When I went home after my shift in the bar, I made a short visit at Drake's house.
"You know, I really don't like to give you this stuff, but the wounds are really bad," he replied pitifully and treated some. Drake Sullivan was a doctor and a friend to me and knew my problem. But he didn't know exactly who was abusing me.
"How long do you actually want to go on with this?" he asked me and leaned back. I shrugged my shoulders "I can't go. That wouldn't be right," I replied and carefully pulled my blouse over. "Not right?", he stared at me with big eyes and laughed, "You're crazy."
"Can I just get my medicine now? Then I'm gone," I let him know angry. He handed me the morphine and some ointment. He shook his head "Think about what you are missing in life. Just because you're too stupid to help yourself!"
"Shut up!.", I answered and threw the money on his desk. "If you would stop lecturing each of your patients, I'm sure more people would come to you again", with these words I hissed from his small 80qm apartment and to the next bus stop.
The tower clock a few meters away struck at midnight. The bus should be there in a few minutes, when I let my eyes wander over the dark streets and I saw a shadow on the opposite alley. I heard the voices of drunken youths and breathed a sigh of relief. Not that I was afraid, but the word crime was already written in capital letters in the area. I let my gaze drift on and under the poorly lit lantern stood a man, as I could hardly make out after his stature. I narrowed my eyes a little. Hands in my trouser pockets, head a little lowered. He seemed to look at me. I stepped from one foot to the other. "Hey you!" I shouted across the street. "You okay?" I wanted to know. Are you okay? What was I doing? A strange man standing around in the dark, whether he's looking at me or not. So I decided to ignore him. He could have been a drug dealer or someone who'd grab me and rape me in the corner.
The bus came around the corner, my tension eased when I got in. I sat down in one of the back rows. When I looked over again, he was gone.
***
With a bad feeling I was now standing at the front door. With my right hand on the door, I opened the front door. From there I could already hear cheerful laughter. "Melanie, is that you?!", I heard my father calling. "Yes," I answered and threw my jacket aside. "Could you come here, please?"
"Actually, I was getting ready for bed. It's been a really long day, and...", I was shocked when I entered the kitchen. His buddy, my dad, and a stripper with her ass pointing at them. "Melanie, meet your new mom. Angelica. Angelica, this is my beautiful daughter. Isn't she adorable?" So he pushed Angelica aside to hang onto me. "Does she have a boyfriend?", his friend Damien wanted to know. "She may not be a virgin but..." he waved. I looked at him in horror and said, "I'm going up."
"Stay. We could organize one for you. A man of course." my father suggested. "Or she could just dance for me," Damian replied laughing and winked at me. I made a disgusted face. Damian was definitely not my type with his Elvis Presley hairstyle and his tight-fitting clothes. Also his age. Ugh! At the same moment my mobile rang. "Who's that?" my dad wanted to know immediately and grabbed my smartphone. "Hello? What do you think you are doing?" I got pissed at him and ran out of the room. "No manners, your daughter. I'd give her a beating for that disrespect!"
I got a call from an anonymous number. "Hello?" „Ah Senorita O'Connor.", a feminine voice at the other end said and added "I have tried to reach you today..."
"Who is there?"
"My name is Emily Jackson, Diego Garcia's assistant." I listened. "And to what do I owe this honor?"
"Mr. Garcia would like you to know there's a meeting tomorrow night around 5:00. Of course, if you'd be interested in a bonus. „A meeting?"
„For your job."
"Wait a minute, I haven't given Mr Garcia any feedback on if I'm in or not," I interrupted her. "He's painfully aware of that, and that's why he asked me to tell you he won't take no for an answer. He would welcome you with a special reward.
"Well, I'm not for buyable, if that's what you're referring to," I replied confused.
"I didn't say that, Miss, but you're one of the best. He depends on your team spirit and your ability."
I was thinking. Such praise meant a lot to me, but working for someone who was obviously involved in criminal activities did not appeal to me. "Listen," I started. "I'm honored that the Lord is so enthusiastic about me, but...", I was interrupted.
"Hey! Melanie! Come here!" cried my father. "My father needs me, if you could just hold on," I said and took my phone to my chest. "What is it? I'm on the phone," I said and headed for the kitchen. "With that good-for-nothing brother of yours? You can tell him to fuck off and leave you alone!"
Just like Dad. When he drinks, he gets aggressive and abusive. You know how they say drunks tell the truth...
