Massimo didn't know what to think of Giulia's plan.
Her idea was to borrow old Bernardi's van, paint it to look like the laundry service the lab had a contract with, have Massimo drive it, and then act as a worker. Meanwhile, Giulia will free Luca and Alberto and hide them in one of the carts. Then they would meet in the underground parking lot, load the boys into the vehicle and bring them home.
The two were sitting at the kitchen table; Giulia had drawn her plan in a notebook resting at the center.
"They can stay here until the ice melts," she thought, "taking turns in the tub."
Many details still needed to be resolved, but at the moment, her main goal was to get them out of that horrible place; and out of Ercole's reach.
After learning that they wanted to dissect them and that they expected her to clean the torture chamber, Giulia had to go to the cafeteria, eat one of those disgusting lunches, and then to the bathroom; she vomited everything, staining her skirt a little, it was convincing enough to be sent home, at that time she could not enter the lab, the memory of the tomentum was too fresh, if Giulia went back she would remember every detail, the screams of her friends, the blood-
No, she couldn't.
Instead, she used the rest of the day to go back to town, then to a restaurant, needed a warm place after what she saw, and began planning the robbery.
Her mind raced as she thought of all the blind spots, the escape route, where to get the vehicle- she focused so much that for a moment, Giulia forgot her pain. At least until she got home where the girl couldn't hold it anymore, all the sadness dragged out to rub as she took refuge in her father's arms.
After getting it all out, clarity returned to her head, and it was time to share her plan with her dad since there was no way she could do it alone, and of course… She had to reveal the truth about Luca and Alberto.
She didn't know if he would believe her, stories of sea monsters were famous in all coastal towns, but nobody saw them as more than that, fairytales. Even her dad, who came from a long line of fishermen, the best at telling those stories, was skeptical about it.
Giulia only remembered the stories that dad told her before bed, the same ones that her grandfather had passed on to them.
Giulia looked at her father; Massimo's eyebrows were raised, looking with eyes wide open at the notebook; his gaze went from the pages to his daughter, over and over again.
Giulia had both hands under the table; this plan would only work with his help.
"Papá," she said in a small voice.
"Giulietta I… I-"
Frankly, Massimo didn't know what to say; his daughter had dropped a bomb on him with no chance to seek refuge.
One, the friends she had bragged about so much were sea monsters.
Two, she wanted to borrow one of his oldest friends' van for a robbery.
Three, and the icing on the cake; she wanted to rob a U.S. government facility.
It was too much to handle.
Giulietta was always an impulsive, imaginative, and creative girl, but she talked about committing a crime! Also- sea monsters? What fantasy did she think she lived in? Although... she had never been a liar, she always spoke the truth... so... could it be true? Were those old stories real? His grandfather and father were right?
Too many thoughts were going through his head, so many that he had to get up and walk to the old trunk they had in the living room.
"Papá?" Giulia asked, peeking out from the doorway.
"I'm sorry, Giulietta, but this is too much."
He took out a tequila from the box, returned to the kitchen, poured himself a glass, and drank it in one gulp. Giulia opened her eyes; she had never seen him do anything like that; usually, he took his time, savoring each sip.
Massimo hated to admit it, but the drink did help clear his head a bit.
"Giulietta… we are talking about committing a crime, a serious one; we could go to jail for life."
Giulia nodded.
«Bloody hell,» she thought, preparing herself for the worst; her father would take her crazy and send her to the asylum that same night.
"And you want to involve old Bernardi."
Giulia lifted one foot and spun it on the ground.
"We'd just ask for his van."
"He can be charged for complicity."
Giulia bit her lip; she hadn't thought about that.
"And all to save… save… some fish."
"Papá, they're not just fish... they're my friends," she replied, almost pleading.
She understood his doubts; she asked too much of him without proof that Luca and Alberto existed...
"A proof."
Her eyes widened as she remembered that she did have one.
"Wait here," and she ran upstairs, then objects were heard falling, furniture being dragged, and Machiavelli's cry of surprise.
