Author's note: This story references my earlier stories, "What the Heart Wants", and "The Gift", but it also stands very well on its own.
SOFIA
Fiery. That was the word for Sofia. Her jet black hair glistened, and sparks of green and gold flashed in her dark eyes. Her laughter burst like fireworks whenever he mutilated a pronunciation. He'd sometimes do it just to hear her laugh again.
And then there was the sex. It was still as hot and explosive as the first time, when she'd gotten his pants off in record time and shoved him onto his cot, the threat of someone else walking into the room at any moment only adding to the heat. But now that she'd been tutoring him in Italian for several months, they discreetly took it to one of the rooms above The Doves.
"Casino, you're not concentrating."
He realized that he'd been staring at her and hadn't heard a word she'd said. "Sorry, babe. What were you saying?"
"This paragraph." She tapped the open book in front of him. "Read it aloud, then translate it."
He pulled himself together and turned back to the book, doing as he was told.
"Punizione," she interrupted. "The accent is slightly on the second syllable. Try it again."
"Punizione." He grinned, trying to imitate her sweet little accent.
"Very good. It means..."
"Punishment." His grin widened. "As in..."
The clock on the library's mantel chimed. And kept chiming. It was noon.
"School's out." He slammed the book shut. "Why don't we grab some lunch and take it down by the lake."
"I'm sorry, I can't today." She rose and started gathering her books together. "I have a meeting back in London."
"Ah, c'mon, you're not mad at me, are ya? I promise I'll study harder next week."
She gave him a radiant smile and a quick kiss on the lips. "Of course I'm not mad at you. I really do have a meeting."
He sighed and stood to escort her out, but the library door swung open ahead of them. Garrison strode to the table they'd just vacated and dropped his stack of papers.
"Hello, Sofia." The Warden smiled at her. "How's the student doing?"
"Very well, Lieutenant." She returned his smile with one of those dazzling ones. "Soon even Il Duce will think he's un vero romano."
"I seriously doubt that." Actor had followed Garrison into the room, and he approached Sofia, lifting her hand to his lips for a lingering kiss. "Sembri incantevole oggi, il mio amore."
"Grazie, caro." There was that brilliant smile again.
"Okay, she was just leaving." With his hand at her waist, Casino guided her away from Actor, toward the door. Actor was just being Actor, but it still riled him. Even though he knew he didn't hold any claim over her, that ugly green monster wouldn't be subdued.
"Wait, Sofia," Garrison said. "I need you to join us for this one."
"Alright, Lieutenant." She turned back with a frown of puzzlement. "But I shouldn't be late for my meeting."
"Don't worry. I'll take care that. Please, sit down."
Chief was the last through the door, following Goniff in and closing it behind him. She shared one of her abundant smiles with each of them, as they gathered around the library table.
Goniff was quick to beat Actor at pulling her chair out for her, then he took his own seat next to her. "Let me guess, Warden. I bet this mission has something to do with Italy, right?"
"Very perceptive of you, Goniff."
Casino was able to slip into the chair on Sofia's other side before Actor did. "I don't like where this is goin', Warden. What does Sofia have to do with a mission?"
"Alright, here it is." Garrison pulled a picture from his stack of papers, and handed it to Sofia. "Do you know this man?"
Casino looked over her shoulder as she studied it. It was blurred and grainy, obviously taken with a telephoto lens and blown up. The subject was a dark-haired man with a small mustache, dressed in a business suit, sitting at a cafe table facing another man whose back was turned. They looked like they were in a heated discussion.
"It's Renzo Domiano. He's an old family friend. He and his wife brought me here in '39." She frowned. The nature of the picture hadn't escaped her either. "Are you spying on him?"
"We were. He was a double agent."
Her frown deepened. "Was?"
"He died last week, of pneumonia." Garrison noted the distress in her eyes and added, "I'm sorry."
"Wait a minute, Warden." Casino didn't like the sound of what Garrison was getting at. "You're not accusing Sofia of being a spy, are you? Cuz you know that ain't true."
"No, of course not. But Domiano was." Garrison's look softened as he turned to Sofia. "You really didn't know, did you?"
She shook her head. "I didn't. But I'm not surprised. He was always so...how do I say this...loyal only to himself. What about his wife? Is Marcella a spy, too?"
"I'll get to her in a minute."
"So this Domiano bloke is dead," Goniff needlessly pointed out. "I don't get it. Then what's the mission?"
"And what does Sofia have to do with it?" Casino still wasn't comfortable with her being involved.
