CS: The Cappollas (Cont. X)
Reno was waiting for him in the main living room that rested on the first floor, just below the stairs. He stared at a small crackling fire that filled the room with a pale orange light. It was said that Reno stayed up until three each night just thinking about things. What things, nobody ever said, but the rumors seemed to be true. Some had suggested that Reno really was far smarter than he ever let on and that in the night he was plotting his every move for the next day, but Max had already dismissed that. Too much of what Reno did was too far off the cuff to have been planned. No….Reno was thinking about one move and thinking it through delicately and thoroughly. Reno was making sure that each little step he took wasn’t going to place him on a landmine. Or maybe Reno had already landed on one and he was trying to figure out his way to get off of it. Reno didn’t break his stare from the fire, his hands folded in front of his mouth. “We’ll talk tomorrow. Get some sleep. Your room is around back with the servants. You’ll have it until we begin things, then you’ll need to find your own place. Fourth door on your right after you make the two lefts to get to the servant quarters.”
Max nodded. He knew, though Reno had his back to him, that he had seen it. He wandered off in the general direction and examined the house for half an hour before going to his quarters and settling in. His cases had been rifled through, only revealing clothes and a heavy amount of background files on the various crime families and figureheads. There were many photographs of the Cappolla estates along with detailed intel. Of course, certain pages were missing, though the inspectors wouldn’t know it. The enemy and the ally were to know only what you wanted them to and, if you were really good, you could get them to assume exactly what you wanted them to assume. He rifled through his suitcases. They had taken his handgun and its ammo. They had also found his kevlar and taken it. The room had no camera in it, because it had no window and that would mean there was no way to get in from the outside.
He slowly slid a small key from his wrist, though it looked like a small silver rod with a few grooves in it. He slid it into a small hole along the very edge of the case’s bottom and opened up the case to reveal the parts of a sniper, two beautifully detailed and custom made berettas, and plenty of ammo. He closed it up again. There could still be a hidden camera, though he didn’t notice any images of the room on the screens. Nevertheless, he didn’t bother to open the other suitcases false bottom, just in case he really needed help, he’d keep its contents secret.
Max walked over to the door and locked it, sliding something in the way of the walking path to the bed but not in front of the door. If the door had to be picked, they wouldn’t think there would be more obstructions. For some reason, one safety-measure made burglars and killers less cautious….or at least most others besides Max.
He removed a knife from his shoe and placed it under his pillow just in case. And then he stared a the ceiling, counting the seconds until he fell asleep. It was something he had done for so long, something to keep his mind from wandering onto anything else. He hated thinking late at night when the past came back. No, he had solved that problem by counting. It grew old, but at least it stopped the pain.
So those were the Cappollas. There was a feeling in the back of his mind that said things were about to get interesting….but he ignored it. Afterall, it had been there every mission and task he had ever set upon. Why would this one be any different? He shook it off and started counting again.
He fell asleep at 3,452.