The blaring ringtone shattered the silence of their bedroom, rudely yanking Zac from his sleep while leaving Fatima undisturbed. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Zac groggily glanced at the glowing screen and saw that it was Miles calling.
"Mr Wilson? What the hell's going on?" Zac's words dripped with a mix of concern and curiosity, due to the late hour
"Zac, we've got Franklin," Miles's voice crackled through the phone, tinged with urgency, "Meet me at the abandoned warehouse on 17th Street, the one by the river. Come alone."
"I'll be there in thirty," Zac replied getting out of bed and fumbling to get dressed. Once he'd finished getting dressed he walked over to Fatima's side of the bed and tenderly planted a kiss on Fatima's forehead, careful not to disturb her sleep, before he left their penthouse.
The abandoned warehouse loomed ahead, eerily quiet as Zac's car pulled to a stop. Stepping out, he entered the decaying structure and was met by James, who struggled to support a wounded and bleeding Miles.
"What the fuck happened? I thought you had Franklin," Zac said, his voice laced with frustration, addressing the older man.
"We had him, but that slippery motherfucker managed to escape, shooting Miles in the process," James responded, weariness and annoyance evident in his tone.
"Well we've got to get him to a hospital asap," Zac declared, concern etched across his face as he helped carry Miles to James' car
"We can't risk taking him to a hospital. They'll report the gunshot wound to the police," James replied, his voice heavy with urgency.
"Take him to the damn hospital, and I'll call the police commissioner. He owes me a favour," Zac asserted, reaching for his phone. "I'll go pick up Ti and meet you there."
Zac's fingers trembled as he dialled Fatima's number, his mind racing with the weight of the situation. Within moments, her voice greeted him, groggy and laced with concern. "Zac, what's going on? Is everything okay?"
"No, it's not baby," he replied, his voice strained. "I'm coming to get you, can you be ready in thirty?"
"Babe, you're scaring me, what's going on?" Fatima asked, her sleepiness instantly replaced by a surge of worry.
"I promise I'll tell you in person, just get ready and I'll be there soon,"
"I'll be ready," she declared, determination seeping into her tone.
True to her word, Fatima emerged from their building just as Zac pulled up, her face etched with anxiety. Zac's heart ached at the sight of her, and he enveloped her in a tight hug.
"What's going on?" Fatima asked once he let her go.
"Ti, it's bad. Your dad and James had Franklin but he got away, and shot Miles in the process," Zac's voice cracked with emotion as he relayed the details. "James took him to the hospital and he's in surgery now."
A sharp gasp escaped Fatima's lips, her voice trembling as she responded, "Oh my God, Zac. We need to be there. Let's go, right now."
"I'll take us there, and I've already called your mom and Mar they'll meet us there."
Fatima nodded, wiping away her tears. "Promise me, Zac. Promise me that you'll find him," she said her voice trembling
Zac met her gaze, "Already got my people on it, I got you," he said opening the car door for her.
"And Zac, when you find him don't kill him," she said getting in the car, "Leave that part to me, I'll be the one to put a bullet in his head."
They drove in silence, the city's twinkling lights offering no solace to the tumultuous thoughts swirling within her.
