CHAPTER FOUR
"This is amazing!", Bandit couldn't help but exclaim in awe, while passing photo after photo on the tablet. "I´m pretty sure that these are the right fashion for the times of the lady, but this is real bling! And Oh! They found her steel ring also!"
"What about its monetary value?"
"They seem to be made of solid gold...But this finding is unheard of, its true value is in its rarity. I´m pretty sure my Italian colleagues will get a better idea than me about everything".
"Call them, they must be at the unit already, they were nearer"
Bandit obeyed promptly.
A very happy Dino could be heard at the phone.
"Bandit did you see the photos!?"
"Yeah! I did!"
Brando chuckled. Bandit and Dino´s enthusiasm was almost childlike.
THIS EPISODE OF THE HEELERS IS CALLED: RISK
At the end of their chat, they got somethings clear: Dr. Pug had made a very thorough study about the findings, dating the original jewels accordingly to the entombment year. Lucia was buried while using her jewels, including her two wedding rings. The jewels were made of gold, emeralds and opal and they weren't the ones at the museum, although those were not a forgery but might correspond to another unclassified finding, so, the real finding was lost, as well as the files by Dr. Pug that were archived in the museum.
"And", added Brando, "We have discovered that Dr. Pug´s administrative assistant is married to the chief of the works where the finding was made..."
Bandit looked at him astonished.
"We are following her", said the detective seriously.
Seconds after, the radio got a call.
"Ecco Collie", said a female voice.
"Ecco Maremma"
"L'assistente non si trova da nessuna parte. La sua padrona di casa ha detto che se n'è andata in fretta con la sua macchina!" (The assistant is nowhere to be found. Her landlady said she left hurriedly in her car!)
"Cavolo!" (Crap!")
Bandit listened to Brando speaking hurriedly in clipped tones to his colleague, almost barking something he interpreted as orders.
The detective accelerated his car noticeably.
"We need to catch the assistant; she might have fled... we are the nearest to her most possible location..."
Bandit gulped. "Righto", he said.
Suddenly, a car matched their speed and got to their side in a reckless way.
"Now! Get into my car!", yelled a very familiar voice.
"What are you doing here?!", exclaimed Brando and Bandit at the same time.
"Chilli how did you learnt to drive a car from the left!?", Bandit stared at Brando accusingly.
"Oh! I´m not to blame!", he said to Bandit. "Now, stop this persecution Chilli, I can arrest you for interfering in the investigation!"
"Oh, you won't! You need to leave the civilian behind so you can pursue your suspect freely! I´m offering you a way out..."
Seconds later, Bandit was unceremoniously transferred from one car to another.
"Babe, what are you doing here?!", asked Bandit, "And where did you get a car?"
"Well, as you said, I´m not the kind of woman that just sits and wait, so I followed you. Dino told me about the missing assistant and Luna had lent me the car when she drop me off in the hotel, in case we needed it".
"I see...Thanks babe"
"Now, this street goes in just one direction, so we must follow Brando for a little bit"
The night grew darker and darker, and some rumbling noise could be heard.
"It seems it's going to rain", she said.
He sighed. "So much for romance in Rome, uh?"
She smiled at him. "Well... it´s been very romantic from a certain point of view...don´t stress yourself about it".
He smiled.
Both were in silence until a car got to their side with a very a dangerous move.
A very angry looking dog got his window down and yelled at them: "Ehi voi due! Smettila di inseguire mia moglie!" (Hey you two! Stop chasing my wife!).
Chilli yelled back. Bandit could see fear flashing in her eyes for a second. "Non sappiamo nemmeno chi sia sua moglie, signore!" (We don't even know who your wife is, sir!).
"Sì, certo, archeologi!" (Yeah, sure, archaeologists!).
"CHILLI!", Bandit yelled. "HE HAVE A GUN!"
He didn't even notice how, but now Chilli was driving at speed´s edge, so much so that the world around them was just a blur of dull colours in the night.
She was focused on the road; a concentration line appeared between her brows. "Try to cover yourself in the seat and tell me if he is following us!", she almost barked with anxiety.
Bandit did as she told. "Yes babe, he´s following us", he confirmed with dread.
"Call Brando", she said, digging her foot even deeper into the accelerator. She turned on the wipers for the rain had started to pour heavily.
"C´mon Mate! Answer!"
"Mate?". Chilli couldn't help but chuckle despite the circumstances.
"There´s no answer!", he checked behind them again. "He´s pointing at us with the gun!"
