Robin Burcell - The Bone Chamber

A shout from the tunnel they’d entered stopped them. If there was any doubt as to the intent of the newcomers, the sharp crack of gunfire dispelled any hope they were there for a rescue.

Francesca’s limbs were stiff and sore by the time they finally climbed down from the crevice, not daring to leave the relative safety of the dark until they no longer heard the echoing of the footsteps in the tunnel below, and even for several minutes after that. The route they took back was not the same as the one they’d taken, Alfredo leading them a different way after overhearing the two men talk about others posted outside. But finally they were out and Francesca squinted against the bright sunlight as Xavier helped her from the secret passageway that led to the street behind the Cappella Sansevero. The moment she was free and clear, he and Alfredo slid the massive stone door closed, rendering it invisible to any who might pass by. She wasn’t sure they’d be able to find it again if necessary.

“This way,” Xavier said, leading her around the corner.

She followed, only to stop short on seeing the dark-clad man standing at the edge of the building. “Father Dumas.”

“ Professoressa ,” he said, with a slight nod to his head. “You are a hard woman to track down.”

Xavier looked from one to the other. “Who is this?”

Dumas gave a slight bow and introduced himself.

“A friend of Alessandra’s,” Francesca said. “Exactly what sort of friend, I’m not sure.”

Xavier frowned. “I don’t recall Alessandra mentioning him before.”

“Be that as it may,” Dumas said, “I am what she says. And if the two, or rather three of you had any sense,” he said, apparently noticing Xavier’s cousin for the first time, “you would realize that you are in danger. Where are the two agents?”

“In the tunnels,” Francesca said. “We were ambushed.”

“That’s not surprising,” Dumas said. “You were followed here.”

“Tell us something we don’t know,” she replied.

“There are several of Adami’s men in the area, as well as some others I do not recognize, and if you insist on going that direction, you will run right into them.”

She hesitated, not sure what to believe. “And how do I know you’re not one of them?”

“You do not. Again, where are the two agents?”

“Below. They covered us so we could escape. Two men were down there, shooting at us. We would’ve been killed had we not hidden and had Xavier and Alfredo not found the passageway out. We need to get help.”

“Did the agents give you anything? Did you find the key?”

Francesca stared in disbelief. “Did you not hear a word I said? They’re in trouble.”

“And if they moved anything without having found the key, they’re about to be smashed into bits, with nothing you or I can do about it. So answer me again, do you know if they found the key?”

“Sydney thought she knew where it was…”

Dumas held her gaze for an instant, mumbled a quick “God be with them,” then said, “I’d suggest we put some distance between us and here.” Dumas pulled her back from the street. “I recognize those two near the corner.” He nodded toward the pedestrians crossing the square, then the two men lurking at the fringes. “I saw them outside the train station.”

“You’ve been following us, too?” Francesca said.

“Someone needed to.”

“I think we should split up,” Xavier said. “Make it harder for those men to track us.”

“No,” Dumas replied. “It’s too dangerous. Griffin and Sydney could be dead for all we know. And if not, they soon will be.”

“But what if they find their way out?” Francesca asked. “We need to watch out for them, warn them.”

Dumas seemed ready to protest, and she added, “If di Sangro wasn’t the monster many have painted him to be, there was an escape route, and Sydney and Griffin are making their way through it now.”

“Then we must look for them,” Dumas said. “But together. We’ve come too far to split up now.”

Indeed, she thought, not trusting Dumas at all. How was it that he’d arrived just where they’d exited? Divine intervention, or something far more earthly? “Together, then,” Francesca said. “Xavier. You and Alfredo work your magic, and let’s find where those two will emerge before Adami’s henchmen do.”

Alfredo knew the streets of Naples like the back of his hand, and between that knowledge and Xavier’s calculations, they estimated a few block radius of the original tunnel entrance. The main problem as Alfredo saw it was that nearly every house in this area had access to the tunnels. Most accesses, however, were unused, many long-forgotten, others in complete disrepair. He decided, however, to concentrate their efforts not too far from di Sangro’s old basement, deciding that the prince probably had several routes out of his family’s home, for the sole purpose of keeping his affairs secret. They set up across the street, keeping in the shadow of a delivery truck. Xavier double-checked his map and nodded. “There. That’s where I think they’ll emerge.”

He pointed, and just as his hand came up, Francesca saw two men walking right toward that location. She recognized one from the hotel lobby. “If that turns out to be the escape route, they’re going to run right into those men,” she said, pulling Xavier’s hand down in case the men should look up and in their direction.

“What should we do?” Xavier said.

“Dumas?” Francesca asked.

“I’m thinking.”

“We need a distraction,” she said.

“Short of calling them over here, what do you suggest?” Dumas said.

“Exactly that. Xavier and I can pull them off, we owe them that much. When they follow us, you get over there, watch out for Griffin and Sydney. If they make it out, you give warning. Give us an hour to meet back with you.”

“Where?” Dumas asked.

The only place she could think of was the café around the corner from the hotel where Griffin had the room. She knew he had to eventually make his way there to rescue his friend. Alfredo and Dumas would return to the café, then call the police if they weren’t back in an hour.

Dumas nodded, and she put her hand on his arm. “You need to not stand out,” she continued. “If any of these men are the ones who shot at us up on the Passegiata, they might be looking for a priest. Perhaps you can remove the clerical collar?”

Dumas reached up, pulled it off, unbuttoned the top collar of his shirt, and instantly transformed himself from man of God to man about town.

She turned to Xavier. “Ready?”

“Yeah,” he said, though he didn’t look too sure.

They hurried across the street, heading toward Adami’s men. She took Xavier’s map, pretended to be looking at it with him. “We have to get their attention,” she whispered. “We need them to follow us away from the chapel, and then we’ve got to lose them.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem.”

“Let’s hope not,” she said, looking up over the top of the map. “Because here they come.” And then she lowered the map, looked the men directly in the eye, gave her best impression of surprise, then screamed. “Oh my God! They found us!” She grabbed Xavier’s hand. “Run!”

Sydney ducked behind an urn filled with gold, drawing her weapon. A bullet ricocheted off the urn next to her, cracking it. By some small miracle, it didn’t break. But sand started sifting through between it and the urn beside it.

Griffin crouched beside her, hefted his gun in his hand. “We need to get out of here. That sand moves, we’re as good as dead.”

“We’re as good as dead anyway, if we don’t know which tunnel to take.”