CHAPTER 6

ZARIA

“W…Who is it?”

The knock came again, firmer this time… as if to tell me whoever stood on the other side knew exactly why they were there.

To take me away.

My breath caught in my chest, but I forced my voice to come out almost carelessly.

“I’m coming,” I called out perfectly… the way it would if I were annoyed at being disturbed this late at night. And instead of moving towards the door, I tiptoed towards my phone lying on the table beside the couch.

I picked it up, swiped quickly, and started recording. I turned the screen face down and set it carefully on the small shelf near the door, angled toward the handle, close enough to capture sound.

My fingers trembled only slightly as I adjusted it. Whoever was knocking needed to believe I was still inside, still approaching.

“I said I’m coming,” I repeated, a little irritated.

The suitcase waited where I had left it, tucked neatly beside the hallway wall. I wrapped my hand around the handle and lifted it without hesitation. Everything important was already inside and nothing sentimental was holding me back down.

I slipped on my shoes, grabbed my jacket, and moved toward the back door.

The knock sounded again…more erratic…crazier.

My heart pounded, but my hands managed to unlock the back door and ease it open. The night air slid in, cold, carrying the distant sounds of traffic and music from somewhere down the street.

The alley behind the building was narrow, used mostly by delivery bikes that didn’t have brand licence to be on major roads. I stepped outside and pulled the door shut behind me, locking it quietly.

For a second, I stood there, listening and counting my breaths just long enough to be sure no one was already waiting for me.

Nothing.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone, my fingers already typing as I walked.

I’m ready. Please hurry.

The reply came almost immediately.

On my way. Two minutes.

I kept moving, rolling the suitcase carefully so the wheels wouldn’t rattle too loudly against the rocky pavement. My building faded behind me as I reached the end of the alley and turned onto the street, where the night felt suddenly too open, too exposed.

Behind me, from inside the apartment, my recorded voice continued to play my sweet, unsuspecting voice.

“I’m coming. Just a second.”

“I'm coming. Just a second. I'm turning off the gas now.”

The taxi pulled up with a soft squeal of brakes. I didn’t hesitate to open the back door, slide inside, and pull the suitcase in after me.

“Airport,” I croaked quickly, my voice tight. “Please as fast as you can.”

The driver glanced at me in the mirror, taking in my pale face, the suitcase, and the tension I hadn’t fully managed to hide. He nodded and pulled away from the curb.

Only when the car turned the corner did I finally allow myself to look back. The building stood there for a heartbeat, quiet and unremarkable… just another apartment among dozens.

Then it exploded.

I screamed.

The sound hit first, a tremendous crack that tore through the air and slammed into my chest. Glass shattered outward in a million fragments, followed by fire and smoke that burst from the middle floors like something alive.

The force of it rocked the taxi, and the driver swore loudly as he fought to keep control of the wheel.

“Fuck! What was that?” He narrowed his eyes at the rearview mirror only to see flames climbing the side of the building I had left less than a minute earlier.

People poured into the street, shouting, running, and pointing at the building, car alarms wailed and smoke swallowed the rest of my view.

“Oh my God,” the driver breathed, pulling the car to the side before I grabbed his arm.

“No,” I said, my voice shaking violently. “Don’t stop. Please. Just drive.”

He hesitated, then nodded and pressed the accelerator. The building disappeared behind us as sirens began to rise in the distance.

My entire body trembled as the shock crashed fully into me. If I had waited. If I had opened the door. If I had been slower by even seconds… tears streamed down my face, but I didn’t wipe them away. I let them fall uncontrollably as the taxi sped through the city.

Renzo.

He hadn’t come for me himself…

My frown deepened as I tried to understand what sort of modus operandi this was. No. Renzo would never send off a bomb after me. This was probably a warning message from the same person who sent the parcel of blood.

They could have planted the bomb before I arrived home. This was proof that whosoever they were could still reach me even across continents.

Does it mean Renzo was still sleeping?

My heart sank.

The amount of pills I poured into his tea was meant to carry him into a deep sleep, nothing more. Then why…? I pulled out my second phone, my hands itching to send a message across to May.

But, I had given her strict instructions…and there was no way she would lie to me about Renzo being awake.

No way.

___________

The airport lights came into view, bright and harsh against the dark sky. The driver pulled up to the drop-off zone, and I thrust cash into his hand before he could speak.

“Thank you,” I said hoarsely.

He hesitated, concern flickering across his face. “Are you—”

“I’m fine,” I lied, already stepping out of the car. “Please. Just go.”

Inside the airport, the air stank of sterile coffee and disinfectant as travelers moved around me dragging bags, arguing softly, laughing, and living ordinary lives that felt impossibly distant from my own.

I checked in quickly, presenting my passport with documents. Immediately, my boarding pass was printed and a hand gestured towards the security.

At security, my bag got stuck.