Chapter 374

I had to be careful not to be seen. Rodney Wells knows who I am. I would be in danger if he spotted me. Even if I got away from him, the faction would realize I was on to them.

But I had to know for sure what he was doing here, and I had to have proof that he was the one supplying Ice to Rocky to be sold to the students at the city college.

Silently, I took my phone from my pocket and snapped several photos of the men as they smoked their cigarettes and talked on the loading dock.

When they finally tossed their butts into the grass, I heard them discussing unloading the van. Rocky unlocked the loading dock door into the building, and Rodney opened the back of the van.

Rodney pulled a hand truck from the back of the van, and Rocky began loading several boxes onto it.

“You’ve got to move this batch as fast as possible,” Rodney said. “The boss is expecting another large shipment in a few days. You’ll get twice this amount to sell, and it’s even more addictive than usual.”

The words made my anger flare. Anyone who would sell this garbage to unsuspecting students and ruin their lives when they were just beginning was evil.

They had to be stopped. I had to prove the drugs were coming from John Cameron and the faction. John and his cohorts belonged in prison for life, where they wouldn’t be able to cause chaos anymore.

After the two men transported the boxes inside, I came out from behind the spruces to look inside the van.

The back doors were still open, so it was easy to take a few photos of the boxes still inside the van. There were at least twelve more boxes of the drug stacked inside the cargo compartment of the van!

I wished I could destroy it, van and all. How many lives would be ruined by taking Ice? I had to find out where these boxes were going and where they came from.

My heart raced when I heard Rodney Wells speaking to Rocky just inside the loading dock door. They were coming back. I had to hide!

But instead of coming outside, the loading dock door closed, and I heard the lock click.

Why would they lock themselves inside the building?

I scurried onto the loading dock platform and tried to open the door. This location must be more critical to the drug dealer’s operation than I thought.

There had to be more than old student records and extra desks in there.

I had to know what part of the drug dealing operation was done inside the building and if anyone else was hiding in there.

After making up my mind, I turned and ran across campus to where I’d parked my truck and hurried to the mansion.

I made it there in minutes and ran upstairs to my room, where I grabbed my new lock-pick kit. When I started to rush from the room, I physically ran into Anna, and the kit fell to the floor at her feet.

“I’m sorry, Miss Wilson.” She picked up the lock pick kit and handed it to me. Her eyes were widened with surprise. “Do you know how to use that?”

“Not really. I’m just learning,” I admitted, surprised my maid knew what the lock pick kit was for. “Do you know how to pick locks?”

“Yes,” she replied. “I learned when I was young. My mother had a habit of locking us out of the house. But the Army honed this particular skill to the point that most locks are now no challenge for me.”

“Come with me,” I said. “I’ll explain on the way.”

I was worried Rodney would leave before I got back. I wanted to see what the men were doing with the drugs inside the building. And I wanted to hear about any other plans that they made.

“Let’s go,” she said and took off her white apron.

As I told her what I was doing, we rushed back to campus and parked near the Reed Building. The van was still parked at the loading dock, but the doors were closed and locked.

“We’ve got to get inside and see what’s going on,” I said. “Come on.” I led the way to the loading dock door and opened the lock pick set.

I watched Anna manipulate two of the tools in the lock, and the door opened.

“Let’s see what they’re doing in there,” she whispered with a grin.

I smiled, put a finger to my lips, and slipped inside the door.

Anna was right behind me as we began to search the building. The dimly lit hallways had block walls painted pale yellow with chipped and scuffed white and brown tile floors.

There were metal doors every twelve feet and stairwells at both ends of the building. We followed the hallway around a sharp corner and heard men’s voices echoing through the front hall.

We followed the voices to an open doorway and peered inside.

There were cement stairs leading down to the basement. Pulling out my cell phone, I started recording video and crept down the stairs.

The basement was creepy, with cobwebs everywhere. The stink of lemons and another overpowering stench reached my nostrils as soon as we neared another open door.

Carefully looking around the doorway, I saw Rodney and Rocky standing at a large folding table with their backs to us.

Rodney was weighing a yellow powder, and Rocky was placing the measured portions into plastic baggies. I made sure to get footage of them packaging the drug for sale.

The strong scent of lemons competed with the overpowering scent of a man’s earthy cologne. I had smelled the revolting cologne before

Rodney must be the man wearing the expensive loafers in the DA’s office. Even though he was now wearing sneakers, he stunk like the same cologne.

“Don’t forget to get this batch moving immediately,” Rodney told Rocky. “The boss needs a cash infusion soon for a new development.”

“What development?” Rocky asked as he closed another baggie of the drug.

“It’s nothing you need to know about,” Rodney snapped. “But watch out for a girl named Daisy Wilson.”

“Isn’t she that hot chick engaged to Victor Klein?” Rocky asked. “I saw her once and wouldn't mind getting her alone for a while where nobody could hear her scream.”

Anna gripped my shoulder as his words made my blood freeze in my veins. What a vile man!

“If you find her snooping around, don’t do anything except detain her and call me right away,” Rodney ordered. “The boss wants her brought to him as soon as possible. He’s had enough of the nosy female ruining his plans.”

I should leave this place right away. I was in more danger than I thought. I’d rather die than have Rocky touch me.

“I’m going back to the base next,” Rodney said. “The boss will want to know how long it will take you to sell this batch.”

“A couple of days,” Rocky replied. “I’ll text all my connections tonight and let them know I’ve got a new shipment ready.”

“Can you trust them?” Rodney asked. “We can’t afford to have any of the product confiscated in a drug bust.”

“They all use it themselves and don’t want their supply cutoff,” Rocky assured him. “The pathetic junkies won’t squeal.”

“If you suspect any might, get rid of them,” Rodney ordered.

“Don’t worry. The old trash incinerator still fires up,” Rocky chuckled. “They’ll just disappear.”

Anna tugged on my sleeve. I could feel her trembling behind me.

I nodded, and she led the way upstairs. We began to walk to the loading dock when I spotted a door hanging slightly ajar.

“I have to peek inside,” I whispered.

“Hurry,” she pleaded.

I pulled the door open and gasped. It was full of boxes of the drug packaged for sale. This had to stop.

Suddenly, the men’s voices seemed to be directly behind us. I pulled Anna inside the room and closed the door.

“No, we need to get out of here,” Anna whispered furiously. “Please, Daisy, let’s go.”

“It’s too late,” I whispered and put a finger to my lips.

The men’s voices and footsteps were approaching the room where we were hiding. They were probably bringing more of the packaged drug here for storage.

When we heard them stop outside the door, I whispered to Anna, “We’ll have to fight our way out of here.”

She nodded and took a defensive position next to the door while I got ready to distract them a few feet from the door. I began praying they didn’t have a gun.