Private Journal of Isaiah Watts III Chapters 5-6
The Private Journals of Isaiah Watts
Volume Three
Copyright© 2022 – Nicholas Hall
Chapter Five
"My concern was heightened, when stripped to our nakedness before retiring to bed, I noticed the older and newer, and angrier, welts of scars at various places on Gio's body. Those wounds must inflict discomfort and pain to him, causing the use of the cane and his hesitancy toward bodily contact with others."
(The Private Journals of Isaiah Watts)
"Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt."
(Sun Tzu – The Art of War)
Gio was tired, it'd been a long day and a longer couple of years since he'd had the comfort and security of sleeping with his lover. His body ached in various places, but the pain didn't stymy the growth of a fine and glorious cockstand! He noticed Isaiah's eyes sweep over his body, seeing and analyzing the healing and healed wounds, finally centering on his hard man-piece. He also noticed Isaiah grimace as he lifted his right leg to remove his pants and undershorts.
"Liniment handy?" he asked. "Your leg and hip seem to be bothering you!"
Isaiah reached over to the night stand, retrieved the container of liniment his Grandmother Lovell prepared for his use, and handed it to Gio. He pulled off the rest of his clothes, stretched out his naked body on the bed and let Gio's hands work their magic massaging relief into his leg and hip.
Isaiah reached up, while Gio was busy massaging his hip, and ran a finger carefully, lightly down a particularly long scar extending from Gio's left hip up his side to midway on his rib cage.
"Knife?" Isaiah asked.
"Bayonet!"
"Still tender?"
"Somewhat!"
Gio ventured nothing more in the way of verbal exchange, but his eyes looked longingly into Isaiah's seeing love, security, and concern. He also felt Isaiah's finger leave the scar and touch his scrotum and begin a feathery, erotic, and cock-twitching journey from whence it started, meandering up the thick delivery tube around the circumference, up a side to the oozing head of his cock! Gio sucked in his breath, sighed with anticipation, and gasped as Isaiah leaned up and forward, and using his tongue swiped the clear lubricating sticky liquid used to prepare a partner for intercourse into his mouth.
Gio wiped his hands quickly on his handkerchief, felt Isaiah's mouth engulf the head of his cock, looked down at Isaiah's large, throbbing erection, and huffed,
"Oh, my god, Isaiah! I'm going to spend myself!" and did! His cock pulsed, pulsed, and pulsed again as his thicky, white, and abundant orgasmic eruption filled Isaiah's mouth. His butt cheeks clenched with each spasm and his legs grew weak from the force of the orgasm. Not depending on his balance as he dribbled his last, he took Isaiah's head in his hand and slowly extracted his still hard cock from his mouth sitting on the bed.
"My turn," he said with a sigh.
"Why don't we just hold each other for now," Isaiah advised, "and give you a chance to catch your breath and rest!"
Lovers should give each other pleasure and not pain!
Gio didn't object! He laid down beside Isaiah, pulled Isaiah closer, and whispered, "Just hold me, please? I missed your arms so much!"
It didn't take long for Gio to fall asleep. He'd not been asleep more than ten minutes until Isaiah felt a slight tension in Gio's body and felt one arm move slightly and his head begin to turn toward the door. Both heard Andy whisper,
"Captain?"
Gio rolled over and saw Andy, naked, holding an equally naked Vinnie, tears streaming down the youngster's face.
"Our little one is having one of his bad dreams, Captain, and wants you. I think we had too much excitement and are overly tired."
Vinnie's arms came out, Gio raised himself, and accepted the boy into his.
"Poppa!" the boy whispered.
"I know, Vinnie. Why don't you snuggle in with Poppa and Uncle Isaiah and let me keep the bad guys away tonight?"
He settled Vinnie into his favorite position, making certain the boy's body avoided, as best he could, those sore spots in his own, carefully, and lovingly, wrapped the boy in his arms, and began humming some little song to him.
Andy, seeing all would be well, smiled at "his Captain," and saying "thanks" left the bedroom.
"How old did you say Andy was, Gio?" Isaiah asked, noting Andy's mid-teen appearing genitals and pubic area.
"I think sixteen maybe seventeen; no more than that!"
"That's about what I would guess by the look of his cock and balls," Isaiah responded.
Not sixty seconds later, Tony appeared in the bedroom doorway, walked up to the bed and stared down at Gio holding Vinnie. Right behind Tony, Andy appeared, put a finger to his lips indicating Tony was still asleep and walking, seeking Gio.
"Poppa?" Tony said speaking Roma, fear and anxiety in his voice. "Poppa?" he asked a little louder.
"Yes, Tony," Gio answered. "Poppa's right here!"
"Don't die, okay, Poppa!" Tony pleaded_. "Please don't die! What will I do if you die? Who will protect me?"_
"I won't die, Tony! Climb in bed with me and you can help me, okay?"
Tony was definitely sound asleep! Andy knew it, Gio knew it, and now Isaiah knew it. The boy was frightened and wanted his "Poppa!"
Tony crawled into bed, pressing his naked body up against Gio's, reached up, and put Gio's arm around him, and snuggled in close.
"He does this sometimes," Gio explained to Isaiah.
