11 Rerouted

After successfully smuggling herself out of the hotel and embarking on a smooth car ride, Cathy finally arrives at La Casa. In the car, she was careful to have the tinted windows closed to avoid being spotted. She had spent most of the ride memorizing the route from the hotel to La Casa. It was an inner-city route that saw the car gliding along buildings of modern Italian architecture and trees shielding the far coast. All it took was a series of five left turns from the hotel and two right turns once they were far into the city.

She makes her way out of the car and towards the restaurant entrance. The entrance is a small alleyway with three big Japanese lanterns illuminating the exterior wooden benches which were occupied. There is an open double-sided wooden brown door that leads to the inside of the restaurant. Cathy enters and is embraced by a series of wooden chairs and tables which were spaciously set. She looks around and three tables away from her spots Detective Bianchi. The detective rises to make her way to Cathy. While she's approaching her, Cathy cannot help but notice her long jet-black hair and how graciously it falls on her leather jacket. 'She sure is beautiful' she thinks.

"I've been sitting here worried. Are you okay? Did you have any trouble making it here?" She asks as she touches Cathy on her arm

"I'm okay" she responds, clutching onto her envelope "Is there a place where we could talk"

"Yes, follow me" instructs the detective as she questions further "Are you sure nobody followed you here?"

Cathy follows the detective through a small crowd of people as her eyes scan through the different groups of people in the restaurant. Suddenly in the far left, her eyes settle on something that ignites a tremble down her fingers. It is a group of teenagers injecting heroin into their veins. Her eyes widen as memories of her curling up against a wall in a dark room while frantically clutching onto strands of her brunette hair come flashing into her mind. The hairs on the back of her neck rise and standing there watching, she feels paralyzed.

The detective places her hand on her arm "It's okay. It's safe here. The kids are harmless - although I cannot do anything about the drugs, this happens every time. This place is very sheltered and cannot be discovered easily. People here know me, nothing's gonna happen to you" She signals to a secluded table ahead of them and far away from the group of teenagers "After you"

Cathy regains control of her senses and heads towards the table. They both take their seats across from each other on the wooden table. "I believe you have something for me," asks the detective with her arms stretched out in front of her.

Cathy clutches onto the envelope as she studies the detective "How do I know I can trust you?" she asks

"Well, firstly I put my job on the line for you back at the office by secretly handing you my card and doing some private digging for your case" The detective then pulls out her police badge "And I'm an officer of the law. I solemnly swear by my oath to protect you"

"Yeah, I guess that's what the cop that was chasing me would say" argues Cathy

"Cathy, trust me. I have got your back. Any information you share with me will be shared in confidence and will never leave this safe space. Although this will have to move up to my boss - but only when you feel you're ready for us to proceed to that stage" assures the Detective

"Your boss" Cathy lets out a sarcastic giggle "Y-Your... Your boss.. Your boss is the reason I'm in this predicament in the first place. He had something to do with Nathan's disappearance..." she says as her voice stiffens

"Wait. What.." She interrupts as she stares at Cathy with furrowed eyebrows and a shocked look on her face.

"Yes. He along with the hotel technician were chasing me earlier on today right after I overheard them talking about Nathan and the letter they planted in my hotel room!"

"Fucking Tutto esaurito!" she swears, calling Detective Russo a sellout in Italian while furiously banging her hand against the table "Okay, I want you to know that what you saw does not represent our organization. We are dedicated to catching bad guys and solving crimes, not working with them, and taking part in criminal behavior. That is not what the Crababieri does!"

Cathy notices the fire that lights up in her when she talks about the Crababieri. It is the passion in her eyes that makes her think that maybe, just maybe, she can trust her. Just not fully - she cannot tell her about the horror of Cincinnati. Cathy nods and mutters a slightly audible 'okay' under her breath as the walls inside of her demolish slightly.

