"I am totally going to get you for that!"
he heard the boy's voice arc up into a very high falsetto. "You are going
to regret this deeply! I swear!"
Leo frowned as he walked swiftly away. Someone wants Jonah dead. That isn't good. He's helping Amy and Dan with stealing the Medusa painting right now, and if he were attacked it would definitely distract them. And if he were killed, the hostages could die.
Leo walked along in deep thought.
In the distance, he could still hear the screeching.
"Just remember this; Big Hair doesn't forget when someone ticks him off!"
Leo frowned as he walked swiftly away. Someone wants Jonah dead. That isn't good. He's helping Amy and Dan with stealing the Medusa painting right now, and if he were attacked it would definitely distract them. And if he were killed, the hostages could die.
Leo walked along in deep thought.
In the distance, he could still hear the screeching.
"Just remember this; Big Hair doesn't forget when someone ticks him off!"
The Cahills and Il Capo:
Though
Leo couldn't have known it at the time, he had just made a terrible mistake by
underestimating Big Hair.
In hours, there was a different hitman assigned to kill Jonah Wizard - but he was also to find Leo and kill him too.
The new killer was Leo's main rival. He went by the name of Il Capo - The Boss. He was arrogant, deluded, and ugly-looking - and he located the illustrious Jonah Wizard very quickly. By afternoon, Il Capo knew exactly where Jonah was.
He was visiting the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze, with his cousins Amy, Dan and Hamilton.
Thirty minutes after confirming their location, he was standing outside of the door to the room they were in. He was so close he could hear them talking:
*"Okay," said Amy, "we read these files, and nobody gets up from this table - not even to go to the bathroom - until we've figured out who took the Medusa, who has it now, and where we have to go to get it back."
"I can't read," Hamilton complained. "My eyes are swollen shut."
"Sometimes you have to take one for the team, yo," Jonah told him.
As soon as Jonah spoke, Il Capo kicked in the door (which wasn't very efficient, since it had been unlocked, but I suppose it made him look cooler) and stepped into the room. He brought his nine-millimeter pistol into firing position, then slowly and dramatically he pulled the trigger.
Unfortunately for him, he was a little too slow and dramatic. Hamilton had enough time to kick the large table in front of him and Jonah. This left Amy and Dan unprotected, so they scurried to opposite sides of the room.
"I have a gun!" Hamilton lied.
"Si, certo!" Il Capo replied, then began to walk towards the table.
Hamilton did the only thing he had left - he threw his chair at the hitman's balding head.
Amazingly, the ruse worked. Il Capo, who had the hair trigger nerves of a cat, jerked his gun up and shot the chair as it came towards him, wounding it grievously, but not having enough time to aim as Hamilton threw Jonah's chair also. It hit him in the head and he went down, hitting the floor like a sack of rocks.
Dan helped Hamilton tie his hands and feet with their belts. Then they turned the table over and set the chairs upright. Dan took the injured chair, since he was lightest.
"Yo, what was that about?" Jonah asked. Nobody had an answer for him. At least not a serious one.
"He probably didn't like your music," Hamilton joked.
"Yeah, that must have been it!" the hip-hop star agreed.
"Cut it out," Dan snapped, his face pinched. "Bad stuff happens to all of us because of the family we were born into." The serum was very much on his mind. Look how strong it had made Hamilton - strong and quick enough to have probably saved all of their lives - and that was only a quarter of it. Seven ingredients collected, thirty-two to go.
"Let's just do this. Think of your sister, Hamilton. Or Phoenix. Or Nellie."
The Cahills nodded and began picking papers off of the floor where they had spilled. Everyone ignored the unconscious man laying there across the room.
The four dove into the dossiers, and silence fell. Their world had become a blizzard of data - names, addresses, dates of birth, career highlights, prison records. Every random fact and mundane footnote had to be given full concentration. There was no way of knowing which casual detail would turn out to be the one that would lead them to the "Medusa". Would it come soon, or take hours - even days? Would it come at all?
And would Jonah be able to survive their time in Firenze when the streets were filled with hired guns - all trying to kill him?
In hours, there was a different hitman assigned to kill Jonah Wizard - but he was also to find Leo and kill him too.
The new killer was Leo's main rival. He went by the name of Il Capo - The Boss. He was arrogant, deluded, and ugly-looking - and he located the illustrious Jonah Wizard very quickly. By afternoon, Il Capo knew exactly where Jonah was.
He was visiting the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze, with his cousins Amy, Dan and Hamilton.
Thirty minutes after confirming their location, he was standing outside of the door to the room they were in. He was so close he could hear them talking:
*"Okay," said Amy, "we read these files, and nobody gets up from this table - not even to go to the bathroom - until we've figured out who took the Medusa, who has it now, and where we have to go to get it back."
