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The clinic’s main office was on a quiet street, near BNP Bank, not far from the port. The sidewalk in front of it had been once tiled in limestone. The ground around the tiles sunk after the earthquake and the workers dressed in orange overalls and cloudy dust were taking them up. An unimpressed-looking Italian in a dark navy blazer was sweating supervising the guys in orange doing it. His face looked as if they had no clue how to pick up tiles, never mind putting them back. It didn’t cross his mind to lead his team by example. I slipped past them through an arched metal door of yellowish stone building and entered a vast marble and gold reception. It had traditional rugs, light magnolia walls, fancy metallic furniture with shiny bits and a photographic display showcasing the construction stages of Brindisi port.It was still early morning, and the secretary had a white unbreakable coffee cup standing on the metal surface in front of her. She was a neatly dressed fake blonde and she s

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The berths inside the grotto were empty. Most of the workers and the security personnel were relocated inland after the submarine had departed. Elky and I got out of the water and slipped into the arched inner corridor. For a few minutes we listened to the waves slapping the rocks. A lost bird whirred in the dark corridor, the sudden swish of a wing moved the air around my face and disappeared. A caged small light was broken high in the ceiling. Somewhere not far off an engine screamed and roared and faded away chewed by the dark night. Suddenly everything was frozen still as if after a nuclear war. More minutes passed in intense silence. We both freaked out by the bird but kept moving farther down the corridor, soundless like two buddy tigers escaping from the zoo. A dark shape slid out in front of us and something flopped. A voice swore in Italian. The screeching of automatic on the concrete floor followed. The foul-mouthed guy got back on his feet and moved on to the next corridor

All Chapters of The Vision She Hid: Chapter 151 - Chapter 152

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