Chapter 18

The next morning came earlier than usual, as if to say " I'm here and there's nothing you can do about it." I yawned and got off my bed. It was time to step up my game. Ivanka was expecting a large income of a new drug that she created herself. It was being transported using the cover of a fresh fish company. I had never really been one to plan ahead. I always found favor with luck. I hit the gym for two hours and went out for breakfast. I spent the rest of the day lounging about till it was seven. I was sent the coordinates for the warehouse where it was going to go down. I stared at the screen in disbelief. It was the same warehouse where it all began. The warehouse where my mother was taken. The warehouse that would forever symbolize the beginning of all my biggest problems. I swallowed hard. Under normal circumstances, I would not be in any particular hurry to go, but now, I had nothing to lose, except Khelanie, my job and basically everything that had any form of meaning in my life, so basically I had everything left to lose.

I drove to the warehouse and activated my stealth drone, using it to take pictures of what was going on inside the warehouse. There were five fish trucks parked with their hoods facing the exit. A few meters away, a group of seventeen men worked together filling up the trucks with several boxes of what appeared to be fresh fish, but I was well aware that it was all a masquerade for a major transportation of drugs. One man in a suit was standing on a makeshift stage of empty crates was directing traffic. Such a great example of team work. It was such a shame that I had to break it up. I geared up in my bulletproof vest and armed myself with various guns and bombs, turned on my body cam and tracking device. I mapped out my entrance and exit routes and commenced my mission.

I walked with caution as I made my way around to a side door I had marked. I was worried that I would run into perimeter patrol. Even though I hadn't spotted any with the drone, I knew very well from experience that dealings with drugs are handles with caution and quoting John Hale from The Crucible, " The devil is precise". and with my own addition, " and so are drug dealers." Anything could happen at any moment. It was only constant vigilance that would take anyone through such a mission. I made it to the door and opened it very slowly. If anyone saw me coming from the inside, I would be completely blindsided by an offensive attack, and if I was presumptuous and went in guns ablaze, I would destroy the whole mission. The whole time, my eye was fixed on the gradually expanding space between the door and the wall. It seemed that the men were way too busy to notice me when I stepped inside and found a hiding place behind low wall.

I observed them and made mental notes, preparing for my grand entrance. I wanted to retain the element of surprise. My blood turned cold. I saw something I hadn't seen on the drone's feed. there was a desk in the corner where another man sat behind multiple television screens. There were cameras. Just my luck. Even from where hid, I managed to identify myself fooling no one by hiding where I was. Luckily, I hadn't been caught yet. I moved to a more secure and hidden spot. First, I had to collect a sample of the so called new drug Ivanka had developed, which was almost impossible. The drugs had been packaged and well hidden in boxes of fresh fish which in turn were well sealed. To extract some, I had to successfully steal a whole box of fish and there was no possible way in which I would go unnoticed dragging the awkwardly sized box to my hiding spot.

The only way I could do so was to improvise an impersonation of one of the workers. I was in the middle of formulating a strategy when the entire room fell quiet. My heart beat accelerated, to a ridiculous pace. I couldn't believe I had been caught. I took a deep breath and raided my head over the crates I was hiding behind, expecting to see everyone in the room pointing various weapons in my direction. There was nobody there. The place was empty, with the exception of the unloaded fish boxes and the trucks, three of which were closed. It was my chance, they had probably gone on a short break which meant I didn't have enough time. I had to be quick and stealthy. The chances of survival in the ratio of them to me were too slim. I used about two seconds to rally myself and go.

