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chapter 3: On my way

Hazel's screams faded into sobs. For a minute, she managed to think without the grief clouding her mind. But the only thought that echoed in her mind were three words.

This was bad!

Her daughter had nothing to do with this. Why was she going through this now?

She had done everything she could to make sure her daughter would be safe from the mistakes she had made in her past. She had run away from everything and started a new life for herself. Why? Why was all this happening now?

Heather, her everything. Pain ravaged her soul. She was struggling to breathe, her eyes darting to and fro in the room.

How could this happen?

Why did she let her guard down?

Tears streamed down Hazel's face. She had seen the signs. She had noticed that something was wrong yet she ignored it every time. She should have taken action when all of this started.

She was so stupid! How could she have thought the past would go away if she ran away from it?

Hazel remained on the floor for what felt like hours. Grief consumed her. She was weakened. She was tired.

Finally, she stirred. She couldn't sit here and keep crying. Heather wouldn't save herself. She had to do something.

Police! She needed to call the police.

Hazel swallowed painfully. She didn't bother to stand up as she searched for her phone in the pile of bags and groceries. Finding it, she immediately dialed the number.

A monotone voice answered.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"My daughter's gone!" Hazel exclaimed, the panic laced in her voice.

"Ma'am, we'll need you to be more detailed please. Tell us about your daughter, how old is she? And where do you think she must have gone?"

Hazel began to stutter, her words barely coherent.

"She's just two. She… they are the ones who took her. I came home and she was gone, they broke in… they took her.”

“Ma'am, please be more specific. Who's they? Do you have suspects?" The officer asked again.

Hazel struggled with the words to put her statement in place.

"It's them. The people from my past, they've come back. They took her. They broke into my house and they took her. They took my daughter away from me.” Her voice was breaking at different points.

She sounded insane.

There was silence on the other side of the phone, very short but long enough for Hazel to come up with a thousand conclusions in her head.

What if the police couldn't help?

What if they hurt her daughter?

The voice finally spoke up.

“Ma'am, please can we have your address?"

Hazel mumbled the words absentmindedly and the response came.

"Someone will be there soon."

The line went dead afterwards and Hazel tried to encourage herself that help was on the way.

She waited.

She didn't even bother to pick herself from the floor. She simply remained in that position.

Twenty minutes passed and two officers arrived. Their eyes scanned the room keenly.

"Ma'am, can you explain what happened?" one officer asked.

Hazel finally got to her feet. She began to explain.

“I've been having this feeling but I ignored it. A figure has been following me. At my workplace, the market. I've had dreams, I knew something was wrong.."

The officers exchanged wary looks, their disbelief and skepticism highly palpable.

She felt a tight lump from in her throat as she said,

“You don't believe me.” Her voice was light but filled with pain.

The officers exchanged looks again.

“Ma'am, I'm sorry but the police force deals with more than just dreams and instincts. We need a name or solid evidence to indicate that your daughter was taken." One of them said to her.

“Where's your husband ma'am?” The other one asked.

He quickly rephrased his statement after scanning through the room again.

“ Or your daughter's father?"

“ He's… we're not together." Hazel mumbled.

The officers looked at each other, yet again. This time, one let out a sigh and Hazel couldn't help but realize that this was useless.

"Ma'am, we could file a report, but...."

"But what?" Hazel pressed.

"It sounds more like a custody dispute. Maybe your husband… your daughter's father took her. She's probably in good hands.”

Hazel's anger flared.

"This has nothing to do with custody.” She snapped.

"My daughter's in danger. My apartment was broken into. Can't you see the mess here? How could you say my daughter is in good hands?” She queried.

The officers shrugged.

"You have no evidence, no leads. You don't even sound… “ He trailed off.

She knew what he was about to say. She didn't sound sane. Hazel's frustration boiled over.

"You're not listening. My daughter's gone!"

“Ma'am, we will look into this and get back to you. Until then, avoid doing anything that may cause more problems.”

" What the… ?"

“ We'll take our leave now."

The officers left leaving her to face her predicament alone.

Desperation clawed at Hazel. What could she do?

A thought crossed through her mind and she latched unto it. Although, she was hesitant, she still picked up her phone and dialed a number.

A number she thought she'd never call again.

She swallowed nervously, placing the phone by her ear and waiting. The line clicked and a voice resonated through the speaker.

"Hazel Greene."

Victor Conti.

Her past she wanted to run away from. The man she had worked for as an underground agent, doing all his dirty jobs and causing havoc to the lives of the people he didn't like. The only person who knew her true identity as "Shadow”.

And the only person who could have dared to abduct her daughter.

“To what do I owe this surprise call? You told me you never wanted to hear my voice again."

Hazel inhaled, telling herself that she was doing the right thing.

"My daughter, she's gone."

Silence.

“I don't know what you're talking about." Victor finally said.

Hazel's anger flared.

"Don't lie! If you didn't take her then you know something." She snapped.

“Help me!" She added, her voice pleading.

The sound of Victor's guttural laugh echoed through the phone.

"And what if I do know something?”

“I know you have her. Don't deny it.

If anything should happen to my daughter, I swear to God I'll kill you and everyone you hold dear” Hazel screamed into the phone.

He chuckled wickedly.

"You left us, Hazel. You chose to be on your own. You rebelled, but instead of hurting you, I let you go because you meant something to me.” Victor said.

"Don't make me regret that, Shadow. You are on your own.” He added just before the line went dead.

Hazel's desperation deepened. She let out a stifled scream, tears pouring from her eyes. She tried the line again but it didn't go through.

Hazel's thoughts turned dark. She needed help and she was going to get it, even if it involved facing Victor Conti again.

She remembered a warehouse. One of his operating lairs, it was here in Los Angeles. Maybe she'd find answers. Maybe her daughter would be there.

Hazel tossed away her sober and pathetic look and decided to take action. She was Shadow afterall. She had cracked several cases like this in the past. Yes, she had walked away from it but she was still the same person.

It was time to deploy her skills to save her daughter.

Hazel hurriedly stepped out of the house, slamming the door shut.

“I'll save you, Heather," She mumbled to herself.

She hauled a taxi and got in, telling the driver her destination.

“Sir, I need you to drive as fast as you can,” She pleaded.

The driver, lucky for her, had no problem with speed. In no time, Hazel was standing at the lonely path that led to the warehouse. She put her feat aside and began walking.

A lot of things could go wrong but she decided not to think about this. If Victor didn't take her daughter, she would try to reason with him to help her. But if he did, she would fight to save her daughter.

The scene Hazel met was unexpected. The warehouse was abandoned. Silence was painfully etched in every corner. There was no bodyguards outside, as usual.

Victor Conti would never let his guard down like this.

Then rose that instinct that something was wrong but she entered anyway.

Hazel froze into place as her eyes accommodated the whole room.

Bodies! Dead bodies!

Lying everywhere in the room was Victor's men. Bloodied and massacred. The scene was gruesome.

Panic set in. Hazel's breath came in ragged gasps.

What was happening?

Who was behind this?

Hazel turned around abruptly and made her way out the way she came in. Her eyes began to water again.

What was she going to do now?

Who was going to help her now?

Suddenly, a name echoed in her mind.