Chapter 11: Death Calls

"Do we know exactly where the package is?" Triela asked her partner, "Or are we just going to wander around until we find it?" She and Hilshire had just slipped into the back rooms of the Casinó Regio and so far had not run into any problems with security personnel (except for one staff member whom Triela was forced to punch in the throat and stash in a broom closet).

Hilshire replied coolly, "The money should be with the casino's owner, Carlo, probably in a safe or vault somewhere in his office. Remember, if we find Carlo we're to take him with us as well."

"Ugh," Triela groaned, "Can I just shoot him if he tries to run? You know he w-" She stopped as she heard voices coming from a room down the hallway from the Fratello. Both Hilshire and Triela immediately ducked into a nearby conference room to listen.

"There's going to be trouble," a man's voice said, "Get the entire security force armed and mobilized."

Seconds later a thin, rodent-like man emerged into the hallway. He left, walking in the opposite direction of the Fratello, who, through the crack of the barely open door, saw the man draw a pistol from a holster on his ankle.

Hilshire and Triela exchanged a curious glance, but before either could comment on what they had heard and seen, another man emerged into the hallway. This one was a brute, tall, broad-shouldered and thick-necked with black hair and a low brow. He wore a perplexed and worried expression, his face was slightly pale.

Hilshire made eye contact with his partner, who silently mouthed the name, "Lino!" Hilshire nodded and reached for the weapon at his side. However, Triela quickly took hold of his wrist and shook her head, a look of concern in her eyes. Hilshire's mouth tightened into a line but he took his hand away from the grip of his SIG. He understood what his partner wanted, and normally he wouldn't allow any sort of sentimentality to interfere with the operation, but this time he understood that he needed to respect Triela's wishes as a handler. He just hoped that the Twins wouldn't suffer for their decisions.

As Lino passed the cyborg and her handler, both noticed the large .45 caliber pistol holstered in the back of his waistband. A few steps later he unholstered it and clicked the safety off as he was joined in the hallway by four other men wearing kevlar and each wielding H&K MP5's. The five armed Padania operatives headed towards the casino floor.

Seeing this, Triela immediately backed away from the door, removed her new cellular phone from the inner pocket of her jacket, and dialed frantically with shaking fingers and hands. She was supposed to keep communication between her and the extraction team to a minimum, however the situation seemed to call for a warning.

"Come on…" Triela muttered in frustration at being forced to listen to the phone ring, "Pick up…pick, up!"

Finally, after what seemed to her like several minutes, but in fact was three seconds, there was a click on the other end of the line and the sounds of the casino rushed through to Triela's end. Celestina's voice came through. "Yeah. I see them," she said simply and calmly, correctly guessing at her handler's reason for calling.

"What did you do?!" Triela hissed in a barely contained whisper.

"Nothing!" Celestina replied indignantly, "You know what happens when you make an assumption, don't you?"

"Wait," Triela said, suddenly making a realization, "It was Lino! He probably identified you. Do you see him anywhere?"

There was a pause on Celestina's end of the line, after which came the answer, "No, there are too many guys with guns over here."

"How many?"

"…mmm…twenty-five, thirty? Maybe more."

"Damn, I was hoping you would be able to take Lino out. Listen, Celestina, it's gotten too hot over there and it would too risky to stay there any longer. You need to get out, now."

Triela heard now that the sounds of gambling, of chips being tossed about and coins being dropped, had stopped. Because of this, Celestina was forced to whisper her reply, lest she compromise her position. "There's still time," she argued, "My sister and I are taking cover right now. Nobody's seen us. We just need one shot to-"

"No!" Triela answered firmly, "It's too danger-"

Suddenly she heard the hiss of Caterina's voice on the other end of the line. "There he is," she whispered ominously. Her voice was steely and cold, like poison dripping from her lips.

Before Triela could reiterate her order, however, Celestina signed off in the same metallic voice, "Sorry Princess. We have to go to work." In the background the sound of Caterina racking her Tuma could be heard just before the final click of the line going dead.

