Sunny Moore Times Four

Kidnapped by the Mafia

Everything was such a blur. This had to be some kind of bad dream. I knew Enzo for years. Ella was my bodyguard who'd been protecting me all this time. How could this have all been a trick?

Hot tears streamed down my face as the private jet took off from Oak Falls International Airport into the cloudless, pink and orange sky. The trees started turning a little late this year, so right now we were at peak foliage. Down below was a sea of orange, yellow, and red trees.

Ella and Enzo were silent as I wiped tear after tear off on the sleeves of my sweater. They were getting all mixed in with the boogers coming out of my runny nose, since my hands were still tied up and I couldn't get a tissue.

"Just relax, Sunny. It won't make it any easier if you freak yourself out. You know that at this point, you can't escape," Enzo said.

"I just don't know why you guys are doing this," I said.

"For many, many reasons," Enzo said.

"You will find out soon enough," Ella said. She came over and undid my restraints. "Would you like dinner?"

I looked out the window at the clouds and sighed. My stomach was rumbling. I really did need to keep these boys fed. I couldn't run. I was clearly trapped on this plane. May as well have something to eat.

"Yes please," I said, my voice shaky.

"There is no need to worry, Sunny," Enzo said.

"I hate to be a downer, but that's kinda impossible right now," I said.

"You are perfectly safe. You will not be harmed," Ella said.

"But...how do I know that?" I asked.

"You've gotta trust us," Enzo asked.

You have to stay calm. The boys need you to stay strong.

"Leo is working with the FBI. You won't get away with this. Everyone will know I didn't come home from my doctor's appointment," I said.

"As far as they know, you and Leo are on a surprise trip to Napoli," Enzo said. "They think you will be back in ten days."

"Will I...actually be back in ten days?" I asked.

"If all goes well," Enzo said.

I looked forward and a man in a fancy outfit came out from behind a curtain. He had three plates under those fancy silver dome serving things. He placed one on the table in front of me. I could already smell it. It was fishy. When he lifted the lid, there were a variety of different things on there.

"What's all this?" I asked.

"Crab cakes, a mixed green salad, and caviar," he said.

When he talked, I noticed that he was American, which I found a little odd. The pilot greeted Enzo and Ella in Italian when we got on, so I figured this crew member would also be Italian.

"This looks great. Thank you," I said.

"You're welcome," he said.

I immediately picked up the fork and knife, then started to chow down. The meal was probably one of the best things I'd eaten in a long time. Getting exactly what you craved during pregnancy was something else. It was one of the best feelings.

I chugged the glass of water in front of me, and shortly after, my eyes were getting heavy. Out of nowhere I just felt sleepy. I didn't remember actually falling asleep, just being jostled awake.

"We're here. Let's go," Enzo said.

"Uh...where is here?" I asked.

"Napoli," Ella said to me. I looked out the plane window and saw a large mountain range in the distance that the sun was dipping behind. "Get up."

"C-can I go pee first? Please? I'm bursting," I said.

Enzo sighed. "Make it quick."

I got up and went to the bathroom in the back of the plane. If only there was an escape hatch. I thought about trying to make a run for it once I got out of the bathroom, but it was no use. How far would I really make it? My belly was just too heavy. I could barely get around.

When I got out of the bathroom, Ella brought me off the plane the same way she brought me onto it: with her arm around me and the knife in my back. We stepped out into the airport, which was surrounded by a bustling city. The air was warm. Much warmer than the chilly fall breeze at home.

I couldn't believe this was really happening. I was just a normal girl from a small town in New York State. Now I was in Naples, Italy, getting kidnapped by the mafia. How could something like this even happen to me?

Maybe Leo's anxiety was right, and this whole thing really is just a story on the internet? Nah. There's no way.

Ella helped me get into the luxury car that was waiting nearby. The driver and Enzo spoke to each other in Italian as they got into the car. Ella sat with me in the back. I heard the doors lock, and we pulled away.

I thought I'd be blindfolded or something, but they let me look out the windows at the city. I even got a glimpse of that volcano Guiseppe was telling me about. I wished that I had my phone so I could send him a picture.

We got closer and closer to the sea, close enough that I felt like I could smell it through the closed windows of the car. Eventually, we pulled into the driveway of a huge, medieval castle and I think my eyes popped out of my head. I'd seen castles on TV and in movies before, but never in real life. New York has a lot of things, but definitely not big castles.

"What is this place?" I asked Ella.

"Castelnuovo. But as of six months ago, Castel Cavelli," she said.

I saw a sign for a museum and tried to put two and two together, but I was just too tired and scared.

We went all the way around the back of the castle to an entrance that was behind a gate. The driver rolled down his window, punched in a code, and pulled in. We went to a dark garage and the car turned off.

"Let me see your hands," Ella said in a stern tone.

She took a pair of handcuffs out of her pocket and put them around my wrists, then helped me get out of the car. That was the point when they put a blindfold on me.

Then we walked. And walked. And took some breaks, then walked some more. There were hallways, echos, and stairs. Lots and lots of stairs. I was so out of breath by the time we were done with the stairs. My back was screaming at me. My feet were hurting so much that I wanted to cut them off.

I was placed down on a mattress and Ella took the blindfold off of me. I could see out the window that I was somewhere high up. The room was small and square. The walls were all made of old brick. Other than the mattress, there were a few other scattered things here and there. I saw some books on the floor next to the mattress, a few blankets, and a pillow. There was a folding chair set up by the window.

The door flew open, and for a split second, my face lit up. In a world where people I trusted betrayed me, I thought I was seeing someone I could one-hundred-percent trust with my whole heart. But he didn't look quite like himself. He was dressed differently.

"L-lucian? Is that you?" I asked.

The man gave me a sinister smirk and laughed as he approached me. "Lucian? Guess again."

"W-who are you?" I asked.

He came over and knelt down so he was eye level with me. I shuddered with fear.

"Me? Well, I'm Luigi Cavelli, of course," he said. I took a shaky breath, starting to tremble. "It's a pleasure to meet you while you're still alive, Sunny...for now."