Taoramina, Sicily 3 Days Until Deadline
"Maybe we should have moved here," Kenny said, as they walked hand and hand down across the street from the gated Millani grandparent's villa, "Is this the honeymoon that you wanted?"
"I thought we would be having more sex," Max dead panned, as she looked at the picturesque villa, "Wow."
"The Millanis have good taste," Kenny commented, "Do you just want to walk up there? We don't even speak Italian."
"We picked up Greek pretty quickly, and maybe they speak English?"
"We hardly speak English anymore. Do you remember it?"
"I'm nearly fluent," Max replied, in their native tongue, "It feels weird. Should we just knock on their door? Tell them our car got stolen or something?"
"Or we could poke around the property ourselves. It doesn't look like anyone is home."
Max took a deep breath, "I don't know. Look. A car is leaving."
"We're not getting in there. At least not without blowing our cover."
"Yeah. What about the cemetery? Not to exhume him, but to . . . you never know."
Kenny caught the way she looked away from him quickly, "You want to say good-bye."
"I know that we don't have much time, but."
"It's okay, Sweetheart."
--Rome, WI
"We can't break out of this cell," Carlson said, "You know that as well as anybody."
"There are more of us then them," Carter said, "That has to count for something."
"We don't have any weapons," Jill argued.
"Mom? I have this," Matthew replied, pulling out a pocket knife.
Taormina, Sicily
Kenny watched from a short distance away, and Max stood staring at the Millani Mausoleum in silence. Don't be jealous, he told himself, she loves you. Hell, she married you yesterday. Who cares about her ex-boyfriend? He kidnaped her, and she even said that she didn't love him.
"Hi, Tom," Max said quietly, as she looked up at the massive building, "It's been a long time. I know that you can't hear me, or answer me. I'm sorry it took me so long to come, but there were, are, circumstances. I was hoping you could help me, send me a sign or something about these diamonds."
She fell silent at that, and pushed the door of the Mausoleum open gingerly. They're just dead bodies, she told herself, they can't hurt you.
"Bella! What are you doing?"
She looked back at her husband, "Well, it's open, Nik."
"You okay?"
She nodded, "I want to hate him, and I should. He destroyed my life, but."
"He did it because he loved you. He couldn't bring more evil into the world because of you. We've built a decent life together, Sweetheart. You and me?"
"That's the best thing that came out of any of this," Max replied quietly, as they made their way inside the marble structure, "This is beautiful."
"It's huge," Kenny replied, as he looked around at the marble columns and statues that decorated the place, "Wow."
Max linked hands with him, as they made their way deeper into the tomb, "It's all in Italian, and . . . I think the bodies are in the walls. Those look like handles."
"You okay with pulling him out?"
"No. Maybe there is something else here. Can we please do that part first?"
"Yeah. Believe me, I don't want to do that any more than you do."
Max ran her hand over Tom's name gently, and traced the letters with her fingers, "What the hell?"
She jumped back slightly, as a tray slid out. Swallowing in fear of his body coming out, she forced herself to keep her eyes open.
"It's a note," Kenny said quietly, "It's addressed to you."
"How did he know?" Max asked quietly, as she unfolded the paper.
Dearest Maxine,
If you're reading this, I am probably dead and you're running from my family. There is so much I want to tell you, and I'm sure you hate me for what I put you through. I'm surprised you even came to see me here. You made me a better person, and saved me from myself. Know that. If you believe anything I ever told you, believe that.
I left information in different parts of the world, as insurance. If you want to be truly free of my family, you have to find it all. I'm not going to write down the exact locations, in fear that someone else will find this note first.
1. The safest place to lock away your chocolate bars.
2. Back to the beginning.
3. X marks the spot.
Good luck darling, and Godspeed.
Love always,
Tom
Max gulped back the tears that threatened to spill, as she reread Tom's words. She felt her husband's arms tighten around her, before she handed the note to him.
"What does it mean?" Kenny asked, "He was pretty vague."
"I don't know," Max said quietly, as they walked back outside, "The safest way to lock away your chocolate bar? Zurich? Swiss chocolate? The bank? We already did that."
"So number two. Back to the beginning. Beginning of what?"
"Tom's life? His running? His family? Time? His crazy diamond plan? What? He was born in New York. His family immigrated from here. Beginnings?"