"I can't read," Hamilton complained. "My eyes are swollen shut."
"Sometimes you have to take one for the team, yo," Jonah told him.
As soon as Jonah spoke, Il Capo kicked in the door (which wasn't very efficient, since it had been unlocked, but I suppose it made him look cooler) and stepped into the room. He brought his nine-millimeter pistol into firing position, then slowly and dramatically he pulled the trigger.
Unfortunately for him, he was a little too slow and dramatic. Hamilton had enough time to kick the large table in front of him and Jonah. This left Amy and Dan unprotected, so they scurried to opposite sides of the room.
"I have a gun!" Hamilton lied.
"Si, certo!" Il Capo replied, then began to walk towards the table.
Hamilton did the only thing he had left - he threw his chair at the hitman's balding head.
Amazingly, the ruse worked. Il Capo, who had the hair trigger nerves of a cat, jerked his gun up and shot the chair as it came towards him, wounding it grievously, but not having enough time to aim as Hamilton threw Jonah's chair also. It hit him in the head and he went down, hitting the floor like a sack of rocks.
Dan helped Hamilton tie his hands and feet with their belts. Then they turned the table over and set the chairs upright. Dan took the injured chair, since he was lightest.
"Yo, what was that about?" Jonah asked. Nobody had an answer for him. At least not a serious one.
"He probably didn't like your music," Hamilton joked.
"Yeah, that must have been it!" the hip-hop star agreed.
"Cut it out," Dan snapped, his face pinched. "Bad stuff happens to all of us because of the family we were born into." The serum was very much on his mind. Look how strong it had made Hamilton - strong and quick enough to have probably saved all of their lives - and that was only a quarter of it. Seven ingredients collected, thirty-two to go.
"Let's just do this. Think of your sister, Hamilton. Or Phoenix. Or Nellie."
The Cahills nodded and began picking papers off of the floor where they had spilled. Everyone ignored the unconscious man laying there across the room.
The four dove into the dossiers, and silence fell. Their world had become a blizzard of data - names, addresses, dates of birth, career highlights, prison records. Every random fact and mundane footnote had to be given full concentration. There was no way of knowing which casual detail would turn out to be the one that would lead them to the "Medusa". Would it come soon, or take hours - even days? Would it come at all?
And would Jonah be able to survive their time in Firenze when the streets were filled with hired guns - all trying to kill him?
*Actual text in The Medusa Plot, by Gordon Korman
Leo and the Entertainers in Attleboro:
Leo started getting
frantic calls about the attack moments after it happened.
He buried his head in his arms. If only I had fixed this hairy mess when I had the chance, he thought, how much better the world would be. Then he resignedly raised his head and picked up the phone. He called Calypso.
"Hello," she said into the phone, while trying to roll dough and keep an eye on Ian at the same time. The phone was squished between her shoulder and her ear, making it alternately impossible to hear her boss or his voice blaring directly into her eardrum. She had a disturbing feeling that today was going to be slightly stressful.
"I need you and Evan to be in Firenze by tonight," Leo told her calmly. "Jonah is in danger of being murdered at any second." He checked the security camera on his desk, making sure the hotel was still secure. It was fine.
Calypso's jaw dropped, causing the phone to fall with a splat into the bread dough. She fished it out.
"Are you serious? How are we going to get to Florence in that amount of time?"
"Well, as of now, Carlo is headed over there to pick you up."
"This is making no sense!" Calypso complained.
"He's taking a Concorde." Leo paused like that was supposed to mean something to her.
"What's that?" she asked.
"Ask Evan! I'm out of time now. You need to get to the airport in an hour." Leo hung up.
Calypso stared at her sticky, floury phone in shock. Then she went to find Evan.
"We’re going on a Concorde!?" Evan shrieked. Calypso was briefing him while she packed.
"Yes. Why is that special?" Calypso asked.
"Well, first of all, they are the fastest commercial airplanes ever built," he told her. "And secondly, they were supposed to have been retired years ago! I have no idea how HQ got a hold of one."
Calypso finished packing. The team said goodbye to the other Cahills in the mansion. Ben caught them as they were headed out the door.
"Decided you aren't doing anything useful here?" He sneered.
Calypso sighed. Ben had never been hateful like this before now. What was going on?
"Actually, we are on an important mission," Evan told him snobbishly . Ben looked like he was about to retort, so Calypso pulled Ben outside and they headed to the airport.
When the tires of the ancient Concorde jet touched down on the Florentine asphalt, Evan and Calypso were up and ready to go.
To Evan's annoyance, the flight over the ocean had not felt supersonic. But it had brought them here hours before an ordinary plane would have.
They called for a taxi, and very soon they were in front of the Entertainer's building. Calypso could tell immediately that things were not normal. The front windows, usually bright and inviting at this time of the late afternoon, were dim. Nobody had thought to turn on the lights in the lobby.