"Poppa?" Tony asked.
"Poppa's right here!"
"Are we safe here?"
"Yes!"
"They won't find us?"
"No! Andy's here and Poppa's here. They won't find us!"
Tony raised his head up from where he lay, saying, clearly and distinctly with no hesitation,
"If they do, I'll shoot the mother-fuckers!" and lay back down.
Gio gave Andy a wave indicating he could leave, but asked, "How's the other one doing?"
"Fine, Captain, but I better get back before he gets antsy!"
Clearly, Isaiah thought, these three boys have a lot of baggage; the type of baggage the others at Ravenwood may have experienced but not in the same quantity, day after day, or as violent!
"Okay, Gio," Isaiah finally asked. "Where and when did you come by these boys?"
"Rico and Tony were being held prisoner and were about to be raped and then murdered when I intervened!"
"Andy and I left Florida by air transport with a group of RAF personnel who'd been stationed there for training. It wasn't a direct flight; there were refueling stops in Labrador and Iceland before landing in Scotland."
Gio and Andy, promoted to Sargent once in Britain, giving him more authority and lee-way of action in reporting directly to an officer in the OSS. He also received orders while there to proceed with Captain Russo to North Africa to act as his liaison, via radio, and monitor his activities and to relay information to OSS, specifically, Colonel Dickenson.
Andy underwent rigorous training in the use of the radios, coding and decoding, transmission, reception, repair of radio, and morse code. He was also trained in the use of the code he'd use communicating with Gio and for relaying information to his own superiors. Even though they were extremely busy, Gio still had the opportunity to ply his skills and visit some homes of the well-to-do in some of the relatively undamaged portions of some of the communities. He was amazed at how many persons of privilege there failed to make certain their funds and valuables were safe and secure. He also felt those same individuals were in the process of hiding what they had from authorities. Did he feel guilty about his nefarious activities? Not one bit!
Evading the Home Guard was a challenge and sharpened his skills of stealth and thievery, since most of the Guard were locals and keenly serious concerning the responsibilities they held; ever on the watch for infiltrators interested in sabotage or stealing secrets in order to do damage.
Gio was able to send some mail home to Isaiah and also to his grandparents. Andy, under tutelage from Gio, soon became well-schooled in the art of successful bribery, applied in some cases with healthy doses of blackmail. Their sojourn, so to speak amongst all of the destruction and death occurring in Britain due to German bombings, ended when they received orders to go to North Africa via air transport.
Andy thought the air flights were a little rough, the accommodations relatively sparse, and the food cold since it was packed beforehand for them, but preferred it over surface ships or submarines. Ships pitched, rolled, and made him sick; just the thought of getting in a submarine, one hundred feet under water, caused his stomach to feel funny and his mouth to dry. Gio teased him a great deal wondering how a guy who could kill without compunction and would walk through the most dangerous parts of a city without fear, could be frightened by being in a submarine.
On the flight to Africa, with little else to do but check equipment, snooze, or sort through one's thoughts, Gio and Andy discussed, in wonderment, how in the hell the Brits were able to sustain themselves mentally since they were under intense bombardment almost nightly by the German Luftwaffe.
"Just plain guts and determination to protect the homeland," Gio concluded.
"Amazing!" Andy decided.
There was little interference with their flight, although a couple of times the pilot took some evasive action to avoid a fight. Fortunately, there was enough warning to enable the crew to prepare. Ducking into cloud cover was an effective measure on this particular flight.
About an hour out from their destination, Gio wondered aloud if there might be the possibility of locating some young lads up for some "bed sport."
"Something like those two Brit boys?" Andy asked.
"Yeah, willing mouths and flexible assholes!" Gio responded.
"Man, they about wore our cocks off," snickered Andy.
"Maybe yours, not mine!" Gio laughed. "What did those two cost us?"
Andy thought a moment before answering.
"Ten pounds of sugar, twenty of flour, and five of butter."
"Where did you get it?"
"Stole it!"
Their flight was met in Algiers by an aid to Colonel Dickenson. Gio would leave from there, by submarine, on the next leg of his journey and Andy would base in Algiers until he was able to travel to Italy's east coast, once the hostilities would allow it, where Gio would end up, eventually! This was provisional on nothing happening to Gio in the meantime.
Dickenson reviewed Gio's mission with the two of them. Gio was to be put ashore north of Rome and south of Pisa, would be met by two Partisans, and taken inland to an area which had a large German military presence, a supply depot, and a command center. Sicily was under invasion by the Allies and would soon fall according to Dickenson, citing Army Intelligence.
Gio's operation/mission would begin as soon as he landed and was in place. A "significant" event causing some disruption and distraction in the form of an attack was to occur no later than the first week of September, preferably before the first of September.
Dickenson's briefing included Andy since he had no doubt Gio confided in his aide concerning his mission.
"Remember," Dickenson said, "this is not an intelligence gathering mission, although we list it as such and other top brass are being led to believe it is, but a mission to disrupt, distract, cripple the leadership, and cause the regular soldier to be scared shitless, so to speak. One way to cause significant problems is to attack the command centers and personnel. Cutting off the head of the snake, if you know what I mean!"
