Chapter 18Hazel
18
Hazel
“ A re you sure you don’t want me to go with you?” Veronica quizzes, her forehead wrinkling with concern.
We’re standing in the parking lot after work. Everyone else has gone home for the evening.
I shake my head. “No. I don’t want to get you involved in this.”
“I’m already involved in this,” she reminds me.
“Not like that. I don’t want to put you in danger.” I press the unlock button on my car’s key fob.
Veronica plants a hand on her hip. “And how is it any better than you are putting yourself in danger?”
I clutch the door handle and yank it open, pondering. “I suppose it’s not.”
“At least let me follow you in my car. I’ll park a distance away, but if anything happens, I’ll be there to help you. Or at least call the police.”
I stand behind the door, eyeing her, debating. “It’s not your worst idea.”
She bounces on her heels and claps her hands. “I knew I’d wear you down.”
“This isn’t a fun mission,” I warn her.
She knots her fingers together and swallows hard. “Yes, of course. I know that.”
“And if I don’t find Vlad in the warehouse, I’ll leave,” I put one foot inside the car. I need to get moving. The more I stall on this, the more I’ll lose my nerve to follow through.
“Are you going inside?” Veronica’s mouth forms a horrified oval shape.
“No, but…”
“Isn’t this how you got caught last time?” her eyes narrow.
I lick my lips and settle into the seat. Veronica comes up beside me, her arms crossed. She’s standing in the doorframe so I can’t close it.
“I’m not going to get caught. I’m going around the back. I know Vlad’s work schedule at the warehouse.”
“How?” She tilts her head.
I hesitate before answering. “David told me.”
“When?”
“Well, he didn’t exactly. He gave me a rundown of what their counterfeit operations routine is at this specific warehouse. It’s on the edge of the city. Not the one by the bay.”
Veronica scratches her cheek. “So, basically in the middle of nowhere?”
“You don’t have to come,” I remind her.
She doesn’t skip a beat. “No, I want to. I don’t want to see you get hurt again.”
“I won’t.” I try to give her a consoling smile but it’s not convincing, not even to myself. But I know in my heart I have to do this. I feel a strong force driving me.
“So, Vlad isn’t expecting you to show up?”
I crank the engine and give her another, “not exactly.”
“I’m afraid to even ask this, but have you ever even met this guy?”
“Not exactly.” My new catch phrase.
“Hazel…” she breaths out a sigh.
“I need to talk to him,” I urge. “It’s important. David trusts him. He’s his right-hand man for everything. He’s the only option I have for getting in touch with David.”
“Another option would be to go directly to the jail and ask to speak to him.” Veronica gives me a knowing look.
“I called the jail. They said he was moved to a different facility. When I asked which one, they asked me if I was his lawyer. When I said no, they told me they couldn’t give me that information.”
“You should have said you were the lawyer,” Veronica tuts.
“Yeah, maybe, but on the spot, I didn’t want to lie just in case they can check for stuff like that. I’m not a terrible journalist, I swear.”
“No one said you were. In fact, it’s the opposite. You go above and beyond.”
‘I’m not sure that’s a compliment,” I smile.
Veronica grins. “Me either. You’re definitely a little on the crazy side.”
“Who doesn’t love a little adrenaline rush, every now and then?”
Veronica shifts her feet and looks down. “I prefer different ways of getting adrenaline fixes. You know, like guys, or at a concert, or on a hike.”
I laugh. “I’ve never seen you hike a day in your life.”
“Well, I could start,” Veronica chirps.
I put my hand on the door handle to close it. “Just follow me, alright?”
“Do you know what this Vlad guy looks like?”
“I do. He’s popped up in my research several times.”
“You mean, mugshots?” Veronica quirks an eyebrow.
“Maybe.” My cheeks are warm.
I don’t know why I feel the need to defend him, or any of these bratva mafia men. But I now deep down they have good intentions. Even if I have to keep reminding myself of that.
“Where are you going to park?” She asks.
“At least a block from the warehouse. I’ll walk the rest of the way.”
“Do you have any protection at least?” Her pupils dilate with worry.
I pluck out my pink vial of mace from my purse. “This gal right here.”
“Be careful.” Veronica gives me one last glance of doubt before strutting off to her own car.
