Time: Modern Day
Location: Rome

Netty came up out of the training room closely followed by Whisky and dodging Soda as she sped past Whisky and meowed a 'coming through' at Netty as she bounded up the stairs between her legs.

Soda raced through the door, tail twitching and swishing, came to an abrupt halt and crouched by the shower door as she always did.

The stupid dog fell for it again. Whisky was a great watchdog but not great at strategy. He also seemed to suffer from short-term memory loss as he trotted along happily behind Netty, with a dumb infatuated laughing face so typical of Staffies.

Netty grabbed a salmon-coloured bath sheet from the linen press next to the ensuite and eased into the shower just in time to hear Whisky yelp as Soda pounced. She stuck her head out to admonish her cat when she had to laugh out loud. The scene reminded her of an old National Geographic video of a female lioness bringing down a Wildebeest in full flight by grabbing it by the thighs.

Whisky was sliding across the tiles with Soda firmly attached to his behind until he lost his footing and crashed to the bedroom carpet yelping out loud until Soda let go in time to protect herself from being squashed under the falling weight of Whisky's sizable rump.

She had just finished her shower and was drying her hair when she heard the back door to the garage open and Anton sing out "You decent Sis?"

"At what?" she giggled.

"You know what I mean, you got a man up there, or a girl?" Anton teased.

"Why do you want to know? Want to join in or something?"

"Sis, yuck, don't even go there. Just because I work for them doesn't mean I'm anything like them."

"Don't be so sensitive. No, I am alone of course, as usual. Not many guys hang around long when they find out my brother is an assassin!" she joked.

Of course, no matter how intimate her relationship, she would never talk about family business. Her first ever boyfriend still believed they were Mafioso and her father was killed by the mob. It was why she hadn't had a real relationship since. She'd had a couple of short one or five night stands since losing her virginity. Two with boys and one with a girl that only Anton knew about. She hadn't had the heart to tell her Dad. She was not sure how he would have taken it. Since his death however, she had become convinced her Dad would've been okay with it. Anton had told her as much one night when they got drunk together after their father's memorial service.

Anton sang out up the staircase, "You dressed yet? We have to be at the restaurant in twenty-five minutes."

"Give me five to make myself beautiful!"

"Not possible, you're already too beautiful for words, Sis. You definitely got the better of Mum's genes.

"I'll bring the car around, make sure Whisky and Soda stay up there. I don't want to run the little buggers over."

"Yeah, they're both here, on the bed. They're the only ones I have in my bed these days."

"Oh! Yes, you'd have so much trouble finding someone, not. Just hurry up willya?"

"If you stop interrupting me I will." The door slammed in the affirmative.

They arrived at the restaurant ten minutes late as usual. The maître d'hôtel had written will be late against the Anton plus 1 booking entry.

They were soon seated at his favourite table near the piano player. The piano blocked anyone from overhearing their conversation.

"Some wine Sis?"

"If you're paying, sure, hehe."

"Don't I always?"

"Well, if you'd let me join the family business you wouldn't have to. Like I haven't asked a hundred times."

"Look, actually they asked me to ask you."

"Really and you said no, right?"

The wine waiter came back with two Blanc de Blancs. They toasted each other.

"To us!"

"Exactly what are we celebrating?" Netty asked.

"America or bust, actually. I'm being sent to the USA to cover the elections."

"They asked me to ask you if you wanted to babysit Petros?"

"What? You said no of course."

"Yeah, I did. I told them to give it to Carlos. They just sacked him. Brought in a new guy - Alejandro, Alex for short, as the new Keeper, but . . . "

"But what?" Netty looked intrigued.

"They are sending him with me to the US. So the job is yours if you want it, I guess. But only if you promise to drop the vendetta. I will not be responsible for you getting Special Treatment."

"Oooh, no Special Treatment for me, hehe?"

"Forget it, if you are going to joke about it, Netty!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. No, I'd love to."

The meals came and so they stopped talking as, coincidentally, the piano player took a break.

They ate their meals in relative silence except for the usual small talk about the weather and the food. The piano player started playing again.

"They will message you with a time for an interview."

"Thought you told them no though?"

"You think they take notice of me? They were going to ask you anyway regardless of my feelings on the matter. It's a permanent job too no matter what happens to me."

A feeling of dread came over Netty all of a sudden.

"What do you mean?" Netty's face contorted with anguish. She had seen that same look on Anton's face, on her father's face a few times, and each time her mother had paced the lounge room floor till he returned that night.

"Petros specifically asked Graz to send Carlos with me. I don't think there is much love lost between those two at the moment. Petros has been strange since the incident that took Dad away. Even his eyes are different. They've changed colour. He looks weird with the jet black hair, olive complexion and those deep blue eyes. Apparently he was born in Italy, even though he is Australian. I also found out why we are protecting him. Why he got away with Dad! Don't you dare tell anyone I told you this but Petros is Graz's son."

"Holy shit!"

"Yeah, holy shit indeed. You must not let on you know."

"How did you find out?" Netty leaned forward in a conspiratorial pose.

"They want us to help the CIA, so I called in a favour. I asked them to find out who this Petros really was and why was he seemingly so important to the Vatican. Those CIA pricks know just about everything about just about everybody it seems."

"I'm a bit surprised that they told me to be honest then I twigged. They think I won't be around to tell anybody anyway."

"What? Why Anton?"

"Because they think we are on a suicide mission. We won't survive the assassination whether successful or not!"

Netty's heart began to pound.

She took a big swig of the red wine Anton had bought her.

"Is that why you were so insistent on my joining you for dinner tonight? You think you aren't coming back? Is that it Anton? IS IT? Netty began to sob.

"Keep your voice down, Sis, please."

"You can't go. How do you know? Are you sure? What's the contract?"

"You know I can't tell you that, Sis. I just suspect it. I think that's why Petros was insisting on sending Carlos with me. He knows I'd rather work alone but he sold Graz on the idea I could make more money and have more of a chance of success with two people."

Anton started fiddling with his skull ring on the second finger of his left hand.

"I'll just have to make sure if anyone is on a suicide mission it better be Carlos and not me!"

Anton handed Netty his handkerchief to use instead of her napkin.

"Now stop that! Sis, please. You are bringing attention to us. Do you want me to make this into a lovers' tiff? I can you know, I've had to do it before you know, hehe."

Netty couldn't help but break into a teary eyed smile.

"That's my girl, cheer up, worse things happen at sea you know.

"Anyway we are Assassin Team USA not quite as good as Assassin Team Europe but you need to stay here and protect the family business. I'm counting on you, Sis. I'll definitely be back. You are hopeless with money. The business would be bankrupt if we left you in charge. Hehe. So I have to come back for all our sake.

"Enough of this morbid talk. What's for dessert? Garcon!"

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