Evan followed her inside. They carried their luggage to their respective dorms, then met up and headed to Carlo's office. Evan knocked lightly and opened the door.
Carlo frowned when he saw them. "You need to see Leo, not me," he told them, and pointed down the hall to Leo's office.
Evan felt dread creeping up his spine. Nobody, in the whole time he had been here, had ever been sent to Leo's office.
Calypso took the lead. Her step was unfaltering, but Evan could tell she was nervous because she kept clenching the fist of her left hand. She hesitated before she opened the door.
"Come in," Leo told them, "and sit down. We need to be quick about this."
The two agents stepped into the office.
The walls were bare and whitewashed, and the only furniture in the room was Leo's desk, chair and filing cabinet. The only light came from the three laptops sitting on his desk.
When they had settled themselves, Leo told them about being approached by Big Hair, and about the murder attempt in the library. "You need to watch Jonah," he finished. "They sent Erasmus to help them, but nobody knows who the hitman wanted to kill or why. Except us, of course."
"Have you found anything out about this Big Hair guy?" Evan asked. Whenever Leo said the name it made him want to giggle, but he was keeping a straight face.
"Only that he is possibly from the UK," Leo replied. "And he-"
Leo stopped talking as the laptop in front of him began to flash red and beep loudly. He turned it around so they could see.
"Looks like someone is headed towards Jonah's window," he said. His voice was strained. "You need to get over there fast!"
He buried his head in his arms. If only I had fixed this hairy mess when I had the chance, he thought, how much better the world would be. Then he resignedly raised his head and picked up the phone. He called Calypso.
"Hello," she said into the phone, while trying to roll dough and keep an eye on Ian at the same time. The phone was squished between her shoulder and her ear, making it alternately impossible to hear her boss or his voice blaring directly into her eardrum. She had a disturbing feeling that today was going to be slightly stressful.
"I need you and Evan to be in Firenze by tonight," Leo told her calmly. "Jonah is in danger of being murdered at any second." He checked the security camera on his desk, making sure the hotel was still secure. It was fine.
Calypso's jaw dropped, causing the phone to fall with a splat into the bread dough. She fished it out.
"Are you serious? How are we going to get to Florence in that amount of time?"
"Well, as of now, Carlo is headed over there to pick you up."
"This is making no sense!" Calypso complained.
"He's taking a Concorde." Leo paused like that was supposed to mean something to her.
"What's that?" she asked.
"Ask Evan! I'm out of time now. You need to get to the airport in an hour." Leo hung up.
Calypso stared at her sticky, floury phone in shock. Then she went to find Evan.
"We’re going on a Concorde!?" Evan shrieked. Calypso was briefing him while she packed.
"Yes. Why is that special?" Calypso asked.
"Well, first of all, they are the fastest commercial airplanes ever built," he told her. "And secondly, they were supposed to have been retired years ago! I have no idea how HQ got a hold of one."
Calypso finished packing. The team said goodbye to the other Cahills in the mansion. Ben caught them as they were headed out the door.
"Decided you aren't doing anything useful here?" He sneered.
Calypso sighed. Ben had never been hateful like this before now. What was going on?
"Actually, we are on an important mission," Evan told him snobbishly . Ben looked like he was about to retort, so Calypso pulled Ben outside and they headed to the airport.
When the tires of the ancient Concorde jet touched down on the Florentine asphalt, Evan and Calypso were up and ready to go.
To Evan's annoyance, the flight over the ocean had not felt supersonic. But it had brought them here hours before an ordinary plane would have.
They called for a taxi, and very soon they were in front of the Entertainer's building. Calypso could tell immediately that things were not normal. The front windows, usually bright and inviting at this time of the late afternoon, were dim. Nobody had thought to turn on the lights in the lobby.
Evan followed her inside. They carried their luggage to their respective dorms, then met up and headed to Carlo's office. Evan knocked lightly and opened the door.
Carlo frowned when he saw them. "You need to see Leo, not me," he told them, and pointed down the hall to Leo's office.
Evan felt dread creeping up his spine. Nobody, in the whole time he had been here, had ever been sent to Leo's office.
Calypso took the lead. Her step was unfaltering, but Evan could tell she was nervous because she kept clenching the fist of her left hand. She hesitated before she opened the door.
"Come in," Leo told them, "and sit down. We need to be quick about this."
The two agents stepped into the office.
The walls were bare and whitewashed, and the only furniture in the room was Leo's desk, chair and filing cabinet. The only light came from the three laptops sitting on his desk.
When they had settled themselves, Leo told them about being approached by Big Hair, and about the murder attempt in the library. "You need to watch Jonah," he finished. "They sent Erasmus to help them, but nobody knows who the hitman wanted to kill or why. Except us, of course."
