“They’ve just gone inside,” the man on the other end of the call said, confirming that everything was moving forward according to plan. With so many moving pieces in play it was hard to feel good about it, even with Dominique running the show out there. There was still too much room for things to go to shit, and fast. All it took was one idiot to panic, or one smart guy to see through her. He felt helpless and he didn’t like the feeling one little bit.
Danjuma hung up without comment.
Dana paced the living room of their family home, barely keeping her agitation in check.
“Why aren’t you out there doing something?” she asked.
It was the same question he’d asked himself a hundred times that day already. He told her what he told himself. “What do you think I could do that isn’t already being done?”
He’d already gone through the plan with his daughter. He knew her arguments, they were his, too, or at least that part of him that felt utterly helpless. The longer Lori was inside that place, the more danger she was in. It was a fairly simple equation. But they had no choice but to wait. Darkness was their best asset. Try anything in daylight and there would be greater risk than just Lori. He wasn’t prepared to risk any more lives than he was already doing, including Dominique’s.
“This woman, the one you sent in there,” Dana said eventually, reasoning it through. “It’s her, isn’t it?”
“That depends on who you mean by her?”
“Don’t play games, Dad. It’s the woman you’re sleeping with. No one else would do this for you. Do you love her?”
He said nothing, not sure how much he could tell her when he wasn’t really sure himself.
“You’re not denying it then?” she said, breaking the silence. “How could you?”
That hit him hard. “How could I what? Betray your mother? She’s been dead for a long time, girl.”
“Don’t be an idiot, dad,” she bit back. “Not that. You deserve to be happy, and if she does that for you then I’m glad.”
“What then?” he asked.
“How could you put her in danger like this? After mum… after everything…”
“Because it’s the only way to get your sister back. Besides, I trust Domonique. She’s more than capable of looking after herself.”
“Dominique?” She gave a slight smile at the name. “Why have you tried to keep her from us? I mean, you never even mention her…”
“Because it’s nothing to do with you,” he said, a little more sharply than he had intended. “She’s nothing to do with anyone else.”
“Well, she is now,” Dana concluded and that was hard to argue with.
He nodded in acceptance. Danjuma stared at his phone. There was no one left to call, and no one else that would call him. Unless something went wrong. Silence was golden. “I should go,” he said.
“Go where?”
“To make sure that everyone knows what they have to do.”
“What about me? What am I supposed to do in all of this?”
“Stay here,” he said. “Make sure that idiot in the guest room gets fed and watered.”
“What are you going to do with him?” she asked. And then, “Are you going to kill him?”
“Why would I do that? He’s an idiot who is out of his depth, nothing more. It suits me to keep him out of his depth, for now at least. When this is all done, I’ll send him on his way.”
“Really? You won’t hurt him?”
Danjuma shrugged. “He may be an idiot, but he has done me no harm. I don’t hurt people for no reason.”
“Then why not send him on his way now?”
Danjuma thought about it for a moment, seriously considering it, just because his little girl had asked. But the answer was always going to be no. “Because he asked for my help, and I can’t spare the time to solve his problems while I’m trying to get your sister back. When she is home, I will honor my promise and help him.”
“Then go and get her and bring Dominique back here so we can get to know our new mom properly,” she grinned that wicked grin she’d inherited from her mother.
“You sure?”
She nodded. “If you can find Lebna, bring him back, too. I’m frightened for him.”
Sol Danjuma pulled his eldest daughter close for a moment and planted a kiss on her cheek. “I’ll do what I can,” he promised, knowing that Lebna’s welfare was far down his list of priorities. Not that he was about to admit that to her.