Descent Into Madness: A Temporary Bliss Novel, page 15
Ray could not involve someone else for the time being since he first needed to untangle the threads and understand what he was dealing with exactly. Whoever had been brave enough to plant drugs in Alex’s bag had been plenty resourceful. That in itself would not have been worrisome, but the fact said individual was affiliated with Temnota and Stefan Dumitrescu was troublesome to say the least.
Cramped in that car for hours, Raymond’s shoulder was starting to protest. The pain was unbearable at times, and Raymond wasn’t sure he could carry on living like this for the rest of his life. And it had barely been a month. A month of hell. The doctor had tried to remain optimistic by declaring that once the inflammation would go down, they should be able to re-evaluate the nerve damage, and the pain might subside as well once that happened. Raymond was hung up on that might which dabbled too much into the realm of improbability.
He rubbed the back of his neck and stifled a groan. Alex shot him an attentive glance, so he dropped his hand with a frown. He wasn’t fooling him, Raymond was aware of it.
“So, is this your big plan?” the boy chirped. “We’re staying here the whole day hoping Denis will show up?”
“You got a better one?”
“Yeah,” Alex said matter-of-fact. “Find Bogo and give him a mouthful of my fist.”
Raymond shook his head. “That’s not an option. We need to understand exactly what it is we’re getting into first. Otherwise, things might get ugly.”
“Ugh,” Alex rolled his eyes. “Why can’t Roman do this?” he asked, his voice spiteful. Raymond had hoped that the relationship between those two would improve and it had shown signs of going in that direction for the past month, but Aleksandr’s attitude had drastically changed since they’d gotten arrested.
“He’s occupied with other matters.”
“What about one of your bodyguards?”
Raymond chuckled. “And deprive me of the joy of spending an entire day in closed quarters with your jabbering?”
“Dickhead. Ugh. You’re annoying sometimes.” Alex slouched back against the seat, tapping his fingers in an impatient rhythm on the side of the door.
Yes, he was going to drive Raymond insane at this rate. “That makes two of us.”
Alex narrowed his eyes, snarling. A brief silence ensued as he felt himself withering under the boy’s gaze. Raymond wondered if perhaps he was being unnecessarily mean. He had been lashing out at people as of late, he was aware of it, however sometimes it just felt like he could not help himself from being angry. Anger and pain were two of the most prominent emotions which he felt keenly. He did not know why, it could have been embarrassment, but he felt obliged to continue.
“As I told you already, my men are stretched thin as it is. Besides… I’ve got a hard time trusting people lately.”
Ray did not know what had prompted him to speak his mind in earnest, perhaps he was just being tired of putting up defences. Not that Aleksandr cared about them, he would simply barge through them.
Alex frowned, picking at his lip. “Because of what happened?”
“Mhmm,” Ray nodded and instantly regretted it as a stab of pain shot up his neck. “I’d rather keep my business to myself as long as I can.”
“You’re living such an eccentric life,” Alex commented. He pushed himself between the front seats with a deceiving smile. “What about McGrumpy here in the front seat?”
Marian shot the boy an amused glance, then looked at Ray who smiled in return. “He was running some errands on New Year’s.”
“That doesn’t exempt him. If anything, it draws even more attention to him,” Alex said, eyeing Marian with wariness.
The bodyguard, however, did not take any offence to it. “The boy’s sharp,” he noted.
“He is indeed,” Raymond replied. “Perhaps too much for his own good.”
“Are you effing me?” Alex snapped, throwing his hands in the air.
“The adults are having a conversation,” Ray said, unable to keep a smirk off his face.
“Such a dickhead,” Alex mumbled, shaking his head, however he kept eyeing Marian with suspicion.
