“What do you want to do?”
I stand and gather up the papers from the table. “Zira’s not safe here anymore. I’m taking her home.”
An hour later,Frank’s SUV pulls up outside the Empire State Building and I hop out with Zira in tow. Despite the nervousness radiating from her as she glances around, likely expecting a threat to jump out at her at any moment, she can’t contain her awe as she gazes up at the building.
“Wow,” she murmurs. “I’ve always wanted to come here.” She tucks her coat tighter around her arms and a delicate frown tightens across her forehead. “Wait, I thought you were taking me home?”
“This is home.”
She gazes at me and then bursts out laughing. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I’m not. Come with me.” As the crowds on the street around us surge, I hold out my hand, and Zira takes it after only a moment of hesitation. It’s easy to melt into the crowd with her and Frank, and after some careful footwork, we approach the hidden entrance that hisses open after I slide my thumb over the hidden keypad.
“Wow,” Zira murmurs. “That’s ridiculous.”
“That’s technology.”
“Who even are you?” It’s the first time she’s asked me properly and something she probably should have asked a long time ago.
We walk through the entrance and down a small, brightly lit corridor to the elevator at the end. Zira, on reflex, reaches for the button, but it refuses to respond to her touch. I take over and she shoots me a look of disbelief as the elevator doors slide open.
“Is this a sexist elevator?”
I laugh loudly, taken aback by her dryness and usher her inside. “No, it’s fingerprint and DNA coded.”
“Oh. Right. Because that makes sense.” She rolls her eyes, but a small smile curls at the corner of her lips. “What I’m seeing is you’re taking me to a place I can’t leave because my fingerprints and DNA won’t match.”
“Exactly.”
“Wow, from one cell to another.” She releases my hand in favor of crossing her arms against her chest and leaning against the back of the elevator.
“This cell, I think, will be much more preferable.”
I’m right.
Up on the Empire State Building’s topmost floors is the Suit headquarters, hidden from view and known only to a handful of people. Zira can’t keep the awe from her face as I take her through the extravagant lounges, the bar room, the in-house gym where she meets Cassian, the Jack, properly, then the gigantic kitchen where Raven, the Joker, is busy burning marshmallows in some disaster of a dessert. The cinema room makes her mouth fall open, as does the event room where she meets Ruslan, the Ace, as he tries to beat Valentina’s top score on one of the arcade games.
I find Valentina, the Queen, in the study where she’s poring over scans of the car Zira was driving.
“Valentina, can you run a search for me?”
“On?” She glances up, and her eyes narrow faintly at the sight of Zira who gapes up at the walls of books.
“Zira? I need your phone.”
She hands it to me without question.
“We had contact with her brother. Can you trace his cell from the number and see if we can get a location?”
“You’re asking me and not Raven?” Valentina frowns and turns the phone over in her hand, then she meets my eye, and I stare at her, imploring her to catch the real truth behind my question. It clicks in her eyes a second later and she nods. “Sure. What’s a little practice, right? Zira, can I have your passcode?”
Zira drags herself away from the shelves and nods. “74653,” she recites. “You’re not going to look at my socials or anything, are you?”
“If I were, I wouldn’t need your passcode,” Valentina replies. “Your privacy remains intact.”
Zira’s eyes widen. “Seriously?”
“Yes,” I agree. “But if your brother’s phone is on, then we’ll be able to find him.”
