The following morning at Germelli Hospital, Det. Lucca met with the Pope and GB. The atmosphere was thick with concern, and everyone in the room felt the weight of the grim message delivered by Vito Marcelli's assassination: the Pope was a marked man. Lucca informed them that his sources suggested involvement from the Italian Mafia in Sicily.
These individuals are criminals, yet they identify as Catholics. How can this be? Asked the Pope.
Lucca said,
Your Holiness, I suspect that some individuals have hired these mobsters to eliminate you for political reasons. As a progressive pope, factions worldwide view your influence as detrimental and contrary to their objectives. I regard this as a serious issue, and we need assistance.
What options were available to the men? The church couldn’t compete with the Sicilians, although GB quickly calculated and developed detailed plans. When the Pope asked about Lucca's intentions to assist Italian police and government intelligence sources, he mentioned a computer expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His name? Hans Luden.
When the call came in, Luden was sitting on his screened-in porch, savoring a cigar with Li Chen. After three minutes of listening, he informed Lucca that he would arrive in Rome the following evening. He requested that the detective book rooms at the Ritz for himself, Li Chen, and Tony Verano from the North End. He would also need a driver and a translator. When Lucca inquired about Verano, the Professor said,
He is a loyal Catholic from Boston's North End. He is skilled in martial arts and proficient with various firearms, and he never gives up; I may need him.
Luden requested a quiet, secure workspace with several high-powered computers and printers. When Lucca asked Luden if he thought he could assist, Luden responded,
The Sicilians make outstanding cannolis, but their intimidation tactics could use some work.
Thanks to Dennis Humphey, Rob Schannon, and Nancy Auger