"The Germans and some of their Allies have committed and will continue to commit some of the most despicable and horrendous deeds imaginable to the populations and to captured troops of our Allies. Turnabout is fair play—in spades!"
After Dickenson left, Gio and Andy took the opportunity to discuss their own strategy should anything go awry, specifically if something should happen to Gio.
"If something should happen to me, I'll head for Porti Sicuro along the coast. I have relatives there."
"How will I know?"
"If the name `Isaiah', a Biblical Prophet, should appear any where in the radio message sent to you, it means I'm in trouble and headed for Porti Sicuro. You'll find me there, either alive or dead!"
It was a sobering thought for Andy and one he really didn't want to speculate about.
The day Gio left, before vacating their quarters, he paused, hugged Andy closely admonishing him, "To care of yourself. When I get back, we'll go home to Ravenwood. You'll love it there!"
It was all Andy could do to contain the extreme emotion he felt and the tears threatening to erupt from his eyes, fearful for the wellfare for the man he so loyally served and loved more than a brother.
"You do the same, Captain," he responded. "Remember there are those who love you and want you home. So do I, dammit, so don't go off and get yourself killed!"
Stepping through the doorway, as much as an afterthought, Gio turned and asked,
"How much did that lad cost us last night?"
"A goat!"
"Where in the hell did you get a goat?"
"I stole it!"
Andy chose not to accompany Gio to the docks where a small craft waited to ferry him out to the submarine. Shuddering at the very thought of being enclosed in a metal tube under the water, frightening him to the point of shitting or pissing himself, he decided to head to the Communications Center to make certain the small space he was to occupy was available and secure. It would be there Gio's messages would be sent in code for Andy to decode, evaluate, and send on to Dickenson or whoever was designated. If written communication or packages were somehow smuggled out of the warzone, Gio would open them, evaluate them, and send on to the destination Gio desired.
Shortly after mdnight a day or so later, Gio was put ashore, with all of his gear, on a secluded beach on the western shore of Italy. He was met by two Partisans, identifying themselves as Rudolpho and Orsino.
They each shouldered one of Gio's bags while he carried a smaller one containing his radio, pistols, knives, and special items produced according to his instructions to the OSS "magic makers." A short distance from the beach, sheltered in a copse of trees, a donkey hitched to a small cart waited. The gear, except for the bag Gio carried, was stowed in the cart and the two men, one leading the donkey, made their way on a narrow trail to a small farm house about five miles (approximately eight kilometers) away. It was located in an area a person would have to look more than just closely in order to find it.
"We'll rest here a bit," Rudolpho announced. "The city is not far and we'll head in there in the morning. Travel at night is not really advisable since German patrols watch the roads closely at night. There's a safe place to stay there and base our operations from."
Orsino checked to see if Gio's identification papers were the same as was needed. Assured they were, he gave the okay to Rudolpho.
The city was crawling with German soldiers when they arrived in the morning. There was no problem going through checkpoints! Gio was quite well disguised as an old man (with a walking stick) on his way to visit his daughter. Stowing his gear at the safe house, the three headed to a plaza in the city, where Gio found a couple of older gentlemen to visit with while Rudolpho and Orsino reconnoitered the "target" they thought would serve their purpose.
The two older gentlemen seemed to accept Gio's presence with little concern, noting "during these times, it's good to see family," when Gio mentioned he came to the city to see his daughter.
Gio spent three days visiting, becoming acquainted with, and gaining the trust of the two older gentlemen. He didn't press any issue, only listened, nodded when necessary, and spoke excellent Italian. They had no idea he wasn't a native of the country. They were, however, a little suspicious he might be a Facist, but that seemed to ease as the days moved along.
Nights were spent exploring the city of thirty thousand plus. He moved on foot and by bicycle since it wasn't practical to travel by car or anyother motor vehicle. Not only would it draw attention, but would take gasoline (petrol) which was scarce for civilians. Names of streets, escape routes, and locating the wealthier, almost exclusive neighborhoods, now under the control and occupied by the Nazi's, their allies, or sympathizers were all cataloged to memory. During his night-time sojourns throughout the city, he wasn't challenged by anyone of authority, mainly because he made certain he was unobserved, moving silently, almost invisiably in the darkness of night. He was thankful for the experiences he'd had with his Uncle Freddie and avoiding the Home Guard in Germany. He actual concluded the Germans were quite lax in their security and concerns there might be problems coming from the outside. They were more concerned with the activities of the Partisans in the area and throughout the country.
Gio carried, in a musset bag with a shoulder strap, his disguise, domino cape, and skull and crossbones mask. Tucked in there was well were his little flags, his .22 cal. Pistol loaded with "dum dum" bullets. He had cartridges loaded with special hollow point lead bullets in order to do maximum damage to anything they hit. The knives he needed, he carried in his belt, along with a small flashlight or "torch" as the Brits referred to the light.
He also joined Rudolpho and Orsino in checking out the fuel depot they targeted for destruction, arguing it would be a massive explosion which would be the desired distraction they were advised to create. Gio didn't disagree with them, neither did he outright approve. Quietly, he just didn't seem to think it would be demoralizing enough to the enemy soldiers or attack the "head of the snake" to really bring about a distraction of country wide attention causing the German Command to take notice and perhaps focus resources on it rather than someplace else.
