The Fall Of House Farouk

Chapter 7 : The Death of Rosa

Rome, Italy

Roxelana sat at the coffee shop by the roadside, sipping a cup of the hot beverage as she observed the scenery. Snow falls from the night skies, turning the streets of Rome into a winter wonderland for adults and children alike. On the streets families walked while wearing winter clothes and scarves to keep themselves warm from the harsh cold. Lone pedestrians walked the streets as well, carrying to-go cups of either hot tea or coffee to keep them warm in the cold. The local weather reports predicted a harsh snowstorm within a few days, and might complicate Murad's chances of taking the life of Rosa Vittorio, the woman whom their father had left them in order to marry. A distance away from Roxelana's position sat her and Murad's target, Rosa Vittorio, also having dinner at the same shop as hers. She was eating a plate of spaghetti and having a cup of espresso. 

"Found our target yet Roxelana?" Murad asked, his text message appearing on the screen of her phone. "I've been taking jogs around the Colosseum, and found no one matching her description." Roxelana smiled after seeing the message and as she was holding her phone the text message between her and her twin brother was in Arabic nobody could understand the message and would assume that it was romantic in nature. 

"Only you haven't found her." she replies. With this in mind she sent Murad a picture, a woman wearing a black silk shirt and denim, sitting by the Trevi Fountain, with a winter coat draped on her shoulders and a pair of Chanel sunglasses clipped to her shirt while a tartan-pattern scarf rested on her thighs. "I found her." 

"Damn it." came Murad's reply. 

"Remember, I was the lookout, you're the one pulling the trigger." Roxelana replies. "Anyway, I'll continue to observe our target as discreetly as possible, you need to wait around for a while until I give you the signal to execute the attack." Murad did not reply and Roxelana watched as Rosa got up after finishing dinner and left for the Trevi Fountain. Rosa tossed a coin into the fountain with her back facing the fountain and hailed a cab. "Target's moving, I'm going to follow her in another cab." Roxelana texted. She hailed a taxi cab just as Rosa got into a cab nearby, getting in without a care in the world to avoid suspicion from Rosa. 

"Where to go miss?" the cab driver asked in perfect English, thinking that she was an international tourist on a trip to The Eternal City for the first time. 

"Can you please follow the taxi?" she asked him in perfect Italian. "The woman dropped something and left before I could return it to her."

"Oh sure signorina." the taxi driver said in a chipper voice. With the shifting of the gear the taxi lurched forward, following the taxi carrying Rosa at a moderate speed. "I'm going to try my best to catch up, Rome's traffic can be troublesome at times." the driver explained. 

"I understand." Roxelana said. The driver's words came true as the two taxis soon found themselves in a traffic jam, with the vehicles languishing in a slow line. "I see that now signore." she added. The driver can only return a half-smile, as he groaned upon seeing the traffic jam, complete with vehicles honking. Lucky for them the traffic soon cleared up and the two taxis made their way to the ancient gladiatorial arena, the Colosseum. "Here signore, keep the change." Roxelana said, handing the taxi driver a handful of bills and stepping out of the vehicle and into the snowy streets. Rosa walked by the Colosseum while Roxelana purposely walked behind her at a quick pace to put up the act that she was chasing after her to return the thing Rosa had supposedly dropped before getting into the cab. 

Once the taxis disappeared from her range of vision she walked away from Rosa, passing by Murad in the process. "I see her." Murad whispered. 

"You got the thing you need?" she asked in a low whisper. 

"Yes. Silencer attached and all." Murad responded, showing a pair of rubber gloves in black. 

"Do it discreetly." Roxelana whispered. The twins soon departed in opposite directions, Murad discreetly following Rosa while she walked along the streets of Rome. Murad ducked into a dark alleyway, ready to strike as he leaned against the wall. Grabbing Rosa by surprise Murad dragged her into the alleyway, preparing to murder her by firearm. She fought back despite her strength, breaking his nose in the process. Murad shoved her against the wall, breaking her shoulder with a sickening 'crunch' was heard, and she slid down against the wall. Rosa's olive eyes flashed in his direction, begging for mercy in a non-verbal fashion, but Murad had none for her. 

Taking the gun with the silencer screwed on out from the folds of his jacket Murad pulled the trigger, firing two bullets into Rosa's heart, one in her arm, and one in her leg. He had never forgiven her for taking their father away from them and causing the early death of his and Roxelana's mother due to grief. As Rosa bled to death in the alleyway Murad turned and left the alleyway, discreetly throwing the gun with the silencer and gloves in a nearby trash can. 

Later

The bar was crowded when Murad entered, loud electric music booming from loudspeakers while crowds danced on the dance floor. Cabinets of liquor are on display at the bar, ranging from Scotch Whiskey to gin. Roxelana sat alone by the bar, drinking a tropical cocktail with a lemon twist. Murad sat by her side, ordering a club soda with a citrus twist. "The deed is done." Murad whispered in his twin sister's ear. Roxelana did not respond, except for a nod of acknowledgement. 

"I shouldn't step in here." Roxelana complained. "It's very loud." 

"We'll finish the drink and leave." Murad said. "Why did you call me here?" 

"You know why we have decided to talk here Murad." she said. 

"The noise, I know." he said. Both of them quickly finished their cocktail drinks and left the noisy nightclub, just as multiple police cars raced past them in the opposite direction, towards the place where Murad murdered Rosa, the alleyway.