Chapter 5
Armed with all the remaining money she could withdraw from her bank account and those she picked up from begging, Ali began her long journey down to Sicily. She took the D-Bus as far as she could and only stopped at cheap guesthouses to rest during the night. Every single moment she spent in Italy, she couldn't help but reminisce the happy times she spent with Littlefoot. All those days they've spent in Italy, culminating in their visit to Venice where they rode the gondolas built specifically for dinosaurs.
Those were all moments she wished to relive. Oh how stupid it was for her to unleash her rage on her boyfriend and push him away. If she had controlled her emotions, things might not have become what they were now. Three days of travelling later, Ali finally arrived in Villa San Giovanni, a town which by coincidence bore the same last name as the man she was about to meet. Her ferry was scheduled for 1933 hours and upon boarding, she climbed up onto the passenger area.
Standing near the railing, she remembered the time Littlefoot was by her side. Together they admired the sunset, feeling an air of romance blowing around them. At that point both had feelings for each other but they were afraid of admitting it for fear of being rejected by the other. Somehow the scene also reminded Ali of her adoptive sister's experiences. She remembered hearing her talking about how she grabbed her husband's arms during the sunset which contributed to her winning his heart later on.
Funnily enough, there just so happens to be an Alfa Romeo 2000 Spider sitting in the vehicle hold and this particular Alfa Romeo was also red. It wasn't James' but it did remind Ali of the fact that her adoptive sister mentioned her husband's Spider being "as red as an Italian Red Head could be". By the time the ferry reached Messina, the sun had gone down and Ali hurriedly took the D-Bus into Palermo, the capitol of Sicily where according to the locals, Don Giovanni was headquartered in.
Since she had no idea where the Don actually was, Ali decides to enlist the help of the local taxi drivers. Naturally they were all caught off guard when she asked if they knew where Don Giovanni's compound was, given the fact that her clothing she wore made her seem more like a hobo(which ironically she was)than someone who was affiliated with a powerful Mafia boss. Most refused her request out of respect for Robert Giovanni but one agreed to take her there on the condition that he would drop her off a few blocks away.
He also charged extra due to the increased amount of risk he perceived. Ali didn't mind paying the extra; she just wanted to get to Giovanni. The guards at his compound were a little surprised when she asked to see their boss but they allowed her in under escort from a couple of members of Roberto's security team. The man himself sat in his father's office and a portrait of the late Marcus Giovanni, who passed away in a heart attack, could be seen hung just above the fake fireplace.
"Pretty casual wear for the adoptive daughter of the late Richard Nightingale." He remarks. "So, what brings you here?"
"I need you help with my ex." She answers. "In exchange, I will give you the whereabouts of the children of Daniel."
"You know Daniel?"
"I adopted his little ones Max and Danielle."
"Why don't you just send them to me once I've finished the job?"
"Because they are currently in James' hands."
"How can Don Burnett have them… Oh wait, he kidnapped them to keep the lid shut."
"Exactly."
"Okay, what is it that you want done?"
"I want you to cripple his business."
"You're going to have to give me details."
"It's called Great Valley Airlines and the headquarters is located here." Ali places a piece of paper on the Don's table.
"Ah, the old Federal Bank building." An off topic question drifted into Don Giovanni's mind. "So, where do you live now? Still the old house?"
"No, Littlefoot and Cera bought it. I'm homeless."
Though Ali dreaded that question, she answered anyways and she answered truthfully. If you need someone like Don Giovanni to help you, you'd best not be lying to them unless you want to sleep with the fishes yourself. Initially Don Giovanni was a little hesitant to betray his longtime ally to help the homeless adoptive daughter of a dead businessman, he realized the reward was simply too great for him to pass up. If he could get his hands on Max and Danielle, he could very easily bring down the current Capo Di Tutti Capi and return the Mafia to its Italian origins.
While James Burnett was Italian and his family had been living in Italy since several generations back, the name "Burnett" itself was not Italian but either of Saxon, Norman or French origin. Besides, James himself also admitted to the fact that he knew his origins when he said "I shall take his position and let Italy be ruled by a true Italian." While making a deal with the late Don Marcus Giovanni.