"We can't get into that villa."
"Yeah. Tom mentioned something . . . they only bought that after they made a lot of money in the States. Something about a small house, in a bad section of town. This was over 50 years ago though."
"It bears checking out," Kenny replied.
"I think we should go to New York too. Tom grew up in Brooklyn, that was his beginning."
"Definitely," Kenny agreed, "But while we're here?"
"Okay," Max said, "The internet again? Look at real estate transactions from 50 years ago?"
Rome, WI
"It's a start," Kneelson said, as he examined the pocket knife.
"We just have to get them close enough to use it," Jimmy added.
Taoramina, Sicily
"It's a strip mall," Max stated, as they looked at what used to be the Millani home, "I doubt there is going to be a sack of diamonds hiding under a stack of sweaters, Nik."
"No shit, Bella."
"You up for a trip to New York?"
Kenny smiled as he looked over at her, "Do you have any idea how European you look? Greek, even?"
"Wasn't that the idea? You don't scream American to me."
Kenny ran his fingers through her dark hair thoughtfully, "The idea was to blend in. It's going to be cold in New York, and you're standing here in a linen skirt and tank top. I'm not much better off."
"You want to shop?"
Rome, WI
"How is everybody this morning?" Skeeter asked, "Your accommodations aren't too cramped for you?"
"What do you want, Skeeter?" Jimmy asked.
"I brought you all breakfast, and to tell you that we haven't heard from your saviors yet. The clock is ticking."
"They're going to stick it to you," Carter said, "They've avoided all of this for more than two years, so you better watch out."
"Really? You better watch your mouth, or we might just shoot you anyway."
Taromina, Sicily
"We're flying out in a few hours," Kenny said, as they settled down at an outdoor café to eat lunch, "Bella?"
"I'm listening," she promised, as she pushed her hair out of her eyes, "I'm just processing everything I guess. We haven't been to the U.S. in more than two years. It'll be weird."
"It's not like we're going to Rome, Sweetheart," Kenny said, as he watched her fiddle with her hair, "I know it's a lot to deal with, again."
"I knew we would have to eventually. Am I a horrible person to want to hide in Santorini for the rest of my life? Be Isabella Kapali?"
"Isabella Kapali is an incredible woman. Sexy as hell too."
"Nik is pretty special too," she replied, as she laid her hand over his, "He always makes me feel better when I'm ready to give up."
"We're not giving up. We'll get what we need, or we'll find another way. We can do anything together."
Max smiled at that, "Part me just wants to burst in there shooting."
"That's my girl. Last time you missed me by a few inches."
"You should be grateful."
"Ahh, Senora Millani. Welcome," the host's voice cut through the air, "How are you today?"
"Millani?" Kenny asked quietly, as they turned their attention to the older woman at the entrance, "Who is that? It can't be the grandmother."
"That's Giorgio's wife. Alana Millani," Max said quietly, "Shit."
"Why is she here?"
"Hiding out until her husband's trial? They have a family compound here. We are on their turf now."
"Want to get out of here?"
"Oh, yeah. Now."
Rome, WI
"Good one, Carter," Kneelson said, after Skeeter left, "Piss him off more."
"What else can they do? They're not going to shoot us, or they won't get what they want."
"If they even come through with it," Jill added, "Why should we have any faith at all in them?"
Taoramina, Sicily
"You're kidding me," Max said, as they looked at their cancelled flight information, "It was the only one out for two days."
"Now what? There is a flight back to Santorini."
"We have to get to Rome."
"Wisconsin or Italy?"
"You're hilarious."
"What do you want to do when we get there? Just waltz in and tell them we don't have their diamonds, but please let everyone go? Come on, Bella, that won't work."
Max paused, as she looked up at him, "Their diamonds. What if we had different ones?"
"Meaning?"
"I do work at a jewelry store."
"You really thing Mikkos would give you 10 large diamonds? He likes you, Sweetheart, but not that much."
"Then we better figure out back to the beginning."
"Come on. Let's get the hell out of Millani land first."
Rome, WI
"We have faith in them because deep down they are still Kenny and Max, despite wherever they have been the last two years," Jimmy insisted, "They still have the same values and beliefs."
"I'm fairly certain that they're responsible for some of the deaths in all of this," Carter argued, "Killing a person in cold blood changes a person."
