Romano was drinking another wine.
He'd already finished a cup a few hours earlier, and the light buzz was enough to make him feel a bit better. He had received no other texts, and it was beginning to worry him that they where becoming infrequent. Perhaps as the week ended, his chances of filling the ransom would fewer. He didn't like those odds, not at all.
He set his glass down at the tiny counter and glanced back at the computer screen. The map was definitely centered around San Paolo, the small collection of about fifty or so red tiled roofs perched atop the hill. The map displayed the small town, and the hills around it, and the winding, shallow river that tore across the white pebble of the river's bed.
So close. He was so, so close. And he knew that all they needed was one more text, one more sign, just a little bit more leverage and the whole thing would be done and over.
Ludwig was still passed out on the bed, exhausted from driving the whole night through. Tino was staring at the television, though his thoughts seemed to be elsewhere. Romano glanced back at his wine, before snatching it and taking another sip. He felt annoyed that they had to sit and wait, and be useless.
He felt entirely pointless, and vain, just waiting there for something to happen, when almost everything told him that they wouldn't get another message. That these people would just disappear, and along with them Antonio and Feliciano would as well.
He blinked rapidly. He could not cry. He couldn't be weak right now. Romano knew that it wasn't good to bottle up such emotions, but he knew that breaking down into an all too sober, crying mess wouldn't help anyone.
"Chiggi." He muttered to himself, finally setting the wine aside. He slowly moved across the small room to Tino, who lightly acknowledged him, and sat down nearby. The news wasn't much, simply a program about the weather. The camera showed dark clouds rolling in through the coast, up from Africa. That wasn't common. Most clouds just vanished over the Mediterranean.
But they where thick. And dark. It wouldn't be good weather for a while.
But then again, it was just how Romano felt. Dark, and pointless, and just rolling by.
"You should get some sleep." Tino said softly.
"I-a don't want to."
"But you need to. If you ever want to save those two, you need to save your energy."
Romano blinked at the man, who didn't say anything more. His proud, stubborn attitude told him not to listen, to do what he wanted, but he knew that Tino was right. So, reluctantly, he shuffled over to the couch and collapsed.
Sleep came quicker than he imagined.