"Have you found anything out about this Big Hair guy?" Evan asked. Whenever Leo said the name it made him want to giggle, but he was keeping a straight face.
"Only that he is possibly from the UK," Leo replied. "And he-"
Leo stopped talking as the laptop in front of him began to flash red and beep loudly. He turned it around so they could see.
"Looks like someone is headed towards Jonah's window," he said. His voice was strained. "You need to get over there fast!"
Blaring alarms told Calypso and Evan that they had been too late to stop
whoever had been trying to break into the hotel.
As they rushed up the stairs to the Cahill's suite, Evan braced himself for a gut wrenching scene.
It was rather messy in the bedroom where Jonah had been sleeping. A spattered corpse lay there, oozing blood onto his bed.
Thankfully, the corpse was not Jonah.
"Hello," Erasmus told them as they gawked. Calypso snapped out of her daze to answer.
"Hello. I'm so glad that you apparently got here in time," she replied.
"Yes. It seems like someone is after Jonah. He will probably be sent back home -"
"Dude!" Jonah interrupted as he sauntered into the room. "I'm fine, man! They need me here!"
"And he's been being difficult," Erasmus finished.
"I think we can help," Evan said. "Calypso and I will be full time bodyguards for Jonah. Could he stay then?"
"That just might work," Erasmus answered thoughtfully. "Let me check with Attleboro. I'm sure they'll say yes."
As they rushed up the stairs to the Cahill's suite, Evan braced himself for a gut wrenching scene.
It was rather messy in the bedroom where Jonah had been sleeping. A spattered corpse lay there, oozing blood onto his bed.
Thankfully, the corpse was not Jonah.
"Hello," Erasmus told them as they gawked. Calypso snapped out of her daze to answer.
"Hello. I'm so glad that you apparently got here in time," she replied.
"Yes. It seems like someone is after Jonah. He will probably be sent back home -"
"Dude!" Jonah interrupted as he sauntered into the room. "I'm fine, man! They need me here!"
"And he's been being difficult," Erasmus finished.
"I think we can help," Evan said. "Calypso and I will be full time bodyguards for Jonah. Could he stay then?"
"That just might work," Erasmus answered thoughtfully. "Let me check with Attleboro. I'm sure they'll say yes."
The Vespers:
News about Jonah's
peril had just reached the Vesper compound.
Amy had called Sinead, and Sinead had called her Vesper contact. The information got to Madz in minutes.
The Vesper base had gone crazy.
"Madz, I need you to leave off feeding the prisoners," her supervisor told her. "V1 has called a meeting."
So Madz didn't feed the prisoners. She felt a small pang of regret that Irena would miss her supper, since the spy was getting up there in years, and her cell was cold and damp. But it passed quickly as she hurried to the auditorium.
Shoving through the densely packed Vesper bodies was not easy, but Madz made it to the front anyway. She could hear V1's distorted and evil voice clearly from there.
"Hello, my fellow Vespers," he began. "I’ve called you here to discuss something that has many of you worried - the murder attempts on Jonah Wizard."
"Now, I know none of us like Mr. Wizard," he continued. There was unanimous agreement all around. "But he is needed to help us find the components for the Device." A soft murmur of assent went up when he mentioned the Device, as it always did. All Vespers were reverent of the destructive machine. "So, he must be kept alive. That may be difficult, since it seems that every hitman in Florence is out to get him - and there are many hitmen in Florence. The answer seems clear then." There was complete silence around Madz, as every Vesper waited excitedly for his grand plan. "We will pillage the city and take all the known eliminators out while Jonah is there, and put them into our cozy prison." Screams of delight erupted around the auditorium. When they had quieted down, he added one last instruction. "If you see anyone that would make a good recruit, keep them away from the others and we will evaluate them when this thing is over. That is all for now."
Madz was getting too warm, squished in a mass of happy Vespers - an unpleasant experience for most people. There were shrieks of laughter and people yelling. She made her way to the very edge and shouted so Vesper one could hear her.
"I know where you can find the best hitman in Florence!" she told him. "He goes by Leo!"
Amy had called Sinead, and Sinead had called her Vesper contact. The information got to Madz in minutes.
The Vesper base had gone crazy.
"Madz, I need you to leave off feeding the prisoners," her supervisor told her. "V1 has called a meeting."
So Madz didn't feed the prisoners. She felt a small pang of regret that Irena would miss her supper, since the spy was getting up there in years, and her cell was cold and damp. But it passed quickly as she hurried to the auditorium.
Shoving through the densely packed Vesper bodies was not easy, but Madz made it to the front anyway. She could hear V1's distorted and evil voice clearly from there.
"Hello, my fellow Vespers," he began. "I’ve called you here to discuss something that has many of you worried - the murder attempts on Jonah Wizard."
