It was late in the night, an hour or two before dawn and the streets were barren except for a vintage Italian roadster that made its way slowly through the mist. the car stopped in front of the Le Noir Chat Cafe. Girlymann quickly said goodbye to Pierre and walked to the passenger door to get in. As soon as the door was shut, the good doctor drove toward the border of France and Italy . Girlymann had to leave France for his safety and leave his beloved De Rosa to an unknown fate. It was a quiet ride out of town and well into the countryside. Only when the roadster began to climb to the border of the two nations that the men felt safe enough to relax.
Campy watched two early-morning cyclists as the roadster passed them on the road that led up the alps. It pained him to leave the De Rosa behind and he turned to the doctor. "I'm coming back for my bike."
"Campy, wait. Let Pierre and myself find out what we can. It might be a dear price for your beloved De Rosa but better to pay a ransom than lose your life."
"Anton, I'm not paying to get back my own bike. I'm sorry for what I did, I screwed up but you don't take a man's bike because he messed up. If whoever is behind this, thinks that makes us even, they stepped over the line, not me."
"Careful, Campy, you don't know Jean Claude is behind this."
"You're right, I don't, but it's the only hunch I've got to go on. Who else would take it? I have left it in front of the cafe many times without worry. Now, though it was taken right in front of me."
The climb was long on the winding road up past small villages that Campy, not all that long ago, would have waved a friendly hello to from his bike. Now though, he kept his golden curly hair tucked in his hat and no wave to the onlookers. And all Campy could think of, mile after mile, was his beloved, De Rosa. The bike was part of him and he part of the bike. When he mounted, the bike sprung to life, his mind and body molded to the frame, they were one, inseparable, married and at times, Campy didn't know if it was him or the bike that made them soar along so many roads and countries.
No, he could not leave part of him behind. When the roadster came up to the border, Campy showed his passport as did Dr. Anton and once they were waved through, Campy's first thought on Italian soil was how to get his bike back.
To be continued...
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