Use of Force

CHAPTER 68

The helicopter dropped them off on the private aviation side of the airport at Reggio Calabria. Two unmarked SUVs were waiting for them.

The ROS safe house was about twenty minutes up the coast in a town called Villa San Giovanni. It marked the closest point between mainland Italy and Sicily and was the main embarkation point for the ferries that went back and forth to the island.

With so much oceanfront, Harvath had hoped the safe house would be near the water. It wasn’t.

The safe house was in a residential neighborhood, several blocks up from the docks and the main train station.

It was built on a hill and its rooftop deck provided a view of the town and the ocean. The outer courtyard was walled, could fit four vehicles, and had a heavy, reinforced gate to deter any would-be thieves.

There were citronella candles everywhere and netting over the beds. Apparently, mosquitoes were a problem.

Unloading the gear from the vehicles, Argento showed everyone to their rooms. The rest of his team was already there and had opened the doors and windows to get air moving through.

Harvath dropped his gear on his bed and then walked back to the living room. Argento was uploading the pictures from both cameras onto his laptop.

“Hungry?” he asked, as Harvath walked in.

They had eaten a late breakfast in Palermo, but nothing since.

Harvath nodded and Argento looked at his watch. “Most places won’t be open for dinner until later, but I know one place we can try. It’s near the water.”

“Good,” Harvath replied. Looking to get to work on a plan as quickly as possible, he added, “Bring your laptop.”

• • •

Ristorante Glauco in neighboring Scilla wasn’t just near the water, it was built right at its very edge. Its upstairs, open-air terrace extended out over the bay and provided one of the most incredible vistas Harvath had ever seen.

Sailboats bobbed in the water beneath the dramatic Ruffo Castle, an old fortress perched atop a rocky peninsula that jutted out into the sea.

A hodgepodge of Mediterranean buildings in all shapes and sizes were stacked side by side and one atop the other up the steep, terraced hillside.

Looking out over the deep blue Strait of Messina, Argento explained that this was the location Greek mythology attributed to Scylla, the famed sea monster.

After the helicopter ride and now this dramatic location for dinner, Harvath joked that the Italian needed to get out of terrorism and into tourism.

Argento smiled and asked if he could order for their table. Harvath looked at Lovett, and when she nodded, he told the man to go ahead.

As he ordered, Harvath glanced over at the next table, where Staelin, Barton, and Morrison were sitting with Argento’s men, several of whom spoke decent English.

Satisfied that they were in good hands, he turned his attention back to what lay in front of them.

Argento opened his laptop and Harvath and Lovett adjusted their chairs so they could see the photos. As he clicked through them, every once in a while, Harvath would ask him to zoom in, or go back to the one they had just seen.

He was trying to get a thorough feel for the property; probing, looking for weak points that they could exploit. To his extreme relief, he didn’t see any dogs.

“Vottari’s property is set up much different than Ragusa’s,” Harvath said.

Argento nodded. “It’s a different mentality in Sicily. Everyone wants a fortress. In Calabria, it’s anonymity that protects you.”

“He doesn’t look very anonymous to me.”

“No. He doesn’t,” the Italian agreed.

“Do we know anything about his routine?” Harvath asked. “Anything that might provide us an opportunity to get to him?”

“Nothing like Ragusa and the bartender.”

“A restaurant he likes to go to? Does he visit his mother on a regular basis? How about going to see the uncle?”

Argento waved his hand in the air as if he was doing mini karate chops. “We don’t want anything to do with the uncle. No way.”

Harvath understood. “What kind of protection does Vottari normally roll with? Lots of men? Just a couple? What are we looking at?”

“Four to six men.”

“Armed?”

“We should assume so.”

Harvath reached over to the computer and clicked back to a previous photo of the property. “What kind of a security presence at night?”

Argento opened another folder, found the information Harvath wanted, and read him the answer. “Two men outside the house. Two men inside. Definitely armed. Semiautomatic rifles.”

“Do we know anything about his perimeter security? Ground sensors? Anything like that?”

The Italian scrolled through the file and then shook his head. “We don’t know.”

“Alarm system on the house? Safe room? Pets?”

Again, Argento scrolled through the file. “No idea regarding the first two and as far as pets go, I assume you are asking about any dogs. None have been seen.”

Harvath nodded.

There were always some question marks, no matter what the operation was. The less time you had to get ready, the more of them there usually were. Having access to Vottari’s file was a real benefit.

“Before we start talking about a plan,” said the Italian, “I want to go over a few ground rules.”

Harvath looked at him. “Such as?”

Argento drew a deep breath, and the moment he did, Harvath knew they were in trouble.