On the fourth day of visiting with the old men, he casually mentioned he hadn't seen any young people, boys and girls around. He wondered if the city was populated by only the old or soldiers.
"I notice no young people about," he said and waited for some type of comment.
The two older gentlemen, looked at each other, raised their eyebrows, and then looked around them to see if anyone was close enought to overhear what they might say.
One finally, speaking softly and conspiritorially, "They are in hiding!"
Gio nodded his understanding and using the same voice, without looking at either man, commented,
"The Germans seem to enjoy the company of the young ones!"
"Especially," added the man, "if the German general is planning his annual birthday party in a couple of days."
"It is well they are hidden then!"
****
Chapter Six
Gio learned, from his discussion with the two gentlemen, ever since the city became a strong base of command for the area, when the German General and his staff took over the best housing, the general loved to have a birthday party for himself every year. Food, drink, and sex were provided for his officer staff. According to one of the old men, they usually had a large group of young boys and girls to "serve" them. As Gio listened, he came to the conclusion, not all of the young people survived the mass raping and debauchery. Hence, the local kids were hidden away in various places to avoid being part of the "party!"
He scouted the city that evening, mulling over in his head the information concerning the birthday party and how it might be capitalized on. If, he thought, he could detonate a charge large enough and concentrated enough to annihilate the command and control staff of the local garrison, along with destroying the fuel depot with a separate charge, it would create the major "distraction" Dickenson wanted. The question would be, where would this building be and how would he get into it to plant an explosive device, detonate it, while still rescuing the young victims the Germans planned to violate the night of the party?
Lady Luck appeared as he prowled around – in Spades!
In a neighborhood, less than well-maintained with houses and buildings in need of paint, repair, and just general clean-up, he was exploring, he spotted two German soldiers leaving an older building, laughing and talking about what a "great fuck" those two "Zigeuner" (Gypsy) boys were, as the soldiers wandered down the street.
Curious, he slipped on his black domino cape and skull mask, pulled out his .22 caliber pistol with the silencer attached, made certain he had a couple of knives in his belt, and tried the door the soldiers came out of. It was unlocked and gave way to a gentle push easily. Carefully, cautiously, and quietly, he stepped into the darkened corridor leading further into the building. Stepping softly, his ears picked up when he heard a young, muffled voice and a teen-age male voice growl something. This was followed by the laughter of at least two men.
Gio ventured down the hall, all of his senses on high alert, anticipating a problem of some sort! He stopped near a slightly ajar door, from which a light cast some illumination into the hall. The gap in the door was wide enough for him to peer inside the room and see what was happening.
There were two boys, both naked with their hands tied behind their backs, sitting on the floor with their backs up against the wall opposite the door. One of the lads quite young, the other older, perhaps thirteen or so. Both had several marks on their faces which Gio thought were probably the result of being beaten.
With their backs to the door, the two men were in the process of fucking two other naked boys. The soldiers, both naked as well, were older with one considerably fatter than the other. The fatter soldier was pumping his cock into the ass of another, naked teenage male bent over a table. The blubbery stomach of the soldier was settled, bouncing up and down, jiggling as gelatin in a bowl, sweaty, slippery, heavy on the teen's back as the soldier fucked away!
From what Gio could determine in the low light, a single bulb in the room, all four boys were Romani, if their darker color was any indication. The soldiers knew what they had, what they thought the boys were good for, and, if Gio was correct, would murder the four boys once the soldiers were done with them.
The heavy huffing and puffing of the fat man from the exertion of his activities and the increasing race toward orgasm and satisfaction, was enough, coupled with the other soldier, crooning in German how tight the young lad was under him was and what a "lovely" fuck he was, noise to cover any sound, however slight, Gio might cause entering the room. Gio thought, at the time, how the soldier's dick was even able to penetrate the young boy's ass since there was so much belly in the way. The way the soldier was hammering away, Gio thought he must have the head of his dick stuck part way in at least.
The other soldier, somewhat younger and not as heavy, was giving a young, pre-teen boy, bent over a chair, the same treatment. Gio started to enter the room and held up his left hand indicating to the two boys on the floor to keep silent since their eyes widened at the sight of a "Spectar" entering the room. The sight of a dark cloaked, hooded, figure with a skull for a head, frightened them and their eyes betrayed their fright! Fortunately, the two soldiers were in the process of enjoying themselves too much to notice.
Gio glided into the room with the silence of a morning mist, the stealth of a poisonous Adder, ready to strike a prey, bringing death to it, or as an Angel of Death coming to visit the living and claim them as his own. He was a berserker, a Spectar, a being from the Nether World to any and all who might see him and live to tell the tale. Frightening to say the least, to boy or man!
The younger of the two soldiers, clenched his ass cheeks as he orgasmed, shot his load, and pulled out. Just as he did, Gio stepped forward, aimed his pistol at the man's head and pulled the trigger! The light "pop" of the silenced weapon when a hollow point bullet was fired into the man's left ear leaving an exit wound the size of a quarter in the man's skull, brought instant death to the soldier and was just enough noise to alert the two boys bent over the chair and the table. Their heads turned toward Gio, eyes as "big as donkey turds!"
