Can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man

He had gone from predator to prey in the space of one idiotic, monumental mistake, but you would not guess it by looking at him. He clung with tenacity to the poise of gentleman-scholar, seemingly unruffled by all that had happened. Yet he knew that somewhere on his backtrail, who knew how far back, Basileus Scarlatti followed. Any other he might have been able to win his way free of with guile or blood, but Basil? No. It did not matter the burden of guilt and grief that Enrico bore, to Basil it would be enough that he'd broken Omertà even if he did not know the outcome, and he would kill without hesitation - as he should, as Enrico himself would have. 'Rico didn't blame the younger wolf... if anything an upwelling of pride surprised him at the thought of Basil's unwavering loyalty to the brotherhood. But he had no intention of allowing the man to kill him either.

So he'd banished his horror and grief to a distant corner of his mind and set out to shake Basil from his trail. He didn't have a plan, he didn't know where he was going, he simply did not know how to move his life forward without the Cosca. All that mattered was getting rid of Basil without killing him, and perhaps it was that very single-minded aimlessness that was helping confuse his trail. Rico was never aimless. Rico always had a plan.

Except that now he didn't.

He'd holed up in a cavern with an underground river for now, leaving only to hunt on the surface, though he knew he would have to leave his safe haven permanently soon. Staying in one place was dangerous. He'd leave too much sign for Basil to follow, and he would eventually get too comfortable. Get to feeling too safe. And that would be when he'd find Basil waiting for him.

Carrying in his catch - a young spring hare, just old enough to be out on his own but young enough to be a stupid easy kill - he dropped it beside his rock and padded down to a nearby pool that the water had collected in to slake his thirst. He liked it here - perhaps too much. The whole aura of the place was so serene, so soothing. That was dangerous. Perhaps he would need to move on sooner than he'd thought...