Four periods. Soon their school day would be over. So far he hadn’t noticed anything out of place. But he did see the boys during recess: Rasmus and his friends throwing tennis balls at a board with holes cut into it, each one worth a different number of points, and Hugo on the basketball court playing three-on-three. His boys seemed so happy. A part of a context. Zofia had told him as much, how sometimes she could see them from her classroom, and it struck her how normal their lives had become. While they were living on the run, they had only had each other and lacked any form of socialization. But now they were part of a community that was as real as it was normal.

When the bell rang, he drove the short distance to the entrance. The students were trailing across the schoolyard in clumps, talking and laughing loudly and gesturing to each other before they split up. Hugo and Rasmus lingered at the basketball court, unaware that he was watching them. They seemed to think they had all the time in the world, the way only children can. And when they noticed him, they weren’t pleased.

“Again, Dad?”

“Jump in.”

“Seriously? We always walk home. This is embarrassing.”

“Just do as I say, Hugo. Otherwise, you’ll attract even more attention and your friends will notice even more that I’m here.”

His ten-year-old son didn’t seem satisfied by that. But he accepted the logic. He crawled in next to Rasmus in the back seat, hunching down to avoid being seen.

They were about halfway home when the questions started.

“Why, Dad?”

“I can’t tell you that right now.”

“First we have to go to your office. Then you drive us to school. And now you pick us up.”

“That’s just the way it is today, Hugo.”

“And I know you’re lying. Something happened. Something dangerous.”

Last year Hugo had interrupted family breakfast when he understood the danger his father was in, the danger his parents were trying to hide, protect their children from. And it was Hugo who’d refused to even speak to his father after he chose to infiltrate a North African human smuggling ring rather than coming home as he’d promised.

His eldest son. Who knew and felt so much.

Piet Hoffmann pulled over to the side of the road and stopped the car.

“Hugo?”

This time he’d have to look at his sons while he lied to them.

“I promise—there’s nothing dangerous. Nothing happened. The only thing you and Rasmus have to do is not tell your mother that I’m planning to surprise her. That’s the only thing you have to help me with. That’s why I dropped you off and picked you up today.”

“Tell us then. What is it?”

“What?”

“The surprise.”

“I will. When it’s ready. Trust me, Hugo.”