The second, the fat soldier, just pushing his load deep in the boy's ass, startled by the splatter of blood hitting him and the sound of his companion collapsing onto the floor, turned his head just in time to see a skull-faced and black caped hooded figure point a pistol at his right eye. The man saw nothing after that as he tumbled to the floor, joining his companion!
All four boys, including the two just raped, stared at him, saying nothing, fearful for their own lives, wondering if what they saw was human or otherwise.
"Don't be afraid," Gio said in Roma, "I'm here to help!" and quickly stepped forward, cutting the ropes holding each boy.
"Quickly and quietly, gather up your clothes and get dressed. Grab the weapons these two assholes had, go through their clothes and take wallets, any valuables, and their identity papers and we'll get out of here."
The boys hesitated, until the littlest one, eyes still big, sputtered, "He's Romani!"
Speaking their language was all it took for the boys to scramble getting dressed and rummaging through the soldiers clothing for valuables. Dressed, a couple of rifles, ammunition, and wallets, along with a couple of watches and money in their possession, Gio told the boys to leave the room and wait a moment for him.
He looked around the room, spotted a small piece of wire on a shelf, retrieved it and slipped one of his "pirate" flags on it. Walking over to the quite dead fat soldier, Gio jabbed the flag into the man's cock. Doing so he heard a small voice, speaking Roma, mutter,
"Bastardo!"
Leaving the building, continuing to speak in Roma, Gio cautioned "Walk slowly and stay in the shadows. Don't run; you draw attention to us if you do. Remember, there's a curfew."
"Yeah!" muttered the youngest one, "That's how we got caught!"
"How?"
"Stealing food," one of the two older boys snorted, continuing in Roma, "The fat bastard spotted us as we were crawling out a window."
"Couldn't run with four rifles pointed at you, could you?" the other boy explained.
"Besides," the other younger boy said, "We couldn't leave the Mouse," giving a jerk of his head toward the smallest member of their little band of thieves.
Gio stopped several blocks away from the building where he found the boys.
"Why we stopping?" asked `Mouse.'
"It's time for us to have a talk. It's time to fish or cut bait!" Gio declared, more to himself than to the boys.
The four cast puzzled looks in his direction, not certain what he meant or if it was something he was going to do to them. After all, he still had his mask and cape on, so how would they think otherwise?
Gio realized, as he listened to the whispered conversation as they walked away from the from the building where the bodies of the soldiers were splayed out on the floor and from their general appearance, the four were "street kids." Possibly runaways, more likely orphans, victims of the war or just prejudice against their ethnicity or both. Never-the-less, they knew the streets of this small city, who lived where, where the richest pickings were, and what areas to avoid. They were also very knowledgeable and cognizant of the location and activities of the German soldiers and of the Partisans in the area. Additionally, they were Romani and probably well-traveled throughout Italy with their families before and during the war. These four boys had skills many others didn't; skills Gio could make good use of! If anyone knew anything about this general's birthday party, these four would!
He decided to take a chance!
"Okay, you've seen what I do. I'll continue to do it until I'm told not to do otherwise or the war is over. You can decide to stay with me, help me kill Germans, or you can stay here and take your chances! If you stay with me, you could die but not after one hell of a fight on my part! If you stay with me, there's no turning back! No one, and I mean no one, is to know who I am or who you are unless I say so! Understood?"
He paused, looked at the four young Romani lads and added, "I just might fuck you every now and then besides."
The smaller one, the lad the others called Mouse, shrugged his shoulders.
"We go with you and maybe die; we stay here and will die and still get fucked just the same."
"We may even fuck you," the oldest lad said with a smirk on his face.
"Yeah," the other older boy declared, "be a change from Mouse or his," pointing at the other young lad standing by Mouse, "ugly butthole!"
"It's not ugly," declared the youngster, "at least you never complained one you got done fucking me!"
"So?" Gio asked bringing the banter to a halt.
"We stay!" declared the oldest.
"Fine! What are your names and ages?" Gio asked.
From the youngest to the oldest, each announced his name and age.
"Antonio, age eight."
"Enrico, age nine."
"Sandro, age thirteen."
"Nicolo, age fourteen."
"What do we call you?' Antonio asked, looking up a Gio.
"You may call me Angelo, the Angel."
Before reaching the house Gio and the others were using for a base of operation and concealment, Gio cautioned the boys,
"Once inside, you'll see my face and the faces of the others involved and be able to identify us if you are captured. We can't allow you to be captured. I don't know how the others will react, so I caution you! You're going to have to stay inside, no roaming around outside at night or day, understand? Once I've done what I have to do you'll leave with me, okay? Finally, except when we don't want others to understand what we're talking about, we speak Italian."
The four understood exactly what he was saying and what was expected of them. They were used to being in hiding for long times when the Germans were hunting for them or Italians who hated people of their kind and wanted to do them harm. "Angelo" offered them a route to safety. They had to trust him and he had to trust them.
"We need to talk about this birthday party the General has each year. I need to know all you know about it; where, when, even down to the food served, if you know it!"