A moment of silence lapses and the waiter comes by the table to hand them the menu. Cathy's eyebrows are slightly furrowed as she tries to make sense of the menu. "What's a mascara pony," she asks the waiter. "Uhm, mascarpone - It's a cream cheese" he replies as he and the detective let out a slight chuckle

"Try the bruschetta" advises Bianchi. "I think you'd like it" Cathy nods at the waiter "One bruschetta coming up" he confirms then motions to Detective Bianchi "And for you Laura?" "The same, Grazie Lorenzo" she answers with a warm smile. The waiter leaves and Bianchi's attention turns back to Cathy.

"Are you sure no one followed you here?" asks Bianchi.

"Yes" Cathy replies "I misrouted them as I said"

"Okay" she pulls out a small notepad from out of her jacket "Tell me what happened exactly. What led to them chasing you - What you heard them talk about"

"I was on the hotel roof to get some fresh air and I heard two voices in the distance" she recalls "I knew I recognized one of the voices from earlier on in the day and as I drew closer, they were speaking Italian but I could hear a lot of what they were saying"

"And what were they saying," asks the detective, positioning her pen between her index and middle finger.

"They... they were talking about some footage that needed to be worked on. Your boss was asking the technician about it" she answers with her voice slightly shaky "Then your boss asked the technician if he planted the letter in my hotel room"

"This is the letter from Nathan telling you that he's fallen in love with another woman?" she asks as she jots down in her notepad

"Yes. And when I returned to the hotel, I found this" she hands over the envelope to the Detective who opens it to read the letter inside.

"He has access to my hotel room, I don't feel safe," bewails Cathy hysterically "I overheard him telling your boss that he planted the letter and the credit card to get me to leave Italy."

"Well, that explains the irregularities on the first letter" she adds as she rests the letter on the wooden table. She looks inside the envelope and drags out the credit card "This looks new. Have you seen or used it before?"

"No" snaps Cathy "As I said, I found it with the envelope."

"How did he open a new account and in your name?" A look of confusion dawns upon her but it clears as she comes to a revelation "That means Nathan is still alive"

A look of surprise washes down her face and her ears perk up. Surprise and relief. She has been overcome with so much loss and heavy despair lately and this is the one she needs to hear, "How? What? You have to find my husband" she says as she quickly clutches onto Detective Bianchi's forearm

"I will do everything in my power to find your husband." the detective says as she looks straight into her eyes. "I need to hold on to this card if you don't mind. For investigative purposes. This card was issued by the Nuova Banca Metropolitana just about a month ago. That bank can be only found in Italy. They don't have strict regulations so if he was to open an account in your name, he'd only need your social security details - which I'm assuming only Nathan has." the detective informs, appearing to be deep in thought with slightly furrowed eyebrows as she connects the dots.

"Sure. You can hold on to it," agrees Cathy feeling a little bit of assurance, but also hatred. Hatred towards the repellent man that had Nathan give him her social security number.

The waiter returns with two plates full of bruschettas. It is french bread smothered with olive oil and garlic, topped with tomato pieces. Cathy grabs a bottle of mustard nearby and drenches it onto the tomato pieces, and then having not eaten for days, gorges into her bruschetta.

Detective Bianchi detective ruffles into her handbag, taking out what appears to be a big manilla envelope "I have something to show you" she says and the look on her face is enough to make Cathy settle her third bruschetta down on her plate in anticipation for what she has to say "I was able to take the footage to my guy and with some luck, we unearthed a section of the footage that was supposed to be deleted but it seems the technician did a bit of a lousy job deleting it"

"Is there anything new? Does it show Nathan? Does it tell us where Nathan is?" these are the questions that escape her mouth as she waits in anticipation

Detective Bianchi unseals the envelope and removes its contents "Yes, it is new information that has just come to light but no, it does not show us where Nathan is but it does reveal a suspect. But firstly, to have all the facts of the case, I'm going to need you to be honest with me and answer some of my questions"

The contents she removes from the envelope are composed of a photograph and two giant A4 printouts of the footage. Detective Bianchi lifts the printouts to hold them with both hands on either side "Have you seen this part of the footage before?" she asks as she holds up the first printout. It is a screenshot of Nathan and the other woman in the corridor.

"Yes," Cathy responds "Detective Capretta of the Polizia showed it to me."

