Zephyr's Promise

3

 "Ira, we're going on a stake out. Literally no one will see you. It's actually the point of a stake out. See but not be seen." My patience with Ira is dwindling by the millisecond.

For the past hour she has been ruffling through her dorm sized closet. She has tried on every black item that she owned at least twice. Honestly I don't understand all the fuss she is making over an outfit no one would see.

"Oh come on Nile. Dress for success and all that." She puts on the very first shirt I suggested thirty minutes ago.

"For someone who is nervous about their husband committing crimes in their name you sure are taking a long time." Ira rolls her eyes in response primping out her outfit.

This could've been done hours ago, we could've been finished getting dressed and already at the site. The sooner this is taken care of the sooner we are closer to the truth. Whatever it may be. Good or bad. Sitting in her closet that could house at least ten children won't get us to our goal.

Why does it seem like I care more about this than she does?

"Stop being wound up so tight." Ira smears on her matte lipstick. "Now I am ready."

Walking with stride she follows me to my car. A regular Honda. It is inconspicuous enough not to draw attention to ourselves. That would be the only way we would be getting out of there. Plus Cristiano knows both of our vehicles well. I doubt she had this just laying around in her garage. Fear for where she may have gotten it made me not ask the question.

Dear God, please let us avoid seeing him at all costs. Now that I know he isn't just the white collared man that I thought he was, I am leery of him. Neither of us know what he truly is capable of. Finding out we know some parts of the truth about him, no matter how little it may be, might push him to show us his worst. In other words if we're caught we are totally and completely screwed.

The sky tonight is bleak. A perfect resemblance of how I feel at the moment. Walking through the darkness with no glowing light to lead the way. At any point this could backfire, and I mean really backfire. I must be crazy to be doing this. Sneaking and plotting are not ways anyone would describe me. Hell I never even participated in something such as ding dong ditch. My friends tricked me into participating in senior skip day.

The warehouse is an hour away from Ira's home. Ira drives, while I make sure we have everything we will possibly need. A camera, hats, binoculars, and snacks of course. I wonder about the revelations that we will discover tonight. Will this bring us closer or push us further from what we needed to know?

"We're two minutes out" Ira speaks into the silence.

The playfulness in her demeanor has completely evaporated. She's riddled with nerves and angst. We only truly met two days ago and already her tells are becoming clearer to me. The closer we get to the warehouse the more visible her anxiety becomes. The more aware my perception becomes. It's becoming too real.

When we arrive at the destination as suspected nothing about it gives off the vibe of a medical facility. We don't park directly near the warehouse. Instead we pick a spot that gives us a good vantage of the warehouse while still not being in the direct line of vision. Ira sits in the front while I slide myself into the back to observe from a different angle. I set up my laptop comfortably in my lap. While on the outside I remain cool and calm as to not further Ira's apprehension. My grip on the pair of binoculars in my hand says much otherwise.

We sit for twenty minutes waiting for anything to happen. I almost feel like a trick is being played on us. Until two loading trucks park in front of the warehouse. We place the binoculars on our face to get a closer view. A stream of Jeeps park behind the trucks. The men that get out of the trucks are muscled with stone faces. They surround them waiting.