Lila

She waited until the middle of the night, because she knew John was always awake, and that others usually weren't.

​​

Dane had given her all the details and she swallowed hard and ran her hands through her greasy hair, making sure the tiny device Dane had placed on her scalp was still there. She'd been terrified when she woke up in the hospital that they might have washed her and gotten rid of it without even knowing what they were doing. But no… it had still been there. And now she was finally alone to try and deliver it.

But she also had to be cautious. She couldn't know which phones had been tampered with, or who might have bugged her home, or the Penthouse. Every step had be measured, planned and weighed. Every word.

She used the burner phone because it was the least likely of them all to have been tapped, but even then she couldn't be sure. Chris had seemed more pissed off than surprised when he'd learned about the secret passage behind the fireplace.

She dialed John's number that Dane had forced her to memorize, then waited.

"Hello?" he said, his voice low and suspicious.

"John? It's Lila?"

The pause at the other end made her heart pound, but when he spoke his voice was warm. "Lila, it's so good to hear from you. I'm so sorry about all the trouble you've had."

"Th-thank you," she said, surprised by the genuine feeling in his tone. "I was wondering… did you hear anything from Dane before… before he… left? I'm just… I'm just trying to get all my ducks in a row. I don't know where to go with all this so I'm just asking anyone who might know something about what his plan was." That was the key phrase, apparently.

"I'm so sorry, Lila. He went to the Police before he left, so I'd completed my work on your disappearance for them."

She sighed and waited.

"You know, I'm still so touched that you both invited me to the wedding. And I'm sorry you didn't have more time without drama. It happened so quickly, I wasn't able to get you gift on the night. But I have one now… can I send it to you? It's only small. But just so you know I've been thinking about you."

"That's… that's very thoughtful, John," she said. "Thank you."

"Where should I send it?"

"My apartment would be best, I think. If it will come in the next few days."

"Yes, yes. No problem. I'll have a courier drop it off later today."

"You don't have to do that!"

"I want to. You and Dane… well, you give me hope that there's still real love in the world."

Lila made herself not answer right away, and John took the cue.

"Lila? Is everything okay?"

"Yes. Yes. Of course. I just… it's just been a rough few days."

"Of course. I'm so sorry, prattling at you like this. I'll get this gift to the courier today and if you don't like it, just return it. I won't be hurt in the least. It's… rather personal. Depending… well, anyway, you know. Don't be worried about me, is all I'm saying. Okay?"

"Okay, John. Thank you. I appreciate all the lengths you went to, to help us with the wedding. It means a lot."

"It was my pleasure sweetheart. I hope you feel better soon!"

They said their farewells and Lila sighed with relief. Now, she just had to wait until the courier came. Once the phones and devices were out of her hands she'd be able to breathe a lot easier.

But first… first she had to meet Harry Quinn.

*****

The park was beautiful and sunny, though the late winter air was still chilly. Lila clutched the wrap she'd brought around her chest, keeping her arm on the sore side carefully around her ribs.

Harry walked next to her, hands his pockets, but his eyes never stopped scanning the area around them. "This was a nice idea," he said quietly. "I hardly ever get outside in the city anymore."

Lila smiled grimly. "I just wanted to feel sun on my face, and it was such a nice day…"

They walked on, the winding cement path meaning neither of them had to think about where they were going. They passed others along the way here and there, but the manicured nature of the park meant they were never taken by surprised.

"Do you.. have anything for me?" Harry asked quietly when they were out in the middle of the grass and there was no one nearby.

"I'm working on it. My contact will be… working on it later today. I'm hoping by tomorrow or the next day at the latest."

Harry nodded. "I have to interview you about the apartment. I can't avoid it, I'm sorry."

"It's fine. There's no keeping it secret now, anyway."

"So? What do you know about it?"

"I know that when Dane took over the building he wanted an escape that was physically secure. When he found the maintenance bridge and discovered that the building was owned by the same man, he negotiated to buy the apartment as well. Then he turned the fire escape stairwell into a hidden passage. He claimed the only person who knew about it was the builder who arranged it. That the building owner didn't realize he'd be entering it from the Penthouse. But I don't know. Obviously his father found out about it somehow."

"Did anyone else in Daniels' Security know about it?"

"Not that I'm aware of. Dane really did keep it himself. He'd used it to get away on his own some when he couldn't be out from under security detail. He'd have them posted at the Penthouse, then head over there."

"When did you learn about it."

Lila frowned. How long was it? "I'm really not sure. Everything happened in such a blur. I know… I know it was well before the fundraiser. He'd already given me a key at that point and told me if I felt like I was in danger, to just go there. Even if he didn't know. That it was the safest place he knew."

Harry frowned. "So the question becomes, how did his father learn about it."

"Exactly. Unless he always knew and was biding his time."

"For five years?"

"Nothing would surprise me at this point," Lila sighed.

*****

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