Garrison addressed Sofia. "When you first came here, Domiano brought some important intelligence with him. He made friends in British Intelligence, and started doing low-level translations and encryptions for them." He paused to pull a cigarette from the pack in his pocket and lit it. "Over the last year we discovered that he was also sending intelligence in the other direction, to the Germans in Italy. Nothing really significant, but enough to cause problems. So we decided to use him to feed the Nazis false intelligence, something really big that would get their attention and maybe expose his network and contacts. In exchange for the information, the Germans agreed to get him back to Italy. Before he got sick, he'd set up that rendezvous for next Friday."
"Now he's dead, and you want Sofia to take his place." Actor sounded just as unhappy with that idea as Casino.
"Close. But she doesn't look like a Renzo to me. You're going to take his place, Actor."
"Then you just need Sofia to give Actor all the inside scoop on the guy, so he'll pass, right?" That idea wasn't perfect, but Casino liked it better.
"Something like that." Garrison faced Sofia directly. "I want you to go with him."
"Into a war zone?" Casino exclaimed. "To meet up with Nazis? No way in hell."
Garrison ignored him, and continued to study Sofia. "Marcella's being as cooperative as she can. She wasn't involved with the espionage, but Renzo was going to take her back to Italy with him. She didn't want to go. She's gotten too comfortable in their cozy little flat in Chelsea, doing Red Cross work and giving tea parties. And she's really not spy material."
Sofia gave a musical little chuckle. "No, you're right. She is such a little mouse."
"There must be hundreds of dames in the intelligence service who can do that, Warden," Casino pointed out. "You know, somebody who's already a spy and already knows how to shoot a gun."
Garrison turned to Casino. "But none of them know Italy or the Domianos the way she does. She can run interference if they come across any of Renzo's family or friends who could blow the con. And we'll teach her everything she'll need to know."
"This is crazy." Casino stood abruptly, trying to contain his anger. "You know what happens every time we get an amateur involved in a caper. I ain't gonna let you sign her death warrant."
"Casino." Sofia's voice was soft but firm. "I'm not an amateur. I train regularly with firearms, and I speak four languages. And this is my war, too. I have to do this."
"C'mon, sweetheart, don't be silly. This ain't some game..."
"Do not call me silly. This is my decision, not yours."
She locked those defiant, sparking eyes on him. He'd never been able to change her mind about anything, and he wasn't going to start now. All he could do was slam his hand against his chair, knocking it against the table, and turn his back in frustration.
"Good." Garrison sounded happier than he should be. "Here's the setup. On his death bed, Renzo gave up everything he knew in exchange for our promise to take care of Marcella. He'd planned to meet a German contact near Dungeness, travel by U-boat to Belgium, then on to Brussels. Actor, you and Sofia will make that trip. We'll fly in and make contact with you there, and back you up any way we can. Once you've given them what they're looking for, they've promised safe passage to Milan. Instead, we'll make our escape off the coast at Bruges. Any questions?"
"You make it sound so simple," Casino scoffed.
"It won't be. We have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time. We'll start tonight. Chief, drive Sofia back to her flat to pack her things. She'll stay in the guest quarters here while we prepare. It's going to be an intense week."
"I'll drive her, Warden..." Casino started to offer.
Garrison cut him off. "Chief?"
The Indian pushed himself out of his chair and snapped his blade back into its sheath. "Sure thing, boss."
"And no side trips."
Chief just smiled at the Warden, and with a dramatic gesture, he ushered Sofia toward the door. She grinned at him, and he followed her out, glancing once, briefly, back at Casino.
"Goniff, see what you can requisition from the arsenal for her. Something small, that will fit in a purse." Garrison patted the top of the stack of papers he'd brought in with him. "Actor, this is everything we could gather on Domiano. Start studying. Casino, my office."
Casino felt like a 12-year-old being escorted to the principal's office as he followed his commander down the hall. Garrison shut the door firmly behind them and circled behind his desk. "Your relationship with Sofia is none of my business, but I understand how you feel."
"Really?" Casino was too angry to keep the sarcasm from his voice. "Cuz if you did, you wouldn't be sending a green kid - a girl - into the middle of the war."
"She's not as green as you think. And she's the best person for the job. She's going, and that's it." Garrison pinned him with a glare. "But I want one thing understood. How you feel cannot, and will not, interfere in any way with this mission, got it?"
"Sure, whatever you say, Lieutenant." He knew he wasn't going to change Garrison's mind anymore than he could change Sofia's. But maybe he could improve the odds. "Look, let me be Domiano. I can run a con just as good as Actor..."
Garrison shook his head emphatically. "No. Your Italian's not good enough."
"Sure it is. I'm nearly perfect."
