Page 9 of Dirty Empire

After a few seconds of silence, she says, “I’m glad you’re getting out of the business, Maverick.”

“So am I.”

My mind travels back to my childhood. We moved around from housing projects to housing projects. I recalled the many times my father came home drunk and lashed out at my mother. There were many times when I sat in the small one-bedroom apartment, hoping he’d never come back. My father was a tall, burly man with rough hands and a bad attitude. Sometimes he would beat my mom just because she didn't respond the way he wanted her to. He complained about everything: the apartment, the food, his job, the noise, you name it, he didn't like it. Life sucked as far as he was concerned. He was in and out of jobs regularly, finding solace at the bottom of a bottle.

My mother was a very loving woman. She kept making excuses for my dad’s behavior. She would often say, “He does love us; he’s just under a lot of pressure.” I felt the anger rise in my chest.

“Are you okay?” Hazel asks. She must have noticed my tense muscles.

I cast my eyes away before standing up to look out the window. I clear my throat, manning up and composing myself. The lights surrounding the pool have turned on. It’s the only thing I can see since the rest of the property is covered in darkness. I’ve created an amazing life for myself, but it’s time to get out. Most people in the underground world are lucky to reach fifty. The arms business has served its purpose. It’s time to move on to better things. I place my hands in my pocket and turn back to Hazel.

“Tell me your story,” I demand, eager to take the focus off of me.

Hazel looks up at the ceiling, and I can see the fading marks around her throat. “I don’t know where to start.”

“At the beginning is fine. We’ve got all night,” I coax.

“I always knew I wanted to be an attorney.”

That takes me by surprise. I assumed Miles would’ve picked up a wife at a strip club or somewhere equally sleazy and lure her in with his money. But looking at Hazel, I should’ve known she isn’t a woman just looking to be a housewife. She's broken now, but underneath that, there’s something else. Determination.

“I excelled in school,” she continues. “My entire goal in life was to graduate from law school and then become a partner at a major San Francisco law firm. I reached my goal. When I met Miles, I was working at a firm in the Bay Area. I was young and ambitious, but I also wanted a family. Miles was a handsome, rich businessman, and he swept me right off my feet.” Hazel pauses for a moment. I stay still, waiting for her to finish.

“I quit my job, and we moved to Hawaii. The plan was I’d take a couple of years away from my law career so we could have kids. I wanted to be a stay at home mom for a while. The plan was always to go back to work. I loved being a lawyer. I thought I was going to live my dream life. We had trouble getting pregnant, and my dream soon turned into a nightmare. That’s when he started to change. He was not the man I married. I’m just glad he showed his true colors before I got pregnant.”

Hazel’s wistful eyes make me sad for her.

“And who was the man in the bed with you back there?” I ask. I don’t want to push her, but if I’m putting my life and my team at risk, I need to know everything.

“Oh him...that was Ares. He’s a trainer I met one evening while walking on the beach. We had nothing but a physical relationship. Miles didn't talk to me anymore. He didn't look at me the same way. Ares gave me what I was lacking.”

I just listened, no judgment. I’d bedded my fair share of women. I knew about sexual needs.

“I longed to have children and a family,” Hazel continues. “I know Miles had multiple affairs during the marriage. I suspected he was into something dark, but never in a million years did I think he was a major arms trafficker.”

“And what about your family?”

“I'm originally from Ventura County. My parents were good to us. I have one brother, but he passed away while I was in college. My parents both passed away in a car crash shortly after that.”

“Sorry to hear that.” So, she knew of death. She is no fading wallflower. It made me like her even more. She’s an orphan. A clear picture is being painted now.

“It’s fine. I’ve come to grips with the fact that it’s just me now. I think that’s why I allowed myself to fall for Miles, even though I knew he wasn’t the perfect man for me. I thought he could give me a good life, children, and I’d be happy raising my kids.” Her countenance began to change as she thinks about the wasted years of her life and how she’s gotten to this point.

“But my childhood was good. We were happy, even though we don't have a lot. As a little girl, I always wanted to be successful. I used to dream of being a lawyer and arguing big cases,” she says with a grin. “I’m not sure where things went wrong, though. I guess I just settled for him, and that’s where my downward turn started.”

I was becoming fascinated with her. Every word added to her story, and I want to hear more.

Hazel stands up and looks out the other window, seeing the same pool surrounded by acres of darkness.

“We’ve done all this talking, and I still don’t have a clue what to do or where to go now,” she utters. “I don’t even know where I am. What Island am I on?”

“Tahiti, the largest island in French Polynesia. We should get some sleep,” I say, checking my watch. It’s close to midnight. She nods and walks out the door.

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