Page 109 of Mists of the Serengeti
As soon as Lily placed her hand in Gabriel’s, everything changed. Everything slow became fast again. It was like they had slipped through another dimension. They were back in the midst of chaos, except there was less of a crowd now. Those who hadn’t fled were sprawled on the floor, hurt or dead—it was hard to tell—while the two parties continued exchanging fire.
Gabriel spun around when they got to the escalator. “It’s been blocked off.” He picked Lily up and made a dash for the lift. “Come on, Mo!” But there was a stack of tables and chairs blocking it too. John Lazaro’s enemies had used his own gathering against him. All the exits and stairwells had been blocked.
“Shit!” exclaimed Gabriel.
He scanned the lower level. John Lazaro was holed up behind one of the fast food counters, flanked by his men. They were shooting blindly in all directions. Bullet holes sprayed the walls. Bits of mortar flew into the air.
“The parking lot,” said Gabriel. “It’s our only way out.”
“But his car’s in there.”
“We either stay in here or we go out there. Either way, we’re taking a chance.”
“Keep going!” said Mo, following closely behind him.
“Is my daddy going to be there?” asked Lily.
“Yes,” replied Gabriel. “We’re meeting him at the safe place. Remember?” He let her down and knelt before her. “Now, I want you to run as fast you can, okay? The faster you run, the faster you can see your daddy.”
Lily nodded and held her hand out to Gabriel. “Can I run with you?”
There was something about Gabriel that drew her to him. Maybe it was because he was a father too. Whatever Lily sensed in him, it seemed to soften his heart. Mo’s heart caught in her chest as Gabriel took Lily’s small hand in his.
“I’ll try to keep up,” he said.
And then they were running through the parking lot, toward the ramp going up. Their footsteps bounced off the concrete walls, echoing with their breath. They were halfway up the first ramp when they heard the throttle of an engine revving up. There was a loud screeching, a spinning of the wheels as the car reversed out of its parking spot. The sharp, zing of bullets on metal followed, and then the sound of a car driving toward the ramp.
“What’s the matter?” asked Lily, when Gabriel stopped in his tracks. “Let’s go! We need to get to the safe place.” She tugged his hand.
Mo and Gabriel exchanged a look. If that was John Lazaro’s car, about to come around the bend, they were out of time.
Suddenly, a deep calm settled over Mo. For the first time in her life, she just wanted to stand still—for these last few seconds. They were hers, and they were glorious. She could feel the thunder of her heart, the air rushing in and out of her lungs. It was beautiful—being alive. It was enough to know and to have known.
Together, Mo and Gabriel ushered Lily to the corner, where one ramp met the other.
“This is it,” said Gabriel. “This is the safe place. I’m going to call your father and let him know, okay?” He punched in some numbers. Mo held Lily’s hand as he spoke into the phone. “Hello, Jack? We’re here. Yes, Lily’s right here, too. She’s a very brave girl. You must be so proud of her. Hold on, I’ll tell her . . .” He turned to Lily. “Your daddy says he’ll be here very soon, and he loves you very much.”
“Can I talk to him now?” she asked, holding her hand out like she was claiming a prize. There was no one at the other end of the line, but Gabriel let the phone slip from his hand.
“Of course,” he replied, a flicker of something bittersweet crossing his eyes.
“What about you?” asked Mo. “Aren’t you going to make that call?”
“Nobody knows I’m here, Mo. Not Anna, and not Scholastica. It’s better that way. I don’t want them to live with the shame of knowing what I’ve done. I don’t want that to be my legacy to my daughter. It’s ironic. I did it all for Scholastica, so I could keep her safe, so I could give her the life she deserves. And now she’s going to grow up without me. If she grows up.” His eyes welled up.
“Shhh. You’re a good dad. And you’ve done a lot for other people’s children too. You’ve risked your own life to get them to safety sometimes. Someone will step up. Someone will make sure Scholastica is looked after.”
“Daddy?” Lily stared at the phone. “He’s not saying anything.” She handed the phone back to Gabriel.
“Maybe he got cut off. Let’s try again.” Gabriel pretended to dial Jack again. “It’s ringing now. Here you go.”
As Lily bent her head over the phone, it was impossible to ignore the sound of the approaching car.
“When?” Mo asked Gabriel.
“I don’t know.”
Mo gave him a slow, wistful smile. “Let’s save one more?”
Gabriel stared at her for a few still beats. “Let’s.”
They cocooned Lily between their bodies, knowing that the blast would destroy everything within its radius. But maybe, just maybe, they could take the brunt of it for Lily.
As the car sped up the ramp, Mo and Gabriel caught a brief glimpse of John Lazaro in the back seat. They braced themselves, forehead to forehead, arms around each other, shielding Lily in the middle.
“Daddy?” said Lily. Her face was all lit up as she spoke into the phone. “I’m in the safe place now.”
