Jul 8, 2022
Angela was forced to stay home and rest, but after several days in a medicated sleep at home, she makes her way back to Vitale's office to wait yet again.
She goes through the papers on the desk desperately seeking anything that may lead her to her husband. Anything about the coast or the women he was trying to find. Speaking with Andreea Conti finally did nothing to ease her. She was kind, yet matter of fact on the phone and said she was working on finding Angelo as well.
"Be strong, Signora Vitale."
The knock at the door startles her. "Yes? Come in?"
Detective Sobretti from down the hall enters the room and Angela's heart sinks briefly. No no no....please....nothing about finding a body....
A smile crosses the woman's face.
"Signora Vitale....we have him. Alive. We have someone waiting to take you to the hospital right now."
Angela runs to her, hugs her, and kisses her cheeks.
"REALLY?! REALLY?! Is he OK?!"
"We'll tell you everything along the way." Sobretti takes up Angela's purse and phone and smiles. "This way. Chief Trevisan is coming with us as well."
Angela's heart is filled to bursting.
"Hello, my love."
Angelo Vitale opens his eyes slowly. It's so bright that at first he thinks he actually died and went to Heaven, but the angel before him is his lovely wife.
"Angela...."
"Seems you are stuck with me no matter how hard you try to get yourself killed." She giggles and wipes a tear from her eye. "Don't worry...the Divisione investigazioni speciali e tattiche will be simple and safe." She rolls her eyes.
He smiles, but the smile fades. "Segreto and Zampa....." He swallows hard. "They....they are gone. We need to tell Sara...god...the kids....and find out if Pietronella had family...."
Angela strokes his face. "Shhhh....rest. All of that is being handled. Chief Trevisan came with me and the officer that brought you in told him everything."
"Officer?"
"Yes...the woman that brought you in. She saved you. She told them everything. The Cult that kidnapped you. The woman Giacomina and her bodyguard. Everything."
"She was one of them! We have to warn--"
"She left, Angelo. She's gone." She looks concerned. "Who was she? One of the Cultists?" Worry floods her face.
Vitale shakes his head no. "No...not anymore."
"Rest now. Chief Trevisan will be in later." She smiles slyly.
"You can discuss your resignation." Angelo knows better than to fight her on it.
________________
Elke sits and simmers.
Benedetta Toscani hangs from her right foot, spinning slowly in the afternoon breeze.
It's all falling apart.
What were loyal followers are now risks. And Elke knows she's partially to blame.
Martine was quick...smart...and had a gift for magic. Such a gift. And
now....she was gone. And she took the detective with her.
Benedetta Toscani's white cape hangs around her head. Her white eyes see nothing. The gelatinous blood that cakes around her eyes and mouth hangs like sap on a tree.
Elke takes the knife off her lap and taps it against her leg.
"We need to go. Now. That Vitale won't rest until his minions take us into custody."
Her face goes even darker. "A bonfire. A cleansing fire." Elke stares into the void.
_________________
Insanity.
Martine steps out of the taxi and looks around at Bordeaux France like a tourist. She's tired, dazed, and still sore from the transformation. Her bones and muscles ache. And worst yet, she's not sure she's safe from Elke and what's left of her Coven.
The Detective had been easy. A bit of a glamour and his people filled in what they wanted to see without question. She was just one of the "good guys" dropping off a wounded member of their team. They WANTED to believe it. Wanted it all to be true.
Simple.
She'd keep him in her back pocket if she needed a little helping hand in the future. He owed her his life now and she thought he of all people would honor that. Getting back to France was easy as well. A few favors and her stashed items put away when she saw what was happening with Elke. Letting most of the items she had in Italy go was the hardest - she'd never see them again she was sure.
The thing she was most sad about was her box even though the powers it held were gone. It was irreplaceable.
And gone now.
And the biggest question - to contact Olivia Moore or not? Martine was neutral for the most part and had no bad blood with Olivia, but would she remember that with Elke on the loose? Would she accept Martine's information in trade for protection, or would Martine just seem like some sort of plant?
All of that could wait. Now, Martine needs a bed and some rest.
____________
Angela and Angelo lay in Angelo's bed in the hospital, not wanting to be away from each other another moment.
