No Escape by Julie Moffett
Chapter Three
Lexi Carmichael
“I have a feeling I’ve forgotten something.”
My mom searched in her purse, as if that would help her locate the elusive missing item. “You brought two gigantic suitcases for one week,” I said. “I’m worried they’re both going to exceed the weight limit. What could you have possibly forgotten, Mom?”
“I don’t know, but I’m sure it’s important.”
I stretched my legs out, just like in my dream, and felt a nervous twinge. I had to remind myself we weren’t in London, and we weren’t headed toward a swanky restaurant, but the Baltimore airport. Slash and I faced my parents, with our backs to the limo driver, our legs splayed out next to each other. Fortunately, there was no large white dog in sight, though I barely restrained myself from searching the back of the limo just to make sure.
“Everyone has their passports, right?” Slash asked.
My dad pulled out two passports from his jacket pocket and waved them at Slash. “We’re good on the passports. Clarissa, if you’ve forgotten anything, we can buy it in Italy. You said you wanted to do a little shopping anyway. It’s been ten years since we’ve been there. Surely there are new things to purchase.”
“That’s true,” my mom said, pulling out her compact and applying more lipstick. She already looked beautiful, so I don’t know why she even had to use makeup. She effectively wielded her good looks as a board member on several charities, helping to raise millions of dollars for worthy causes. I’d inherited nothing of her looks except for her long legs and height, which unfortunately only served to make me look awkward instead of graceful.
“As long as I don’t have to dodge bullets and bad guys.” My dad pointed at Slash, which wasn’t fair, because most of the trouble that happened around us was usually my fault. “I didn’t bring or wear body armor, young man.”
I was the only one in the limo who laughed, and I did it mostly to draw attention away from Slash. Dropping to the floor to avoid bullets had become second nature to my parents since they’d met Slash. There was a bit of contention between Dad and Slash over the heightened danger factor, even though I was a magnet for disaster before I met Slash. Somehow, he put the blame squarely on Slash, and Slash wouldn’t disagree with him. They were working on getting past the danger thing but hadn’t got there quite yet.
I didn’t know what else I could do to ease that pressure, but I tried. “It’s a wedding, Dad,” I assured him. “The only potential shotgun that might have been in play would have belonged to the father of the bride. And seeing how Gio’s bride, Vittoria, is already pregnant, and Gio is marrying her, the shotgun shouldn’t be necessary at this point.”
A smile touched Slash’s lips, but my mom rolled her eyes. “For heaven’s sake, Winston, forget about guns and life-threatening danger for five minutes. We’re going to Italy. It’s one of the most romantic spots in the world, perfect for lovers and shopping.”
“And I feel compelled to mention we’re going with our son-in-law, with whom danger has constantly been synonymous,” he said. “How can we be sure we’ll be safe?”
“Dad!” I threw up my hands in exasperation. “That’s so uncalled-for. We’re going to a wedding.”
“After we spend time in a mysterious castle on a secluded island,” Dad returned lightly. “It’s a justifiable question.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but Slash put a hand on my knee to quiet me. He didn’t like me stepping between the two of them or defending him to my dad, even verbally.
Mom snapped her compact shut and slipped it into her purse. “Yes, about that, children. Why, again, are we going to a castle filled with puzzles and games before the wedding?”
I let out a frustrated breath and rested my head back against the limo seat. “I’ve already told you, Mom. It’ll give us the opportunity to get to know each other a little better before our wedding while having fun.”
“Why can’t we do that sitting at a nice Italian restaurant?” Mom asked. “Why the castle thing?”
“Why not?” I responded. “It’ll be an adventure, and you and Dad like puzzles. I thought we could all use a little fun.”
“The castle visit is on me,” Slash interjected smoothly. “Gio asked me to plan something for a few days before the wedding, where the wedding party could all come together and have some fun. I couldn’t get to it because of work, so Lexi offered to help out.”
“Work that had piled up while you two were in Brazil?” my mom asked pointedly. “Where you two got married without family and friends.”
“That was a matter of life and death,” I said, hoping to cut off that line of discussion. I didn’t want to go down that rabbit hole again. “We’ve already been over this a hundred times. Getting married in Brazil wasn’t planned. Besides, we’re not talking about our wedding—past or present—right now. You promised we could take a break from wedding planning and focus on this trip as a family. Remember?”
“Of course I remember. And I do appreciate Gio giving us an opportunity to meet Slash’s parents and brothers at the wedding. I’m also sure the island you’ve chosen will be lovely, as will the activities you planned. You’re right, I do love puzzles. It’s just it seems a little odd as a family activity.”
“Technically, I didn’t plan a single activity,” I said. “Slash and I were able to book the location and guest accommodations. The activities are included.”
“Escape rooms in a castle.”
“Yes, Mom, escape rooms in a castle.”
