installed, you’ll be able to hear them breathe if you want.”
Thompson already liked these guys. They seem highly efficient and had a sense of humor.
“Did the staff say where Anderson was headed? Maybe we could send a couple of guys there.”
“No, they didn’t. They mentioned she had stopped to look at some brochures, and they seemed in no hurry to get anywhere. She was dressed in warm clothing and didn’t go by taxi. It appeared she and Bertalucci would be walking. That should give us plenty of time to get set up in here.”
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this. I think we may have missed something,” he said as he rubbed his day-old stubble.
“We’re good. My men are the best. If we were missing something, I’d know it by now. By this time tomorrow, we should hopefully have all the information you need, and you can escort Miss Anderson back to the States.”
He hoped Manchetti was right. There was nothing more he would rather do than get Katherine on a plane back home. Her life and his career depended on it.