Triela stared at her cellphone dumbly as the sound of gunfire erupted from the casino floor…

Celestina hung up and drew her Zastava CZ 05. She made sure that a round was chambered and then she clicked the safety off. Without looking at her sister, she asked, Ready?

Of course, Caterina answered, Let's make this clean. You take the shot.

Are you sure?

Caterina smiled, Of course. You're the accurate one, right?

Celestina nodded, knowing how badly her sister wanted to take the shot, and took aim at Lino, who was talking uneasily with one of the security guards, between two adjacent slot machines. Celestina stood just enough so that she could peak over the machines. Her hand shook.

There was the man who murdered her parents. There was the man responsible for her own murder, as well as that of her sister's. The man who paid back the debt that he owed to the Alvise Family's generosity by putting a bullet into the head of each one of its members. There was Lino Baldassare…right between the sights of Celestina Alvise's gun. But still her hand shook.

Do it! Caterina urged her sister in great anticipation.

There was but another second of hesitation before Celestina pulled the trigger. She watched the hammer of her gun fall, watched the slide fly backwards as fire and gas exploded from the front of the barrel, kicking the gun upwards. Celestina could have sworn that she watched the bullet fly through the air as well, spinning perfectly between the slot machines and across the casino floor to strike her hated, loathsome target, entering behind his left eye and leaving out the right, ending his life once and for all…

…However this was not the case. Celestina's shaking hand caused the bullet to go wide, killing the slot machine behind Lino instead, who immediately jumped in surprise and dove behind cover and out of sight as the man he had been conversing with immediately turned and returned fire with his submachine gun.

The machines around the Twins exploded, sparks and glass and coins rained down upon them. Caterina popped up at the slightest break in the gunfire and retaliated with several quick bursts. Her sister, however, sat stunned with her head clamped tightly between her hands.

"Dammit!" Celestina cried in frustration, stomping the floor in a childish rage, "Dammit, dammit, dammit! Goddammit!"

"Sorella!" Caterina yelled, "Sorella, calm-" she stopped as she caught one of the security personnel trying to sprint to their flank. She quickly tracked him with the sights of her weapon and squeezed the trigger several times, catching him in the torso and throat.

Celestina grunted in frustration as she gained control of herself again. I'm calm, she said simply, her voice stone cold and hard set in shame.

Caterina laughed and said, La mia sorella, if there's anyone you can show weakness to, it's me. I'll never judge you.

Celestina huffed one more time and replied softly, I know.

Let's go to work, said Caterina.

Celestina nodded and, knowing that her sister was on the same page, stood up and took the lead. Both girls immediately spotted seven men out of cover and in a fraction of a second divided the targets up between themselves. A few trigger pulls and all seven men lay dead without even firing a shot.

The Twins scanned the blackjack table that Lino had dived behind, but he was no longer there. The sisters advanced down another row of slots when five more hostiles appeared. With two minds working as one, the Twins' already impressive reaction times were decreased by almost half. As soon as the hostiles had spotted the girls the men were killed by them with terrifying accuracy and efficiency.

That's twelve, Celestina reported, Maybe two thirds of the security force is left.

Understood, Caterina responded.

The sisters stepped out into an open area of card tables. Seeing the lack of cover Caterina turned around and continued moving backwards to cover the rear. As if on queue a large number of targets emerged from their hiding places as soon as the sisters had gotten halfway to the next set of slot machines.

Eight, no Lino, Caterina reported instantly.

Ten, no Lino, Celestina reciprocated.

Both sisters immediately began firing and swiveling from target to target, rotating in place like two mounted turrets stationed back to back. Despite the fact that several hostiles had stayed alive long enough to fire off several bursts at the sisters, neither girl sought cover. Consequently, Caterina was hit in the side and Celestina was shot twice in the leg.

Before the Twins could sustain any more injuries, all of the men in the ambush had been dispatched. The girls checked their wounds tenderly.

I'll be fine, Celestina said, testing her weight on her wounded leg, I shouldn't be slowed down too much. What about you?