Detective Bianchi peals it off as she reveals the photograph, holding it up to Cathy's eye level with both hands. It is a picture of what looks like could be the woman that Nathan is with on the footage "Do you know or have you ever met this woman?"

"Of course not!" responds Cathy with her voice stiffened up "Who is she? Did she kidnap my husband?"

"Her name is Mariela and she is wanted by many federal agencies for drug trafficking, murder, and extortion" Informs Bianchi with a look of anger slightly splashed across her face. She finally reveals the last item. It is a screenshot of the footage as well. When Cathy sees it, she feels a wave of heat strike through her body, forming tight knots in her stomach. Her jaw slightly drops open as she lets out a silent gasp. On the screenshot is Nathan, frightened for his life as Mariela, walking very closely behind, points a pistol on his back.

"He's.. he's in trouble... That's what I've been telling these cops and no one has listened to me. With him kidnapped by this murderess, his life might just be a damn ticking time bomb!" she says as her voice rises, arousing the attention of people in the nearby seats. As soon as people in the nearby seats return their attention to their conversations and the flow of the evening returns to normal, she then looks at the detective with stone-cold eyes and through gritted teeth, says "If you don't find my husband then I will stop at nothing to find him"

"Calm down Cathy. Please, calm down! And I wouldn't take matters into my own hands if I were you" she reprimands "I already told you, I will do everything in my power to find him. I know we don't know each other but you have got to trust me"

Cathy slowly exhales what feels like toxic air that her body has been holding onto and desperately needed to release. "How can I fully trust you? How do I know that you're masquerading as someone that's just trying to help me but are working with Russo to move up the ladder and off traffic duty? Huh? How do I know that?

Detective Bianchi leans in closer to Cathy and with a look of seriousness, says "Well first of all, if I was working with that bastard tutto esaurito, you wouldn't be here! I'm more highly trained than he ever will be and just about tired of your lack of trust" she fires back "Now, as the only detective brave enough to work on your case, can trust me and get back answering my questions honestly?"

"Fine then" mutters Cathy as she looks down to take a sip of water. Given the circumstances, she feels like she has no choice but to trust her.

The detective then asks "The technician, have you encountered him before the incident on the hotel roof?" Cathy, holding her glass of water with both hands responds "Yes. Before, on the corridor when I was going to my hotel room to look for Nathan with the hotel manager, Allessandro - That was our first encounter. I then noticed he had this other tattoo" she says as her voice starts to shake slightly and the detective jots in her notepad "It was a dragon tattoo." Detective Bianchi raises her eyebrow as she hears the last part. Cathy then speaks again"I know it's just a tattoo and I might just be overreacting to something that seems so minuscule but something about it feels wicked - something about him..."

The Detective looks up from her notepad "No, you're right. That kind of tattoo is affiliated with gang criminal activities. I'll just have to find out which one" she proceeds with her questioning "Are you sure that the man you saw with this technician was Detective Russo? I trust what you're saying but Cathy if I'm going to move on this I need facts - and this could be information that could potentially put away a high-ranking official in the police."

With both her hands still around her glass of water, she nods "Yes. It was. I saw him as clear as day. I'm sure of it"

The detective jots into her notepad as Cathy finishes off the bruschetta on her plate. "I have to go," she says, as she gets up from her chair "It's getting late and I need to look for a new place to stay."

Abruptly, Detective Bianchi closes her notepad "No. I'll drive you, it's not safe out there. We can't risk these men coming after you again - I have a place you can stay."

Cathy slides her hood on her head as she prepares to leave "I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself. I don't need your help to find a place."

The detective opens up her handbag to find a card "At least take this card, it is the location to a very safe guesthouse. It is safe and affordable. I'll be able to reach you from there.

"Thanks," she whispers as she grabs the card, feeling touched by her little gesture.

As she's about to take off, the detective asks one more question "Cathy, one more thing" she says with a sharp tone in her voice "Is there anything you haven't told me about Nathan and any enemies he might have - Enemies that he might have made back home years ago?" Turning around to face the detective, she feels her heart skip a beat. Could she know about the Horror Of Cincinatti? "No" she lies then makes her way past the crowds of people to exit the restaurant.