When she pulls out of the parking lot after me, I take a deep breath and clutch the wheel, convincing myself all the while that I need to do this. I need to take risks if I don’t want to be stuck writing clickbait stories forever.
David needs me, and I need to show up for him and prove that I care. I can’t ignore the problem, and I can’t ignore him.
I made a promise to him, and I need to uphold my end. If going to another warehouse is the only way to find Vlad and beg him to tell me how to reach David, then I’m desperate enough to do it.
I call Veronica when we get a few blocks away. “Try to find street parking.”
“Are you asking me to parallel park?” She pretends to be appalled.
“I believe in you,” I laugh.
“What if there are people around?”
“Just… do your best. Don’t think about them.”
“Great advice,” she drones, then, “oh wait! I found a spot!”
“Good luck.”
“Same to you,” she says warily.
My heart bashes against my ribcage as I find a place to park a little closer up and with my mace clutched in my fist, I march in the direction of the warehouse.
I slink around the back, careful not to draw attention to myself, and wanting to stay out of window views.
At the back, there’s a loading dock. I stop in my tracks when I notice men moving heavy boxes from the loading dock to the back of an unmarked box truck.
I backtrack, panting hard, pulse swooshing through my eardrums. I dig my heels into the back of the building, unable to move, peering up at the sky, mentally plotting my next move.
A cold sweat breaks out on my skin. I count out a full minute and when nobody runs around the corner of the building to snatch me, I brave a peek, craning my neck around the edge of the building.
The men have their backs to me, but my heart drops when I notice one of them is Oleg. He’s barking out orders in Russian to the others. One has a cigarette between his lips as he lifts a box with a grunt and disappears into the back of the box truck.
Another is laughing on a cell phone, but quickly shoves it back in his pocket when he receives a reprimanding scowl from Oleg.
I suppress a gasp when I see one of the men shoving contents inside a bigger box. It’s the counterfeiting equipment, and the man is replacing it with machines I recognize from my research that are used for manufacturing weapons.
My fingertips tingle with fear, and dread. Oleg’s trying to take over David’s business while David is in jail.
I push off the building and race back to my car before one of them spots me and ends my life for good. My heart hammers in my chest as I call Veronica and explain what’s going on.
“What are you going to do now?” she asks, her voice tight with worry.
“I’m going to go by David’s condo,” I reply.
“For what?”
“Maybe Vlad is still there. Maybe there’s a clue somewhere.”
“Don’t tell me you are going to break into the condo.” Veronica sounds reluctant to participate.
“I’m just going to drive by and see if there’s any activity. I know what kind of car he drives. If I see it there, I might knock on the door.” The plan is coming into motion in my head as I speak it aloud to Veronica.
“I don’t know if it’s a good idea.”
“It can’t be any worse than what I just did,” I say. “Besides, I know Oleg won’t be there. He’s back at the warehouse switching out the machines.”
“That’s true…” she trails off. “Listen, while you were investigating, I got a call from my mom. She wants me to meet her for dinner so I can meet her new boyfriend.”
I suck in a breath. “Yikes.”
“Yeah, I know, but I can’t tell her no. I’ve already made excuses for two weeks now.”
“Okay, well, let me know how it goes.”
“And same for you,” she says. “Call me if anything happens and you need me.”
“I will, I promise.” And I mean it.
To my surprise and relief, I spot Vlad’s car in the parking lot at David’s condo complex. It’s all the way across the lot, hidden under a large maple, but I know it’s his through research. I park in the guest spot next to David’s front door and will myself out to ring the bell.
“He won’t hurt me,” I mumble to myself all the way to the porch stoop.
My finger is made of lead when I press it to the doorbell. My knees threaten to give out any second. I hear someone moving inside and then the lock clicks. As the door swings open, I hold my breath.
Vlad stands in front of me wearing a wifebeater tank and loose black basketball shorts. His feet are bare, and his eyes are red from lack of sleep. He blinks at me. There’s several days’ worth of stubble on his face.
I wring my hands together and find my voice. “Vlad? I’m?—”
“I know who you are,” he cuts me off, eyes narrowed. “David isn’t here.”
“I know. I heard about…I mean I read…”
Vlad’s eyes slid suspiciously past me, before returning. “Who sent you here?”
“Nobody,” I reply, trying my best to sound confident.
