Free Anything For Him by Lily Harlem, Natalie Dae Page B

walked through the streets until he took a left at some wastelands and tromped over rough grass that reached his knees in places. On the other side stood some warehouses, not abandoned by the look of them but very much in use. I hesitated to follow, because if he glanced over his shoulder now, I’d be fully exposed. What else was I supposed to do, though? I’d have to take the risk.
    I reached halfway across the wastelands and started to breathe a little easier, thanking God or whoever happened to give a damn that he hadn’t snuck a glance behind him. He still had his head bent and hands in his pockets, as though he was so deep in thought he wouldn’t hear the rustle of the grass as I tried to walk quietly anyway. What was on his mind?
    Another couple of minutes’ walk saw him entering the site of the warehouses. He clearly knew where he was going, because he lifted his head and strode with purpose, shoulders straight, hands now swinging by his sides. I drew up behind him as close as I dared, not wanting to get lost in this rabbit warren of pathways between buildings.
    He walked up to a grey steel effort with red-painted double doors. Before entering, he looked left and right again, appearing up to no good in my eyes. I’d seen this kind of behaviour before when trailing some drug dealers. They all did that left-to-right thing, and they all rolled their shoulders before entering a building, just like Liuz was doing now.
    The door closed behind him with a loud clang, and I waited a few seconds before pushing it open. Slowly. Who knew what lay behind those doors? A wide open space where I’d be seen easily or a small office with some woman sitting behind the desk I’d have to explain myself to? I couldn’t think about that now; I’d deal with whatever presented itself to me once I stepped inside.
    Do it. Go in.
    I obeyed my inner voice and eased inside. Bright halogen lights illuminated the place, making me squint from the glare. Cardboard boxes, taped closed, stood in stacks, creating aisles in between, right down to the far wall. Closer to me, some were open, white polystyrene beans hiding the contents. To my right, a dirty, rusty steel shelving unit around six-foot wide and just as tall held more boxes, smaller ones with no labels that could hold anything from knick-knacks to mobile phones. It was clearly a storage unit, although where the hell Liuz had gone was anyone’s guess.
    I stepped forward cautiously, nerves biting my innards, my hands shaking just a little. I was nervous, no denying it, but curiosity prompted me to walk down one of the aisles. The boxes either side of me were stacked so high I couldn’t see over the top, which thankfully meant if Liuz was on the other side he couldn’t see me. The problem was, the aisles were pretty long, so I risked being seen if he walked across either end. I tiptoed on, each step measured and careful so I didn’t create any noise. I couldn’t afford to make even the quietest of scuffles.
    At the end, I blew out my breath and peered right. A slim aisle ran to the far wall, nothing of interest to see. To my left was the same sight except for a partially open door at the end. Light spilled out of the gap and drew me towards it. I crept, conscious that even my breathing was too loud. The low murmur of voices reached me, two males, one of them definitely Liuz. My pulse thudded in my ears, and I had that horrible feeling in my stomach that I should get out of here pretty damn quick. My instincts screamed for me to turn around and go back the way I had come, to run across the wastelands and jump on a bus that would take me home. But a journalist never backed out, never balked at the first sign of a few nerves; so I continued on until I reached the end. I settled myself in the corner, able to see through the gap in the door.
    An office of sorts lay beyond. The corner of a cheap wooden desk and an equally cheap, listing bookcase behind it brought to mind every warehouse