Angelo talks about the events of the last few days with her. He's gone over it with two departments now, but it's different with her. More emotional and personal instead of clinical and work based.
"Thank goodness I was able to win that woman over with my devastatingly good looks and charm or I would never have made it out of there." Vitale and Angela laugh. "I really don't know why she risked her life to get me out."
Angela takes a deep breath. "Sara was a mess when I saw her - devastated over Segreto. Her brother was there to help, but..." Angela shakes her head.
"Chief is talking about special arrangements for them both. A shift of funds to help out. At least they will be taken care of." Vitale sighs. "And evidently Zampa didn't have a soul other than her Father. And a dead fish at home. I realized we didn't really know her."
The Vitales look over at the door when Detective Sobretti knocks and enters.
"Sorry to disturb you, but..." she frowns. "I don't know...it's insane. Sorellani and Petchelli were both found dead with suicide notes and various documents pointing to each of their crime lines - drugs...prostitution....racketeering....all of it. And Chescu just turned herself in at a station in Rome and wanted to confess to...everything. They are taking her statement now." She laughs. "And...all of them mentioned you, Segreto, and Zampa in some way." She crosses herself. "The Chief has a lot of questions, Angelo. A lot."
Vitale is speechless.
_________________
"You better have good news, mouse. " Danuta laughs and looks at Chelsea's outfit. "And are you whoring now? If so, how much? I might be interested."
"Back off, Beast. No one needs your hulking mass in their life. Even for money." Bruni giggles. "Though I have to say, I'm curious where you tuck your d!ck...."
Danuta is on her in a flash, her arm wrapped tightly around her neck.
Bruni struggles, but can't get any leverage on the giant. Fear creeps in, air not able to reach her lungs.
"You're such a mean spirited little imp, Chelsea. I'd like to bash it right out of you." Danuta lets her arm tighten. "Turning on your partner, a lying cheat, maybe turning on Elke..." Danuta lets her hand run over Chelsea's chest. "I should spay you...and beat it out of you...." She lets go, tossing Chelsea to the ground. "But...who has that kind of time. You'll f^ck yourself soon enough. And I'll love watching...."
Chelsea gasps out, "F^ck...you...amazon...c^nt..." as she rubs her throat and coughs.
"Let's go. I want to see you with Elke as soon as possible."
Promises 01
Chelsea Bruni stares at the hung woman spinning in the center of the room. Dread fills her and she wants to run, but Danuta has a hold on her and she knows she wouldn't make it out of the room.
"What news do you bring me? Have you found the other locks? How many are there?" Elke broods.
"Only two! We're so close." Chelsea smiles and takes Elke's hand.
"Where?" Elke grips the knife in her lap.
Chelsea thinks about her delivery. How? She kneels by Elke.
"Well...they...seem to be fleeing the country. RUNNING away from you. They know. They know they can not win against Morte Bianca!" Chelsea laughs. "They both left the country over the past few days according to my sources."
Elke flips the knife and presses it to Chelsea's neck in a flash. "What? They are not here anymore?"
Promises 02
Chelsea gulps.
"They...are running. One killed himself before....the two that were left...are running. Vanished. Left the country." Chelsea musters a smile as the cold metal of the knife presses against her neck. "So...you are free, Morte Bianca."
Elke sighs, drops the knife, and picks up her wine. "Well then...you are no use to me...are you?"
Chelsea panics. "YOU SAID...YOU SAID YOU WOULD NOT HARM ME! YOU MADE A PACT! YOU F^CKING BITCH! YOU CAN'T BREAK----"
"Shhhh....." Elke stares into Chelsea's eyes. "You really are a wretched person. Simply horrid." She nods to Danuta and sips her wine. Danuta raises her axe and brings the back end of it down on Bruni's neck stunning her.
Chelsea stares blankly at Elke as the pain surges through her neck. Her mouth opens, but no words come. The axe comes down hard again, flat side down on her Chelsea's skull.
Danuta mounts Chelsea and brings the axe up, but stops when she hears Elke's words - soft and maternal.
"You bash her again and she'll die." Elke purrs, "And I know you want to take her with us...to play with her a bit longer.....right? Now, let's go before the whole police force falls onto us. Did you send our Detective friend his parting gift?"
