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“Why’s she coming back?” Aurelio points to the black panel van creeping by to stop in front of the room I was about to order cleaners into.
Zakiya opens the back doors, looks around, then reenters the room once she deems the place clear. Aurelio and I watch as she drags three tied and gagged men into the back of the van.
“Sansone… Am I watching a serial killer at work?”
“They’re still breathing.” I defend her, but I can’t help but recall her main reason for resisting me.
Is this the monster she’s protecting me from?
“Shit! That’s a baby.”
Zakiya walks out holding a child, confirming another suspicion I have. Zakiya doesn’t have a boss. She is her boss and the one who rescued Jinx.
“Sansone, we’ve got to save that baby.”
It’s my turn to grab his elbow. “That baby has already met its savior.” I turn to Aurelio, my eyes glossy with a wave of gratitude for what Zakiya must have done for Jinx. “If I’m right, she did the same for Jinx.”
Aurelio stops fighting my hold. “What… You’re saying your daughter…?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry, man.”
“Look, she’s leaving. I don’t think she’s coming back.” I wait until she clears the parking lot entrance before I signal to Aurelio to leave.
We catch up to her. For my sanity, I call a cleaning crew to remove all evidence from the room. We’re on the road for another hour and a half before we pull off a residential road.
Flashing lights from four police cars crowd the driveway of a suburban home.
“I bet they’re here for the missing baby.” Aurelio points to the cop cars. “So why doesn’t she stop and put the family out of their misery?” A thread of anger underlies his voice.
“Don’t be a dumbass. Everything Zakiya does is under the radar. Keep on her tail.”
“You better be right. I can let a lot of things slide for you, but I don’t fuck with kidnappers.” Aurelio pulls off, ensuring we don’t draw attention from the officers milling outside the family home.
When she stops again, it’s down the street from the fire station. She exits the van with a mask and those glasses she used to avoid identification when we first met. Aurelio fidgets as he concentrates on Zakiya’s every move. She takes a car seat with the baby inside, sprints to the front of the firehouse, and rings the bell before returning to her van and waiting.
“Isn’t it too cold for a baby to be exposed like this?” Aurelio goes for his door handle, but sirens in the distance halt him from leaving.
“She called the police,” I say, amazed by her meticulous planning. “She must have timed their arrival to know she wasn’t putting the baby at risk if no one at the station answered the door.” I turn to my friend of many years. “Get out. Call Mattia to pick you up.”
“You’re serious?” He watches my face for any give.
“I’m going to have a conversation with my wife. I don’t need you there for it.”
“You owe me for abandoning me like this.” He gets out and I get behind the wheel.
“Yeah, we’ll discuss it tomorrow. In the meantime, go to her house, relieve Max, and keep my daughter safe.” I pull off, following behind Zakiya.
She takes me on another long trip to a remote forested area best suited to horror movies than a peaceful drive. I watch asshe unloads the unconscious men and carries them into a small cabin.
After a few minutes of waiting, I make my way to her door. At my destination, I no longer attempt to hide my presence. I pull the door open.
“Mia ragazzaccia, we need to talk.”
CHAPTER 26
Zakiya