The cat ran down the stairs, entered the kitchen, and with one jump, landed on Massimo's shoulder; they both looked at each other, feeling worried about Giulia. They had never seen her act so desperate.
When the girl returned, she had in her hands the doll that the boys made for her; she gave it to her father.
"They made this to me; they only had the bones of the meat fed to them... and they still did it because I mattered to them." Giulia stepped back a little, pointing to herself with both hands, "because they love me, every time I walk into that lab, they're happy to see me, all the time, every day."
She sighed, stopping for a moment, the emotions had been piling up in her chest, and now they were leaving her body uncontrollably.
"When they look at me... The way they look at me! They don't know I'm a weirdo; or that I don't belong," she sniffled, "they see me as I am, for who I am."
Giulia closed her eyes, remembering all the good times she spent with them. Luca's big eyes looked at her with love; the smile Alberto showed her every time she brought him something new; Luca's desire to learn. How they cared more about her than themselves when they were tortured. She gathered air and let it out; she was sure that these last words would define if her dad would help her...
Or not.
"When mom got sick, I couldn't do anything for her."
She saw that Massimo raised his eyebrows again; he was about to hug her, but she stretched out an arm and pointed at the chair with her head.
Massimo understood that she wanted to finish first, so he sat down again.
"I know you will say that I was by her side, that I made it as pleasant as possible... but I couldn't cure her, I just watched as the disease took her little by little... Without being able to do anything."
The tears reappeared in his eyes; it was incredible, for all she had cried that day, she hoped that there wouldn't be any more tears, but they kept coming from somewhere. She closed her eyes and looked away for a moment before seeing again to her father.
"But now I can... I can save them! Or at less try! Papá, I will not be able to live with myself knowing that I left them at Ercole's mercy."
And after that, she couldn't take it anymore; every muscle in her body ached; she sat with her knees on the ground and held her head between her two hands. She had gone through so many emotions that she was exhausted, physically and mentally. Giulia had given everything, now; she could only hope that was enough to convince papá.
Because... she didn't know what she would do.
Massimo watched his daughter collapse after taking everything out; he was... moved. Giulia had never spoken like that about anyone; now he understood.
He also suffered seeing how the disease took Monica little by little, without him capable of doing anything. It was one of the worst sensations in the world, the helplessness one felt when seeing the suffering of a loved one.
"If someone had told me that there was a cure for Monica, even if it was at the end of the world, I would have gone for it. If tomorrow they told me that Giulia's life's in danger and that I had to rob a bank to save her... I would do it. I would do anything to not sit idly by."
Massimo found himself looking at the doll again.
"They love her."
He couldn't help but cry; two people in the world loved his daughter as much as he did.
"Luca and Alberto returned my little girl her smile; I will be eternally grateful to them."
Massimo knelt down next to his daughter, placing a hand on her shoulder; Giulia took her hands away from her face and looked at him. Massimo smiled at her reassuringly.
"We'll do it."
Giulia smiled for the first time in the whole damn day, feeling hopeful; Luca and Alberto would be free from that dreadful place.
Without saying a word, she hugged her father, wrapping her arms around his neck; Massimo hugged her back; the flame in her heart had no rival; he was proud of being her father.
The doorbell rang.
The tender moment was interrupted, the two separated and looked into the room, the lights were off, and no other noise was heard, but someone was outside. Massimo stood up, looking in the dark space, then looked at Giulia.
"Someone knows?"
Giulia shook her head; it couldn't be. She had told Ercole that Luca and Alberto only looked at her at work, but nothing more; there would be no way anyone knows about them... Right? Was there a hidden camera she wasn't aware of? Had Ercole gotten suspicious and sent someone to follow her? And now they knew the whole plan... The worst scenarios were piling up in her head; if she fell... so would they.
Seeing so much fear on his daughter's face did not help Massimo at all, but he told himself to keep it together. The situation was delicate, but he could handle it...
The doorbell rang again.
... no matter the cost.
