The Italian Holly
"Hurry up there's no time to lose!" Ziva said, running down the steps that led to the road on which the Circumvesuviana was situated.
"Coming Ziva," Tony said, following her with slightly less pace.
"Come on DiNozzo," Gibbs said, passing him on the stairs.
"Why do I have to come? Why couldn't McLazy come?" Tony groaned.
"Because he's watching Vincent back at the house." Gibbs' reply was snappy and short as he raced towards the station.
"But why does he get to..." Tony trailed off.
"Leave this one to the grownups Tony, we know what we're doing," Ziva smiled.
NCIS
"Come on Salvador! Can't this thing go any faster?!" Sophie snapped at the elderly man.
"No it won't! Now shut up a sec," Salvador said icily.
"Papa, I want to go home," Maria complained to her dad.
"We have an important job to do here Maria," Maleri replied. "We'll be able to go home soon unless your pig headed brother squealed on us."
"Yes papa," Maria lowered her head before raising it just enough to catch Holly's eye. She winked at her.
"Matt," Holly breathed. "I think Maleri's daughter is on our side."
"No she isn't, she's the one who got us captured," hissed Matt.
"I dunno," Holly looked at Maria with pity in her eyes.
"You two! Shut up!" Patrizia yelled, backhanding Holly across the face.
"Patrizia, no violence, they'll be enough time for that later..." Sophie eyed Patrizia.
The vehicle stopped and Salvador turned to Sophie.
"That's as far as the bus can go, we'll have to walk the rest of it," Salvador sighed at Sophie.
"Right then," Sophie replied with a straight face. She turned to one of the two Italian men who had taken Matt.
"Giovanni, tenere la bomba," Sophie ordered. The words meant "hold the bomb". She handed over an ironically placed Target bag to Giovanni that must have contained the bomb.
"Ms Flanders, how do you plan to detonate it?" Maleri asked.
"Via my mobile phone," replied Sophie.
Holly smiled, she knew she could easily stop the bomb going off if she could pickpocket Sophie's phone and toss it.
"Holly," Maria moved slowly over to them as the adults disembarked. "I'm sorry, I truely am."
"Thanks, it means alot," Holly smiled at Maria. "I'm sorry too."
"Maria! Do not talk to trash like that!" Maleri yelled.
"Sorry papa," Maria hung her head in shame.
"We all ready?" Sophie asked. "Good, then let's climb!"
NCIS
"You do not understand! I need to get up the mountain now!" Gibbs snapped at the man in charge of the Vesuvio Bus.
"No, no pass, you no pass!" The man said in terribly grammared English.
"Just let me on the bus," begged Gibbs.
"Gibbs! There's a guy over here who'll give us a ride!" Ziva shouted. She pointed at a truck with just two seats and a back space.
"Please take my truck, if it is for family then I shall not interfere," said a bearded man who certsinly wasn't Italian.
"How much?" Gibbs pulled out his wallet.
"You don't have to..." the man said.
"Take it," Gibbs handed over the twenty Euro note. "Driving!"
"Shotgun!" Ziva replied.
"Back seat," moaned Tony, cursing.
NCIS
At the top of Vesuvius there were at least twenty tourists and Sophie cursed. She did not want to cause a scene.
"Trinket love?" a bearded toothless man approached her.
"No, do I look like a trinket sort of girl?" Sophie spat.
"If the shoe fits," the man replied. Sophie parted her leather jacket to reveal her gun.
"Sorry ma'am," the man quivered.
"Good, come on people!" Sophie beckoned to the kids and the other terrorists. She smiled as Giovanni handed over the Target bag.
"Sophie, please don't do this," begged Holly.
"Bombs away," cackled Sophie furiously, hurling the bag at the volcano, sending it rolling down the crater. But it did not break.
"You'll kill thousands, you'll kill yourself!" Holly snapped. By now a small crowd had gathered around the rim of the volcano, staring at the bag and the woman who'd thrown it.
"But it'll be worth it though," Sophie smiled. She reached into her jacket pocket. "Where's my phone? Where is it?"
She furiously turned out all her pockets but still she could not find her phone.
"I must have dropped it on the slope! Go and find it!" Sophie roared at Marco and Federico, the other Italian man.
"Yes signora," Marco bowed, running away.
Holly looked around, certain that she hadn't seen Sophie drop her phone and soon found her answer. The phone was peeking out of the pocket of Maria's cotton cardigan.
END OF CHAPTER
I do love Maria.
NEXT TIME: The team arrive on Vesuvius. Lives will be lost.