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55
Dante called the group to order. “I will speak in English,” he said, “since you are all conversant in the language.” He clicked a remote control, and a photograph of the Casselli house appeared on the screen. Clearly taken from the air, it showed everything from the roof down past the Amalfi drive to the sea. “This is our target,” Dante said. He pressed a button and the camera zoomed in and moved up, until they had a bird’s-eye view.
“Here,” he said, pointing to the rear deck, “is a platform marked on the plans as a helicopter landing pad. We had originally intended to set down a troop-carrying naval chopper there with twenty-five men aboard. However, we are cursed with winds forecast for tonight of more than thirty knots, and there is so little room for error that we have decided to bus in our backup to the village square in Ravello. Our troops will then walk about a kilometer down this narrow path, which ends at the chopper platform. It will be dark, the path is narrow, with only a rope handrail for safety, and the drop to the bottom is steep, ranging between fifty and one hundred meters, so they must use their flashlights and be very careful. It will be slow going. The path widens as it approaches the deck. Four men will be assigned to rush the deck and take any security people who might be stationed there. They will be carrying silenced weapons.
“Now, the other point of entry: from the Amalfi drive at the front of the house.” The image on the screen moved and the camera descended to the road. “Behind this high hedge is the entrance to the elevator, which is large, three by three meters. This will certainly be guarded, and it is likely that all guests will be searched or wanded for weapons. Around a curve a hundred meters away we will have twenty-five more men in a bus.”
He switched to the blueprints and highlighted the living room. “This room is very large and was built for entertaining. The caterers inform us that fifty-eight people will be served di
“The four members of the band will arrive at the Amalfi drive entrance to the house, where they will probably be searched, then taken up in the elevator. The piano is situated at the Amalfi end of the living room, near the elevator, so we believe the band will be put there.
“There will be twelve people in waiters’ uniforms. Those working for the caterers will be wearing white jackets. Our people, five of them, will be wearing red jackets. All the catering perso
“Having reached Hedy, our officer will remain in the room with her until the house has been secured, when another of our people will come for them and walk them to the elevator for extraction from the house. It is possible that Hedy has already left or been taken from the house to another location, in which case we will have another problem on our hands. If so, the security people and staff of the house will be aggressively interrogated as to Hedy’s whereabouts.
“All our inside people, including the musicians, will be equipped with earpieces that contain two-way radios. Commands will be given by these means, and people who have no critical information for everyone else should remain silent.
“Darkness will fall at around seven PM. At approximately seven-thirty to seven forty-five, our guitarist, Guido, will make an a
Stone raised his hand. “Dante, may I make a suggestion?”
“Yes, Stone, of course.”
“Perhaps Guido, before he makes his a
“Yes, they will be in custody by that time, and I accept your suggestion, which is an excellent one. You, Stone, may have the pleasure of taking Casselli.” There was applause in the room.
“And now, are there any questions? No? Then you will all be in your assigned vehicles at four PM. Waiters, please go now, since you need a head start.”
The meeting broke up, and everyone went to his assigned vehicle. The band members were assigned to a van, inside which the neck of the bass fiddle protruded into the passenger compartment.
Stone took his seat. In a moment, they were off.
56
Hedy had run out of food and wine as the day waned, and two security guards now ma