Walls

13

The laptop bounced on the mattress as Abbie slammed her fingers across the keyboard with furious force. She had reworked a piece of code she had coded in college, to try and trace the strange messages on her phone, which were apparently not from Acute Inc.

Elias was by the window watching outside, his head plastered to the glass and both his palms pressed onto the surface on either side of his face. His eyes fluttered shut and his chest rose with a deep breath.

Abbie looked back at the screen. Even though she was engaged to Elias, which she still couldn't believe, it felt inappropriate to watch him. Also, the fact that watching him distracted her from everything else was not of much help to her.

The screen had a countdown spewing numbers and area codes as it worked the location where the strange text in her mobile emerged. It was also strange that there had not been any more messages from the number.

A loud ping sounded in the air.

"I hope that was some freaking location," Elias breathed.

"Er - I'm not sure, but it looks like it-"

"Can we get out of here?"

"What? No, I am not entirely sure if-"

"Please Abbie, we have to go, right now!"

"Why?"

Elias pointed a long finger out the window begging Abbie to look. She walked over to the window, her eyebrows furrowed. Outside, by the driveway to the Motel was a hideous yellow car parked right beside theirs. A man climbed out of the car - gun slinging in one arm, and strode over to their car taking a peek inside.

"He's here?" Abbie sputtered.

"Yeah, we have to get out of here."

"How? He's outside-"

"Grab the laptop and follow me."

Abbie did as Elias had asked, she picked up the laptop and the phones and followed Elias out of the room. He clicked the door shut as they made their way down to the lobby. Elias pushed them towards the tiny space under the staircase, just as the gunman arrived at the front door. He thundered his way down to the empty front desk.

Abbie let a tiny squeak of a scream only to meet with Elias' begging eyes to keep silent. They were pressed against each other in the tiny space with the laptop flat between them, acting as the sole barrier to a full hug.

Abbie's nose was directly in front of Elias' chest, which was not a good thing - her mind was enjoying his scent when she should have been focusing on the armed man who was there to kill her. She forced her mind to listen to what was going on

A heavy palm banged on the front desk, "Hello!!!"

A fit of heavy breaths later, the man roared, "Hello, is anyone here?"

A door clicked open and then creaked shut, "Yes? Need a room?" a slow voice answered - almost bored and raspy.

"I fucking need to know if an Elias Castaldo checked into this motel!"

There was a loud gasp, "Oh my gosh-"

"Shut up and tell me where they are!"

There was a series of terrified 'Oh my gosh, Oh my gosh', that made Abbie aware of the fact that the man was probably pointing his gun at the receptionist.

"Hurry UP!" the man bellowed.

Abbie was hugging the laptop to her chest painfully - she hoped that it would calm her heart. But in reality, she was sure that it was crushing her ribcage. A whimper escaped her lips and Elias closed a huge palm over her lips, his eyes pleading her to not give their hiding place away.

"Room 203!" the woman at the front desk squeaked.

Footsteps thundered on the floor as the gunman stormed up the staircase to the second floor. Elias poked his head out and scanned the lobby, his eyes darting back and forth.

After a few seconds, he moved his palm off Abbie's face and caught her wrist pulling her with him. They dashed past the empty front desk and Abbie saw that a tiny door behind it was left wide open where she could make out the voice of a hysterical woman.

"Yes, yes, there is a huge man with a gun, damn it!-"

Abbie couldn't pick up more from the conversation before Elias had pulled her out towards their car and pushed her into the passenger's seat. The door slammed shut. Elias climbed at the driver's side, strapping on the seat belt.

The engine had powered to life when a loud bang echoed in the air.

Abbie ducked out of fear, her neck straining through the crack between the two seats to watch the window to their room thrown open. The man was standing behind the ledge, his arm holding the gun directed towards them.

The car lurched forward and blew a gust of dirt in the air as it cut into the road and drove away.