Think of the Devil

Thirty-Four

(Do you hear anything?)

Jane's eyes were fixed on her side mirror as she sat in the driver's seat of her car, though her gaze had been unseeing for the last few minutes. She'd been stretching her senses, scanning for FBI communications or Fisk's goons going over their orders. They wanted to be more than just cautious with Nadeem's family.

Only hearing the idle cerebral chatter of the sleepy street, she said, "All clear."

Nadeem's head perked up from the backseat, looking at Jane through her rearview mirror. (How could she know that?) His look was perplexed, but he didn't voice his curiosity. He just waited for instruction, his sole focus on protecting his wife, Seema, and his son, Sami, in the backseat.

Blinking her blurred vision away, Jane watched as Matt started back down the block towards her car, his dark glasses on and his cane tapping away. (Let's go.)

She turned to look over her shoulder. "Let's go," she repeated.

The four of them got out of the car, meeting Brett Mahoney and Matt in the street. "No rush," he reminded them. "Nice and easy." The family was ushered up the steps to a Brownstone, one owned by Mahoney's mother. Jane and Matt stayed on the sidewalk, watching as Mrs. Mahoney greeted the family and allowed them sanctuary in her home.

The pair were quiet for a moment, listening in to the apartment. Brett was showing Seema and Ray the guest room while Foggy and Mrs. Mahoney chatted with Sami, trying to ease his nerves. Leaning back against her car, Jane released a long sigh she'd been holding.

So far, the plan was working.

An hour before on the rooftop, Foggy and Karen had shown up just as guarded as Jane had. Foggy in particular was ready to argue, knowing all too well his best friend's proclivity to self-destruct and isolate himself in the process. Karen had been wary of being so close to Jane still, though she didn't voice it aloud. She even told Jane she didn't have to wait near the edge of the roof, away from where they stood in the middle. Karen's cold shoulder had thawed some, and Jane appreciated it deeply.

After Matt had apologized to them, there was still some arguing. He'd told the group he didn't want them to be unwilling accomplices to what he "had to do," still adhering to the idea that he'd have to kill Fisk. It was something Karen had already tried to talk him out of, and her deflation when he brought it up had made Jane's chest squeeze. Foggy became fired up quickly, telling him there was always another way, and that they could work together to find it. Matt had bitterly laughed at the idea, but he'd reunited with his friends for a reason, so he let them convince him they could do this without killing Wilson Fisk.

Jane had been quiet for most of it, standing near Matt but not touching him. Their time for endearments had passed, their priorities shifting as soon as Foggy and Karen had turned onto the block. She'd only spoken up when Matt tried to argue with Foggy about finding a different solution, calming him down enough to listen again. Karen then made the suggestion that they could find another witness to turn against Fisk. And when Matt had cryptically referenced that their witness should be someone who had everything to lose, Jane spoke up and revealed his idea to the group: Ray Nadeem.

The plan had fallen into place pretty quickly after that. Matt decided he'd reveal his identity to Nadeem to earn his trust and get his family to safety, knowing their time was limited after he saved Karen's life at the church. Foggy reached out to Mahoney for an idea of where the Nadeem family's safehouse could be. Karen left to collect all the evidence she could to present it when Nadeem testified in court. Jane offered to drive.

Now in front of the Brownstone, Matt came to stand beside her, holding his cane tightly as he listened into the house too. Ray and Seema were arguing. She was more than justifiably upset with Ray for putting them in danger, for lying to her over and over again, and for having to put their trust in total strangers. When she spoke of the fear she and Sami felt waiting for death in their bathtub, Jane clamped her eyes shut and tuned out. Chewing her cheek, she looked down the block and scanned the area again.