"I don't understand it. We are losing four days, while having the FBI and the Mafia on our tail, just because Mia wants us to meet someone."
"Someone who can help us, Dom. Now sleep, we will make it in less than four days, when we're driving through the night." Ivy is driving fast and steadily, she had the chance to rest for a few hours. Now it's Dom's turn and he sitting in the passenger seat, which he doesn't like at all. It makes him fidgety.
They manage to reach the outskirts of Miami within two and a half day. Dom is filling up their gas at the station and buying some food, while Ivy uses their new safe phone to reach Mia. They want to find that friend as soon as possible, since Mia won't tell them anything about their target before they were all together.
"You got a hold on her?" Dom comes out of the shop and gives Ivy a water bottle and turkey sandwich.
Ivy opens the plastic around her food immediately "Yes, I have an address of a garage. Known territory then."
"Is there a name? Or are we just gonna walk in there?"
"Mia was a bit cryptic. She told you would know."
"That's it?" Dom looks a bit annoyed, he doesn't like surprises. And he doesn't like people telling him what to do, but they don't really have a choice. Mia proved to be very useful, without her looking over them from afar, there would have been a lot more running, hiding and long stake-outs.
"I don't like this." It's the first time Dom expresses his discontent with their situation. They are sitting in the car again, using detours, trying to evade CCTV's.
"What? Mia being grown up?"
"You and Mia being grown ups."
Ivy has to laugh at that, "Yeah Dom. We're the same age in case you forgot."
"I know. But you were always just Ivy. The smart, responsible Ivy whose world revolves around equations and numbers and who is always carrying lots of heavy books around. And when you and Mia met, you just clicked and then you started talking about shit that went way over my head. I was, still am, so proud of you two, how smart you are and how you two kicked ass in Stanford. I guess I just put you in the same box where my sister is. While Silvie basically was me. In female and with long blond hair."
"But you do know who I am right? How I grew up?"
Dom shrugs "You know your way around a car and you can handle a gun, that was always enough for me. I trusted you from day one Ivy, I never needed to know where you're from."
"Oh my god, you really don't know anything." Ivy is honestly surprised, she didn't realized how she apparently never really talked about her past. "I'm from Poland originally, I got kidnaped when I was four, human traffickers. They sold me to a criminal organization, linked to the Russian regime. They had lots of little boys and girls like me. I don't know how much you know about the Russians, but they really like their spies and their assassins. And kids are the easiest to train. I made my first kill when I was 12. From then on I was sent out on jobs, that's how I met Silvie. On a job, I was supposed to kill the guys she was doing a business with. We ran away together, came to LA. I took my SATs got into Stanford. Silvie started working at Jimmys Racing Supplies and met you."
Dom is silence for a few minutes "That's crazy Ivy, like really messed up."
"Yeah, I guess that's why I love mathematics and physics so much. The rules and the law are always the same, that gave me structure. And the Russians encouraged learning and studying anyways."
"That's the reason you speak practically any language?"
"We had to be able to fit in in any country or situation they threw us in."
"I'm gonna repeat myself but that's so messed up it's crazy. Are you okay? I mean, are you feeling fine? "
Ivy looks up, a stunned expression on her face "Are you asking if I'm sane?"
"No! I mean, maybe. Listen, you grew as this total badass assassin person, what must have fucked you up a great deal. Now you're wife got murdered and you are driving around the country killing people who might have had a connection with the people who killed Silvie. Yes Ivy, I think this could potentially mess with you sanity."
"I'm fine Dom, I swear. I killed people before; I know how to deal with that. I know how to stay sane."
"Just checking."
It took them two hours to reach the garage, Mia sent them to. It looks like that sort if place Dom and Silvie would love. The cars lining outside look exquisite, the facilities new and the clear space next to the building seems perfect to race. And then a man exits the building. Dom turns the car in seconds and speeds up.
Ivy turns around and sees how the guy jumps in a car a starts to follow them. "Who are we running away from?"