"Now, I know none of us like Mr. Wizard," he continued. There was unanimous agreement all around. "But he is needed to help us find the components for the Device." A soft murmur of assent went up when he mentioned the Device, as it always did. All Vespers were reverent of the destructive machine. "So, he must be kept alive. That may be difficult, since it seems that every hitman in Florence is out to get him - and there are many hitmen in Florence. The answer seems clear then." There was complete silence around Madz, as every Vesper waited excitedly for his grand plan. "We will pillage the city and take all the known eliminators out while Jonah is there, and put them into our cozy prison." Screams of delight erupted around the auditorium. When they had quieted down, he added one last instruction. "If you see anyone that would make a good recruit, keep them away from the others and we will evaluate them when this thing is over. That is all for now."
Madz was getting too warm, squished in a mass of happy Vespers - an unpleasant experience for most people. There were shrieks of laughter and people yelling. She made her way to the very edge and shouted so Vesper one could hear her.
"I know where you can find the best hitman in Florence!" she told him. "He goes by Leo!"
Joanna and Irena:
In the prison beneath
the Vesper complex, the prisoners began to realize that something was up.
Joanna and Irena, whose cells were at the very end of the hall, heard the disturbance before they saw it.
I cut my bangs with some rusty kitchen scissors
I screamed his name 'til the neighbors called the cops
I numbed the pain at the expense of my liver
Don’t know what I did next, all I know's I couldn’t stop
And sadly, the tune was familiar to them.
It heralded the entrance of Madz' substitute, who was much scarier, and possibly even more evil than Madz herself. Just as a groan escaped Joanna's mouth, the source of the sound came into view.
Word got around to the barflies & the baptists
My mama’s phone started ringin' off the hook
I can hear her now, sayin' she ain’t gonna have it
Don’t matter how you feel, it only matters how you look
It was a tall male guard with a cassette player on his tool belt. Joanna knew several things about this guard, and she hated everything about him.
He had lost one of his eyes in a long-forgotten battle, and its replacement, a different-colored glass eye, had the tendency to jiggle wildly around when he walked. He was armed with an AK47, a long iron bar, and a homicidal tendency. He stood now in front of Joanna's cell.
Go and fix your make up girl, it’s just a break up
Run and hide your crazy and start actin' like a lady
Cause I raised you better, gotta keep it together
Even when you fall apart
But this ain’t my mama’s broken heart
He began to speak over the sound of the music.
"Now I know y'all's real comfy in here, but you're gonna need to be nice little children now, and share with some friends," he informed the corridor. "We got some hired guns that need accommodations, and we're out. So y'all are going to get some company. Just one night, I promise."
Joanna could hardly think over the blaring of the song.
Wish I could be just a little less dramatic
Like a Kennedy when Camelot went down in flames
Leave it to me to be holdin' the matches
When the fire trucks show up and there’s nobody else to blame
"Don't you know that guys aren't supposed to like Miranda Lambert songs?" she shouted. It was the most hurtful thing she could think of at the moment.
"Oh, but I do. She's crazy, and so am I!" The guard said. And just then, he did look crazy, for he started tapping his foot in time with the music, making his glass eye thrash wildly in its socket. Joanna shuddered and across the hall she could see Irena doing the same.
Can’t get revenge and keep a spotless reputation
Sometimes revenge is a choice you gotta make
My mama came from a softer generation
Where you get a grip and bite your lip just to save a little face
The guard giggled. Then he turned down the song so he could listen for a soft sound in the hallway. It got louder, and presently the prisoners could hear what he did; the sound of hundreds of feet coming towards them, along with yells and curses in Italian.
"Gotta go," the guard told them.
Joanna and Irena stared at each other as his music faded.
Go and fix your make up, well it’s just a break up
Run and hide your crazy and start actin' like a lady
Cause I raised you better, gotta keep it together
Even when you fall apart
But this ain’t my mama’s broken heart
"What's going on?" Joanna finally asked.
"I'm not sure," Irena replied. "But if that was any kind of omen, I'm guessing we aren't going to like it at all."
The sounds of struggle came closer, and the prisoners waited apprehensively to see what it was.
Joanna and Irena braced themselves. Suddenly, a flood of people were in the corridor, most of them yelling. There were some women, and some who even looked young enough to be kids, but mostly they were tough, mean looking men.
About twenty Vesper guards were also squeezed into the hall. They were rounding up people and locking them in cells.
The head guard still had his music on. He didn't seem at all perturbed about the chaos around him, and calmly shoved person after person into Joanna's cell.
I'm goin' home, gonna load my shotgun
Wait by the door, and light a cigarette
If he wants a fight, well, now he's got one
And he ain't seen me crazy yet
"What are you doing?" She yelled over the pandemonium.
"I a'ready told y'all! Now shut up. I cain't hear myself think in this racket!"
