I walked away secure in the knowledge that no one here could blame me or even think to look in my direction. I’d only just arrived here after all, and the woman had been sick for quite some time. If anyone put together the fact that I’d been here when she first fell ill only to return on the day she drew her last breath, oh well, I have plenty of answers for that. Starting with the fact that I wouldn’t have even known she existed had Sal not recognized me by chance and brought me home, a story he loves to tell anyone who would listen.
I was still in a pissy mood when I entered my room from having to share space with some of the people in attendance. It didn’t help that my would-be hacker was back, only this time he wasn’t trying to hack; he was just sitting there, waiting, when I logged on. “You, again! What is it this time?”
“He will win; who knows when to fight and when not to fight!” I read his words before typing in my answer.
“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.” He knows! I don’t know how, but this person knows what I’m doing or some of it. Very well, I have nothing to lose.
“What do you want? Do you plan to quote Sun Tzu all night?”
“No, I’m just checking your level of intelligence.”
“What is it to you?”
“I told you; I hear that you’re smart. I’d hate to see someone with your mind go to waste.”
“You’ve been lied to.”
“The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.”
“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.”
“Is that your way of telling me you’ve already won? That you’ve planned out your victory?” I didn’t bother to answer that very leading question.
“You haven’t told me what it is that you want still.”
“To save you, of course, from yourself. More than yourself will suffer if you perish.”
“What do you plan to do about it?”
“Stop you, save you.”
“Catch me if you can.” I logged off and put it away, not willing to let myself be taken off course.
If I’d sensed any danger from this person, I wouldn’t be so blasé about it. But he's proven himself to be one, very learned, and two, a gentleman. I’m not sure how I know. Anybody can pretend to be anything behind a computer screen, but there are just some innate things that can’t be pretended. All the same, I made a quick call to Uncle Guy to keep an eye on Pop and make sure no one got close to him.
If this person, whoever he is, was here, I still won’t stop what I’m doing. If I lived by the fear of what others may do, then I wouldn’t be living. I came here to do something, and I’m going to see it through to the end. Speaking of endings, I pulled up Antonio and Teresa’s home feed on my little extremely secure device. Unbeknownst to most, Antonio’s life has been unraveling for the past six months.
Not only was he ill with no real explanation for what ails him from the many doctors he’d been to, but with the leaked rumors affecting business, his finances had taken a hit. Teresa had closed her shop, which had only just reopened after the lockdown when last I was here, because of the backlash from the rumors surrounding her own self and her part in the debauchery that took place throughout the village, first as a teen and now as a woman.
They were trying to do damage control, all of them were, while the nun was living in fear of what would become of her. I haven’t answered that question for her yet, and I know she’s hoping that saving grandpa would absolve her, but I’m not too sure about that. I do think she deserves some leniency for her part in saving him, though.
I turned my attention back to the screen when I saw the frail and rather weak Antonio get up from the couch with assistance from his spouse and leave the room. Since those two were pretty much finished in their own way, I only had the other three to deal with, but it was not a good idea to take them all out in quick succession of each other.
Not only would it raise suspicion due to the fact that too many of the men and women involved in the rumor mill would be dropping like flies one after the other, but my presence, if anyone should take note, might also become suspect.
Since Felice’s ordeal had begun months ago and no one had yet heard of Antonio’s sudden illness, there was no great harm in taking care of him now. His wife, if all goes to plan, would soon follow. All that was needed was just one more little push, and their part in this saga would come to an end.