"What else do we have to believe in?" Jimmy said, "We can't get out of this cell."
Taoramina, Sicily
"I doubt we would have found anything in New York," Max said with a sigh, "He grew up there, but he knew that I wouldn't know where to look. Beginnings. Hmm."
"What are you thinking?"
"I'm not sure," Max sighed, as she looked out the plane window.
"Well we have a while until this plane lands."
"I didn't think we would being going back to Santorini so soon."
"It's as good as place as any. Plus we have free room and board."
"Nikoali? What if we have them come here? Tell them if they want their diamonds, they should come and get them."
"You're serious?"
"I don't know anymore. We don't have their stupid diamonds, and we don't have any idea where to look for them. We could at least get them out of that building, and maybe the FBI that is there could at least take some of them out."
"That's risky."
"So is everything else. We don't have a lot of options, short of walking in there and then getting shot."
"I doubt they would go for that?"
"What if we don't give them a choice? Tell them to get their asses here, or we destroy their diamonds. They aren't the only ones who can give ultimatums."
"They'll kill them, Bella, "You know that, and then they'll come after us."
"They haven't found us in two years," she argued weakly, before sighing, "You're right."
"Did I hear you correctly? Did you just say that I was right? It's intriguing though."
"Don't get used to it. What if we gave Skeeter another call when we get home?"
"You want to talk this time? I'm sure he is gunning for you big time."
"Yeah," Max said, as she looked out at the darkening sky, "Back to the beginning?
Santorini, Greece
"Hello?" Skeeter said, as he answered the phone.
"Hello, Skeeter," Max said quietly, as she and Kenny settled back into their bedroom, "How is your plot to terrorize and kill people going?"
"Max. It's good to hear from you. I assume that we'll be seeing you in a few days."
"You can assume anything you want. It doesn't mean it's going to happen."
"You won't let all of these people die. I know you better than that."
Kenny squeezed her shoulder, as she gritted her teeth and forced herself to do what they agreed on, "You know me? You know nothing about me, what my life is like now. What I am capable of. I am not Maxine Stewart anymore, and I am looking forward to putting a bullet in your brain."
"Try it. You'll be dead before you hit the ground."
"I'll take you with me. I'm calling to make a deal."
"I gave you my terms."
"Your terms suck. I'll give you mine now, and you can do what see fit with them. We have your diamonds," Max lied, "And we plan on throwing them in the deepest part of the ocean, if anyone that you are holding hostage is hurt. If there is so much a scratch or a bruise on them."
"I will kill them all if I don't get those diamonds."
"Come and get them."
"You are not in the position to threaten me."
"Then I guess we're at a stalemate, Skeeter," Max sighed, "It would be a shame for something so beautiful to be destroyed. No one would ever be able to tell that they were fake."
"You bitch."
"I've been called worse. Sometimes by my husband," she said, intentionally leaking some of the information about Kenny and herself, "Here is the deal. You get the diamonds, and everyone gets to go free and unharmed. We all go back to our lives."
"You two come here."
"No."
"No deal then. We'll kill everyone here, and come after you."
"You'll never find us, Skeeter. Even if you manage to trace this call you won't. My own mother wouldn't know me if she passed me on the street."
"Where would you like to meet?"
"I'll be in touch," Max said, as she hung up, "Well."
"You were brilliant," Kenny said, as he pulled her against his chest, "There is no way that the FBI is going to let all of them get on a plane, and fly here."
"They might not get a chance to stop them. Giorgio does have a private plane."
"Isabella."
"I know we have to go there. The element of surprise and all. Tomorrow?"
"You want to talk to Mikkos?"
"I don't know what to tell him. Do I just ask for 10 flawless diamonds? Somehow I don't think he would go for that."
He kissed her, "We could always find Tom's, but it's good to have a back-up. I doubt Skeeter would examine them right there."
"I'll go talk to Mikkos in the morning," she sighed, as she flopped back on their bed, "I'm so tired."
"How tired?" he asked, as he laid down next to her and wrapped his arms around her, "Bella?"
"Mmm, Nikoali," she whispered, wanting to forget everything for a few hours, "Kiss me."
Rome, WI
"That bitch," he hissed, as he stared at the phone, "She won't get away with this."