“What kind of a dream?”.

“It was about my son. You know, the baby I was…”.

“I know”, he interrupts me in a whisper, and I rub my forehead, the scar on my head, chuckling in discomfort.

“You’d think that I’m out my mind”.

“I don’t. Tell me about your dream”, he says conversationally.

I sigh, heavily, and bite my lower lip. Shane turns her head a little and kisses my temple gently. Then, she looks down, at her own lap. Her silence is inviting me to talk on.

“He told me something… bizarre. Something that I remember clearly, probably the only thing I remember clearly”.

“What’s that?”.

“A few words… He said, ‘Three of everything’…”, I murmur, feeling stupid and, at the same time, feeling like a weight has been raised from my shoulders.

“Three of everything…”, he repeats, mumbling, clenching his jaw. He blinks his eyelids repeatedly, like he’s reflecting on my words.

“Do you know what that means?”, he asks then, calmly.

I shake my head.

“Honestly, I don’t. With the exception of… you know… Three hostages… Cassandra, Tasha and Alice…”.

“Three victims…”, Shane cuts in huskily, “…Those two people in Milan and Marshall…”.

Dante narrows his eyes for a quick moment.

“Three Jacks of spades…”, he says, “…And the three of us here, in this car…”.

“What else?”, I ask, pensively.

“I have no idea. But I have a feeling I know the guy who called us…”, he says.

Shane’s head snaps up, like she’s been slapped.

“What do you mean?”, she asks under her breath, leaning forward and resting her elbows on the back of the passenger seat. Dante scratches his beard and doesn’t turn his head.

“I could be wrong, but…”, he mutters, keeping his eyes on the street.

”Clever got me this far
Then tricky got me in
Eye on what i’m after
I don’t need another friend
Smile and drop the cliche
‘Till you think I’m listening
I take just what I came for
Then I’m out the door again…”

Flashback – Milan, Italy – Some months ago

The mall is packed and, considering that it’s Saturday afternoon, I couldn’t expect anything else. People everywhere, shopping trolleys clanging and pushing, children running across the aisles and shouting like maniacs, speakers bothering my ears and my wife beside me, happy and content and perfectly relaxed.