Page 396 of Lars

“You should split into three landing teams,” Rachel told me.

“That’s probably a good idea,” I agreed. “Divide their focus.”

“Exactly. I’d recommend here… here… and here,” she said, pointing at three separate points on opposite sides of the island.

The northernmost landing spot was only 800 feet from the church.

“Isn’t that too close?” I asked.

She shook her head without taking her eyes off the map. “No – it’s a harbor, and there’s a ton of buildings between it and the church. See?”

“Yeah…”

“Zollner’s going to be in the bell tower because it’s the highest elevation. You need to take him out as quickly as possible, or he’ll wipe out the landing party one by one. And you need to make the first shot count, or he’ll take cover, and you won’t get a second. You have only one advantage: he has no idea how good you are. Which means,” she said, tracing her finger from the harbor across the map, “you need to use these buildings as cover… find the best vantage point you can… and kill him.”

“…yeah,” I agreed gloomily.

Her analysis was dead-on. It was just going to be a fucking nightmare trying to accomplish it.

Then Rachel surprised me.

She looked up at Dario. “Let me go with them. I can help.”

Dario looked taken aback. He turned to me with a questioning look.

“Babe,” I said, concerned –

“I know you can do this alone,” she said softly. “But the point is, you don’t have to. There’s somebody who loves you who’s got your back.”

I looked at her and smiled.

It was a variation of what I’d said to her on the rooftop in Afghanistan years before.

She smiled back, then gestured towards Dario. “And Don Rosolini let me off the hook. The least I can do is repay the favor.”

She had a point.

I turned to Dario. “She’s as good as I am. Probably better.”

“Really,” Dario said, surprised.

Rachel smiled modestly. “We’re about the same.”

That’s when Niccolo lost it again.

“NO!” he shouted. “I swear to GOD, Dario, if you put the woman who tried to KILL you on the team to save Massimo, I will resign right here and now as your consigliere and never speak to you again!”

“Niccolo – ” Dario said.

“NO! The rest I can abide, but don’t test me!”

Daria sighed heavily, then looked at me and Rachel. “I’m afraid I have to defer to him on this one.”

“FINALLY!” Niccolo shouted.

“I understand,” Rachel said respectfully.

“While Lars and Adriano are off on the mission,” Dario said to Rachel, “you’ll stay here with me and my wife.”

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