"Nearly won't cut it. The con is Actor's job."
"C'mon, Warden..."
"And I don't need any kind of romantic triangle fouling things up. Whatever issues you and Actor have, work them out before we leave."
"You gonna have this little talk with Actor, too?"
"I already have." Garrison looked him squarely in the eye, bringing an end to any joking. "I'm serious, Casino. If I have any doubt about you doing your job, I'll leave you here."
"No way, Warden. She's gonna need all the backup she can get."
"That's why she'll need you at your best."
"Yeah, okay." He turned to leave.
"And Casino..." Garrison's hard tone had softened. "I really do understand. Just have faith in her. And yourself."
gg gg gg gg gg gg
Chief had seen her drive up to the mansion in the green MG many times, wondering where she'd gotten it. But this afternoon he just enjoyed driving the responsive little sports car along the back roads into London, legitimately for a change. He'd stolen one in New York once, but didn't get to keep it. He could have asked her how she came by it, but it wasn't any of his business. She'd sat quietly next to him the whole trip, the noise of the wind in the open car making conversation difficult. He was just as glad.
Finally, she broke the silence to direct him to her apartment in an older residential neighborhood. The building had once been a stately private home, but was now divided into individual flats. Sofia's was on the third floor.
"You really didn't have to drive me. I could have driven myself," she told him as she unlocked the door and led him inside.
"Just followin' orders."
"Please excuse the mess. I wasn't expecting company."
He didn't know what mess she was talking about. The small sitting room was crowded with furniture, books, and knick knacks, but tidy and clean, with the slight flowery fragrance of her perfume. Warm and welcoming.
She disappeared into another room, her bedroom, he figured. "Make yourself at home. I'll only be a few minutes."
He strolled a slow circuit of the space, taking in its feel. Most of the books were in Italian or German. Porcelain figurines were of birds and butterflies in muted colors. A vase of fresh flowers sat on an end table. There were no ashtrays. He pushed the lace curtain back on the front window and looked down onto the narrow street below, where a woman pushed a baby carriage along the sidewalk, past the MG. This neighborhood had evidently been spared most of the bombing. It felt like a good place to live.
"I know you haven't had any lunch." She was standing in the bedroom doorway, folding a blouse. "There's leftover chicken in the ice box. We might as well eat it. It will go bad before I get back."
"No, thanks."
She tossed the blouse onto a chair and headed for the tiny kitchenette on the right side of the room. "Oh, come on. You must be hungry. I know I am."
He followed her to the little formica-topped table, where she was laying out plates, glasses and utensils, a pitcher of milk, a loaf of bread, and a platter of sliced chicken. She sat, and he did, too. She made a sandwich and set the plate in front of him. "This was the last chicken the butcher had yesterday. I was lucky to get it. It would be a shame for it to go to waste."
He took a bite. The meat was tender and lightly seasoned, and the bread was homemade.
For a few moments, they ate in silence, until she finally spoke up. "Do you get nervous before a mission?"
"Yeah."
"What do you do about it?"
"Nothin'. Keeps you sharp."
She chewed on her sandwich, thinking about this. Then she said, "Are you and Casino friends?"
He didn't know what that meant. "I watch his back, he watches mine."
"So you trust him?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"And you must really admire the Lieutenant."
"He gives the orders. They're usually pretty good ones." He folded his napkin and laid it on the table. "What are you're really tryin' to ask?"
Sofia sighed and leaned back in her chair. "I guess I'm just trying to reassure myself that I'm doing the right thing. And that I won't be endangering Casino - or any of you."
He watched her fiddle with a worn spot on the table top for a minute. He didn't want to lie to her, but he didn't want to frighten her either. "We're all still alive. And it's because of Garrison. You follow his orders and stay alert, it'll work out."
She smiled at him. "You and Casino are a lot alike."
"No, we ain't."
She stood and started clearing the dishes from the table. "That's what he says, too. But you're both wrong."
Now he really didn't know what she meant. He rose and took the rest of the dishes to the sink. "Finish gettin' your stuff together. We gotta get back."
She patted him on the arm and went back to her packing.
gg gg gg gg gg gg
Casino scooted into a half sitting position against the headboard, and fumbled in the dark for his cigarettes on the night stand. The flare of the match lit the room briefly, then he blew it out. Next to him, Sofia stirred, gave a satisfied little sigh, and snuggled against him, her arm across his waist.
All week long he'd given her space as she'd worked with Actor on their con, practiced with her Beretta on the firing range, and done hand-to-hand training with one of the burly sergeants. She usually dragged herself up the stairs to the third floor guest quarters right after dinner, exhausted from the day's work. But tomorrow night, she and Actor would meet up with their Nazi handlers and head out into the North Sea in a U-boat. Tonight he needed to be with her.
