Mists of the Serengeti(101)

“That’s my daddy!” said Lily, springing into action.

“Wait. We don’t know that for sure. Lily, wait!”

But Lily slipped out of her grasp.

For a few tense seconds, Mo sat paralyzed under the stage, waiting for confirmation of a happy reunion between Lily and her father. It never came. There was nothing. Not a sound, not a shuffle. Mo felt the chill of impending doom, crawling down her spine. It wasn’t Lily’s father. Someone else had barged into the hall. Mo had no idea if Lily was face to face with the enemy. All she knew was she couldn’t leave that little girl alone out there. And so Mo crawled out from behind the stage skirt and put on her bravest face.

Small, insignificant details became suddenly vivid, as if her mind was trying to grab on to things, to keep from slipping over the edge. The dark birthmark on the back of Lily’s ankle. The frayed hem of the man’s jeans. Her gaze swept over his torso. Up, up, she stood, taking Lily’s small hand in hers as she straightened. Then her eyes met the man’s and she gasped.

“Gabriel?”

“Mo!” His whole body slackened with relief. “God, Mo.” He embraced her in a tight hug. “I was on the escalator, on my way out, when I saw you take the elevator down. I tried to call you. I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Thank God I found you! We need to get out of here.” He started ushering Mo and Lily toward the door.

“No!” Lily pulled her hand away from Mo’s. “I’m not going anywhere without my daddy. You go.”

“I’m not leaving you,” said Mo. “Why don’t we all just stay?” She turned to Gabriel. She had no idea what he was doing in the mall, but she was relieved to see him. “It’s safe here. We’re away from everything. We can hide under there.” She pointed to the stage. “Let’s just wait it out.”

“It’s not safe here. Nowhere in the mall is safe. Trust me, Mo. We need to move. Now!”

Something about Gabriel’s tone gnawed at Mo. “Lily, get back inside and wait for me. I’ll be just a minute.” She waited until Lily disappeared before pulling Gabriel aside. “What’s going on? What’s going on out there?”

“It’s John Lazaro.” Gabriel’s words were clipped and urgent. Mo knew she was testing his patience—she knew she could trust him, but she wasn’t about to follow him blindly into the chaos. She had a decision to make, not just for herself, but for Lily too.

“It’s an assassination attempt on John Lazaro,” Gabriel continued. “He’s done some things—lots of things—and the people he did them to want him dead. It’s business and politics, all wrapped up. If Plan A fails, they’ll go to Plan B. Either way, he’s not leaving here alive.”

“So, let them fight it out. Let’s just wait here. Plan A or Plan B. What does it have to do with us?”

“Because!” Gabriel clenched his fists. “Because I’m Plan B, Mo. If John Lazaro’s security team gets him out of that food court alive, this whole place blows up.”

Mo opened her mouth and shut it. “I don’t . . .” She shook her head. “What are you saying, Gabriel? You’re not making any sense. Are you saying you’re involved in this . . . this assassination attempt?” This was her friend. He was a good man. She knew him. And yet, the part of him that had always eluded her, the part of him that had remained an enigma was coming into focus. A weight settled in Mo’s chest. She found it hard to breathe.

“I tried, Mo,” he said, his Adam’s apple bobbing at the look in her eyes. “I worked two jobs. Day in, day out. But I wasn’t getting anywhere. I needed money. I needed money to get Scholastica to Wanza. I needed money to build the house. I needed money to save the kids. Gas money. Food money. I was running short all the time. Then one day, I was sitting at the bar, and someone offered me a job. It was simple. Pick up a shipment and drive it somewhere, no questions asked. I couldn’t believe the amount he paid me. So, I took on another job. And then another. And I haven’t stopped ever since.”

“I get that,” said Mo. “I get it, Gabriel. We all do what we have to. But what does this have to do with any of that?”

“Today . . .” He glanced at the ceiling, as if he couldn’t bear to meet her eyes. “Today, I picked up a truck and drove it to the mall. It’s in the underground parking lot. I met a guy in the food court and handed him the keys, just like I’d been told to.”

“So?” Mo wanted to shake him. He was talking in circles. “How is that Plan B?”

“The truck I drove? It’s packed with explosives, Mo. Someone is rigging John Lazaro’s car as we speak. If he tries to get away, they’ll blow it up, and everything else along with it. That’s why we have to leave. They’re still fighting, which means John Lazaro is still alive. And as long as he’s alive, as long as there’s a chance that he’ll slip out, we’re not safe here. We’re not safe anywhere in this mall.”

“No.” Mo’s thoughts were jagged and painful. “Gabriel. No. All those innocent people.”

“Exactly!” Gabriel’s eyes flashed with something wild and fierce. “All those innocent people. Do you know what John Lazaro does? He drinks albino blood. He thinks it makes him powerful and invincible. He thinks it will help him win the election. I just did my job, Mo. I did what I always do. I delivered the goods. But if I’m completely honest, I want John Lazaro to die. I want him to die before any more innocent people lose their lives, including my daughter! The rest of it, I’ll have to live with. I’ll have to turn a blind eye, just like everybody else does, to the injustices that go on right under their noses, because they’re powerless, or afraid, or profiting from it. And if I burn in hell for it, then so be it. At least Scholastica will have one less monster coming after her.”