Gio led the boys in through the backdoor into the kitchen of the house. His two coconspirators were sitting at the kitchen table drinking glasses of wine and nibbling on some hard rolls. Both looked over the faces of the four boys with him, noticing their coloration and quickly determining who and what they were,
"Who are these four?" Rodolpho growled.
Gio had no time to reply before Orsino, cursed, "They're fucking Zingari (gypsy).
"Toss those bastards out in the street or kill them. We don't want them here! They lie, cheat, steal, and will turn us in to the Germans," Rodolpho railed, clearly angry.
"Stop!" Gio ordered, holding up a hand as a warning. "They stay!"
"The hell they do!" Orsino shouted. "You Americans think you can do whatever you like and don't give a fuck about the rest of us."
Gio pulled off his mask, revealing his bearded face, lined with anger! His eyes, now revealed entirely and not shielded by the mask, sparked fury, a stone-cold fury, warning anyone he could and would kill without compunction.
Without raising his voice, speaking with a quiet, determined, and authoritatively, sending a warning signaling extreme harm or even death to those who would defy him, Gio stepped forward closer to Rodolpho and Orsino, hissing,
"You would defy Angelo della Morte?" (Angel of Death).
Their faces blanched, beads of sweat began to form on their upper lips and foreheads, as they viewed the anger on the face of the man in front of them, knowing full well what they'd been told about him before he came ashore. Their disobedience, should they persist, would mean their death by the most terrible and painful way, administered at his hand! Whether they would be buried in one piece or several or buried at all, their remains torn apart by the wild animals in the hills, depended on their decision now.
Finally, after tense minutes ticked by, their time of life dwindling with each passing minute, they both muttered a "No, Sir!"
"They will stay in my room," Gio ordered. "Tomorrow, I will make the final decision on our objectives, since I think I will be adding another location to the one we've already discussed. In the meantime, I expect you to gather up what we need to complete the mission."
He turned to the boys, with a wave of his hand, said, "Follow me!" and walked into his bedroom.
Seating the boys on the bed, he said, "You heard those two! You need to do what I say and stick with me. They aren't very friendly toward you! Now, we need to locate your hiding place and bring your stuff here since you'll be staying with me. I, and I emphasize the `if,' anything should happen to me, get the hell out of here and head for the streets or anyplace you feel safe. If nothing does, then you'll be going with me when I leave!"
In less than an hour's time, the boys and he had all of their gear gathered and piled in his room. Since they had little, it didn't take up much room. Each boy had a bag with their clothes and personal items in it and a bedroll.
"I suppose," he asked, "you boys are hungry?"
The four nodded, saying little, yet expressing their hunger.
Gio left to seek something for them to eat and while gone, Nicolo, addressing the rest of the boys, asked,
"So, what do you guys think?"
Enrico responded, "I think Angelo is not someone you want to make unhappy. I think it's safer for us to stay with him and do as he says."
The others, with head nodding, agreed with him.
"I don't think," Antonio offered, "he's as old as the white in his beard and hair would make us believe. It looks sort of fake, if you know what I mean."
He was silent for a moment before adding, "I don't think he's Romani either."
Gio stepped back into the room carrying a platter with some cold mutton slices on it, a loaf of bread, some water and a bottle of wine. The boys had their own utensils, so after Gio set the food on a small table in the room, they helped themselves. While they ate, Gio quizzed them, trying to determine what they knew about the upcoming party. Nicolo and Sandro had been around longer than Antonio and Enrico so they had more experience in answering the questions. They knew where, when, and what happened at past parties and concluded this one wouldn't be much different.
"There are about a dozen boys and girls the Germans have captured to entertain the officers at the party," Nicolo advised. "I think there are eight boys and four girls, all our age or younger, most about Enrico's age."
The banquet was held in the large dining room, before dinner drinks were served in the living room and bar area, military staff prepared the meal in the large kitchen, and at the end of the meal, a large birthday cake would be wheeled in on a cart, accompanied by the "entertainment." The large main house had several bedrooms and they would be used to "entertain."
"There's an office, with a large safe, toward the back of the house," Antonio ventured.
"How do I get to it?" Gio asked.
"Mouse can show you," laughed Sandro. "He goes there to quite often so the General's aide can fuck him for food for us.!"
Antonio nodded the correctness of what Sandro said, grinning, "The Aide's cock isn't that big and I put on a pretty good show for him so he's generous."
"But," he added cautiously, "There's a back door leading to the office and it's always locked!"
"No problem," smiled Gio.
It only decision left to be made was what to do with the youngsters once they were rescued. He couldn't very well just turn them loose on the streets, especially if they were naked.
"The Sisters at the Convent could hide them," Sandro suggested, "if we could get them there."
"I can handle that," offered Nicolo. "I know a guy who can take care of it with no problems or questions asked."
"You trust the guy?" Gio asked, skeptical of anyone who might get wind of the project.
"With my life!"
With that, Gio, found four black surgical type masks, showed the boys how to put them on, cautioned them to wear them at all times outside to conceal their identity, waved to Antonio to accompany Nicolo, and they left. An hour and a half later, they reappeared, assured Gio no one saw them, and announced it was all set.