She'd welcomed him into her warm bed, and he'd wrapped her in his arms, her scent and her taste filling his head. His body demanded immediate release, but tonight his soul needed to savor every soft curve, every light touch, every searching kiss. Tonight he took her slowly, gently, relishing her quiet, breathy moans, delighting in the pleasure he could give her. When she had finally drifted into sleep, he was still wide awake, listening to her peaceful breathing, unable to shut down his imagination.
When he shifted and tried to adjust the pillow at his back, she woke.
"Sorry, babe. Go back to sleep."
She tugged the blanket up around them and nuzzled in closer. He thought she'd drifted off again, until she whispered, "Are you afraid?"
His impulse was to deny ever being afraid of anything, but he hated lying to her. "Yeah. I guess it's just normal. Keeps ya focused, ya know?"
"That's what Chief said."
"Chief, huh? You been gettin' commando trainin' from the Indian?"
"We just talked."
He barked a laugh. "Well that's a red letter day right there."
With the tip of her finger, she traced ticklish little circles on his chest. "Why won't you admit that you two are alike?"
"Me and him? No way. I got way more class than him." Then a thought occurred to him. "Wait a minute. What, exactly, do you know about him?"
She laughed that musical giggle. "Don't worry. I just observe."
"Yeah, I bet you do."
The room grew quiet again, as he stroked her hair, long and silky across her shoulder. Around them in the darkness, the old house made nighttime noises, and the library clock chimed three. This time tomorrow night, she'd be among the enemy, under the North Sea, heading for the unknown and unpredictable. And all he could do was watch and wait.
"Casino?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm afraid."
He heard the anxiety in her voice. He slid back down under the blanket and pulled her against him, wrapping both arms around her slender shoulders, hugging her tightly. "I know, sweetheart. Me, too. But it'll be okay."
gg gg gg gg gg gg
Chief nudged the radio receiver with his foot. "That thing still workin'?"
They'd been sitting in the damp, cold marsh for over two hours, ever since Casino had hidden the bug inside the beachside cottage 200 yards away. They'd heard the two Germans arrive a half hour ago, but since then the radio had been eerily silent.
"Yeah, it's still workin'. They just ain't the talkative type, I guess."
Chief turned his attention back to the dim view through the binoculars. Actor and Sofia should be arriving any minute. To the north, Garrison and Goniff were on a moored Navy cruiser, trying to keep an eye on the U-boat that was out there somewhere. He hoped they weren't as blind as he felt.
"Man, I don't like this. I don't like this one bit," Casino griped again.
"Don't matter what you like." Chief had tried to ignore Casino's complaints, but it was getting harder.
"She has no business doin' this. The Warden had no right to make her."
"Don't recall the Warden makin' her do anything."
"You know what I mean. He asked. She couldn't say no."
Chief lowered the binoculars and looked at Casino. "You put a ring on her finger or somethin'?"
"No."
"You love her?"
"No." Casino paused and frowned. "Hell, no."
Chief turned back to watching the cottage. "Then quit bitchin'."
Through the darkness and the thick marsh grass, he could just make out the shuttered headlights as they pulled onto the path leading to the cottage. The car stopped. The lights flashed twice, then once, then twice again. Actor's signal to the Germans.
"They're here. Make sure that thing's still turned on."
"It's on, already."
The car pulled up next to the cottage, the headlights went out, and he heard the muffled thump of the car doors closing. Through the radio came the staticky sound of the cottage doors opening and people moving around. And conversation in German. Actor's voice was clear and distinct above the static.
"Damn. They're suppose to be talking Italian. I got no idea what they're sayin'." Casino adjusted a couple of dials and turned the volume up, as if that would solve the problem.
After a few more sentences, the conversation turned to Italian, and Casino heaved an audible sigh of relief. They both listened quietly, Chief still watching through the binoculars. To him it sounded civil, like everybody was getting along, and things were going as planned. But he still found himself holding his breath.
"Okay, they're heading down to the beach," Casino translated. "The U-boat's suppose to send a skiff for them."
Chief turned the binoculars eastward. In the moonless darkness, he could only make out vague shadows leaving the cottage, heading toward the water. Splashing, and the sound of oars in their locks, gave away the German Zodiac boat coming ashore.
Casino took the binoculars from him and trained them on the beach.
"Just past the breakwater," Chief directed him.
Casino continued to watch for another long minute, until he could no longer see or hear the boat. Then he got to his feet. "That's it, then," he sighed. "Actor better look out for her. And keep his hands off her."