Soon the cells were crammed with new prisoners. Joanna thought there must be at least ten in her small space. Then the vespers left, leaving their original guard in charge.
Joanna and Irena, whose cells were at the very end of the hall, heard the disturbance before they saw it.
I cut my bangs with some rusty kitchen scissors
I screamed his name 'til the neighbors called the cops
I numbed the pain at the expense of my liver
Don’t know what I did next, all I know's I couldn’t stop
And sadly, the tune was familiar to them.
It heralded the entrance of Madz' substitute, who was much scarier, and possibly even more evil than Madz herself. Just as a groan escaped Joanna's mouth, the source of the sound came into view.
Word got around to the barflies & the baptists
My mama’s phone started ringin' off the hook
I can hear her now, sayin' she ain’t gonna have it
Don’t matter how you feel, it only matters how you look
It was a tall male guard with a cassette player on his tool belt. Joanna knew several things about this guard, and she hated everything about him.
He had lost one of his eyes in a long-forgotten battle, and its replacement, a different-colored glass eye, had the tendency to jiggle wildly around when he walked. He was armed with an AK47, a long iron bar, and a homicidal tendency. He stood now in front of Joanna's cell.
Go and fix your make up girl, it’s just a break up
Run and hide your crazy and start actin' like a lady
Cause I raised you better, gotta keep it together
Even when you fall apart
But this ain’t my mama’s broken heart
He began to speak over the sound of the music.
"Now I know y'all's real comfy in here, but you're gonna need to be nice little children now, and share with some friends," he informed the corridor. "We got some hired guns that need accommodations, and we're out. So y'all are going to get some company. Just one night, I promise."
Joanna could hardly think over the blaring of the song.
Wish I could be just a little less dramatic
Like a Kennedy when Camelot went down in flames
Leave it to me to be holdin' the matches
When the fire trucks show up and there’s nobody else to blame
"Don't you know that guys aren't supposed to like Miranda Lambert songs?" she shouted. It was the most hurtful thing she could think of at the moment.
"Oh, but I do. She's crazy, and so am I!" The guard said. And just then, he did look crazy, for he started tapping his foot in time with the music, making his glass eye thrash wildly in its socket. Joanna shuddered and across the hall she could see Irena doing the same.
Can’t get revenge and keep a spotless reputation
Sometimes revenge is a choice you gotta make
My mama came from a softer generation
Where you get a grip and bite your lip just to save a little face
The guard giggled. Then he turned down the song so he could listen for a soft sound in the hallway. It got louder, and presently the prisoners could hear what he did; the sound of hundreds of feet coming towards them, along with yells and curses in Italian.
"Gotta go," the guard told them.
Joanna and Irena stared at each other as his music faded.
Go and fix your make up, well it’s just a break up
Run and hide your crazy and start actin' like a lady
Cause I raised you better, gotta keep it together
Even when you fall apart
But this ain’t my mama’s broken heart
"What's going on?" Joanna finally asked.
"I'm not sure," Irena replied. "But if that was any kind of omen, I'm guessing we aren't going to like it at all."
The sounds of struggle came closer, and the prisoners waited apprehensively to see what it was.
Joanna and Irena braced themselves. Suddenly, a flood of people were in the corridor, most of them yelling. There were some women, and some who even looked young enough to be kids, but mostly they were tough, mean looking men.
About twenty Vesper guards were also squeezed into the hall. They were rounding up people and locking them in cells.
The head guard still had his music on. He didn't seem at all perturbed about the chaos around him, and calmly shoved person after person into Joanna's cell.
I'm goin' home, gonna load my shotgun
Wait by the door, and light a cigarette
If he wants a fight, well, now he's got one
And he ain't seen me crazy yet
"What are you doing?" She yelled over the pandemonium.
"I a'ready told y'all! Now shut up. I cain't hear myself think in this racket!"
Soon the cells were crammed with new prisoners. Joanna thought there must be at least ten in her small space. Then the vespers left, leaving their original guard in charge.
The Entertainer Base:
At the Entertainer headquarters, Leo was facing a difficult decision.
The place was surrounded by Vespers, each one heavily armed. The doors were locked but they were also glass, so Leo knew they could not withstand a Vesper attack.
The phones were ringing everywhere, with reports of a catastrophe from every corner of Florence. Masked men were breaking into the homes of hitmen and taking them - but nobody knew where they were going.
Leo turned to Carlo suddenly. "I have to go," he told him. "If I don't they will break in here and probably destroy all the information we've gathered."
Carlo knew he couldn't protest. He nodded and shook Leo's hand. Then the assassin walked slowly to the door and unlocked it.
"Here I am," he told them resignedly.
At the Entertainer headquarters, Leo was facing a difficult decision.
The place was surrounded by Vespers, each one heavily armed. The doors were locked but they were also glass, so Leo knew they could not withstand a Vesper attack.
