When Holly came down the next morning, Raymond and Roger were already at work, reviewing their plans over breakfast. She picked up a plate, a bagel and a cup of coffee and sat down beside them, eager to learn more about the mission.
"So the crates will be stocked in the main cellar?" Raymond asked Roger between two bites of toast.
Roger nodded. "Yes. The goal is to lure Richard inside to inspect the merchandise, but to keep as many of his men outside as possible."
"Why?" Holly asked.
Roger gave her a quick look before returning to his documents, and Holly could sense that he was still upset with her. "Because," he started to say, as if the answer was obvious, "we want to catch them all at the same time if we can. We would be too cramped in the cellar for our men to capture them safely. It will need to be done outside. As for Richard, I will take care of him myself," he added dryly.
Raymond wiped his hands on a napkin and got up. "Okay, let's go see the grounds and the cellar now to get a clearer idea of how to proceed." He turned to Holly: "Would you care to join us?"
Holly ignored Roger's dirty look and smiled. "Of course!"
Outside, the sky was cloudless and the warm rays of the sun were gently caressing the grapes hanging heavily from the vines. As they toured the fields, Holly could not resist grapping a couple of ripe fruits and pop them into her mouth.
While Raymond and Roger discussed details of the plan, she let her eyes wander to the horizon. On one side, and beyond the fields, brown hills softly rolled out of sight. On the other, she could see the Pacific Ocean. The air was balmy yet fresh and sweet with the scent of the grapes.
"A paradise on earth," she said softly to herself.
She caught up with the men and asked Roger: "So is this place really yours?"
"Not yet, but I'm working on it. The government owns it now, because the last owner went bankrupt a few years ago. I'm planning on buying it after the operation. If all goes well, I should have it at a very fair price."
"So no plans to come back to Springfield?" Holly replied with what she hoped was a neutral expression.
She turned away but could feel Roger's eyes on her. "It would be difficult for me to do that while working with the CIA."
"I see." They walked on silently for a few minutes while they crossed the courtyard behind the house and until they reached the main cellar. Two solid wooden doors marked the entrance; behind those was a flight of grey stone steps that led underground. Holly could not help letting out a cry of surprise when she finally found herself in the main room. She had imagined the cellar to be a damp and cramped space, but nothing could be further from the truth. The first room was dimly lit with several torches affixed on the wall. There were a few shelves lining the wall opposing the entrance, stacked with bottles of wine. Next to those were a wooden desk with drawers and a chair. On the other side was a table and in a small alcove was a narrow bed hidden behind curtains.
"Why the bed?" Holly asked.
"I had it installed this summer," Roger replied. "I never got use to the California heat, and since it's always cool here, I preferred sleeping underground."
"Where does this door lead?" she asked again, nodding the only other exit to the room.
"To the cellars proper. They are to be kept in the dark as much as possible. The room is specifically made and oriented so that the humidity and the temperature won't fluctuate," Roger replied, pointing at the dirt floor and the vaulted ceiling.
"You're becoming quite the expert," Raymond remarked as he leaned on the entrance door.
"You know me, once I get passionate about something, it's hard from me to tear myself away."
Raymond nodded with a knowing smile. "So the crates will be in this room or the next one?" he asked, changing the subject.
"The next one. I figure that Richard and I will come in with both a few men. Since there will really be guns in the crates, we'll be able to keep up the charade for a few minutes while our men seize the gang outside. The walls are so thick that they won't hear a thing anyway.
"Then what happens?"
"You shut the power off, we overpowered them in here, and that's that."
"Seems pretty straightforward," Holly said.
"It's the ideal scenario, of course. Everything could still happen," Roger answered with a look of warning.
Holly raised her hands. "I know, I know! I will keep out of the way."
They exchanged a loaded look while Raymond took out his cellphone, seemingly ignorant of the tension pervading the room. "No reception," he announced to the others. "If you'll excuse me for a minute, I have to go make a phone call outside." He swiftly climbed up the stairs and closed the door behind him.
Holly and Roger stared at each other until Roger sat wearily on the bed and Holly moved to the table on the opposite side of the room. "Do you think he did that on purpose?" he finally said after a while.
"You mean leave us alone? I don't think so. He asked me last night not to discuss anything that could upset you until the mission is over."
Roger raised an eyebrow, suddenly more alert. "He did? When?"
"It was late and I ran into him in the hall when I couldn't sleep," Holly replied vaguely.
Roger eyed her suspiciously but only said "I see." He got up and walked to the door. He put his hand on the doorknob and gave it a jerk. The door flew open, letting the sunshine flood in.
Holly blinked and looked hurriedly away, blinded by the light. "You don't seriously think that he would try to lock us up in here? He seems more mature than our dear daughter on that point."
Roger could not help laughing. "You're right, it would have been a stretch. Still, Raymond is a master when it comes to mind games. I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't trying to use reverse psychology on you last night to get us to talk and air out our problems." He stood by the entrance, suddenly looking unsure of what to do next. "So, what now?" he asked after a few seconds.
"I don't know, Roger. You can leave if you want. You checked it yourself: the door is open."
Roger put his hand back on the doorknob. "Or we could stay here and talk for a bit. We don't have to be locked up to do that."
They exchanged a look and Holly sighed. "If you decide to stay, I want the whole truth. I'm tired of secrets, and I know that you're still keeping some big ones from me."
Roger ran a hand through his hair and slowly closed the door behind him. "Okay, Holly. Let's talk. But don't say I didn't warn you, you might not like what you'll hear."
He sat at the table next to her and looked at her expectantly. "Go ahead, fire away. Ask me anything."