Page 333 of Marcello

119

Romeo

Secret Passageway

The top of Scurtone’s head exploded.

A second later, his legs buckled and he fell backwards onto the ground.

Giulietta screamed.

I crouched down beside her and took her in my arms. “It’s okay, it’s okay – I’m here, I’m here – ”

She sobbed as she kissed me. Her lips were chapped from dehydration and gritty with dust –

But it was the sweetest kiss of my life.

Then the devil spoke, and my blood ran cold.

“WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!” Cesare screamed.

“Get down,” I whispered as I pushed Giulietta gently towards the floor.

“What are you going to do?”

“Cover your ears,” I ordered as I looked back down the corridor.

The hole in the wooden paneling was one hundred feet away, but I could see a silhouetted shaved head peeking through the gap.

I did my best to aim at Cesare, even though hitting him at that distance would be a miracle.

BLAM BLAM BLAM!

“JESUS FUCKIN’ – !” Cesare screamed as he jerked back into the hallway. “KILL THE MOTHERFUCKER!”

Seconds later, a hand holding an Uzi reached through the jagged hole.

I dropped to the ground just in time.

BRATTATATTATATTATATTATAT!

Bullets buzzed over my head like hornets, and chips of stone rained down on me.

Giulietta screamed –

And I raised my gun over my head and fired blindly back at the shooter.

120

Lars

Courtyard

The single gunshot had turned into an all-out firefight.

blam blam blam

brattatattatattatattatat