The phones were ringing everywhere, with reports of a catastrophe from every corner of Florence. Masked men were breaking into the homes of hitmen and taking them - but nobody knew where they were going.
Leo turned to Carlo suddenly. "I have to go," he told him. "If I don't they will break in here and probably destroy all the information we've gathered."
Carlo knew he couldn't protest. He nodded and shook Leo's hand. Then the assassin walked slowly to the door and unlocked it.
"Here I am," he told them resignedly.
The Cahills:
In a house across town, Amy, Dan, Hamilton, Jonah, Calypso and Evan were doing their own breaking and entering.
Tobin had seemed very nice when Amy and Dan had visited him that morning, but this was no time to let silly things like old, kindhearted art thieves mess up this heist.
It had been pretty easy stealing the painting, but now the old guy's security was after them. Amy and Dan were climbing down the solid rock wall while Evan stood above them, trying to keep the guards at bay. Amy had almost reached the boat when an awful splattering sound came from above. Evan's body plummeted from the edge of the cliff and splashed into the water. Calypso screamed, and Hamilton dove out of the boat. Soon he was back inside, hauling Evan's limp form into the boat. His face was grim.
"He isn't responding," he told them.
Just then, powerful searchlights lit up their boat. Jonah cursed. They had done the robbery at night because they hoped nobody would follow them in the dark. Now those hopes were destroyed and bleeding out, probably like Evan was at that very moment.
"We're going to have to make a run for it," Hamilton said.
Goings on at the Vesper Base:
In a house across town, Amy, Dan, Hamilton, Jonah, Calypso and Evan were doing their own breaking and entering.
Tobin had seemed very nice when Amy and Dan had visited him that morning, but this was no time to let silly things like old, kindhearted art thieves mess up this heist.
It had been pretty easy stealing the painting, but now the old guy's security was after them. Amy and Dan were climbing down the solid rock wall while Evan stood above them, trying to keep the guards at bay. Amy had almost reached the boat when an awful splattering sound came from above. Evan's body plummeted from the edge of the cliff and splashed into the water. Calypso screamed, and Hamilton dove out of the boat. Soon he was back inside, hauling Evan's limp form into the boat. His face was grim.
"He isn't responding," he told them.
Just then, powerful searchlights lit up their boat. Jonah cursed. They had done the robbery at night because they hoped nobody would follow them in the dark. Now those hopes were destroyed and bleeding out, probably like Evan was at that very moment.
"We're going to have to make a run for it," Hamilton said.
Goings on at the Vesper Base:
Leo was grabbed
roughly and tossed into the back of the Vesper's van.
He was hurriedly searched for weapons, then blindfolded as they drove to the Vesper base. He didn't put up a struggle.
After the van stopped, he was escorted inside. The blindfold was removed and he found himself standing in the center of a large auditorium. In front of him was a masked man dressed in black.
"Sit down," Vesper One told him through his voice synthesizer. "I've heard you're pretty good at your job. Perhaps even the best. Are these rumors true?"
"I am not going to be telling you anything," Leo told him in a civil tone.
"I suppose we will have to persuade you then," V1 sighed. A man walked in from behind Leo and held a Tazer against his neck. The shock of electricity jolted him painfully - and didn't stop.
"The Tazer will be removed when you speak," Vesper One told him coldly.
Leo resigned himself to a long, painful night.
Then there was a loud crash from outside the auditorium and the sound of yelling and running feet.
Hours before, Joanna had started the chain reaction that had created those sounds.
Being locked in a cell with ten smelly, angry Italian hitmen can make a person feel uncomfortable. So Joanna had endeavored to get them out as fast as she could.
When the guard was at the other end of the corridor, she had begun to plan an escape.
"Who has a file?" She had asked. One of her fellow prisoners knew English and was able to translate for her.
No file was to be found, but one swarthy, evil-looking man produced a thin sawblade from his boot. It was sticky and grimy, and the thought of where it had been made Joanna cringe, but she thanked him and took it anyway.
Then she was able to find some lipstick from one of the women in her cell. She held it against the bars, then had a strong man file away at the steel with the sawblade. The oil in the lipstick melted quickly with the heat of the saw, and it made it so the bar didn't squeak as it was rapidly filed away.
It had taken some hard work, and some panic when the guard walked to their cell from time to time, but after about two hours they had enough bars cut to make an opening. The man who had been filing smashed his body against the bars, which caused the guard to come running. He stopped abruptly when he saw the prisoners stepping through the hole in the cell door. The room was silent except for the sound of Miranda Lambert's voice, proclaiming:
Go and fix your make up girl, it’s just a break up
Run and hide your crazy and start actin' like a lady
Cause I raised you better, gotta keep it together
Even when you fall apart
But this ain’t my mama’s broken heart
Then things started happening quickly. There was a stampede, and the guard's gun and iron staff were quickly snatched away from him. Someone hit him over the head with a bar from the cell door, and Joanna took his keys. She unlocked Irena's cell, then went on through the hall, freeing prisoner after prisoner. When she got to the end, she helped her fellow escapees break down the door.
