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I gaze questioningly at Enzo, and he nods, letting me know this is our new ride. We load our bags into the trunk and pile into the SUV.
Matilda chatters for the first half of the ride, regaling us with stories of her visit home and asking questions about our destination. Alfonso and Enzo keep her talking, creating a nice distraction for the danger we’re all secretly thinking about.
I’m too nervous to join the conversation, wholly focused on scanning the road and making sure we’re not being followed.
I’m keeping my eye on a black sedan that’s been lingering around us for far too long. When I catch Enzo’s gaze flitting nervously between the rearview mirror and the road ahead, I know we’re being tailed.
“How did they know?” I whisper, trying to keep it between us. Matilda’s distracted by the bridge we’re crossing, but Alfonso leans in, clearly understanding what I’m saying.
“Not sure,” Enzo grits out. “Must have had eyes in the airport.”
“Airports don’t have eyes,” Matilda chimes in, and I nearly jump out of my skin.
“And I sometimes wish you didn’t have ears,” I grumble, leaning back into the seat and trying to relax my restless hands.
Enzo whips out his burner phone and makes a call. I strain to hear his quiet conversation as Alfonso distracts Matilda in the back.
“Yeah,” he mumbles. “We need it… Off I-87? Got it.”
Twenty minutes later, we pull into a truck stop and stop at a pump. I check the gas meter, noting that it’s not nearly time for a fill-up, and give him a confused look.
“It’s okay,” he mouths.
The attendant never approaches our vehicle, but I spot the sedan sliding into a parking spot near the main building. Enzo turns around and pastes on a happy smile.
“You know what? I don’t like this car,” he says, trying to sound casual. “What do you say we try a new one?”
“Change cars?” Matilda asks, suddenly interested in the conversation. “We can do that?”
“Sure.” He laughs. “As long as we do it in the magic portal.”
“Mama, I want to go in the magic portal,” she says, eyeing me seriously. I have no idea where Enzo’s going with this, but I play along.
“Is the portal safe?”
“Very safe.” He nods. “But we have to move really quickly, because the portal closes pretty fast.”
“Where is this… portal?” Alfonso asks, trying to get onto the same page.
“Here’s the weird thing,” he says in wonder. “It’s in the car wash.”
“I’ve never been in the car wash!” Matilda announces happily.
“Then let’s go.” Enzo grins.
I catch him checking the rearview mirror and spot a red pickup truck pulling into the rest stop. It lingers near the car wash, and I realize what’s about to happen.
We drive toward the car wash, passing right by the dark sedan that’s been following us. I sneak a peek inside, but even with the tinted windows, I can see it’s empty.
They must be inside or slouched down in their seats.
As we approach, the red pickup enters the industrial-style car wash, big enough to accommodate cargo trucks. We wait at the light and follow the guide when it turns green.
Everything happens so quickly that I barely have time to process.
Enzo swings his door open, swapping places with the man in the truck. Alfonso throws Matilda over his shoulder and slips into the backseat.
I glance at the trunk with our suitcases, but when I hear Enzo start the truck up, I sprint to the passenger side and slide in.