"Of course," he says, glancing at our group.
"You guys can leave," Nico says. "We'll handle the rest."
"Thank you," Dante says. "I wouldn't have been able to do it without your help.”
"We'll meet soon, Dante," Max says.
Dimitri purses his lips and pats Dante on the back.
"Do you want me to drive you to the airport?" Nico asks.
"No, that's okay,” Dante says.
I say goodbye to my sisters, holding them extra tight because I don't know when I'll see them again. Dante nods at the policebefore we leave through the emergency exit. It's a long flight of stairs.
"What will happen to the other girls?" Ida asks.
"They'll be taken to a safe house," Dante answers.
"And the staff?" she asks.
"They will all be executed," Dante says.
"The police will let you do that?" Ida asks.
"They're not real police officers," Dante says. "They're hired guns who work for me. They're pretending to be the police to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.”
"Hired guns?" Ida asks.
Ida hasn't been in Dante's life for over two decades. She doesn't know that he's a part of the Italian mafia.
"A lot has changed over the years, Ida," Dante says. "I'll fill you in on everything on our way back to Italy.”
"I don't have a passport," Ida says.
“I had one prepared for you,” Dante says. “Don’t worry about anything.”
The walls are lined with yellow light bulbs that cast long shadows before us. It feels like walking through a strange dream that I can't get out of. Everything in my head is tinted too. It feels like I'm a different person after seeing all the things I did tonight.
"Are you a police officer now, Dante?" Ida asks.
Dante falters mid-step. “No, I’m not.”
Ida stops walking.
"You were with a group of people," she says. "Who were they?"
"Acquaintances," Dante says. "They came here to help me find you."
"Okay, but who were they?"
Dante hesitates for a moment before he speaks.
"There's a lot I need to fill you in on, Ida," he says. "It's best to do it once we get out of here."
"Answer my question, Dante," she says, gritting her teeth.
"They're the heads of mafia families," he says finally.