I ran so fast, I heard the wind whooshing in my ears. I dove for the nearest box and slit it open with my knife, removing a whole side. I opened the styrofoam container and dug my hand in, trying not to puke in the process. My hand went through so many squishy, slimy and wet things which I refused to attempt to identify in my mind. Finally, my hand closed around something plastic. I managed to pull it out of the box. I vomited. the smell and sight of fish guts was too overwhelming. I cut open the packaging and retrieved two tiny ziploc bags filled quarterly with fine white powder with a bluish tint. I stuffed them into my pockets, put the package back inside and turned the box over, so that the side had cut open was flat on the ground. I sighed and got up backwards. It was over. I was leaving. It turned out the universe had some other plans for me. I took a step back and bumped into something hard and firm. I knew it wasn't hard enough to be a pillar, but I was praying it would turn out to be something else.

Slowly, I turned around slowly and found myself face to face with a man over six feet tall and built like a wrestler, basically Braun Strowman was standing in front of me with the intent to kill very obvious in his eyes. I blinked stupidly and said " The boss sent me." It was clear on his face that he didn't believe a single word that came out of my mouth. I reached out for my gun. He grabbed my wrist and began to squeeze it. With his free hand, he isolated two of my fingers and began to bend them back. I wanted to shout, but I didn't. I didn't want to draw the attention of the rest of the workers and he knew that. Whatever he wanted to do to me, he was going to enjoy it. Using the nearest box as a booster, I kicked him in the head, forcing him to let go and stumble back, but most importantly it gave me time to recover. Or so I thought. In no time, he was holding on to my shirt. I raised me up and slammed into the side of one of the trucks. I let out an awkward 'oomph'. My back exploded in pain.

I tried to scramble for cover under the truck, but he grabbed my ankles and dragged me out. He stood me up and thrust his right fist into my gut. The air was instantly knocked out of my lungs. I looked for air to inhale, but there seemed to be none available. He stood back and waited for me to catch my breath before grabbing me again and hoisting me up onto his shoulders effortlessly. I kicked like a child, but he didn't move an inch. He lifted me high above his head and slammed me into the hard concrete floor. I couldn't help it. I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound escaped my mouth. I felt blood pouring out of my mouth, but there was nothing I could do. I pushed myself up, half dragging, half crawling away. I coughed and more blood came out, coloring the floor before me. I rolled onto my back. and lay there.

The man caught up in two strides. I was helpless as he brought his boot crashing down onto my face. I felt my jaw break before the pain kicked in. I tried to shout, but opening my mouth only emphasized on the overwhelming pain in my jaw. I knew it was the lowest road that I could take, but in a situation like that, there was only one thing that I could do to save myself. I kicked hard, using all the strength I had left. He roared in anguish and dropped onto the floor beside my, clutching his groin. He looked me straight in the eyes and promised me a painful death without opening his mouth. I used him as support and got myself unsteadily to my feet. He was stirring. I stomped on his balls one more time to keep him down and stumbled towards the door. I forgot all about my exit route and returned the same way I entered.

I slumped behind the wheel of my car, dripping blood all over the leather upholstery. My jaw was throbbing and my head, as well as the rest of my body was in unimaginable pain. Someway, somehow, I managed to drive myself to H.Q without having a car crash or causing a multiple car pile up. I dragged myself to the in built hospital and let the doctors and nurses fawn over me. After three hours or more, I was allowed to leave the hospital. I went to my bosses office, turning every face on the way. I must have looked weird supported my a crutch, with my neck in a brace and my shirt open with my ribs heavily bandaged and my jaw wired shut, but I didn't care. I opened the door to meet a very nasty surprise. I pulled out my gun in a split second and aimed. The man who had attacked me earlier was sitting in the office opposite him.

With the gun still in the same position, I turned to face my boss. There was rage written all over my face but my hands betrayed me shaking violently. The man stood up and drew his own gun. My boss laughed. " I see you have met agent Royce." I shook my head in disbelief. I was beginning to feel very unsafe. " Samuel, sit down and stop making a fool of yourself." I sat down. Me feeling unsafe had turned into me feeling very stupid. I sat down with my gun still out. " Agent Royce had just returned from a successful mission in Quebec and he will be your personal trainer and mentor for the next few months.