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Surrounding us is a city-within-a-city. The hulking shapes of deserted structures are scarcely visible beneath the half moon and I haven’t been here often enough to memorize the layout. The dirt parking lot is a ten minute walk beyond the fences. With all this in mind, I wouldn’t feel comfortable sending Tess and Conner off alone.
“Stick close to me.” I keep my hand on Tess to get my point across.
“Is that it?” She points to a modest two story building.
I recall seeing the thing in the daylight. It’s composed of red brick and is in slightly better shape than most of the other buildings. I wonder what the hell the Marchenkos would want with a place like this. Seems like a money pit.
The door is a challenge to locate in the dark, even with the flashlight from Tess’s phone. I’m sure I hear footsteps but when I strain to listen more closely there’s nothing but silence.
The ding of an incoming message comes from Conner’s phone. “It’s Gage, wanting to know if we’ve left yet.” He presses the call button and lifts the phone to his ear. “We’re still here. Micah’s pal Elijah has a medical emergency. No, we’re walking into some other building.”
I shout into the open door. “Elijah?”
Tess touches my arm. “Why would he be sitting here in the dark?”
Good question.
Conner still has the phone to his ear. “There’s got to be a light switch in here somewhere.” He moves past us and feels along the wall.
“Con, wait.” I surge inside to grab him, keeping Tess under my arm.
It’s blinding, the way the lights blast on with no warning. Tess is right beside me. Conner hasn’t put his phone down and he holds up his other hand.
“I didn’t do it,” he says.
“El?” I call. “Elijah?”
There’s no furniture in here. There’s no Elijah either. It’s just a big, empty room. Above us, the second floor hallway is open to below, secured by a metal railing. The blank doorways lining the upper hallway aren’t notable, not until I see shadows moving within them.
“Fuck.” I push Tess behind me. There are no weapons in my bag. Nothing that would be of any use.Nothing.
When did I become such a damn idiot?
The door we walked through slams shut.
Conner moves closer to us and lowers the phone. His eyes cut to me. He knows. We’re in deep shit.
Remains to be seen how deep.
They show themselves one by one.
There are five of them; three now lined up along the second floor railing and two down here, one behind us, one in front of us, presumably covering the exits. Their identities are a mystery. They all wear identical skull masks.
No matter who they are or what they’re after, they’ll never get their hands on Tess as long as I’m still breathing.
The man in the middle of the upstairs pack is the one to speak. “Shouldn’t have brought your friends, Lyonne. Now they’ll get to pay for your debts too.”
He’s elbowed by the man on his left, who points to Tess and shakes his head, not pleased, not expecting to see a woman involved.
The leader hisses out a curse that makes the protester shrink back. Dissent in the ranks of your enemy is always good. If they wanted me dead they would have shot me. They want something else.
And it’s not a coincidence that the man who sent me here was the one I have a sketchy history with.
“I know that one of you is Halligan. Don’t be a fucking coward, Sean. Step up.”
Nothing. Five impassive skull faces leer back at me.
My first impulse would be to snarl out a blue streak of threats and curses. But right now Tess’s life is on the line. And Conner’s. I need to bargain.