They stumbled into the main hallway of the Vesper base, yelling, laughing, and brandishing their weapons.
He was hurriedly searched for weapons, then blindfolded as they drove to the Vesper base. He didn't put up a struggle.
After the van stopped, he was escorted inside. The blindfold was removed and he found himself standing in the center of a large auditorium. In front of him was a masked man dressed in black.
"Sit down," Vesper One told him through his voice synthesizer. "I've heard you're pretty good at your job. Perhaps even the best. Are these rumors true?"
"I am not going to be telling you anything," Leo told him in a civil tone.
"I suppose we will have to persuade you then," V1 sighed. A man walked in from behind Leo and held a Tazer against his neck. The shock of electricity jolted him painfully - and didn't stop.
"The Tazer will be removed when you speak," Vesper One told him coldly.
Leo resigned himself to a long, painful night.
Then there was a loud crash from outside the auditorium and the sound of yelling and running feet.
Hours before, Joanna had started the chain reaction that had created those sounds.
Being locked in a cell with ten smelly, angry Italian hitmen can make a person feel uncomfortable. So Joanna had endeavored to get them out as fast as she could.
When the guard was at the other end of the corridor, she had begun to plan an escape.
"Who has a file?" She had asked. One of her fellow prisoners knew English and was able to translate for her.
No file was to be found, but one swarthy, evil-looking man produced a thin sawblade from his boot. It was sticky and grimy, and the thought of where it had been made Joanna cringe, but she thanked him and took it anyway.
Then she was able to find some lipstick from one of the women in her cell. She held it against the bars, then had a strong man file away at the steel with the sawblade. The oil in the lipstick melted quickly with the heat of the saw, and it made it so the bar didn't squeak as it was rapidly filed away.
It had taken some hard work, and some panic when the guard walked to their cell from time to time, but after about two hours they had enough bars cut to make an opening. The man who had been filing smashed his body against the bars, which caused the guard to come running. He stopped abruptly when he saw the prisoners stepping through the hole in the cell door. The room was silent except for the sound of Miranda Lambert's voice, proclaiming:
Go and fix your make up girl, it’s just a break up
Run and hide your crazy and start actin' like a lady
Cause I raised you better, gotta keep it together
Even when you fall apart
But this ain’t my mama’s broken heart
Then things started happening quickly. There was a stampede, and the guard's gun and iron staff were quickly snatched away from him. Someone hit him over the head with a bar from the cell door, and Joanna took his keys. She unlocked Irena's cell, then went on through the hall, freeing prisoner after prisoner. When she got to the end, she helped her fellow escapees break down the door.
They stumbled into the main hallway of the Vesper base, yelling, laughing, and brandishing their weapons.
The Cahills:
As soon as Evan’s
limp carcass hit the bottom of the boat, Jonah pushed hard on the throttle.
Everyone sat down quickly as the speedboat swooped across the lake, with Mr.
Tobin’s whole security force behind them on jetskis.
With some quick
maneuvering, Jonah manages to avoid their pursuers until the smaller crafts ran
out of fuel. Then they headed to shore.
Hamilton picked Evan up and they climbed up
the bank. When they got to the top, they rested and took stock of their
location. It looked like they were stranded by a main highway. Calypso and
Hamilton checked on Evan.
“This is really not
as good as it could be,” Ham remarked. “It looks like he was shot in the chest.
I’m not sure what they got him with, but even a twenty-two can kill you if it
gets a lung.”
“How can we know if
he’s shot in the lung?” Calypso asked. She was trying to stay calm.
“Well, he would have
frothy blood around his mouth,” Hamilton
said cautiously. “You might check…”
Calypso leaned over
to look at Evan’s face. Just then he coughed, splattering all over Calypso.
“Eew, even if you’re
unconscious, you could try not getting me sick,” Calypso joked wearily. Then
she realized he was coughing up blood.
“We have to get to a
hospital right now!” She screamed.
Jonah and Dan had
succeeded in flagging down a car. Jonah leaned in like he was trying to
convince the driver to take them to Florence.
When he heard
Calypso’s yell, he gave up and simply yanked the driver from the car and jumped
in. Hamilton
picked up Evan and they all got in.
Jonah swerved back
onto the road, desperate to get to Florence
before they ran out of time.
The Entertainers:
The Vespers
retreated, and the freed prisoners looted, ransacked, and pretty much destroyed
everything in their path.
Joanna found Leo, and they took Irena with
them as they headed back to the Entertainer base. Leo flopped down on a couch
in the lobby, too tired to make it 
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