Chief stood, too, picking up the radio receiver. "You just keep thinkin' about that apartment they'll be sharin'."
"Funny."
gg gg gg gg gg gg
This wasn't so much an apartment as it was a nicely appointed prison cell, but Actor had expected nothing more. Actually, he'd expected a lot less. When they'd first been escorted here, he'd done a thorough survey of the spacious room, which once must've been an executive office. It was now furnished as a second rate hotel room might have been. He'd found no camera. Something that size would be hard for the Nazis to hide. He knew there would be a bug, though, and he'd found it, cleverly hidden amid the ornate carving of a picture frame.
Now a book of poetry sat open in his lap, but he'd read the same lines over several times. Even the verses of Carducci couldn't hold his attention this evening. Actor relit his pipe and leaned his head back, taking a puff. This large upholstered chair was comfortable enough for sitting and reading, but he did not relish spending a third night sleeping in it. Sofia had complained that the small, lumpy bed wasn't much better.
Sofia. They'd come to get her just after they'd finished their dinner this evening, and she'd been gone for three hours. Their interrogators had questioned them separately several times, but this was the longest. He had to admit that she was performing remarkably well playing her role as the spoiled, petulant wife of a career diplomat. She had seemed to convince them that she was not involved with the espionage and knew nothing that would be of use to them. He had worked with professionals who were not as smooth and convincing as she was. But tonight's absence had him worried for her safety. He had not liked the way the silent, aloof Gestapo agent had watched her. The man left a uneasy tickle in the back of his mind.
He was instantly on his feet at the sound of footsteps in the hallway. The door was unlocked, and Sofia was ushered in by a uniformed guard. "Gute Nacht , Frau Domiano," he smiled. The door closed, and the lock clicked solidly back into place.
Actor embraced her in a bear hug, truly glad to see her. "Are you alright, cara?"
"I am fine, Renzo." She sighed and gave him a quick squeeze, then pulled away. "They insist on speaking German, though. It's such an ugly language."
He smiled at her. She was fluent in German, and spoke it like a native. But they had settled on speaking English when alone in their quarters, on the pretense that she preferred it after spending four years in London society. It appeared to be the language their questioners were least familiar with, although Actor had no doubt that whoever was listening at the other end of that bug was an excellent translator.
Sofia slumped onto the bed and leaned back against the headboard. "When are they going to let us go? We've given them your stupid documents and told them everything we know. Numerous times. They promised we could return to Milan."
"Soon, I'm sure. They're merely being thorough. We must be patient." He understood her oblique reference to being released, so they could effect their escape back to England. His own patience was eroding. Garrison and the others were out there in Brussels somewhere waiting for word. The Warden was surely devising an alternate plan by now.
"You must be exhausted," he told her. "Why don't you take a nice, long soak in the tub. It will help you sleep."
"Yes, that would feel good." She picked up her small travel bag and headed for the bathroom. As he watched her go, Actor once again admired her petite figure, curving in all the right spots. She couldn't even hide it under the old, oversized clothes he'd provided for her.
He settled back into the chair and listened to her splashing in the tub. In an attempt to ignore the images that evoked, he turned back to the poetry. But still the page blurred in front of him. If they had to stay here any longer, pretending to be husband and wife, this could become difficult. He had no qualms about performing all the duties of a real husband. In fact, he would have relished it and looked forward to it, if it had not been for Casino. He knew that if he truly wanted to, he could win her from the crude safe cracker. He just wasn't sure that was a side of Casino he wanted to provoke.
He looked up at the sound of the bathroom door opening. Sofia had washed her hair, and it hung damp and glistening around her pale shoulders. The short cotton robe she'd slipped on clung in spots to her wet skin. With her makeup removed, her natural glow lit the room and made his heart stop.
He found himself standing and going to her, slipping his hands under her loose robe, pushing it from her shoulders, caressing her smooth neck. "Bellisima Marcella...you put the loveliest flower to shame."
"Renzo..." Her smile faded as her dark eyes studied his. She shivered at his touch. "But maybe we should..."
He cupped her face in his hands, unable to fight the urge any longer. "Tell me if this is not the right time..." He ran a thumb lightly across her full, pink lips and they parted slightly with a small intake of breath. When he leaned in at the invitation, she accepted him, returning his tentative kiss with an increasing hunger that matched his own. Sliding the robe down her arms, he let it fall to the floor. She slowly and deliberately undressed him, first his shirt, then his slacks, each soft caress fueling his arousal. When he laid her beneath him, in wasn't the lumps in the bed that he felt.