The ashes we left behind

Chapter 15

Lying next to him, he's finally asleep. It has taken me to have a long conversation with Connor and to make up until we decide to sleep. Now, it's the right moment for me to leave.

Without a noise, I get up. I try to find my new tank top in the darkness of the room. And after touching Connor's t-shirt, I finally find it. I put it on and add the jacket and the boots. Then, I discreetly open the balcony's door. I look at Connor's sleeping face, lightened thanks to the city's light, one last time before leaving. By dusk, I shall be back.

After arriving to the bookshop, I walk to its back where the restroom's open window takes place. Since it's too high for me to reach, I push the garbage under the window before climbing it.

Now that I face it, I'm relieved it's still opened. I pass through it with no effort. What is hard is to get down without making a noise. I try to jump gently. It half works which means that I have to wait till I'm sure that I'm safe. No alarm; no guardian. The way is clear.

I get out of the toilets and walk into the forbidden corridor, making sure that my hood hides my face from the cameras.

Expecting the door to be locked, I'm surprised that it's not. Good for me! I open it and turn the lights on. The same boxes the woman was touching are still there. There are more than a hundred of them. Moreover, they are huge. If it's what I'm looking for, I would get enough proofs. Maybe I could blackmail Asher: if he doesn't tell me about the place he's keeping my sister, I would tell everybody about the weapons' transfer. And even though he tells me about Hailey, I would inform the gang about his plans.

I approach the first box I find and open it. I'm not surprised at all to see what is lying next to me: a bunch of rifles. I open the other box at my right to find tons of simple guns. The box at my left contains daggers. I look at them. Their blade looks deadly. Even though they look frightening, I find them beautiful. The blades are in a clean silver and the other part in a matte black. I wonder how Asher did bring the money to buy all of this, in good quality.

"Who the hell are you?" I hear a female voice cry.

As a reflex, I grab a gun and turn to see who just arrived. It's the woman of this morning, the one who slammed the door at my face. She doesn't look as anxious as earlier. Now, she's scarring me. I keep still.

"You, again?!" she adds.

"Please don't call the cops", is all I can say.

A grin gets drawn on her face as she walks toward my direction.

"Why would I call the cops, girl?"

"Because... Because I'm not allowed to be in here."

"No need to call them. I can handle this by myself." She gives me the darkest glare ever. "Did you mean that I'm too weak for that?"

"No. Not at all. I meant that-

She doesn't let me finish my sentence as she takes the dagger from my hand and points it at my chest.

"You know too much, girl. I can't let any witness alive. So how do you want me to-

This time, it's my turn to interrupt her. I hit her hand which makes her drop the dagger. It doesn't shake her. Indeed, she grabs the top of my jacket and, with her surprising strength, she pushes me against the boxes.

Suddenly, an alarm sounds in the building. It's followed by a police siren as if they were warned before the woman had gotten in.

It doesn't seem to disturb her. I'm the only one panicking. In fact, I have to leave before the cops could enter the bookshop. If they find me fighting in a room full of weapons, I will be kind of screwed up.

My precipitation causes me to push her hard enough. I only have the time to take a gun from one of the boxes I've opened. She comes back to me. This time, I point the gun at her stomach.

I hear the cops enter the building.

The woman doesn't look sacred at all: neither for the cops nor for the gun.

"I'll shoot."

The woman grins. "I dare you."

I load the gun.

I hear footsteps, followed by voices, getting closer.

"I won't hesitate", I add.

"I don't believe you."

"Don't underestimate me." Why does everyone think I'm too sensitive to fight?!

"I can do it at you place if you're not able to."

"What do you-

Before I could end my question, the woman pulls my finger against the gun's trigger. A thud is heard which makes me lose control enough.

The gun still in my hands, I watch the woman fall on the floor, her t-shirt filling up with her blood. And her face...

Her face is the definition of pain.

"No, no, no..."

I get on my knees, by her side. I put my hands on the wound, trying to stop the blood from running. She's dying.

As I try and try to keep her alive, people get in the room. I hear more and more voices as if they were asking me something. I can't listen to them. I'm too busy with the wound.

They have to grab each of my arms for me to stop. They tackle me against the ground before cold metal gets in contact with my wrists. They're putting handcuffs around them...