With a glance back at Syd, I lower to one knee and pull out the blowtorch. I squeeze the trigger until the flame bursts from the tip, then lower it toward the ribbon. After a few seconds, the ribbon ignites.
I pitch the torch onto the grass, then bound for the Audi and duck into the passenger side. “Let's go.”
Syd throws the car into reverse. Tires squeal as the car whips onto the road.
I lean back in the seat. “In a few minutes, that mansion is going up in flames, taking the garage and stable with it. Good thing there's no—Oh, shit! Syd, turn around!”
“What the hell?” She glances at me, scowling, and doesn't let up on the gas.
“I know where Zoe is!”
I slam into the dash as the Audi comes to a sudden stop. Then I scramble out and take off across the yard.
The fuse is receding, and magnesium tape does not snuff easily. I tear past the mansion, arc around the garage larger than the average family home, and head straight for the stables.
My chest feels like it's going to split wide open. I burst inside the stable and dart from one empty stall to the other, leaning over the doors.
“Zoe! Are you in here?” I gasp between words, and my heart slams against my chest bone. “Where the hell are you?”
And then she's staring up at me. Her face is dirty, streaked by tears.
I throw open the stall door and yank her from the pile of clean hay. She screams and beats her fists against me as I toss her over my shoulder and bolt. The fuse line is maybe ten feet from the front door—and the bomb.
Syd clamors out of the Audi as I approach.
I try to yell, but my lungs are still struggling for air.
I tug open the back door, shoving Zoe inside far too reminiscent of her kidnapping. Then I dart around the car and drop into the passenger seat.
Syd swings the car out and floors it like a NASCAR driver. A thunderous sound rumbles through the open desert. A moment later, the sky flickers orange. Smoke sweeps over the car, blacking out the windows.
We start choking, but Syd doesn't ease up on the gas. My lungs burn, my eyes water. After it feels like the entire world has gone up in smoke, we finally pull from the cloud and into the clear night.
Syd reaches behind her, into the back seat, and squeezes Zoe's hand. Zoe's eyes are fixed on me. Angry. Accusatory.
I turn away and slink down into my seat.
Zoe finally speaks. “Syd, did Dad find us?”
She speaks softly, but comes off surprisingly collected.
Syd touches her tongue to her bottom lip. “No, honey. No, Dimitri saved us.”
“Who?” Zoe sounds disbelieving, like she knows Syd meant me but it doesn't jive.
“It's a long story.” Syd brings her hand back to the steering wheel. “You're safe now. Dim's not going to hurt you. No one will.”
Zoe is quiet for a moment before speaking. “Sydney … are we going home?”
Syd nods, gripping the steering wheel. “Yeah, honey. We're going home.”
Chapter 13
We drive through the night, stopping only to refuel and to grab important documents from our respective houses. Neither Syd nor I want to hang around for long. It doesn't feel safe.
Zoe sleeps in the backseat. She looks awkward without a blanket or pillow, but I suspect this is the first real rest she has had since we first met. I don't know how Syd is going to explain to her what happened. I'm not entirely sure it makes sense to me yet. Maybe it will someday.
We reach Santa Fe in the morning. Zoe is awake, but quiet, as we pull into their grandmother's house. Syd lets us in through the back.
The rooms are small and loaded with furniture. Big, heavy furniture. The kind that feels rooted and permanent. I understand why this place has always been Syd's haven.
She takes Zoe to a back room. Water runs for eternity while I stand around in the living room. I'm covered in so much dirt and blood, I'm not sure I will ever feel clean again. After a while, Syd re-emerges down the hall with wet hair and a clean outfit. Just jeans and a t-shirt. No makeup. She still looks beautiful.
“Zoe is resting in Grandma's bed.” Syd steps into the living room. “There's another bathroom you can use, but I don't have any clean clothes for you. I'll go to the store when Zoe gets up.”
“I can't believe how amazing you were.” My hand touches her cheek before I realize what I'm doing. She doesn't flinch, so I linger over her soft, clean skin. “Are you going to be alright?”
She nods. “I have Zoe. She was the last innocent person in my family. I'll be fine for as long as she's safe.”
I step closer and lean in. It's a long shot, but so is everything else in my life. She pulls away, expression unreadable, and disappears into the kitchen off to the side. I cross the room to the doorway and watch, leaning against the door jamb, as she fills two tall glasses with water. She hands one to me. I take it, contemplating if I will ever be able to eat or drink again. It's been so long.
I chug it down. My throat burns like I'm shooting whiskey, but then the fire simmers and I realize just how dehydrated I am. Everything else follows: my muscles ache, my shoulder throbs, my head feels like I chased a brick wall and caught it.