Raymond had, of course, considered the matter at length. Sure, Stefan Dumitrescu and this friend of Aleksandr’s acquaintance had planted a bomb on his car, but he was no closer to solving the mystery of how someone had gotten near the vehicle to begin with, with no one seeing anything or the cameras not working, but he would get there in time. He had not dismissed the possibility of a traitor within his ranks, which had made him prone to keeping his business to himself even more than usual. Felix, Marian, and poor Edgar who was still recovering in the hospital were of course part of his inner circle. The others, however, he was unsure of their allegiance. And of course, there was always Roman who could swing like a pendulum to bend under Vitya’s whims. But Raymond doubted that his old friend had anything to do with that particular incident.
Ray’s gaze slipped to Aleksandr, the boy had painted him a clear enough picture of Roman’s behaviour from a few days back, some of it might had been exaggerated, but it did sound like the man Ray had known for the past thirteen years. Vitya’s influence was foul, like a bloated corpse, only getting worse and worse with the passing of time. Which is why Ray was so adamant that Aleksandr stay away from him. The boy might be cunning, but he had nothing against his father’s deceit. Vitya had polished his tricks over the decades, always finding a more ingenious way in which to mislead people, his sweet words dripping with venom.
Raymond had been avoiding Victor since the man had arrived in town, but sooner or later they would have to meet, he couldn’t postpone it that much longer. He felt sick only at the thought of it.
“That’s him,” Alex said loud enough to give Raymond a fright. He was pointing with his finger between the seats. “He’s leaving the house.”
A short moment later a car pulled on the side of the street and the kid got in. The silhouettes inside were turned with their backs to them and their faces were hidden.
“Is that his boyfriend?” Ray asked.
“I think so,” Alex squinted at the vehicle in front of them. “Actually, he might be the one on the passenger’s seat.”
Raymond nodded. “Marian, stay on them.”
They followed behind at a safe distance, dropping out of sight whenever the car ahead would turn on narrow, unused roads. The daylight was gradually fading as the clock ticked well into the afternoon hours, and the sky was turning muddy above them, casting an anaemic light over the grey, already too bleak buildings.
Aleksandr was silent, his eyes trained on the car ahead with an ugly frown. The entire affair was taking its toll on him, his friend’s betrayal had soured him to no end and the unpleasantness of whatever thoughts were battling inside of his head was reflected on its face.
It bothered Raymond to see him so upset, it only served to fan the flames of his own anger. As he became lost in thought, he straightened up in surprise once the car stopped.
They had finally arrived at their destination; Marian parked next to a building which provided them with a modicum of cover—it was just enough to not be spotted by the men getting off the car in the distance.
A tall building rose to their right, its windows broken, and the leftover frames rusted, all visible walls covered in colourful graffiti. The decayed pavement in front of it was littered with empty packaging and glass shards. The view was no more hopeful to the left, the street lined with garages in different stages of demolition, missing doors or featuring decrepit vehicles, having turned into sleeping quarters for vagrants.
It was clear that this was an abandoned corner of the city in which dubious personalities loitered the streets in search for illegal experiences, away from lawful eyes — as lawful as the country had to offer.
Raymond did not like it one bit and he felt exposed, aware that the SUV was out of place in the otherwise rundown area.
“We won’t stay long,” Ray declared, his eyes on the cluster of vehicles parked next to what appeared to be a forgotten factory where a group of people were welcoming the newcomers.
Alex leaned forward, squinting. “Holy shit. That’s the guy!”
“What?”
“Scarface! The one who threatened me.”
Ray craned his neck while also attempting to stay inconspicuous. The tinted windows could only get them so far. “Looks deserving of his name.”
“He was there when I… at that house. When it burned. I thought he died,” the boy replied.
“We should leave,” Marian declared. “We risk being seen.”
“Hold on a moment,” Raymond pulled his phone out awkwardly. “Take a photo for me.” He unlocked it with his fingerprint and handed the device to Alex. “Zoom into the car numbers.” Alex snapped several photos, including some of the faces present as well before handing the phone back.
“Look, they’re going into that building,” Alex pointed out. “It doesn’t look like there’s anyone else coming. We should go after them.”
“We have enough for today. I’ll look into it later on.”
“But they’re right there,” the boy protested. “Stay here.”