"Stay here," he whispered as he grabbed a knife, one of the biggest and sharpest, "if anything happens, get out the back door."
Giulia nodded.
"With old Bernardi," her subconscious reminded her.
Massimo put the knife in the pocket of his apron and went to the door; he didn't bother to turn on the light; he knew that space perfectly; the darkness would give him an advantage.
"Who's there?" He asked; thank God his voice was always serious.
"Good evening, excuse the hour, but… is this Mr. Marcovaldo's house?"
"Who's asking?"
"Oh well… I don't know if you remember me, sir. But I used to live in the town as a child, sometimes I played with your daughter, Giulia."
Hearing that voice, Giulia knew who it was; she came out of her hiding spot and peeked out just as her father opened the door.
"Oh, thank God, I was afraid that you had changed address, Mr. Marcovaldo," Guido said after letting out a great sigh of relief.
"Three generations of my family had lived here, and hopefully so will the next one."
Guido nervously laughed.
"Good to see you haven't changed, sir."
Massimo smiled; Guido looked under the fisherman's arm and spotted Giulia; his eyes lit up.
"Giulia!" He said happily.
"Guido… what are you doing here?"
Guido was about to answer but closed his mouth and looked over his shoulder.
"I'd rather discuss it inside."
...
After turning all the lights on, Massimo made some coffee, put out three cups, and filled them before sitting down.
"Thank you, Mr. Marcovaldo," Guido thanked as he grabbed his.
"Please, Massimo is more than enough."
Guido nodded before taking a drink.
"Okay, Guido, you said you wanted to talk to me," Giulia mentioned. She didn't feel like drinking, but something told her she was gonna need the caffeine.
Guido lowered his cup and looked at her very seriously.
"Giulia, I need your help" he looked at his drink and then at the girl's eyes, "you saw what happened today; Ercole is obsessed with killing them... and I can't allow it."
That did take her by surprise; she exchanged glances with her father, he was just as stunned; they both turned to see him.
"I've seen you with them, I know you care for them... and if I'm honest, so do I... they're extraordinary, I've never seen beings like..."
"Luca and Alberto," she interrupted him.
Guido was surprised.
"Luca and Alberto?"
Giulia nodded.
"Those are their names."
Guido's eyes widened, and he moved closer to Giulia.
"You name them?"
She shook her head.
"No, they... they told me."
It seemed that Guido's brain was going to explode.
"Did they tell you? With signs? Did they write it or…? Giulia… can they talk?"
"Guido!" She replied with such a terrifying look; that the scientist backed away, hitting his back to the chair. "I will answer any questions you have, but first, answer mine. You said you needed my help, exactly for what?"
Guido adjusted his tie; of course, his scientific enthusiasm had taken over him. He had to deal with this issue more seriously; everything would be lost if they failed.
"Of course, forgive me," he drank a little more before continuing: "Giulia, we can't let Ercole kill the sub… Luca and Alberto; it would be a crime to destroy something as beautiful as them."
Giulia felt that Guido saw them with more scientific than moral value, like something to be studied, not as people. But it was fine, and when they guaranteed their safety, she could show him how Luca and Alberto were equal to him; for now, the best thing was to know what he was up to.
"I agree with you."
Guido smiled; maybe, this would turn out better than he had expected.
"Perfect, because what I am going to ask you… is life or death."
"More details, please," Massimo said suddenly, in that grim tone of his.
Guido shrank in his seat and swallowed hard; maybe he shouldn't have said that in front of her father...
"Of course- Giulia," he looked into her eyes again: "I need your help to get them out of the laboratory."
The mouths of father and daughter plummeted, so much so that they looked like those of fish.
"Idiot!" Guido scolded himself. "You shouldn't have dropped it like that; you should have gone more calmly."
"Giulia," he continued nervously, perhaps he could still correct things, "I know I'm asking a lot, but please listen to me."
"Giulia," he continued nervously, maybe he could still correct things, "I know I'm asking much, but please listen to me."
