05 - Lock, Knife, Gun

Talk of the intruder was all that the kitchen staff could gossip about in the coming weeks but Sergio ignored them.

“I need you to answer my questions.” Sergio voice boomed out above her as she sat down on the grass in the garden, reading a book.

She looked at him, shading her eyes from the sun with her book.

“Would it kill you to speak kindly at the very least?” She said teasingly to him.

“What did he discuss with you?” he asked, overriding her as he usually did.

“Who?” Rosy asked, cocking her eyebrows at him.

“The intruder in your room.”

“He didn't say anything to me.” Rosy replied honestly.

“If I find out you lying to me__”

“Did you find out his identity?” Rosy spoke over him.

Sergio frowned in annoyance at being interrupted but he held his anger back.

“He was sent by Matteo.” Hawk eyes stayed focused for the slight sign of recognition.

“Who's Matteo?”

**************************************************

Was she pretending not to know Matteo? Sergio wasn't sure what to think.

After so much torture, the traitor had fed up Matteo to them.

So he's trying to reestablish the De Luca line. Well let him try and see how far he goes with it.

“Send Bianca to me.” He commanded his second in command.

“You asked for me”. she said, entering his study.

“You have to take responsibility for this.” Sergio's tone was flat.

“What exactly are you referring to.”

“You know very well what I'm referring to so don't play coy with me.”

Bianca smiled and walked to sit on the edge of the desk, trailing one manicured nails along it.

“You were responsible for the training of the security team. Mind explaining to me why we had a traitor?” Sergio demanded.

“Why do I have to be responsible for what evil thoughts they have? I had a job and I did it.” Bianca defended herself.

“Well, do better. Eyes are on us. We don't want the De Rossi family to think we have gotten weak…Find Matteo”

Bianca eyed her brother and stood up, walking away without a word.

**************************************************

“Senora, you have a mail.” Giulia informed Rosy handing her a red envelope.

Rosy snatched it , wondering who the mail might be from.

Her eyes hurriedly scanned the content the first time. Because she couldn't understand it she read it again, this time more carefully.

Here's a riddle for you:

I'm a wolf in woolly disguise,

Born to howl with wolfish cries.

A life of baas, I did unfold,

But claws and teeth, my true gold.

What am I?

Think you know the answer? Give it a try!

It still didn't make sense no matter how Rosy looked at it.

She looked at the bottom and saw it was addressed simply as M.

She was about to keep it back in the envelope that was when she noticed another folded paper in the envelope.

Her heart raced with excitement as she unfolded it.

What's this?

It was blank. Nothing written on it. She turned it to inspect it from a different and discovered it wasn't entirely empty, her eyes picking up braille points.

On closer inspection, she realized it was a map.

And not just any map. It was a map of the entire estate as well as the positioning of every guard and dogs on the grounds.

Joy welled up Rosy, rekindling her hope.

All wasn't lost yet, it seems. Someone had so kindheartedly shown her that.

**************************************************

The next couple of days was dedicated to studying and checking out the validity of the map without making it obvious she was up to something.

The map proved to be authentic with everything corresponding with the the estate itself but that wasn't all.

She also discovered there was a secret staircase inside the wall leading from her room down to a tunnel underground.

Her plan to escape was already taking form.it was either that or wait for whatever fate befell her.

The former was more enticing.

Fr the umpteenth time, Rosy thanked whoever had sent the map to her. To any other person it was ordinary but to her it was a lifeline.

Tonight was going to be her race to freedom.

But first, she needed sleep. The activities of the past few days left her completely drained and right now she was running on fumes.

She yawned.

She crept into bed and promptly drifted off to sleep but it is shortlived.

Subconsciously, she felt the presence of someone beside her bed and jerked up to a sitting position, startled.

What if the intruder had sent someone else to finish the job.

“You are awake.” Sergio's deep voice boomed out of the darkness. Apparently, he was seated in the shadows.

“Why are you here?” She asked, suddenly wide awake.

She heard a clicking sound and the bulbs came up, the unexpected brightness momentarily blinding Rosy.

While she was still trying to recover from the sudden glare of the lights overhead, Sergio's got up and placed two items beside her.

Her eyes now adjusted to the brilliance of the room, she looked down and saw a military knife, much like the one he had used in slashing her wrist and uncocked gun.

He knows and he is here to kill me. He wants me to choose which weaon to use.

She looked up at with with pleading eyes and quivering lips.

“I will not always be around so I need you to be able to protect yourself should in case Matteo or Luca sends someone after you again.” he explained.

He turned around to go and heard a click behind him. Turning around to face her, he grinned and opened his arms wide, not scared of the gun pointed at him.

“Come on. Go ahead and kill me. You have the means now. If you truly desire your freedom, you have to be ready to get your hands dirty.” he taunted her.

The gun shook violently in her clutches and her palm became really sweaty.

Sergio gave a a confident smile.

“I know what you have been up to. What I would like to know is when were you planning to make your move?” he asked casually, unconcerned even though the gun was still pointed at his chest.

“Tonight.” Rosy blurted out before she could stop herself.

Sergio smiled.

“I guess you have got two options opened for you. Kill me now with the gun in your hand, afterall, I kidnapped you and and ruined your wedding or you can just take your chances now and run. I promise I won't stop you or chase after you.”

Rosy quickly made up her mind. She picked up the knife and with the gun still trained on Sergio, she opened the door leading to the secret staircase and descended them, her chest heaving.

Any moment, she expected to hear the sound of pursuing footfalls but there was none.

Maybe he was really going to stick to his word.

She paused at the mouth of the tunnel to catch her breath, her ears still listening for footsteps but there was none.

She began having second thoughts. What if it was a trap set by Sergio himself and she was walking right into it?

I'm going back, she decided.

“You are still hesitating.” The sound of Sergio voice behind her made her jerk in shock.

How was it possible? She hadn't heard him approaching.

“We grew up here together so its only natural I know all the secret passages, don't you think?”

I knew it. It was a trap and like a fool I fell for it.

“Why aren't you moving? This tunnel leads outside the estate.” he pointed out to her but Rosy shook her head.

“Well, I'm getting to the end. It's being ages since I used this way out of the manor.” he moved past, entering the forest.

Rosy listened to his steps but they soon stopped altogether.

Why did he stop?

Curious, she stepped in pursuit of him and soon spotted Sergio squatting, looking at something on the floor in front of him.

She tiptoed towards him, leaned forward and looked over his shoulder and gasped in fright, breaking his concentration.

He quickly spun round and hugged her face to his chest to stop her from seeing the ghastly sight before them but it was too late.

She had already seen it.

A skeleton with bits of clothing on it in tatters and a huge part of it's skull missing. On it ring finger, it wore a gold ring with De Luca written on it.