“Alex!” Ray shouted, but he was already out of the car. “Christ!” Ray watched him rush across the street, planting himself close to one of the dilapidated shacks.
“Boss, I’m going after—”
“Give me a gun,” Ray growled. “Keep the engine running. For Christ’s sake!”
Marian handed him one of his guns. Ray unlocked the door on his side and got out after Alex. The icy air made him shiver as he looked up and down the street expecting movement, assassins, or simply unwanted guests. There was none of that, however the stillness bothered him more. It felt wrong, as if a concentration of energy was accumulating in the atmosphere, ready to unleash upon them.
Aleksandr had already disappeared from sight. Ray cursed under his breath, struggling with his emotions, the apprehension looming inside. His back hurt as he rushed to catch up with the boy. He felt clumsy and odd on his feet, as if the pavement was tilting under him, conspiring against him, ready to throw him to the ground.
He avoided the front entrance and turned around the side of the decrepit building, walking as if he had nothing to hide, if a bit awkward due to the injury impending his movements.
There was a good amount of snow and grit creaking under his boots, the odd glass shard breaking here and there, muffled by the layer of dirty white. Raymond glanced over his shoulder, but he was alone, no one was following him. His right hand was shaking slightly under the added weight of the concealed gun and his strained muscles. He was expecting foul play, yet he was in no condition to engage in it. He was aware of the foolishness of it all, what had been meant to be a regular recon day was now on its turning point to horror.
A series of low windows decked the back of the building, most of the frames vandalised and hollowed out, even though the glass had been replaced by wood or metallic boards in places, it had not stopped anyone from breaking in.
Raymond peeked inside. Voices were echoing through the vast space, yet there was no one in sight nearby. With gun in hand, finger near the trigger, he slipped in through the opening as he scanned the surrounding area.
It was much darker inside, with little light pervading in the late waning hours. It took his vision a moment to adjust to the dimness, but Raymond soon found himself in the middle of a corridor lined with decayed furniture. Splinters and debris were scattered all over the floor and a handful of rats scuttled away as their impromptu gathering was disturbed.
The metallic structure of the inner wall was exposed, blocks of rubble fallen against the floor, shattered at the point of impact. It seemed to be the doing of hooligans.
As he advanced deeper through the ruin, it became apparent that the place had not been entirely abandoned. Bottles and empty cans of booze, cigarette butts, syringes and used condoms sprinkled the floor, the aftermath of mischief. It was the type of location which people used for illegal raves, where one could indulge in all sorts of outlawed pleasures. It was not foreign to Ray since he and Dany had been regulars in such infamous establishments at one point. Nothing good had ever come out of it.
Raymond’s annoyance spiked at the memory as he reached the end of the corridor. The indistinct murmurs and the odd raucous laughter made him halt and listen hard for anyone who might be approaching. There was no such person though, no one knew they were there, and he was hoping to keep it like that. That scatter-brained dimwit would get an earful when he found him. It was inadmissible for him to take off like that. It felt like deja-vu, though. Dany had never listened, and he would always end up in the worst of places and situations.
Raymond emerged into an open space filled with all sorts of industrial furniture and coppery crates stacked on top of each other. It had most likely been one of the main halls of the factory at one point, but it had turned into a hazard waiting to happen. The state of the structure worried Raymond, making him wonder what it would take to bring the entire place down on them, but he was not willing to linger long enough to find out.
The voices were louder now, the odd person visible through the narrow openings in the rubble. Raymond had no idea in which direction Alex had taken off, however he suspected he might’ve followed the racket, so he stepped gently to the right, hiding by a wall that was half crumbled, eroded by water and exposure to the elements.
Ducking as much as his shoulder allowed, he switched next to a pillar. After a swift inspection of the area, he spotted a familiar figure crouching behind a barrel not far from him. Aleksandr had drawn the hood down over his face and was peeking around the barrel at the distant gathering.
“Psst.” Alex ducked back down, ready to bolt when his eyes met Raymond’s. “Get back here,” Raymond mouthed.