Due to security concerns, Cera and Littlefoot were temporarily moved from her residence in Menton to a Villa in Roquebrune Cap Martin, one of James' many properties. Security at this particular villa was also beefed up, with the regular guards being replaced with professional mercenaries who were highly paid. Security at their residence in Menton remained the same to give the impression that no one was aware of the fact that there might be a potential hit.
Security at the compound where Max and Danielle were kept was also beefed up, only this time the mercenaries were brought in to supplement the Soldatos who would remain on duty. The number of QRF teams was increased from one to four and a couple of armored GMC Yukons with M134 Gatling Guns were brought in to increase the amount of firepower the defenders could bring to bear in the event of a raid or attack. James also enlisted the help of his wife Charmaine, who recently sold off Nightingale Shipping and founded Nightingale Private Security Corporation with Julius and Melania, two of her high school friends.
Due to James' requirement for military precision in this fight, he needed all the expertise he could pull in and the three were perfect if he needed close surveillance. Their new line of small but efficient unmanned drones would be used to give those manning the nerve center at one of James' suites located on the third floor of the Casino Royale, which was now owned by none other than Sonny Crockett. He of course had no idea what was going on and didn't bother to check on Don Burnett even after seeing all the specialized equipment being moved in.
"Nerve center is up and running." Charmaine reported to her husband. "Surveillance is online, security has been beefed up. What's next?"
"I'll have to chat with Don Giovanni to reach a compromise." He answers. "Marcus wouldn't be too happy if I just went up to his son and blasted him with a Lupara."
"I wouldn't be too." She chuckles. "Heck, I'd probably be pissed to the point where I'd gun you down myself!"
"Don Burnett!" One of the Soldatos interrupted. "Roberto Giovanni is here to see you."
Charmaine didn't need her husband to ask for her to excuse herself, she just did it on her own. This was a very crucial meeting, one which would definitely decide whether or not war would go down between the once great friends. Tensions were high between their organizations all thanks to Ali and both Mafia Bosses agreed that they should find a more peaceful end to their conflict. Charles might've destroyed the Commission during his power grab but these two Dons were more than willing to discuss the situation and resolve their differences without resorting to Luparas and Tommy guns.
"Benvenuto." James greeted. "Italian or English?"
"English since your name is of Saxon origin." Roberto answers.
A subtle jab, but not one James felt, though he knew what his counterpart was trying to achieve. He had already accepted the fact that he wasn't a true blood Italian.
"Let's get straight to business." He said. "So, tell me what you must."
"I am offering you a peaceful end to this little dispute of ours." Giovanni began. "You see, my organization knows you have some important assets in your possession. Hand over Daniel's two little ones and all will be settled."
"Sounds more like an unconditional surrender of my powers. If I do so, my organization will become nothing more than a powerless puppet."
"That's my offer, Don Burnett."
"I give you a counter offer; that you and I work together to take down Ali, then I shall hand you something interesting to begin MAD. You hold something, I hold something; mutually assured destruction."
"A good offer, but one I must refuse. I, Don Giovanni, will fulfill my promises to those who ask for help."
"Well then…" James sighs. "Seeing that I am not accepting your offer and you're not accepting mine, I have no choice but to let you go empty handed."
"Ciao, my friend."
Roberto Giovanni gets up from his seat and turns towards the exit without bothering to shake his associate's hand. It was the start of yet another Mafia war, yet James couldn't help but feel slightly playful in this situation.
"Don Giovanni!" He said, causing his rival to stop in his tracks.
BANG
The shot causes him to jolt in surprise but oddly, he could feel no pain or any feeling one would feel after being shot. Still curious about what had just happened, he turns around and finds James pointing a Smith & Wesson Model 36 revolver at him. It looked like a real gun and there was a faint trail of smoke coming from the barrel. There was also the smell of gunpowder in the air yet he could not find a bullet entry hole even after checking his body once more.
"Friendo, I ain't as dishonorable as my father." He laughs. "This is a blank gun."
Annoyed at the fact that his rival could find amusement in a time like this, Don Giovanni rolls his eyes and leaves without saying anything, shaking his head in disbelief. Oh, if only their friendship could last longer, maybe he could come back with a blank gun of his own and fire back in revenge.