Bedtime, Gio stripped and crawled into bed naked as he usually did, with a pistol and a knife close. He was aware of four pairs of eyes ogling his big cock and balls, but not a move was made by any of the four then or during the night, as much as he wished it. He'd decided, just like at home, not to take anything by force concerning the boys or without full consent.
Sitting on the bench the next morning, enjoying the early sun, Gio visited with the two older gentlemen he'd made acquaintance with. One handed him a map, telling him since he was new to the area, it might help him find his way around. The other man told him not to be surprised on Friday night with a great deal of noise since the Germans shot off fireworks to celebrate the General's birthday.
"In fact," he volunteered, "they store them, here," pointing at a place on the map, "in a small building. Fireworks and some dynamite as well."
Gio accepted the map and the information, thanking them and commenting it might come in handy.
After a light lunch, Gio outlined his plan of attack to the boys, Orsino, and Rodolpho.
"Tonight, we gather what we need for our mission close to the Manor and the fuel depot. Our goals are three-fold; rescue the children and keep them from harm; kill the German General staff here, at least as many as we can, and; destroy the fuel depot."
Gio explained under the cover of darkness, Orsino and Rodolpho were to move what they needed in position so when night came Friday, they could quickly move the explosives into position. The boys and he would do the same, preparing their part of the mission at the Manor House.
"Locate a secure place to stay tonight because you're not to return here. We've been here too long and, I would think, the Germans have discovered the bodies of the two men I killed. They'll be starting to hunt me down. Someone, somewhere has probably seen the house being used and will tell about it, once the Germans begin to do a bit of torture. After we're done tomorrow night, leave the area, and don't return."
Rodolpho and Orsino were to denote their charge when they saw and heard the explosion at the Manor house. Gio determined it wouldn't go unnoticed because of what he planned. According to the information the boys provided, he thought it would be at or around nine in the evening since that's was the time the "entertainment" usually began.
"If nothing happens by nine-thirty," he advised Rodolpho and Orsino, "blow up the fuel depot. Something has happened to us!"
The night was dark, no moon and shouldn't be for another few days, making it a perfect time for the group to relocate and begin collecting what they needed for the attack. Gio led his group to an old, abandoned shack in the midst of a grove of trees not far from the Manor house. It gave them a good view yet offered a good place of concealment.
Using a hand cart Nicolo and Sandro stole, they moved their belongings and then set out for the dynamite storage building. Gio picked the lock, loaded two cases of dynamite and two of fireworks rockets. After those items were delivered to the shack, they set out to get at least two, possibly more, "jerry" cans of "petrol" or gasoline as he explained to the boys.
"A couple to help along the explosion and a couple to help us get away."
"How we gonna do that?" Enrico asked.
"Steal a car!"
Gasoline purloined from a small unit of Germans detached to the other side of town, Gio and the boys settled in to spend the night. He did take the precaution of having the boys take turns keeping a watch. He took the late night into the morning shift, allowing the boys to rest. They ate cold meals during the day and when night was upon them began their final preparations.
Staff cars, carrying officers and driven by their aides, began arriving around six in the evening. The cars were parked in a row in the drive and along the street of the Manor house. Gio noted there was no one left to guard or even watch over the vehicles.
"Damned careless of them," he muttered to himself, "but damned nice for us."
When it appeared all were present, wondering where the aides retired to, he was informed they had their own party in an adjoining room.
"Mostly drinking, waiting to fuck the kids once the officers were done," Sandro growled in disgust.
Gio waited until around eight when it was fully dark before he motioned to Antonio,
"Let's go find that safe and see what's inside it!"
Stealth, darkness and pre-occupation by the Germans in their revelry was sufficient cover for any noise Gio and Antonio may have made in accessing the rear door of the Manor. The lock quickly picked, opened up into a hallway with several doors. Doors to the left side of the hall allowed access to the kitchen and the storeroom behind it, the main dining, the living room and lounge; a door at the end of the hall led to a conference room which, according to Antonio, was where the aides were now celebrating their own party; the single door to the right was the office. Picking the lock on that door displayed no more effort or was involved any more than the lock on the outside door of the manor.
Inside, after Gio relocked the door and then blocked it with a chair jammed under the doorknob, Antonio pointed out the closet where the safe was kept. The closet door yielded quickly to Gio's expertise. The closet held a rather large, metal safe. There wasn't a combination lock on it, rather it had two key type locks similar to the type used in safe deposit boxes in large banks. One master key would allow the second key held by the owner, to insert it and open the box. Gio looked around the small room. In his experience, people generally kept the master key close to the safe, believing, wrongly, without the second key the safe couldn't be unlocked. Wrong! Gio found the key hanging on a nail on the door frame. Inserting it, using a different pick, Gio unlocked and opened the safe.
A Walther PPK pistol was the first thing he spotted. He took it out and gave it to Antonio. Next, he noticed two rather large boxes, about the size of a shoe box, filled with gold and silver jewelry, including rings, adorned or containing precious stones. He knew they were quite valuable so he stuffed them in a canvas bag he carried for this very purpose. He also found two smaller velvet pouches with cut diamonds, rubies, and other precious stones inside. These two pouches he placed in an inside pocket of his cape. There were several stacks of paper currency; German Marks, Italian Lira, and some American Dollars (large bills). Those also went into the canvas bag.