Out in the drizzly rain, she takes off into the alleyway. She looks back to the big Japanese lanterns that illuminate the restaurant's exterior and her heart drops when she thinks about Detective Bianchi. Judging by the look on her face when she asked the question about Nathan and enemies it is she knows something but chose to give Cathy the chance to tell her. It is something Cathy has chosen to keep secret and now she wonders if it was smart to do. Maybe her lack of trust in Bianchi is unjustified after all. Cathy feels a twinge of guilt - She's the only official that has truly tried to help her and she kept being rude and dismissive of her, insulting her of her rank. Stepping out of the alleyway after calling the hotel shuttle on her phone app, she feels a renewed sense of optimism. A renewed sense of hope, but just a little hope. In a world of monsters and evil, she has finally found an ally. Detective Bianchi, a determined, dedicated, and brave policewoman who has vowed she'll stop at nothing to find her husband. "There's hope, after all," she thinks as she waits outside the alleyway for the shuttle to arrive.

Tonight, she won't be lying on the hotel corridor floor, blacked out cold, nor will she be feeling restless in self-doubt with the voices around her murmuring in utter hopelessness. No. Tonight she has hope. And for the first time since she encountered this nightmare, there is a little light that glows at the end of the tunnel.

The shuttle arrives and parks in front of her. It is a small black Mercedes Benz limousine. Upon pulling the handle open, she is taken aback. The vehicle's interior, slightly more spacious and lavish, is different from all other hotel shuttle vehicles that she has been on since arriving in Sicily, not to mention the fact that it's a limousine! Traveling in style would have been nice if her husband wasn't missing and she didn't have the two bad men chasing after her.

"Strada Bresciana 58 - Il Paradiso" she instructs the driver as she reads out the information on the card that Bianchi gave her. The driver quietly enters the address on the GPS navigator. He is oddly quiet and looks older than all the other drivers that have driven her, being bald with a face full of freckles and a mustache. At a safe speed, the car takes off against the cold weather and drizzly rain.

In the car, all she thinks about is Nathan. Thinking about where he is. Thinking about whether he's hurt and if he's okay. She has long resigned herself to the fact that he's kidnapped and it doesn't disturb her as much. All she's worried about is his safety, him being alive. She cannot take the idea of him being tortured or someone hurting him, even the thought of it is enough for her heart to start pounding.

"Turn left" loudly instructs the GPS as the driver makes a left turn into the street ahead. Leaning slightly forward to look at the GPS screen, Cathy sees that the route to Il Paradiso is also an inner-city route, but more one that seeps into the south-eastern part of the city. The driver seems to be disgruntled by her little gesture as he tightens his grip on the steering wheel, letting out a heavy sigh and stepping on the gas paddle a little more. Cathy notices and slightly feel confused. Why would a slight lean forward trigger that type of aggression, no matter how little it is? There's a tiny odd feeling she cannot shake. She leans back and settles herself on her seat, calming herself and trying to shake off this feeling. "It probably isn't much, just a driver that has had a rough day," she thinks "I'm bound to feel that way with my life in danger". She reminds herself that she's nearly there - Just a matter of two turns, one to the left and another one to the right. Just two turns until she's safe. "Turn left," loudly instructs the GPS as the street their on reaches its end. The driver does as instructed and Cathy relaxes a little but the discomfort in the air makes her impatiently count the seconds until she has to get off. What takes a few minutes feels like hours to her as the driver drives towards the end of the street. "Turn right" loudly instructs the GPS again. The car moves but in the opposite direction. Cathy tenses up in disbelief and leans forward "Sir! You took the wrong turn." she sharply says, pressing her finger against the driver's shoulder. With a blank and uncomprehending expression, he continues driving into the left-turn street. "REROUTING! REROUTING!" goes the GPS. "Sir!" Shouts Cathy "You took the wrong turn, you should've turned..." Her voice is cut out by the revving of the engine as the driver steps furiously on the gas paddle. The rapid movement of the vehicle propels her body back against the cold leather seats of the spacious limousine with her head slamming against the passenger door. Fighting against the sudden quick movements of the car, she tries to get up and get a grasp of the driver's shoulder and neck, to fend him off and take control of the wheel but the partition slams shut in her face.

