Girasole - [Daniel Ricciardo]

2.2

      It didn't take long for Pierre to get Elina addicted on Heroin. Elina herself? She hated it. She hated how she only seemed to be able to think straight when she was high. She had never done drugs before. She never wanted to do drugs. But now she was shaking like a leaf and not able to relax until she had a dose of harddrugs shot into her bloodstream. She didn't dare running away. Elina knew she wouldn't make two steps outside of the gate, her addiction to far gone already to be able to spend a few days without. Pierre had everything he wanted. If she didn't want to do anything he said, no heroin. No heroin meant hell for her body, her mind. The one thing that comforted her, was that if she got high properly, she barely remembered anything of the previous activities. She didn't want to remember how he kissed her. She didn't want to remember how he touched her. He had slept with her for the first time a couple nights ago and Elina wanted to throw up, but the dose drugs she received later made her forget about the feeling.

She didn't want Daniel to search for her anymore, not because she didn't love him or wanted him back, more because he should protect himself. The Heroin was eating her from the inside. She became skinnier over the past few weeks. She didn't feel worthy to be on Daniel's side either. If Eline would ever return to Sicily, she'd be a hand full, especially to get off the drugs and to get her clean. It would take too much time, time Daniel didn't have. She teared up at the thought, clutching the sheets closer to her chest. Elina had sensed that Pierre wasn't in bed. He was seated at the desk, in just his joggers. He had been on the Phone for a couple minutes, the card cutting into the white powder back and forth, waiting for a moment of silence on the other side of the line before leaning forward and sniffing it up in one go. There was still a slight bit left. Elina wanted to ignore it, more hot tears forming in her eyes because of how she missed Daniel and her home. She wanted the missing to stop, she wanted the pain to stop. Elina got up and made her way to Pierre, leaning on his shoulder.

He briefly paused his Phone conversation to look up at her. His eyebrows rose as her eyes were bloodshot, but she took the card from his hand to gather more of the drugs. "How?". She asked, she had never sniffed it before, but Pierre's high was always more intense and held way longer than hers did. "This is strong stuff, princesse". He said, not impressed or surprised either. "One nostril closed, lean forward and inhale it. In one go". Pierre curtly instructed and she nodded, looking at it with her teary eyes before she did as he had described. It felt as if the sniff of drugs almost knocked her out, but Pierre's arm curled around her and pulled her onto his lap. "Feel better, hmm?". He asked, not seeming to be bothered to get back to the person on the Phone, as he had just shot it down. She slowly nodded, her hands leaning on his shoulders, more for support than to hold him. "Tomorrow, we're having a party. I think you'll like experiencing something new I bought". Pierre said, lifting her up and dropping her gently on the bed. Her world was spinning slightly and her mind started creating some images of things that weren't actually there.

A small smile curled her mouth as the opiate in her bloodsystem let her hallucinate a bit and the moment Pierre hovered over her, he looked like Daniel. Her body became warm at the thought, her arms reaching out for him. If the drugs could give her a moment with him in this way, she wanted only more.

      "I'm going crazy". Daniel moved his hands through his jet black curls in a frustrated way. "There has to be something!". He yelled. The helicopters were scanning the area for weeks, but they hadn't found her yet. No trace of her, nowhere. He had the results of the injection that Pierre had dropped on the balcony, but the origin of the substance was in France as well. The manufacturer had disappeared off the radar as soon as he knew that the mafia from Sicily were after him. "Her necklace". Giada whispered from the back of the room, her hands nervously folded behind her back. "Her what?". Daniel snarled, the child shouldn't be getting into this, the girls had to leave the room now and-..."A chip. In her necklace". Giada said, a bit louder this time. "What do you mean a chip". Daniel demanded an answer as he neared her, making her eyes go wide. She had never seen him this frustrated before. "I found this this morning". She handed him the box where the necklace was originally in when he gave it to Elina. "Mr. Vergne has put a tracker in it before you left his office". She continued.

