(Article is in Novels universe)
Roberto Cassano is a character appearing in the novel Worth Dying For by British author Lee Child.
Roberto Cassano is a hired gun for an Italian gang. He works for Rossi.
In Worth Dying For[]
He and Angelo Mancini are dispatched to Nebraska to back the Duncan family in their plot against Reacher. They go to the Apollo Inn, where they question Mr. Vincent about Reacher’s stay, in which Vincent tells them that he was kicked out. They call him out for his stupidity to not check other enter or exit points Reacher could have used. They also ask if Dorothy Coe said anything, which Vincent denies. They also ask where she lives, which Vincent supposedly tells them.
Cassano and Mancini arrive at Coe’s farm, where they are almost met by her at the door when they role up. They then take her at gunpoint and shout for Reacher to come out of hiding or they will kill her. However, Cassano and Mancini were bluffing, and leaves Coe and her farm without doing anything further.
They later head to the doctor’s house to ask him what he told Reacher, but the doctor doesn’t tell them anything of value. They then leave his house.
Cassano and Mancini arrive at the Duncan residence, where they ask them how Reacher serves as disruption for the delivery. Jacob Duncan reassures them they will deliver as soon as Reacher is finished. Mancini advises them to return to checking the roads. Cassano leaves the house through the back door to call Rossi. He informs him that the Duncans are sticking to their story about Reacher, and then asks how much more pressure they should apply on the family. Rossi replies that they should do what the Duncans want, helping them find Reacher. After the doctor is captured by Cornhuskers, Cassano receives a call from Rossi. He informs Cassano that Safir and Mahmeini are sending their own people to Nebraska to help, but he suspects that they’ve been ordered to cut them out. He orders Cassano to take out Safir’s people and Mahmeini’s if necessary in self defence. Cassano and Mancini then head to the county seat and park outside the Courtyard Marriott hotel, alongside a black Cadillac. They then decide to head for the cafe.
Cassano and Mancini meet with Safir and Mahmeini’s men, to discuss how to get rid of Reacher. He informs both the pairs respectively about Reacher’s name and description. However both argue it’s little to go on, but agree that they will get him despite how much Reacher might think he’s better then them. Cassano and Mancini are woken up by the remaining Mahmeini goon, who tells them they have five minutes to get up and follow him. Later, while following Mahmeini’s goon and Safir’s men, Mancini questions the legitimacy of Mahmeini’s goon driving the black Cadillac. Cassano tries to dismiss his suspicions while focusing on driving, but vaguely supports him. After Mancini asks if Mahmeini got the car from a Rent-a-wreck, Cassano states that he is missing the bigger picture, it being that the Cadillac was already outside the hotel when they arrived. He concludes with saying that something weird is going on.
Cassano and Mancini meet with Safir’s men and Mahmeini’s remaining goon at the Apollo Inn parking lot. Mahmeini’s man tells them that the other goon has had a head start and is out behind enemy lines. Cassano asks if that guy is in comms with the rest, which Mahmeini’s remaining goon confirms. He asks Cassano who the weakest link in the community is, which Cassano replies is the doctor. Mahmeini’s man proposes that they take care of the doctor while he goes elsewhere. The goon leaves in the Cadillac shortly after. Cassano then turns to Safir’s men expresses that Mahmeini’s man’s words are untrue. He then proposes that they work together despite what orders might have secretly been given. Safir’s men insists that there is no secret plan. As Safir’s men settle back in their car, Cassano knocks on their window before executing them. Mancini then torches the car before he and Cassano leave the motel.
Cassano calls Rossi and questions the legitimacy of his contact with the Duncan family, detailing heavy implications to the contrary by implying that the Duncans are teaming up with Mahmeini’s men. He also warns Cassano that they might be played by them, and tells Rossi he should try to contact the buyer despite Rossi saying otherwise. Rossi then orders him to take out Mahmeini’s men, give the Duncans a warning and to get rid of Reacher. He and Mancini then make their way to the Duncan houses, passing a burnt out SUV on the way. They set their sights on the southern most house, thinking it belongs to Jacob Duncan. They drive seven hundred metres behind the Duncan farm before parking. They then walk the remaining hundred metres back to the farm.
Cassano and Mancini decide to search Jacob’s house first, but they find no lights on there and no sign of activity. They then decide to search Jasper’s house, when they discover Mahmeini’s’s remaining goon holding the Duncans at gun and knifepoint. One of them shoots the goon through the window, blowing his head of. They start the cleaning of the scene, with the help of the Duncans. Jacob then gives them drinks, and they discuss Reacher. Jacob proposes that he could have the Cornhuskers rest, and Seth alone could go out to look for Reacher to make it fair to Cassano and Mancini. Cassano says that they will beat them to it no matter how many people Jacob sends out to look for Reacher.
Cassano and Mancini drive to the doctor’s house and stop nearby. They then discuss the possibility of Reacher still being captured or if he has escaped. Upon spotting Dorothy Coe’s truck, they speculate that she possibly was meant to stay the night there and got captured alongside the doctor and Reacher. But they also conclude that, if Reacher escaped, he could have gone to Coe’s house to hide. They then decide to drive away from the doctor’s house.
Some time later, they check in at the Apollo Inn, revisiting keys for rooms seven and eight respectively. After Vincent calls their respective rooms on orders from Reacher, they both head out of their rooms simultaneously to check. Reacher surprises them and has them surrender. He grabs one of their guns and orders them into their rental car. Both Cassano and Mancini try to convince Reacher that they are in the same side and have the same goal, but Reacher rebuffs them. Reacher then aligns their car with the wreck of Safir’s men’s car. Reacher rebuffs their attempts of saying they could subdue him given they are seated behind him. Reacher eventually shoots them both in the head, leaves the car and torches it, mirroring exactly what they did to Safir’s men.