"No one."
"Then, who sits in that shiny new toy car on our tail."
"No one,"
"Cool.", Ivy watches how Dom gets even faster and the guy behind them as well, "He is catching up."
"Don't worry. He's gonna kick in the Nos way to early, he's gonna run out of it way the soon. Then he's gonna try some stupid ass move. And then he's probably gonna blow up that piece of shit he calls a car." Dom is grinding his teeth; Ivy hasn't seen him that angry in a long time.
But Ivy is fearless and stupid enough to make a comment, "He doesn't seem like no one though."
Dom boxes the steering wheel, "I don't know him. I don't know rats!"
Nothing Dom predicted earlier happened. The guy knows exactly what to do; and when to do it. It took him less than five minutes to push Dom down the street and forces him to stop.
"You little piece of shit." Roars Dom when he jumps out of the car and throws the blonde to a wall.
The guy moans and tries to straighten himself up "I told Mia this was a stupid idea."
"You're Mia's friend?"
"Friend might be a stretch. Hi, I'm Brian O'Connor."
"Ivy, nice to meet you."
"Don't bother talking to him. He's a Cop and we're leaving." Grunts Dom and puts his big hand protectively on Ivy's shoulder.
"Not a Cop anymore. I'm a Fed now. Although I'm a driver for Carter Verone at the moment. That's why I can't show you my fancy badge."
That name sparks something in Ivy's memory, Mia mentioned him in one of their phone calls, "Verone? The drug lord?"
"That might be the one." Briand sounds as if it is his greatest joy to run drugs for a big time criminal.
"It was nice chatting with you, but we are going now. Ivy, let's go." Dom puts more pressure into his grip.
"Wait, Dom. Mia told us to trust her. We should. We should talk to Brian." Ivy takes Dom's hand from her shoulder and looks him in the eye, "There is no reason to not listen to her this time."
Ivy can see the battle behind Dom's eye and then ne nods.
"It's not really safe here. Follow me." Brian smiles at Ivy and then goes to wait in his car.
He leads Ivy and Dom to a small boathouse he apparently lives in.
Dom doesn't bother with pleasantries or small talk when he steps on the boat. He refuses the can of beer Brian offers him and dives right in "Say what you have to stay."
"I received a packet two weeks ago, in the garage. Just parts for the car I was working on, but there was a burner phone hidden between the stuff I'd ordered. Three days later I received a text on that phone with a number. Stupid as I am, I called it. And I had Mia on the line. She told me an insane story about you hunting some Mafia guys and the FBI hunting you. She asked me to help."
"Working for a drug lord and the FBI at the same time is not enough for you?" asks Dom with a sneer.
Brian just winks an eye at Dom and says "Anyway. Mia asked me, if I would be willing to work with you. She is worried. Kinda understand her, if everything she told me is true. You're pulling some crazy shit."
"How should we possibly trust you?"
"Mia trusts me. Trust her."
"Why? You lied to me once."
"Lied to you? I was doing my job, a job I believed in."
"I had to leave Detroit, my parents house, because of you."
"You had to leave Detroit because you heisted trucks and the police was on to you. I was supposed to arrest you, instead I helped you get away. Your sister got away, the team got away. I screwed up my career for you, my reputation." Dom finally got Brian riled up, who got louder with every word.
"Please.", Dom scoffed "Your reputation? You were a police officer who enjoyed being a criminal. You tried to be the good guy playing a bad guy. But maybe it was the other way around."
"I only lied because it was my job. I never wanted to hurt you, any of you. You trusted me once, do it again."
"You're FBI."
"Because it was the only choice I had. I'm doing undercover shit for them, crazy, longterm, shit no one else wants to do. I'm not lying when I'm saying I screw up my career for you."
Before this whole discussion goes any longer, Ivy steps in, "I get that you have history. And I hope you understand that Dom and I have to talk about this. About you helping us. How can we get in touch with you?"
"I'm here in the mornings and at night. You can find me at the shop during the day."