Chapter 72

* * * *

Tommy was back almost before I could miss him. “Get your things together. I’ve lined up transportation with the aid of Signor Ferroni.”

I didn’t ask how. Tommy had been skulking the underbelly of the world for quite some time, and he knew all kinds of unsavoury characters. If that were the case, I imagined the ubiquitous Signor Ferroni would have no problem finding a ship that would accommodate us.

“The hotel bill?”

“Paid.” Tommy didn’t bother with neatness, just tossed everything into his luggage, willy-nilly. I sighed but followed suit and was hard on his heels as he hurried down the staircase to the lobby of our hotel.

A cab was waiting for us outside the front entrance. We got in and were whisked away.

In less time than I could have imagined, the ancient vehicle screeched to a halt at the…airstrip? I felt my mouth gape as Tommy paid the driver.

“Oh, no!” I tried to balk, but Tommy hustled me onto the airfield.

“I promise you, it’s safe.”