Oliver
Looking around the visitation room, I shiver, it’s cold and gray inside.
Kinda like it is outside as we approach the start of the fall, when it’s rainy.
I don’t like what I’m about to do, why I’m here, but when I talked to Mel this week and told her what the word around town was, she made me promise to come see Dax.
It didn’t help that the punk he was in here because of was barely talking to him, let alone visiting. Something about having to work every weekend, but I swear I saw him out and about at a bar last night. I’m not about to tell that to Dax on top of what I actually came here to tell him.
It hurt to see the way Dax’s face fell when he saw it was me visiting. He walked across the room and pulled me into a loose hug, smacking me on the back. We sat and made small talk for a few minutes and then he asked the million dollar question.
“Not that I’m mad at it, but why’re ya here Ollie?” He asks, looking me up and down.
“Mel made me promise to come see you. To tell you this. She said you’d know what to do with it,” I say, fidgeting with my shirt sleeve.
“Ollie, what is the this that I will know what to do with?” Dax asks, leaning in and motioning for me to join him.
I lean and swallow thickly as I whisper, “I think I know who ran down Kai.”
As the words leave my mouth he sits back, cracking his knuckles as he tosses a quick glance around the room. His eyes land on an older man visiting with someone who looks like a kid Dax’s age and a girl. ‘Who’re they?’ I think as I eye the group that has Dax’s attention.
I look away quickly as the old man looks at me.
As I turn my attention back to Dax, I notice a nod shared between them before a guard approaches the old man.
‘What the fuck is happenin’ right now? Am I in a spy movie?
’ I think as Dax snaps his fingers in my face to get my attention, reminding me of what I’m here to do.
I watch him thumb his nose, “Out with it, we don’t have all day,” he says, words clipped with anger.
“Dax, before I tell you this, ya gotta promise to not do anything stupid. I could get the shit kicked outta me for tellin’ you and Kai’s still out there.
It’s only a matter of time before he finds another way to get to him,” I say and as those words come out of my mouth, I watch Dax’s eyes glow in anger and his nostrils flare.
“Ollie, I’m gonna ask once and don’t you dare cover for him. Did Mack do this?” He asks, his hands folded on the table in front of him, knuckles white from the tension in his hands. At this moment I don’t know if I’m more afraid of Mack or Dax.
I take in the Dax sitting across from me. He’s beefed up since he’s been inside. That’s to be expected with nothing to do besides work out. Meeting his eyes, I nod once and watch a grin that rivals the Joker spread across his face.
“Oh, Ollie,” he says, tapping his fist against his forehead and tilting his head to look at me from behind his hand.
I can tell he’s trying to calm down as he speaks.
“Ollie, thank you for tellin’ me. I gotta go.
I’ll explain everything when I can, but I gotta deal with all this shit. Now. And I can’t do that here.”
We stand, bumping fists, and I’m left looking like a fish out of water as he turns, heading out of the visitation room. Shaking my head I catch the movement as the old man comes towards me.
Turning to look at the old man, “Can I help you?” I ask slowly as he reaches me and motions for me to sit back down.
I sit slowly, watching as he settles in and starts to talk in a thick Russian accent, “You can. More than you know molodoy. Now, what you just tell to Maddox?”
I sit back in disbelief, ‘Russian? Could this be, no, Dad said he was gone. He looks really familiar though. Was his wife, no there’s no way,’ I think as I ask, “Why would I tell you?” ready to bolt at the slightest aggression, but the guard moving in closer makes me stay seated.
Looking between the two men, “Who are you?” I ask, timid, swallowing over the lump in my throat and really wishing Dax was still out here.
“Who I am, not a matter. You here to tell Dax something about his Kai, da?” The old man asked again.
“M-M-Maybe.” I stammered. My mind racing as the guard sits next to me, ‘What the hell is happening?’ I think as they hold a silent conversation with each other.
The two exchanged a look and the old man tried a different approach, “My name is Sergei, most call me Vanya. I try to help Dax get out of here but the warden is a tupitsa and won’t take my word. I need something bigger than what Maddox shared. Now, what did you tell him?”
I look at the guard who nods, so I take a deep breath, “It was Mack who hit Kai. He made sure that Dax wouldn’t leave,” I say, swallowing thickly.
“And you are sure it was him?” the guard asks. At my look he explains, “Oh, yeah, I am Cas. I am also helping your brother.”
I look between these two men, the confusion setting in, the name and voice so familiar even though I can’t remember why, I nod slowly. Vanya slaps his hand on the table, “Blyad. I have to get to Dax. Now. You hear anything you get it to me first, ponyatno?”
“Da. You will protect him?” I ask as we all stand. He nods and says he will be in touch and then both men are gone and I’m left with more questions than answers.
‘What the fuck was that?’ I think as I leave the prison, stepping out into the rain, I head towards the Amtrak. Getting settled in my seat on the train, I shiver in my wet clothes, thinking, ‘I hope Mack never finds out it was me that ratted him out.’