“Well, it seems rather unusual. Explain the concept of escape rooms to me again, darling.”
I adjusted my legs again, trying to stretch out to a more comfortable position. “As far as I understand it, the castle contains a series of escape rooms with puzzles and clues you have to figure out as a team. You must work together to figure things out, and in doing so, you get to know each other. Think of it as breaking the ice, but in a more heightened way.”
“I should mention, this isn’t just any escape room or castle,” Slash added, looking out the window. He constantly scanned the environment, always on alert for any sign of danger, which sounds ridiculous if you don’t know us. If you know us, it makes perfect sense.
“The castle, which was built in the fifth century, was named Castrum Augustus, after the Roman emperor Romulus Augustus,” he explained. “The emperor used the castle as an occasional summer vacation spot. When the emperor was not in residence, it was used as a defensive outpost. It was taken over many times by different marauding forces over the centuries. The castle received a major renovation in the fifteenth century by Alfonso V of Aragon when he conquered the surrounding territory, including the island.”
My dad’s face lit up. He loved history and architecture. When I was younger, we took a lot of trips to the museums. Of course, I preferred the science museums, but I still enjoyed the history lessons and learning about new cultures and people.
“It sounds fascinating,” Dad said. “I look forward to seeing it. What happened to it after that?”
“By the turn of the twentieth century, an Italian noble family, Migliaccio, had owned the castle for about two hundred years,” Slash continued. “To be able to afford the upkeep, the castle was opened to the public in 1913. Unfortunately, Mussolini and his Fascist government took it over during World War II, and in the years following the war, the castle fell into serious disrepair. It was eventually purchased from the Migliaccio family in the late 1980s by Italian billionaire and tech giant Rocco Zachetti, who restored it to its full historical grandeur. A decade later, he turned the island over to his son, Dante, who had added significantly to the family fortune by being an early investor in video games. Today Dante Zachetti is the secret money behind several of the most successful game developers around the world. He’s supposedly even more reclusive than his father. He’s reputed to have a serious fascination, some might even call it an obsession, with games and puzzles.”
“Sounds a bit like you, Lexi,” my mom quipped with a smile. “Except your games are virtual.”
“Virtual games are the best,” I said. Still, I appreciated her acknowledgment of my gaming skills, and she seemed intrigued by the escape room concept, which I appreciated.
“It all sounds quite interesting,” Dad said. “But how do you get an escape room in a castle from all that?”
“As I mentioned, Dante Zachetti is a bit of an eccentric,” Slash replied. “He lived in the castle for many years, tended to by his groundskeeper, butler, valet, chef, and housekeeper. He has never married and never had children. About ten years ago, he moved to an estate in Naples and began secretive work on the castle. Suddenly, a few years ago, he began inviting select groups of friends and colleagues to the island to solve a series of puzzles and challenges he’d built at the castle. Word is, he’d visited several escape rooms and decided he could do better. He wanted to match minds with some of the smartest people on the planet.”
“That’s the perfect example of someone with too much money and nothing to do with it,” Mom said.
“How strange,” Dad said. “Why would someone do something like that to a historical site?”
“It is a bit odd,” I agreed.
“Rumor is Zachetti was bored intellectually and desired a challenge,” Slash said. “That’s just speculation, however.”
“What a peculiar man,” Mom said. “So, how many of those bright minds have solved these escape rooms?”
“None,” Slash replied. “At least to the best of my knowledge. Supposedly dozens of people have tried, including some of the most accomplished scientific and engineering minds in Europe invited personally by Zachetti. But no one really knows the results. Those who have done it aren’t speaking, other than to indicate they failed. It’s not surprising the participants at that level don’t talk much about their failure, because they probably aren’t used to it. Nevertheless, it’s a mystery, which we will be able to experience firsthand.”
Mom shook her head. “How in the world did we get invited?”
“It’s kind of a strange situation,” I said. “I read about the escape rooms being set up at Castrum Augustus when I searched the web for unique activities in that part of Italy. It came up in an article in Scientific American magazine from a few years ago. The magazine’s puzzle editor mentioned a conversation he’d had with a leading mathematician who’d just returned from an interesting experience. The mathematician had been part of a group of puzzle solvers invited to tackle a series of escape room-type challenges constructed in a renovated castle off the coast of Italy. He said the castle was located in a fabulous and exotic Italian setting, and the puzzles were devilishly wicked. The editor said the mathematician wouldn’t describe the puzzles or how the group did, but noted it was the experience of a lifetime. That sounded like something interesting to do with the wedding party. So, without knowing the full history or background of the castle, I called up and inquired about renting the place for a few days. They told me access to the castle was by personal invitation only from the owner, Mr. Zachetti himself, and not for rent. I realized what a dork I’d been by calling them up after I read more about the history of the castle and Zachetti, then learned what a huge, exclusive deal it is. Oops.”