In that, she stood up and left the kitchen, Guido followed her with his eyes as she walked away, always calling her name, but she ignored him. Guido returned his attention to her father.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Marcovaldo, please, it's not my intention..."
But Giulia returned with her notebook, left it in front of Guido, and placed herself next to her father; the scientist looked at the notes, then at them.
"What's this?"
"Let's just say that the Marcovaldo team took the lead," Giulia looked at her father, and they smiled at each other.
Guido didn't seem to understand, but he only needed to look at the notes to realize what it was about. He began to read very carefully, reviewing every detail and analyzing if it was viable.
"Very clever, everything seems fine," Giulia smiled, feeling proud of herself, "except for a few details."
The smile disappeared; Guido lowered the notebook and looked at her.
"Don't forget your card registers your entry and exit from the laboratory. They will know that you were the last one to enter before the robbery."
Giulia bit her lip; she hadn't thought about that.
"And Ercole has cameras everywhere; even if he doesn't record you when you free them, he'll find it strange to see you with a laundry cart."
Giulia snapped her fingers; she forgot about that too.
"Luckily, I can help you take care of those details."
Guido put his briefcase on the table, opened it, and took out a small black square object; it had a stopwatch on the front.
"What's that?" Massimo asked
Guido made a face before replying:
"An Israeli bomb."
Giulia and Massimo stepped back.
"Don't worry, it's not activated."
Even so, none of them calmed down. Guido preferred to put it in the briefcase again, but even out of sight, it didn't seem to calm them.
"Where did you get that?" Giulia asked.
"Do you know those two old ladies who live downhill? They are war veterans; you would be surprised what they can get."
Father and daughter just turned their eyes to see each other, and then returned them to Guido; he rolled his eyes and continued explaining his plan:
"This is what we'll do. Giulia, you will finish your shift as usual; then leave the facility. But instead of going to the bus stop, you will go to the south part of the building. There you'll find a door that leads to a corridor; only authorized personnel like scientists and the military knows of their existence. It's exclusively for emergencies."
Giulia nodded, the gringos and their paranoia; classic.
"That's why there are no cameras. I'll be waiting for you there with the cart ready; I will open the door and give you the keys to the chains; for that, I must have already planted the bomb at the power plant. When it explodes, everything will be turned off, the cameras, the doors, only the emergency lights, and the alarm will remain."
Giulia nodded.
"Before that, you should already be at the door of E-3."
"But Ercole will see me."
"No, after meeting with you, I will go to his office to distract him so that you can move freely; when the chaos begins, I'll make sure to delete the recordings."
Giulia smiled; that would be a blow to Ercole.
"You'll have ten minutes to free them before the generator kicks in and reactivates everything."
"And I should be ready in the parking lot to escape," Massimo entered the conversation.
Guido nodded.
"I would recommend that you take out the guard at the entrance; I think you could-"
"Don't worry; I'll handle it," Massimo smiled at saying that.
Guido felt a bit intimidated; the whole town knew that the fisherman had a heart of gold, a kind and sensitive man, loved by the entire community. But he also knew that when he got angry, no force on earth could contain him, in addition to the fact that his size and musculature were always imposed.
Meanwhile, Giulia repassed everything Guido told her; it was good, very good; the additions covered all the blind spots of her original plan.
Besides, it reassured her knowing Guido would distract Ercole; and take care of the evidence.
But those ten minutes worried her, she had to free them, put them in the car, and then run to the parking lot...
It was too risky.
"It doesn't matter," she told herself. "You can do it; compared to the Portorosso Cup, this is a piece of cake."
"I like it," was the only thing she said, silencing any doubts she might have.
Massimo nodded; he also liked to have Guido as an ally; that way, their chances of success increased.
"There will be no second chances, so we must be precise; the slightest deviation could lead to disaster," Guido warned.
"Don't worry," Giulia said, feeling more confident than ever in her life, "we're not going to fail."
"Luca and Alberto, hold on a little more; we are getting you out of that hell."