“You came alone?” His eyebrows shoot up into his hair line.
I nod. “I wanted to see if you had a way to get in touch with David.”
The knots in his jaw ease somewhat. He beckons me inside with a wave. When I hesitate, his eyes harden. “I’m not going to hurt you. You are the one who rang the doorbell.”
“Right.” I try to laugh, but it’s nervous and I know he can sense it. These men are used to sniffing out fear. Their livelihoods depend on it.
When we walk inside, it smells like a mixture of cigars and sweat.
“I was just working out,” Vlad says, as if he can read my thoughts.
I nod, unsure what to say.
He sits on the edge of the couch and studies me. I pretend not to be intimidated. “Why do you want to contact David?”
Because I miss him. I need to tell him I’m sorry, that I’m falling for him.
“I went to your warehouse,” I blurt out instead.
Vlad’s eyes widen, and he almost looks… impressed maybe? “Why?”
“I thought I’d find you there.”
“I’m watching this place for now.” He gestures around the living room.
“I saw people there.” I go back to wringing my hands.
Vlad’s eyes narrow again. “Who?”
“Oleg.”
“Which warehouse?” he asks, leaning toward me and frowning deeply.
“The one on the edge of town.”
Vlad runs a hand through his hair and groans. “The one where most of our counterfeit equipment is housed.”
I explain to Vlad about what I saw Oleg doing with the equipment, and how he was switching the machines.
His jaw clenches, and his eyes blaze with anger, but he doesn’t yell and he doesn’t move off the couch.
“What are you going to do?” I whisper.
He takes a cigar off the end table behind him, lights it, then takes a puff. “That isn’t your concern.”
“What about David, and the machines?” I shift my weight, trying not to appear uneasy.
“I don’t want to make any moves without David,” he grumbles.
“Do you know when he’ll get out of jail?”
A trace of a smile curves the corner of Vlad’s mouth. He draws in another puff from the cigar. His movements are similar to Vlad’s, his eyes a similar shade of gray, almost as if they could be relatives.
“Why do you want to know? Do you like him?”
My cheeks burn and I take a step back, stammering, shaking my head.
“Relax, sweetheart.” Vlad puts his hands up by his sides. “I’m only messing with you. David cares about you. A lot.”
My face betrays me, gawking. “He… he does?”
Deep down I know this already, but it gives me a headrush to hear a close source confirm it.
Vlad exhales the smoke and stubs the cigar out into a tray next to him. “Do you want a drink?”
“No, I’m okay. I really can’t stay.”
“Vlad stands up and walks to the kitchen. When it’s clear I’m meant to follow him, I pick up my feet made of concrete and move.
He pours himself a shot of whiskey but doesn’t drink it. He stares at me from across the counter, sending another current of unease through my bones.
His gaze is confusing. Not as if he’s attracted to me and wants to pounce, but as if he’s trying to read my mind and discover all my secret thoughts.
He swishes the caramel liquid around. It sloshes up the sides of the glass but doesn’t spill out. The silence makes my ears ring.
“He won’t stop talking about you,” he finally says.
“He won’t?”
“He won’t tell me much about you. He’s always kept his relationships private. But I could tell by the way he spoke about you, the way his eyes lit up, that he cares about you very much.”
I dissect Vlad’s words in my head. Relationship. Eyes lit up. Private.
My head is swimming. My heartrate beats like a drum. My gaze lifts to Vlad, and a smile breaks across my face. I can’t help it but I quickly make it dissolve. “Does David have a lawyer?”
Vlad smirks at me as if he knows the compliments David made about me boost my ego. “We are working on it. David will be fine.” He strolls around the side of the counter and stops in front of me.
My breath catches. He’s only an inch from me. I smell the whiskey in his glass mixed with the cigar smoke of his breath. I swallow hard, unable to keep eye contact.
He backs away with that plastered smirk. “Thanks for the information about Oleg.”
“What are you going to do?”
He raises his glass. “You ask a lot of questions.”
I clamp my jaw, offended. I don’t want to tell him I’m a journalist. I don’t know what David has told him about me.
“Relax, sweetheart. Don’t worry your pretty little head about the details. That’s for the bratva professionals to deal with. But I can assure you, nothing will happen without David’s approval, first. For now, we wait.” He tips his head and knocks the drink back in one gulp.