"That's not Brian," I replied, looking at the kitchen. Meanwhile the stripper was hanging with her breasts in my father's face, who was laughing cheerfully. That was just embarrassing, I must confess. "Why don't you be polite and bring us some towels, you know what for," he winked at me. These sexual hints came after he'd drunk two bottles of beer. Since he tended to be aggressive but didn't transfer this to me physically yet, I decided to give him his will without any further words. "You're so embarrassing," I whispered and was about to leave. "What did you just say?!", he shouted after me. "Nothing."
"How about you put on a short skirt, throw a top over your body. Then you can join us, or rather, join me."
"Hey, watch your mouth, that's my daughter!" my dad yelled at his best friend. I shook my head in disgust.
„Miss Jackson?", I called back on the phone. "I'm sorry for the interrupt."
„No problem. Nice family you got there.", I could literally hear her grin. "Yeah, just ignore them. So where were we?"
"You wanted to explain why you couldn't work for Mr. Garcia.", she replied.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He won't ask you to join his team again. Are you quite sure?" she asked again. I really had to think about it. Such a change would certainly do me good, more money wouldn't be bad either and maybe Drake was right, i couldn't go on like this. I took another quick look into the kitchen to see my father. He hung between the thighs of the Angelica.
"Can I get out at any time?" I wanted to know. "The first mission will be your test. If it doesn't fit you, you can get out," she replied hopefully. "Very well. I'll do it," I decided. "Wonderful, I'll send you the basic data. Don't be late. See you around Miss O'Connor," she hung up before I had a chance to say goodbye.
I went to my room, locked up. Better safe. Even though I woke up a few times at night because of the screaming and banging on my door. I hid under my blanket as best I could. "No locked rooms, young lady!"
***
When I woke up the next day I already had the address for today's mission. When I entered the address on Google Maps, I could see that it was a warehouse. Isolated from the highways and streets. As it looked like the mission was planned for the next days.
My father wasn't awake yet and when I came into the kitchen, I needed to clean up before breakfast. Then pre-cook dinner and switch my shifts at the bar. The morning went by in a flash. So when it was noon my father finally crawled out of bed. "Good morning.", he could barely sit down on the chair by the kitchen table. "Good morning. Shall I make you some coffee?", I suggested. "Yes," he only replied, covering his eyes with his hands. "Why is it so fucking bright? Can't you turn off the lights?"
"It's 1 pm," put his coffee on the table and leaned against the counter. Overtired and confused, he looked at his watch, groaned annoyed and took a big sip of his coffee. "I don't even remember what happened yesterday. I only know that it was a wild night," he laughed mischievously. I know exactly what happened and it was embarrassing, I thought to myself. "Why are you always here? Don't you have a job?" he asked me. "I'm on a training course. Starting tonight and it's going to last a couple of days," I lied. "What?" he looked up. "This is a chance for a promotion at the bar. I might be able to replace Cindy as an executive soon."
"And why you of all people?" he wanted to know. "I'm good," I answered and looked down. He didn't like that at all. "You should know."
"I've already prepared everything. Food's in the fridge."
"Don't bother. I know you want to leave me like your mother and brother. Then go! "Don't come back!" he said, getting louder. "No, I'll come back." But he got angry and jumped up "Goodbye."
"Dad!" I called after him, but by then I heard the door.
***
"And you're quite sure she'll be there?" Brian O'Connor assured himself on the phone. "Of course she will. Do you think I let my contacts play for nothing?", the guy at the other end replied. "Do you know what kind of mission this is going to be?" he wanted to know immediately. "Some sort of robbery," he replied, adding, "I heard Dom and you're in on it too. Is that really true?" he laughed. "Must be. First of all, I could use the money. Second, I haven't raced for ages."
"Well, watch out you don't lose O'Connor," he laughed at him. "You too."
"Okay okay. Look, I'll send you the data, and then you'll be at the old warehouse on the East River grounds by 5:00 p.m.," he instructed him. "Thanks for your help, Tej."
„No Problem. Hear ya."
With that he hung up, turned to Mia, who was only facing him with a grinning face. "You just can't let it go."
"I'm sorry. I promise you, we'll come back safely," he explained and gave her a loving kiss on the lips.
***
"I'm leaving now. I'll be in touch with you, okay?" I called, but he did not answer. My father had been holed up in his bedroom for hours. The door was locked. Not a word from him came even after I had said goodbye, so I left.
On the way to the warehouse many thoughts flashed through my mind. Some negative ones but I remained confident. When I turned the corner to the abandoned warehouse I could see two men outside who stopped me. I had to show my identity card and my invitation. Inside were already two men and a woman.
"Hello," I greeted the three. There was no hello or who are you. So I sat on the hood of my car and waited. Waiting for instructions...