She frantically bangs her hands against the glass partition only for the driver to engage the gearbox and quickly reverse with the sudden movements of the car propelling Cathy's body back into her seat again. The driver engages the gearbox then rapidly accelerates forward at high speed. "You thought you could ride off into the sunset with that bitch protecting you? No wonder why she's on traffic duty" echoes his deep voice, a familiar deep voice. With his hand across his face, he strips off the freckled, bald face mask to reveal himself. Knots tighten in Cathy's stomach. A lump forms in her throat and she feels her body lose all feeling with her legs turning to jello and her knees stiffening, seeing her worst fears come to life. It is the man with the dragon tattoo. "It's... it's you" she says as she gasps for air, feeling her throat slowly close up to shut all air supply to her lungs.

"Call me Luigi" he instructs, displaying an evil smirk on his face "I told you to leave Italy. But no, like the little cagna you are, you chose to stay and play superwoman!"

Cathy leans over to the nearest passenger door, secretly trying to open it but to find out it's child-locked. Quickly, she reaches out for the other door, trying to open it and quickly escape but finds it to be child-locked as well.

"Fucking fool" he taunts as he accelerates further. "Let me tell you how the story goes in case you're wondering how I caught you - You think that I came into your room and didn't hack into your phone? Thankfully, you didn't have that bitch babysitting you when you called for a shuttle. You can run but you can't hide - no one can hide from me, no one runs from me! You tempered with my business trying to rescue your husband!" He shouts as his evil stare-down through the mirror causes Cathy's heart to pound even faster "You tried to fuck up my shit! I've got a family to feed damnit! You really must underestimate me. For that, I will teach you a lesson you will never forget!" he shouts as he furiously eyes her through the mirror while angrily banging on the steering wheel, triggering the hooter.

"REROUTING! REROUTING!" cries out the GPS one more time as the car violently drifts along the road leading to the outskirts of the city. "Shut Up!" yells Luigi as he yanks the GPS off its stand, rendering it mute.

Taking short breaths as her throat closes up more and in a state of panic, she quickly removes her cellphone from her pocket, trying to call Bianchi. She opens it in secret "He- Hello.." she calls out. Luigi notices and on his face is a wicked menacing look as he aggressively bites his lip. He reaches out for his phone. Cathy with her phone against her ear listens as Bianchi's voice on the other end speaks "Hey Cathy. Listen, have you arrived at the guest house? Are you safe?" Before she could answer, she hears a strange sound. It's the same sound as a deflating balloon. After pressing a couple of keys on his phone, Luigi puts his phone away and with an evil grin, looks at Cathy in anticipation of a reaction. The sound persists and her eyes peer around to see too where it's coming from. Suddenly, in the bottom left corner, she spots a tube emitting grey fumes into the back seat area she's occupying. Luigi sees the shocked and concerned look on her face and lets out a burst of high-pitched evil laughter.

The fumes spread around Cathy as they blind her and interrupt her phone's signal. The fumes accumulate but do not spread any further to Luigi because of the glass partition acting as a barrier. Having inhaled the fumes, Cathy feels her muscles weaken and starts feeling light-headed. She tries to get up from her seat to open the windows but her muscles give out. She tries to stretch her hand out only to glide off her seat and onto the limousine floor. Her eyelids start to feel heavy. "By the way, Saul sends his regards," says Luigi with a grim but serious facial expression.

Saul.

The name is enough to send a slight shiver down her spine as she struggles to keep herself awake. She has not seen Saul since three years ago. Since Cincinnati. Drifting in and out of consciousness, she finally concludes: With the re-emergence of Saul, one thing is for sure, 'the horror of Cincinnati' chicken has come home to roost. Cathy's eyes slowly shut, completely slipping out of consciousness as her subconsciousness drags her three years back to that fateful day.