Lieutenant Francesca Totti and her three-man team enter the old Plague Hospital with weapons raised.
A locally born history graduate, she's more than aware of the building's awful past. At least three of her ancestors died here. Another half-dozen perished in the watery journey to the Lazzaretto.
Francesca's radio is back on her belt after answering Valentina's alert.
Her team methodically clears the downstairs rooms. Two more units, following behind, take the upper floors.
At the eastern end of the corridors, Francesca hears voices. Dark shapes are moving in a courtyard beyond dusty windows. She holds her hand high to slow and quieten the troops behind her.
From their crouched positions they watch three black-hooded figures gather around a steel gurney from one of the wards.
Something's wrong.
Francesca can see the reflection of a large fire that must be crackling and spitting flames somewhere out of view.
The Satanists are wearing silver Venetian masks. Walking on a carpet of dead flowers. Reciting prayers.
Francesca sees no knives. No weapons of any kind. Despite the impending arrival of the Carabinieri there seems no trace of panic amongst them.
Everything's too low-key.
Like they're too late.
She waves one soldier around to a door on the right, another to an archway on the left.
On her signal they step forward in unison into the courtyard.
Guns drawn and aimed.
The Satanists immediately hold their hands up in surrender.
But there's still no panic. The air is filled more with comedy than tension.
Francesca moves to the gurney placed in the middle of them.
It's empty.
She rips the masks off the celebrants.
Three women.
All looking amused.
A flash of horror. The fire!
Francesca runs to the flames, scared of what she might find.
Wood. Old trees. Planks and garden debris.
There's nothing human on the fire. In the centre, just the glowing remains of a dummy, made from stuffed clothes and a mask.
From behind her, Francesca hears the women start to laugh.
It's all a decoy.