Alex shook his head and pointed at a nearby wall which was within earshot of the group. Ray frowned and motioned him to stay put, but Alex scowled in response and darted past one of the cement pillars, rushing silently towards the spot he’d aimed at.
Ray took a deep breath and cursed. This boy would be the end of him. He scolded himself mentally, then he rounded past the pillar and switching between hiding places with a great amount of care and an equal amount of pain, he ended up next to Aleksandr, slightly out of breath, annoyed and exhausted all at once.
“What are you doing?” he hissed. Ray wanted to grab him and shake him, but both his hands were full as it were.
“Shh.” Alex straightened up flush against Raymond’s body and pressed a finger to his lips, pointing at a thin opening in between the bricks.
The group consisted of about twenty individuals, youths included. The smell of weed and cigarettes filled Ray’s nostrils. They were drinking and laughing. Someone said something, then another person banged on a metallic object and the crowd exploded in a roar of laughter.
“I know those men,” Alex whispered. “The one next to Scarface, and the other sitting on the barrel over there. They’re Temnota. They used to work with Stefan.”
“All the more reason why you shouldn’t be here by yourself,” Ray snapped, his voice low as he scowled down at him.
“I want to know what they’re doing,” he insisted, squeezing a fistful of Ray’s coat.
“I don’t give a damn. Those men are armed.”
Alex’s lips parted with a frown, then he peeked past Ray’s shoulder at the men he’d mentioned earlier.
“No, they’re—” He cut off as he did a double take, his face paling several nuances. He had seen it now, it was not all too difficult. Ray was accustomed to these type of people and he knew what to look for. The unmistakable bulge at a waist, the metallic glint barely hidden by a jacket, a weighed down pocket.
“But Ray,” Alex hissed, slightly lifting himself on his toes, as if he was unable to keep still. “That prick is involved with both Stefan and Temnota.”
Raymond switched the gun to his other hand, keeping it pointed away from Aleksandr and reached for the boy’s jacket, bringing him closer.
“I know,” he said under his breath, simmering with anger. “But we’re in no condition to stay here and wait for them to find us!”
The boy’s gaze darted all over the place before settling on Ray’s face once more. “But they’re the ones who hurt y—”
“Alex,” Ray whispered harshly, holding his gaze, their faces close together. “I know.”
Aleksandr shuddered, shrinking under his gaze. His breath was shaking, his eyes were wet. His fist was wrapped tight in Raymond’s coat as he looked up at him.
“We’re leaving. Now,” Ray said.
The boy nodded, absent, almost subdued. Ray pushed him back the way they’d come, constantly looking over his shoulder. They were close to reaching the corridor on which Raymond had first entered when loud music resounded from that direction and made them both stop in their tracks. Then a voice boomed over the commotion, barking something which sounded like a command.
Alex stumbled and hit a discarded can with his boot. “Shit.”
Ray reached for him and pulled him back around the crates just as the sound of shuffling feet could be heard down the corridor.
“Serge, we’re here!”
Alex stared, his face white as if he’d seen a ghost, all rigid and tense, breathing hard next to Raymond.
The stacked, wooden crates were pushed against the L-shaped wall, but not entirely, offering shelter on three sides and leaving them mostly exposed on the other. Luckily, a pillar surrounded by rotten furniture was not too far away, keeping them away from sight.
Raymond pushed Alex in the corner flush against the boxes, stepping in front of him, the gun at the ready in his left hand. Sweat rolled down his temples as he took deep, silent breaths through his mouth, taming the wild beating in his chest which accentuated the pain in his back. It felt as though two hearts were drumming inside of him, one pumping blood, the other — his wound — injecting pain into his nerves with each pulsation.
The shuffling feet and laughter reverberated on the other side of the crates, just out of sight to their right. They were a loud, foul crowd, cursing and laughing but as they trickled past them, the music could still be heard down the corridor. Which meant that attempting to go out the same way Ray had come would pose a risk.