"When you were in Paris". She added and Daniel nodded, looking at the description of it. "The numbers of the gold and diamond together form the password". He figured, as the 24 karath number sign had been circled. "Where am I supposed to fill it in?". Daniel turned around. "There's no programme, there's no...". "Goddamnit, Daniel". Mr. Vettel pulled the box from his hands. "If you just take a good look and read things properly". He hissed and Daniel mocked him behind his back. The two sat down at the table with the laptop and Sebastian easily got the bottom out of the box, revealing the small portable stick that fell out. "See? Use that brain of yours". Sebastian teased and Daniel rolled his eyes at the grinning face of his friend. "Found something?". Mr. Leclerc hummed as he showed up behind the men after briefly smiling at Giada in the corner. "We think so". Daniel said and looked closely when Sebastian plugged it into the laptop. A map unfolded as soon as Sebastian let the laptop accept the USB. The pinpoints on the map showed the locations of the necklace, and also Elina that way.

"This is France". Leclerc mentioned, while Sebastian zoomed further out to see if he was correct, which he was. "She flew to Paris. You were right about Pierre". Daniel turned to Mitch and Max who were standing on the other side of the table. When Daniel thought about it, it became quite clear. He had noticed how he was looking at Elina, the slightly mad glances his way when Daniel got closer to Elina in the last months. "The last pinpoint is Louvriers". Charles said. "I suggest everyone gets their men over there. Call Jev if he's at his headquarters, he'll know the region". Daniel immediately stood up. "I'll leave half of my men here, to protect the staff and the girls". He followed up. "They can also be flown over to Monaco". Charles said then, looking sideways at Giada, who blushed with a giggle. Daniel's eyes narrowed and he neared the Monegasque, who swallowed hard as his grin faded. "As long as all focus is on Elina and Everyone. Is. Safe". He started. "It would be a shame to waste bullets". Daniel stepped away from the younger mafia boss, who shared a look with Sebastian later.

Sebastian shrugged with a grin, knowing how much of a hot head he could be when he was stressed. Daniel made immediate Phone calls to get the jet ready, letting them fly over to Paris and from there they could go further by car. A lot of his partners joined, for some it was better to get back home as they barely spend time in Europe, like Mr. Alonso who was in America a lot and had to get back to Madrid first before flying over to Indianapolis. Mr. Ericsson had send him the best wishes before he got back to Stockholm. Daniel was anxious about in which state he'd find Elina. He was worried if she was hurt, abused or used in any other awful way. He had been staring out of the window the whole flight to Paris, his Phone clenched in his hand and he had a firm look on his face, like a statue nobody was able to crack. The thing he was thinking about the most, was that he had hired Pierre and Pierre had done the oath of trust. He had been foolish to trust the younger Frenchman. If he had been paying more attention to his staff, he might've found out about Pierre's devilish ideas earlier.

But those were all 'if's', nothing he could do about anymore, yet Daniel had some trouble leaving the past the past and moving on to something new. "Sir?". Daniel slowly turned his chair to see the youngest of their team, Lando Norris standing behind him. The youngster had a lazy grin on his face. He was an intern of Mr. Sainz and this mission was the first one abroad for him and if he passed, it would be the end of his trainee period and he could start co-leading the group in London. "What are you going to do to Pierre when you see him?". Lando asked and Daniel studied his face for a moment, curious where the request came from. "Make sure he never sees the fine light of France ever again". He gritted through his teeth and Lando nodded softly, getting back to his seat. He had been a loyal member, willing to help and to learn and now as well, even though he had never seen Elina before, he only got that she meant a lot to Daniel. They arrived in Paris at the end of the afternoon, Jean Eric already waiting for him at the hangar he let the men of Daniel and the other's use.

They were straight down to business, no time waisted as they let helicopters into the air to search for any signs of Elina. And Pierre. Because if Daniel had that asshole in his visor, he wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger.