Stefano, too, was watching the sky, trying to hold back the daylight to give James as much time as possible to get into the palazzo. He hoped that James was already in place; there was nothing more he could do to delay Zoltan’s men.

They had come down the mountain by an old goat track and waded across the shallow river. Now they were waiting under some trees near the entrance to the mines. The men were talking quietly, checking their guns and preparing the fuses in the grenades.

An hour ago they had left Zoltan up at the dam with Tree-Trunk and he had run through his plan of attack.

As soon as the sun cleared the top of the mountains, the Charon’s first mate, Davey Day, was to lead the attack on the mines. Using the grenades and the tommy gun, they were to take out the sentry post then fight their way up to the palazzo through the tunnels.

They had to cause as much noise and confusion as they could.

‘You know what to do when you reach the palazzo, don’t you, Davey?’ Zoltan had said.

‘I go with two men and get the girl. When we find her, we bring her out the way we go in.’

‘Good man. When this is over, you can all take home as much loot as you can carry.’

Stefano shivered. He dreaded going back inside the palazzo. His chances of getting out alive were less than slim.

He jumped as someone put a hand on his shoulder. But it was only Davey Day, his pale face grey in the moonlight.

‘You job’s done,’ he said. ‘We’ve got your map. We know where we’re going. You needn’t come any further. It’s going to get pretty hairy in there.’

‘Thank you,’ said Stefano, and tears of relief sprang into his eyes. He felt like hugging the man.

‘Good luck,’ he said.

‘We’re going to need it,’ said Davey.

Stefano left them and ran back across the river towards the goat track.

He would go back up the mountain and look for Vendetta.

He was not going to die after all.

He hoped it would be as easy for James.

He stopped and looked back at the palazzo, way up on the mountainside. Then he closed his eyes and mouthed a silent prayer for James’s safe return.

27

27

When Hell Breaks Loose

It was a beautiful sunrise. A pale glow lifted the darkness to the east and soon the whole sky became a hazy screen of gold and blue. Watching from the window, James saw the shape of the mountains form in shadow on the floor of the valley as the countryside changed from grey to faded green. Finally the edge of the sun showed itself and birds began singing in the trees.

The day had begun.