Without You [Daniel Ricciardo]

10. for you I know I'd even try to turn the tide

Zoe grabbed Daniel's hand really hard as she leaped off into the small corridor of the basement under the mansion. She heard a dull thump when her feet touched the ground. The air here was heavy with moisture and the specific smell hit her nostrilis right away as well as some dust. She coughed, while covering her mouth with the palm of her hand. Daniel's arm immediately curled up around her waist in a protective way. Nico was standing few steps ahead of them. He successfully found his phone in the pocket of his blouse and he was quick to use it as a flashlight. Dazzling white light of the device shone in Nico's hand, flashing over scratched grey walls. Zoe's head turned to the left as her eyes picked up a row of doors with rough valves and keys hanging from the locks. Her lips parted to ask Daniel about them until she realised why they were here and to what use they served for East Coast crew. Suddenly, it got to her that it wasn't just a basement. It was a dungeon, a prison, a place of torture. This place was filled with pain, tears and screams of crew's victims. Shivers ran down her spine, powerful enough to shook her body. Daniel embrace tightened around her as if he got a glimpse of her thoughts. His hand placed on her lower back pushed her gently a bit forward, asking her to follow Nico's irregular shape. And Nico knew this basement like the back of his hand. The German walked slowly, his steos echoing within the walls, until the tip of his shoe bumped against first step of the stairs. "Careful here". He announced to the rest and started to climb, his hand close to the wall to insure in case of loosing balance. Once Nico was on top, he reached out both of his hands and soon they were met with wooden surface of the main door. He tried to use the handle a couple of times, but the door remained frozen. He could hear already Daniel and Zoe's steps behind him, so he used the power of his shoulder and the hip combined, crashing them against the door till they moved. They found themselves in the dimmed corridor. The carpet lying on the floor lost its charm as it was now covered in dust. The windows were indeed curtained and undoing them was a risky move. If Zoe could see them from the street that mean that anybody could notice a sudden change in them. The North wouldn't like the fact that two 'dead' memebers of the East Coast crew and some girl broke into their property. "Webber's office should be at the end of the hall". Nico announced, pointing his finger in the right direction. He was actually sure of it, nevertheless he looked at Daniel as if he wanted his brother to confirm. Instead, Daniel was staring in the dark, his gaze being almost empty. No one of the three was bold enough to make the first move into the darkness of the past. They knew well once they step into Mr. Webber's office all the memories they fought to forget will come back. It was like descending into pit of hell. "I can search for that key myself. You don't have to do it". Zoe proposed quietly, gnawing on her lower lip. "Hell no!". "Don't be silly". Both mobsters replied in the same time and she felt a warm feeling spreading in her chest. They were major, two sided, with meticulously sculptured ornaments through all surface. 

Nico as the oldest from all three felt obligated to step forward and reach for the golden handle once they stood under the entrance. He didn't look over his shoulder. He felt that if he did, he might hesitate. No, he took a deep breath and before he knew it, the sides of the door fell open inviting them inside. Mr. Webber's firm desk was still standing in its place, documents and folders that never got to be read by East Coast crew leader spread all over it. His black pen was lying in the middle as if Webber held it seconds ago in his hand. The chair was left in the way like it was waiting for him to come back and sit in it again. The windows were curtained here as well. A single ray of light that managed to get inside enlighted particles of dust dancing in the air. "What if people from The North already found the key on the desk and took it?". That thought appeared in Zoe's head and she spoke it out loud to get rid off it. "Mark had a safe somewhere in this room. If he had a copy of the key, he wouldn't just keep it in a drawer. And I doubt The North found it". Nico swallowed hard as he felt Daniel's gaze on him. He was aware that he used Webber's name for the first in years. It burned his tongue, but calling East's leader a mister was so fake if you had known him before he took over the crew. "Do you have any idea where that safe could me?". Zoe asked softly. Nico shook his head, while his eyes scanned the room. "No. Let's just look around". He proposed and they split to investigate the office. Zoe approached Webber's private library that was as big as the wall, Daniel was searching for anything in his desk and Nico was walking around, his eyes jumping from one point to another for tiniest clue. The floor was squeaking under his weight until it stopped for a split second and immediately came back. It was almost unnoticeable, but thanks to his training he caught it. Nico walked the same way one more time, then for a second time and third, while his foot was pushing hard against the boards. He carried the old floor to excess as at some point it suddenly broke under Nico's leg, creating a whole in the middle. "Scheiße!". He yelled in his native language as his limb sank into the whole, hitting something very hard. Zoe jumped in her spot, turning immediately in German's direction. Daniel ran up to his brother and caught his arm to help him stand on the safe ground. "You have skills". Zoe commented, while staring inside the whole. From under broken boards she could see a silver surface of Webber's safe. "Yeah, but I thought our boss was more original than that". Nico admitted, while dusting his trousers off. "Can't believe we were walking over this for years. There suppose to be no secrets in the crew". Daniel voice was filled with disbelief. "Life. We were far from perfect anyway". Nico shrugged and he and Daniel dived towards the whole to brush the boards away from the safe that turned out to be an ordinary one with a black crank that had white numbers on it. "You know the code, right?". Zoe's eyes grew wider at the realisation she never had before. In all this chaos she didn't thought about special codes Webber could have. The mobsters were leaning over the edge in silence, but that was until Daniel's eyes lit up. "Try Oscar's birthday". He proposed and gave Nico the right numbers. Nico was turning the crank in his hand under Daniel's command. Once he finished there was a moment of uncertainty, before the doors of the safe jumped slightly in the air.