Page 45 of Ciao Bella

“Careful now, the beams are old, and it could be dangerous back here. Don’t touch the walls or ceilings if at all possible. I have not been out here in decades. I should have explored them when we deserted them.”

The women followed him, watching their step along the way. There were so many flashlights it was as if the cave had electricity. But all they saw were empty wine barrels and winemaking equipment.

Laying over one barrel was a discarded apron, dusty and still stained with grapes. On another were gloves, tossed aside as if they were just used. Lena shone the light at her feet, then knelt down to touch something.

“What is this?” she asked. Aldo knelt beside her, touching the dirty floor. The gleam of metal had him curious as he pushed aside the dirt. Smiling, he picked up the small medallion.

“That, my dear sweet girl, is my great-grandfather’s St. Christopher’s medal. It was given to him as a boy by his father. My father used to tell my brother, Enzo’s father, and I that his father was distraught for days over losing the medal. He said it was a terrible loss.”

“And it was right here all the time,” smiled Lena. “Now it’s yours.” She closed his fingers over the cold metal and smiled at him.

“If nothing else, we have already uncovered a treasure,” said Aldo. “Come, ladies. There is nothing else to discover here. We will find the second cave and see if our luck holds out for more treasure.”

With Lamborghini’s everywhere, the men were in their car heaven once again. They laughed at one another, attempting to get in and out of the crazy, sleek machines.

“Hey, do you think the girls are okay?” asked Gaspar to Ian, Ghost, and Nine.

“I think they’re fine. If anything were wrong, Aldo would call us. They’re probably happy to have us out of their hair. This trip has been amazing for all of us,” said Ian.

“Gentlemen, I have arranged another special treat today. I spoke to Captain Pietro, and he has opened the doors of the training facility for the Swiss Guard. He said it would be his honor to show you around.”

“Enzo, you really know how to entertain old sailors, soldiers, and Marines,” smiled Ghost. “Lead the way.”

Once again, Captain Pietro met them at the gates and directed them to the area they would need to park. Following him through long breezeways, buildings, basements, and finally ending up in a massive training facility, the men were in awe at the sophisticated equipment.

In fact, they spotted several items produced by G.R.I.P. Luc nudged his brothers, nodding at the shelves, and they all smiled.

“I see you recognize quality when you see it,” said the captain.

“Yes, you could say that,” smirked Luc.

“We do, too. You should know that we are aware of your affiliation with G.R.I.P., and we appreciate your inventions very much.”

“I’ll be damned,” smirked Ghost. “We’re in the Vatican.”

“You are indeed,” smiled the captain. “We need the best equipment available, and you produce that. There are a few things we should like to pick your brain on if that’s okay.”

“No better time than right now,” said Nine. “Let’s go do some brain-picking.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

The second cave proved to be far larger than the first, which made the women think it could be hiding something. There were no wine barrels but several wheel barrels left in the tunnel entrance.

“This seems odd,” said Aldo. “We wouldn’t need these to move the barrels.”

“Maybe they were moving other things,” said Lena. They continued to walk, the tunnel not getting narrower as they expected. Instead, it was getting wider and taller as they moved deeper into the hill.

“Does anyone else feel as though we’re walking downward?” asked Lissa.

“I definitely do,” said Lena.

“I believe you’re right,” said Aldo. “This would not have been the way the tunnel originally was built. We wouldn’t need for it to go further underground. Please, be very careful in case there are any devices that could harm you.”

The women all stopped in their tracks, looking at one another.

“Maybe we should call the guys,” said Kat. “I’m fine with putting bad guys in jail, but we don’t know anything about explosives or anything else that might be down here.”

“I think we’ll be okay,” said Erin. “The cave has been open this entire time. Surely, someone would have seen or heard something from an animal or kid who may have played down here.”