Page 44 of Sworn to My Heart
“Alin, what are you doing here?” Luca asks, his face not showing any sign of being pleased with my intrusion.
“I have a bad feeling about today. I just wanted to see you,” I half-lie, managing to send a worried glance his way to avoid suspicion. This performance deserves an Oscar, but Luca’s expression remains unchanged.
“Alin, this isn’t the time. When I get back, we can see each other as much as you want,” he states dryly, and everyone quickly returns to their tasks.
I push aside the slight feeling of disappointment that arosein my chest at his words and move a bit closer to the table. I manage to catch a glance at the map. Beyond a few small new markers added for their men, there have been no changes to the plan.
It’s going to happen today at the New York-New Jersey’s port. I confirmit to myself, turn, and leave the office. Now, it is just a matter of executing the escape plan from the guards.
I go down to Cora and Mariano’s apartment and stay with Cora in her room until everyone leaves the building.
As Cora predicted, the regular security remains inside and around the building. Inside the apartment are Graham and two men I saw entering and leaving Luca’s office earlier that day.
Cora and I exchange a look, understanding it’s time to act. We descend to the first floor where Graham and the two guards are stationed.
Before they can notice us, I whisper quickly to Cora, “Now,” in a plea. She nods and starts to bend over, sitting on the floor, faking severe stomach pains.
“Cora, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” I ask in a fake, worried scream, hoping it sounds believable enough.
I quickly bend down to her, and Graham reaches us within seconds.
He asks her questions, immediately trying to diagnose the problem. It seems Cora was right; he indeed has medical training for emergencies. Cora continues to moan in pain, even louder when Graham tries to touch her stomach area.
I’m not a doctor, but the act seems convincing enough to buy me some time to escape.
“Do something already!” I yell at the two men staring at Cora from behind Graham, looking lost.
One of them turned to me, seemingly trying to say something,but Graham silenced him by ordering him to call the family doctor.
“Oh, come on! By the time he gets here, something could happen to her!” I shout in a fake disbelief, and Graham immediately turns to me, an ominous look on his face. “Alin, nothing will happen to her! He will get here in time,” he says.
“Alin, my painkillers, the pills I always take, where are they?” Cora asks, continuing her act to help me push them out. I want to hug her and give her a prize for her performance.Brilliant!
“I don’t know, I’ll go down and buy some for you,” I reply immediately, trying to sound more panicked, fully getting into character.
I quickly head toward the door, and just as we anticipated, one of the men stops me in an instant.
“I can’t let you go out; that’s the order,” he says, standing in front of the door like a bouncer at a club.
“You’d better let me go get Cora her painkillers, or you’ll be the one explaining to Mariano why his wife is suffering because you prevented her from getting help,” I threaten, hoping I pressed the right buttons.
He looks confused, and Cora continues to occupy Graham behind me.
I keep pushing, “Come on, she needs her pills. You can come with me to protect me,” I suggest as a compromise.
He sighs and nods, moving away from the door, and we quickly leave the apartment. First victory.
On the way out, other soldiers try to stop me, but the one following behind me assures them to let us pass.
We quickly get to the parking lot, and he drives to a nearby pharmacy.
“I’ll go in quickly and come right out,” I promise as I unbucklemy seatbelt.
“That’s not happening. You’re my responsibility, I’m going in with you,” he replies, unbuckling his seatbelt and stepping out of the car, waiting for me to follow.
I sigh; this man is making my plan more challenging than I thought.
We enter the pharmacy, and I head toward the pharmacist’s counter, trying to create a bit of distance between me and Luca’s soldier, whose name I can’t even remember. Was it Tomaso?
