He spoke English with no discernable accent. He was an average-sized guy, bald, dressed in a T-shirt and joggers.
Robbie paused. It was an offer that he wanted to accept, but he was in the business of ridding the world of crime. He wasn’t going to agree and let a hitman wander free.
A curious neighbor poked their head outside of their apartment door.
“Stay inside,” Robbie ordered.
The man looked at him, obviously not understanding the English. He rattled off some words, includingla polizia.
Robbie gestured with his head, not willing to release his grip on the shooter.
“Chiama la polizia,” the man in the doorway yelled at him.
“Si,” Robbie agreed. “Chiama la polizia. Per favore.” Luckily, some words translated from Spanish to Italian.
The man glared at him and banged the door shut.
“You’re an American,” Robbie guessed, focusing on the shooter. “Amurderer who goes by the moniker of Big Buddha. You’ve killed everyone close to Alice Marshall, and that’s why you’re targeting me.” It gave him an odd thrill to realize Big Buddha would go after him because he thought Alice loved him. If only that were true.
“No.” The man stiffened. “You’ve got it wrong. I was going to leave a card that claimed it was Big Buddha. I’m just a hired gun. Innocent, really.”
Robbie grunted at that.
“I responded to a request on the dark web. All the information they had was your description and that you’re currently in Venice, but the hit had to be done anytime today. By midnight, or the offer is no good.”
“Why today?”
“Don’t call the police and I’ll tell you. Trust me, I have info you’re going to want to hear.”
“Like what?”
The man shook his head, clamping his jaw shut.
Robbie wondered what else the man could tell him as he yanked him down the stairs. The police would interrogate him, but would they get the information?
The man protested and squirmed but was no match for him.
Robbie stopped as they reached the main level and spun the man, pinning him against the wall. “What else do you know?”
The man said nothing.
“Who’s Big Buddha?”
The man shrugged. “The dark web doesn’t introduce me to my employers.”
“So you know nothing?”
“I know you’re going to die before midnight.”
A chill ran through Robbie. He searched the man’s gaze. If there was a hit out for him on the dark web with a midnight deadline … getting somewhere safe was critical. The police would have to question this hitman further.
He yanked the man around and they banged through the front door. River and Curtis aimed their pistols at them. Several onlookersscurried farther away down the street. He couldn’t see Alice but knew she was behind the two bodyguards.
River aimed his gun at the shooter and advanced toward them while Curtis stayed back with Alice. Robbie glanced at Alice. She looked disheveled from him tackling her to protect her but otherwise unharmed.
“I’ve got him,” River said when he reached them. “Police will be here soon.”
“Appreciate it.”