Deciding he's taken enough, he placed one of his skull flags inside the safe and shut it. They exited the room, eased down the hall, and rejoined their companions to prepare the explosives they were going to use. There were four strangers, two women and two men, with Enrico, Nicolo, and Sandro.
"These are the people who will take the others to safety," Nicolo informed Gio.
The four could only stare at the black caped figure with a skull face mask. Their own faces expressed their fear, their shock, and realization this figure was clearly what he portrayed and would soon prove it.
Checking his watch, noting it was time, Gio whispered to Antonio, "Go to the hall door and see how many are in the kitchen and if it's time for the party to begin."
In less than five minutes, Antonio returned, telling Gio there were three in the kitchen, the meal was coming to an end, and they were preparing for the "entertainment."
Gio changed his plans; the four adults who joined them would accompany him to free the youngsters. He figured the children would be less frightened if "real" people, people they might know, would rescue them rather than some black-cloaked, masked deadly looking figure.
"You," he said pointing at the four, "will come with me. Keep quiet and keep the children quiet when you lead them out. If you don't, all of us could be killed and nothing accomplished."
Pointing at Nicolo and Sandro, "Find some transport for us and move our gear to it."
Flicking his head at Antonio and to Enrico, "You," indicating Antonio, "will come with me, and you," pointing at Enrico, "will stand guard outside the door."
He then reached over, took the pistol from Antonio and gave it to Nicolo.
The adults picked up the dynamite and the gasoline cannisters and followed Gio into the building. Entering the hallway behind the kitchen, Gio unlocked the door to the storeroom and the adults entered. The children began to chatter softly but were quickly hushed. He watched as the adults led the children out of the room, down the hallway and outside. More than one child's faces and eyes revealed their fear of him when the saw him.
Antonio, now peeking into the kitchen, indicated there were still three people there. Gio acknowledged it and stepped through the doorway into the kitchen. He was not noticed initially but when he was by one of the soldiers opening his mouth to either ask who he was or sound the alarm, ended up swallowing a bullet. The man hit the floor, Gio stepped over him quickly, and jabbed his pistol into the face of the nearest man, saying menacingly in German,
"Say one word and you'll join your fellow on the floor."
Antonio stepped forward, handed Gio dish towels he used to gag and bind the hands of the two men behind their back. He then marched them to the store room and locked them inside. Gio moved quickly back to the kitchen and began assembling the dynamite and gasoline on a wheeled cart.
Psst!" Antonio said pointing one finger up in the air and pointing at the door.
Gio stepped forward and when the soldier stepped through the door, Gio jabbed the pistol barrel in his ear. The soldier turned, saw the skull mask and dark cape, realized he was looking death in the face, and promptly pissed his pants. He was quickly gagged and his hands bound behind his back.
Looking at the soldier, Gio said, pulling a knife from his belt, "Those wet pants are uncomfortable. Let me get rid of them for you," and slit the belt, and down the front of the fly. With a quick pull, Antonio yanked the man's pants and underwear down to his ankles, Gio them forced the soldier to lay on the cart and tied him down. He took one stick of dynamite, fused it, turned to Antonio telling him to run like hell, shoved the stick of dynamite into the soldier's asshole, and lit it.
Gio shoved the cart, loaded with the case of dynamite and the gasoline containers on the bottom shelf and the soldier, bare ass pointing out with the dynamite stick rammed up his butt, into the hall, and shouted,
"HAPPY FUCKING BIRTHDAY!" and ran out the back door,
Gio and Antonio were less than thirty yards from the building when the first explosion went off causing them to duck for cover. Almost immediately, the larger blast ingulfed the building in flames as pieces of it were hurled into the air and about the area. Sandro came running, leading them to the car Nicolo stole. Gio slid behind the wheel, and snorted,
"Let's get the fuck out of town!"
The black, oily smoke still billowed in the morning air off in the distance from the destruction of the fuel depot, with its smoke drifting high to mix with the fainter, lighter smoke from the ruins of the Manor House some half-mile away. Military staff vehicles, firefighting apparatus, and trucks with soldiers in them roared around the city. There were soldiers on foot patrol seeking the same answers and perpetrators of the explosive night the city experienced. Crews were also sorting through the debris checking for any signs of the destructive device which may have caused the havoc and deaths, as well as any survivors.
The two older gentlemen occupied their usual places on the bench overlooking the plaza, appearing only curious as older, retired gentlemen can sometimes give the impression.
"I understand they found two men alive, tied up in a storage room which somehow survived the blast and fire," one commented.
"Yeah," the other acknowledged, "but one died shortly thereafter and the other is not expected to live."
"I also understand," the first one said, "both babbled about some creature from the dead attacking them and setting off the blast; you know, face like a skull and so forth."
The second man only nodded in response.
"I wonder," he added without looking at the first man, "if they think last night was distraction enough!"
"I sure hope so," replied the other, "I just didn't expect him to blow up half of the town though."
The next day, September 3, 1943 Allied Forces landed in Italy!
To be continued:
***
Thank you for reading "The Private Journals of Isaiah Watts, Volume Three-
Chapters Five and Six."
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or locales is entirely coincidental or used in a fictional content.
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