"Well, I think I´m almost at full speed, Bandit... we have just a tad more... we need to get to Brando, so he sees us".
Either they would get to find the detective, or have a car crash at this speed, or the engine might fail, or they could be catch for the guy with the gun. "We´re doomed!", he thought.
He breathed in deeply and looked at her. "Chilli I love you with my life...", he said while going for the door handle.
"DON´T YOU THINK ABOUT IT!", she yelled desperately, while activating the lock of the doors.
"What I´m supposed not to think about?!"
"You was about to jump, don't you?!"
"...How did you...?". He was astonished, had she read his mind?
"Oh! You was!", she exclaimed. "You was planning to offer yourself to that mad guy to give me a chance to slip away?!"
He gulped. Yes, she had read his mind.
"Well, that's a very bad plan, Bandit Heeler, you would have been dead at the first touch of the floor at this speed! And I wouldn't have gone away!"
Bandit almost yelled back. "Then what should we do?!"
She suddenly opened her eyes in realization. "We are in the outskirts of Rome, is this the road to the airport?"
"I think it is"
"Then, there's a tunnel followed for a dangerous curve not far away".
"Babe, what are you planning to do?".
"The engine of this car is not going to resist too much more...", she said as if talking to herself. "Do you trust me, Bandit? I´m about to do something very dangerous..."
He smiled to her encouragingly. "I trust you with everything I am".
They were about to enter the tunnel. A lone tear ran down Chilli´s cheek.
"I love you Bandit, I really do", she said and pressed the accelerator to it´s very limit.
Bandit couldn't believe it, it only took ten seconds.
Chilli had manoeuvred the car at full speed and turn to the opposite side of the curve at the end of the tunnel, passing just in front of a boulder. Then, the sound of a crashing car just behind them got to his ears.
At that very moment their car stopped functioning.
Chilli was frozen.
"C´mon babe, let's get out of here!", he said, helping her out.
They ran. He guided her to a group of shrubs near there.
She was breathing anxiously. "My god I hope he´s not dead!".
He hugged her. "Oh, I love you Chilli...", he said. Maybe some nonsensical talk could be useful to calm her? "Hey where did you learnt to drive that way?!", he asked chuckling.
"Risky driving lessons. A practical course just in case I needed it".
"Why would you need to learn risky driving?!"
"If I do my job properly there´s no security crisis, this is in case I don't", she said while looking to the road. "What was your last practical course about?", she suddenly asked.
"Good... she´s starting to calm herself", he thought. "Palaeoentomology".
"Dead bugs?"
"So rude! ANCIENT dead bugs, thank you!"
They were still holding into each other, both trembling from the ordeal and the rain soaking their fur in the middle of the night.
Suddenly they saw the limping form of a dog with a bag, walking at the fastest pace he could in their direction.
"He´s alive!" They both said, with relief and worry in equal measure.
They held into each other even more tightly, looking into each other eyes, their limbs tied together as in a knot.
"I got your back babe, I´ll always do", he whispered.
"I know, for you are my true love. Bandit, you can count on me, always".
The guy was nearer and nearer. They held their breath.
Chilli tightened her grasp in Bandit´s shoulders and shut her eyes. Bandit hold her tightly and covered her head with his.
He kept watching, until the dog passed in front of the bush where they were hiding and then, walked away.
Then, Bandit saw something gleaming tantalisingly in the bag. He gasped.
"Chilli, he´s gone", he whispered.
"He is?", she looked outside. The dog had disappeared into the distance.
He chuckled, relieved. " Yeah, and guess what".
Chilli looked at him quizzically.
"He have the jewels".
She opened her eyes wide. "His wife is just distracting the police!".
"... Yeah... I bet she's doing it against his will...that's why he tried to stop us".
Chilli sprang up suddenly.
"Hey, Where are you going?!"
"He's going away! We must follow him so we can give his location to the detectives!"
"What? No way! It's too dangerous, babe!"
"He's limping!", she said while walking hurriedly.
"Chilli stop, he might be still armed!"
"Bandit, he's running away with hundred years of history!"
He smiled at that, he had to give her credit for caring about it.
She sprang into a full run.
"What?! No, Chilli stop!".
He couldn't run as fast as she. "She has gone bananas with adrenaline! I must stop her, but how?!"
An idea occurred to him. He needed to act quickly.
He smiled with determination and yelled at the top of his lungs.
"MARRY ME!".