Caterina inhaled sharply, cupping the bullet wound above her hip. Her clothes were already wet with blood, but she stayed standing. I'm good, she replied, It passed right through. Let's move on.

Celestina didn't ask any more questions. She knew her sister could take the punishment, so both girls resumed their advance.

That's thirty, Caterina said almost gleefully, A month's worth of work in five minutes!

Stay focused, Celestina cautioned evenly, We're not done yet.

Despite knowing that only a handful of men remained, both sisters were unsettled by the fact that Lino was nowhere to be found. The break in the shooting allowed the girls to reflect further on how close they had been to having their revenge.

I should have been able to make that shot, Celestina commented in frustration.

He's not gone yet, Cel, Caterina consoled her sister, We can still get him.

If I get to kill him you can keep his head, Celestina bargained.

Deal, Caterina answered.

The Twins reached the back of the casino. They entered the door marked STAFF ONLY, which Triela and Hilshire had passed through only minutes before without opposition. The immediate hallway was empty, however at the first intersection an MP5 emerged from around the corner, forcing the girls to kick down a nearby door for cover just before the submachine gun riddled the hallway with bullets.

The room that the Twins had just entered seemed to be a janitor's closet. On the floor lay an unconscious man who seemed to be stirring in his sleep. Celestina absentmindedly put the last two 9mm rounds in her current magazine into the man's body, which shook and died without any fuss. She reloaded casually while her sister rolled her eyes and peeked into the hallway.

Caterina immediately pulled her head back, though, when she was immediately greeted with another round of submachine gun fire, this time coupled with round from a .45 caliber pistol. "They taped a mirror onto the gun to help them look around cover," she reported.

"Is there any sign of Lino?" Celestina asked.

"Well, there are actually two men in the intersection. One of them has a pistol. It could be him, right?"

Celestina's brow narrowed as she replied, "We'll be killing him anyway. We might as well hope it's him."

Suddenly footsteps reverberated down the hall and the Twins heard a man yell quickly and frantically, "Lino, I've loaded the money into the truck! Let's get out of here!"

The Alvise Twins shared a dark glance and nodded. Together they counted, 1…2…, and popped around the doorway.

They saw Lino talking with the thin man wearing kevlar who had run down the hallway. The former spotted the girls, wrapped his arm around the latter's throat and walked backwards whilst firing at the doorway. He missed twice, giving the girls a chance to fire back. However, none of their return fire was able to pass completely through the vest that Lino's former friend was wearing. The man resembling a weasel was killed, allowing Lino to live.

As soon as the third hostile with the MP5 took up his suppressing fire again, the Twins were forced back into the broom closet. Lino took this opportunity to drop Nino's corpse, turn tail, and sprint desperately down the hall.

He's getting away! Caterina yelled helplessly.

Without responding, Celestina lifted the dead guard up from the floor of the closet. "Help me," she grunted simply. She held the body up by one arm while her sister held the other. Together they rushed into the hallway, bearing the corpse in front of them like a shield, and though the guard at the intersection immediately began shooting, his partially depleted magazine ran dry before his fire could get through to the girls.

The Twins dropped their fleshy cover and, while running full speed, fired upon the last guard as if he was simply an afterthought. Despite their wounds they didn't pause, but continued to run down the hallway, desperately hoping to catch Lino before he reached his getaway vehicle.

If we lose him again… Caterina said fiercely.

We won't, Celestina responded resolutely, We can't. Not again. Absolutely not…

The Twins pushed through the back fire escape door, guns raised, just in time to see the back corner of Lino's truck disappear around the side of the casino. They heard the truck's tires squeal as their family's killer peeled out into the street and into safety.

…Again… Celestina finished, all sign of hope gone from her voice. She and her sister stared dumbfounded at the space where Lino had been just seconds before. They could just barely prop themselves up as they felt the energy drain from their bodies…

"No," Triela said into her cellular phone outside of Carlo's office, "I haven't seen any sign of the Twins." Inside the office Carlo himself was cuffed and held at gunpoint by Hilshire who was already questioning him about the whereabouts of the contents of the armored car.