“If it’s such a big deal, how did you get this Zachetti character to change his mind about us?” Dad asked.
“I didn’t,” I answered. “A couple of days later, I asked Father Armando if he knew what might be fun to do in the area, as I was out of ideas. He asked me what I’d already looked at, and I admitted that I’d tried to get us booked at Zachetti’s castle. He didn’t say anything about it but promised he’d help me find a suitable spot for us to gather. A few days later I received an email from Dante Zachetti inviting us to the castle for exactly the days we needed. I suspect Father Armando was instrumental in that, but he won’t confirm it. It was a little odd, but since Gio was really stoked about it, that made the decision easy. I figure we’re all game to give it a try, right?”
“Yes, of course, but it means we’re going to be taking on the same challenges that even the brightest technical and scholarly minds in Europe purportedly couldn’t solve,” Mom said. “That seems quite daunting.”
“True. But one way or the other, it will definitely make for a cool adventure.”
“I think it sounds fascinating, Lexi.” The astute lawyer brain in Dad seemed excited about the possibility. “I’ve never done an escape room, but you know me. I’m always up for a good puzzle, as is your mom. Right, Clarissa?”
“Of course.” My mom patted his knee. “It just seems an unusual way to meet Slash’s parents. But we’re here, aren’t we? So, bring on the puzzles.”
That was one thing about my family. For as long as I could remember, we’d always had game night at our house. Puzzles, cards, board games, all of it. When my brothers and I were younger, we had game night several times a week after dinner. As we got older and more homework and after-school activities piled on, family game nights had become fewer. Then my older brothers, Rock and Beau, left for college, leaving me alone with my folks. We still had game nights, but they were rare until I’d left for college. In a strange moment of nostalgia, I realized how much I missed it.
“You’re really good at puzzles, Dad,” I said. “Which, not coincidentally, makes you an excellent lawyer.”
“Why, thank you,” he said, grinning at me. “But your mother is the real puzzle beast. Honestly, I think you and your brothers got your smarts from her side of the family.”
I stared at him taken aback by his comment. Dad thought I got my smarts from Mom? Sure, she was intelligent and wicked good at puzzles, especially word games and crossword puzzles, but she’d always been so focused trying to push me into activities like ballet, dating, and girly things that I’d kind of forgotten she’d graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. She hadn’t ever used her degree, as far as I knew, but the more I thought about it, she did have amazing success with people, fund-raising, and getting her way. Maybe leveraging her social skills and extraordinary good looks was just a strategy to get people to underestimate her.
Interesting I’d never considered that before.
“Regardless of what happens, our castle experience should be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for certain,” Slash was saying.
I agreed 100 percent. I loved a good challenge. Plus, I hoped everyone would be so busy exploring the grounds and trying to solve the puzzles, no one would have much time to talk to me, ask me questions, or want to discuss my upcoming wedding plans.
Our driver pulled up to the airport departure area and helped us unload our suitcases from the trunk. Slash gave him a tip, and we schlepped our suitcases into the airport, decked out for the holidays. An enormous Christmas tree stood in one corner, decorated with hundreds of silver and gold balls and blinking white lights. Christmas music played over the loudspeakers. Everything was in the full festive spirit of the holiday.
As we headed toward the Alitalia airline counter to check our baggage, I pulled up behind a guy in a full Santa Claus suit, including boots, hat, and coat. Apparently, Santa was headed to Italy, too.
My dad, Mom, and Slash came up behind me. Slash pulled his suitcase and one of my mother’s enormous ones. Dad had his suitcase and my mom’s other one. Mom carried her large carry-on and purse. She happily peppered Slash with questions about Italy this time of year, and I smiled a bit, glad that she seemed to be having a good time already. Maybe things wouldn’t be so bad after all. She came to stand beside me, reaching over to brush a strand of my brown hair off my shoulder.
“Italy at Christmas,” she said. “It will be lovely, Lexi.”
“I’m sure it will be.” I reached into my purse for my passport, accidentally elbowing Santa in the side. My elbow hit something hard, and pain zinged from my funny bone down to my wrist.
“Ouch,” I said, rubbing my elbow. “Dude, you’ve got some hard ribs there.”
Santa glanced over his shoulder at me, his eyes narrowing. “Shut up.”
Jeez. Ho, ho, ho, not. Guess Santa wasn’t in a good mood, and…he was also sweating profusely. I couldn’t believe he planned on traveling all the way to Italy in that suit. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to elbow you. It’s just kind of crowded in here with all the Christmas travelers and—”
Santa suddenly whipped an automatic weapon out from beneath his red coat and fired several rounds toward the ceiling.
“I said shut up!” he roared at me.
Holy holiday!
This Santa wasn’t packing presents.