Danuta stares down at Chelsea and growls, "Yes. All set. I'm sure he'll love it."
Grazia Necci enters the police station with ease. No one really notices
her and if they happen to catch her in their eye, they lose interest at
once. A simple charm, but effective.
She finds Vitale's office and searches quickly. Zampa's Fire Book was brought to Angela when she was searching for Vitale and it still sits on his desk. Grazia smiles when she finds it.
"And you are coming with me," she whispers to the book. She glances around Vitale's office to see if there is anything else that might be of use. She spots the photo of Daniele Villanueva and crosses herself.
"Poor woman." She moves to the door and takes a final look back. "Brave man. May you find the peace you seek."
She turns and exits, slipping out as easily as she slipped in.
Vitale's office lays silent and still.
Cor finds Fortuna outside the small cottage as the sun rises in Valencia. The Spanish air feels different to her, though she knows it's most likely just being free of Italy and the magic that ran through her to keep Elke locked down in the country.
"Ahhh...Fortuna basks in the rising sun." Cor smiles. "Good fortune or bad for me today?"
"I'd rather not joke about such things, thank you." Part of her misses her Madame Rosetti persona. She wonders if she'll ever go by it again. Fortuna was so on the nose.
Cor nods. "Yes, sorry about that." He shrugs and turns to face the sun. "As my Father used to say, 'Every day above ground is a good day.' But, I think he got it from a movie." Cor chuckles.
Fortuna smiles, but says nothing.
"Well...we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, but today we rest. Our traveling companion should be here this afternoon." He thinks about the woman's voice on the phone and the lack of trust in it. "May I interest you in some delicious breakfast, M'lady? The best Spain has to offer, cooked by yours truly." He lightly touches her back and motions back to the cottage.
"I'd like that very much." Fortuna smiles, the hand on her back a bit of a comfort. "I'd also like to make a call to a friend of mine today. I feel she is better now, but I'd still like to check in with her."
Elke stares at the mask she wore after the fire. The mask that hid the burns. The exposed bone and teeth. She thinks back to the days of agony as she tried to heal. The spells cast and potions created to mend her. The eventual ransacking of the home of innocents and the use of a machine that was never going to be of use again.
It seemed like ages ago.
Olivia Moore tried to wipe them all off of the face of the planet...with fire.
Elke can feel her insides roiling. She couldn't do that to another group of Sisters. Danuta had joked about this new, softer Elke releasing the Coven into the wild like rescue animals. Chided her playfully about giving the detective the criminals that were promised after he was already long gone.
Elke stares at the mask. "But you, Martine...you die."
Danuta waves a hand in front of Chelsea's face and snaps her fingers.
"You in there, mała mysz? My little mouse." Danuta grins. "Or...my little zombie more like, huh?" She tuts. "Poor thing. Well...you have time to think about the choices you've made now. Maybe you were never cut out for a life of crime and murder? Should have been loyal to the others, huh?" She whispers, "Well...you'll have a lot of time to think about it. It's a long boat ride to Argentina...but I'll keep you occupied." She smacks her lips, laughs, and starts off to make sure the packing is underway.
"Don't run off now. I'll be back to check on you." She laughs a cruel laugh.
Chelsea screams inside her head. She longs to run, but can not move. She can't even wiggle her fingers. She blinks - her eyes full of tears.
She thinks, "Oh god...someone please. Please help me. HELP ME!!!!!! HELP ME!!!!!!"
But...no one will hear her.
Aftermath
The police storm the house like angry hornets - filled with rage about their fallen comrades.
Riot gear, shotguns, and automatic weapons at the ready, they flawlessly execute their sweeps as per Vitale's orders. The layout of the house was given to the best of his memory as well.
No mistakes.
But, expert precision isn't needed.
The house is empty save for several officers scattered throughout the house - long dead.
"Chasso is dead in here," one of the officers shouts.
That made six gone.
"Glad you're dead, traitor scumbag..." she mutters under her breath. She wants to spit on him, but doesn't want to foul the scene. She glances at the papers on the floor, then heads to the next room - shotgun at the ready.
This wasn't a house, it was a tomb.
FIN