On the other end of the line Jean's voice came through, "Well there are plenty of signs here of their passing. Thirty plus bodies. All Padania. No civilian casualties."

Triela gave a low whistle, "Are you sure it was them and not your teams? I don't think Celestina and Caterina are capable of-"

"The bodies were here when we entered the building," Jean cut her off.

Triela paused. "Well," she said unsurely, "I don't know what to – wait, here they are."

The Alvise Twins emerged from the rear exit of the casino, battered and broken. Triela could see it in their eyes, and the way they dragged their hollowed-out bodies. She immediately knew what was wrong.

"They're alright, Jean," Triela lied, "We'll be there soon."

She hung up and rushed over to her pupils who walked straight past her without so much as acknowledging her existence. "Are you two alright?" Triela asked, concerned.

Then she saw the blood and holes on their clothes. "You're hurt!" she cried out, "I told you it was too-" Triela stopped when the girls turned toward her.

For an instant she saw the emptiness in their eyes, the pain and suffering, like those of a starving man who had seen food for the first time in weeks but was refused its nourishment and warmth. For an instant she saw how the Twins' arms dangled from their shoulders like useless rags devoid of any life. For an instant Triela knew truly who the Alvise Twins were. But just for an instant.

"Too what?" Caterina asked, beaming, "Too dangerous?"

"You should see the mess we left behind," Celestina continued, smiling just like her sister, "Can you believe that this," she pointed to the holes in her legs, "Was all we got out of that shootout?"

Triela's eyebrows curled up in the middle in an expression of inner pain at being excluded from the girls' feelings. She wasn't buying their act for a second and all three of them knew this. Still, Triela said nothing.

"Triela," Hilshire said, emerging from the office with Carlo ahead of him, "Let's move out. Our friend here has agreed to cooperate, but it would be better for us to take his information back at headquarters."

Before Triela could say anything to the Twins, however, Celestina said, "You go on ahead. We'll catch up with you. We just need to catch our breaths."

Triela didn't argue. She did as she was told and disappeared down the hallway, but not before taking one last look back at Caterina and Celestina who smiled again and waved.

I'm starting to like her, Celestina said sadly.

Then why did you give me such a hard time about it earlier? Caterina challenged.

I'm your sister, Celestina responded, It's my job.

Both girls followed the direction that their handler had headed. Both remained silent on the outside as well as the inside.

Are you going to be okay? Caterina asked her sister.

Of course, why?

Well, you were pretty broken up about missing that first shot.

Celestina scoffed and answered, Please, sorella, I'll be just…fine…

The Twins came across Nino's body. They stared detachedly. The man had known Lino. Maybe…just maybe…

Celestina rummaged through the dead man's pockets and came up with his personal phone. She turned it on, opened up the address book and scrolled down. The Twins inhaled sharply when they came across Lino's name. Celestina dialed the number and put it on speaker phone. It rang once. Twice. And then…

"…Hello?" Lino's voice came through hesitantly, hoping to hear his friend's voice even if he was cross with the way he had been used.

Celestina and Caterina hesitated. They conversed with one another internally for an instant.

"Hello?" Lino said again, more insistent this time.

There was another slight pause, but this time Celestina answered quietly, almost sweetly, "Lino…"

"…" Lino was speechless for a moment due to fear, "This…this is…"

"That's right, Lino," Caterina answered simply in a tone that was darker and heavier than her sister's.

"You should be dead," Lino said, his voice quavering.

"And so should you," Celestina responded, "But not to worry…"

"…You will be," her sister continued for her seamlessly.

"We're going to find you, Lino…"

"…And when we do…"

"…We will tear you apart, piece…"

"…By…"

"…Piece…"

Caterina took a deep breath before continuing, "They'll never find all of you…"

"…We'll make sure of that," Celestina said.

"Until then…"

There was one final pause before both sisters spoke simultaneously, one quietly and sweetly, the other heavily and darkly. "Live well, Lino Baldassare."

The Twins hung up…