Postage Due -Long Listed ONC2022

Chapter 11

The phone had Warren speeding from the kitchen, and he snatched up the receiver to his ear, jarring his sore head.

"Lynne!"

"Warren- yes, please listen."

He did, as she repeated the man's words and his threat.

"But we don't have it. How did he find out—?"

"No questions, Warren, please. Just come." Directions were given and the called ended.

He hung up slowly, his head pounding and his mind grappling with the conundrum. He looked at his watch and calculated how much time he might have before he had to leave.

Warren got his cell phone from his jacket and scrolled through his photos. Fifteen minutes later his printer chugged out copies of the papers they had found. He looked again at the phone; the pictures he'd taken of the envelope contents stared back at him. Not even Lynne knew he had those. Could he pull this off with just the papers? Soon see, he decided.

Taking a taxi didn't matter anymore, and he arrived at the given address just over an hour later. A man stepped out of the shadows, ordering Warren to stop, then proceeded to conduct an uncomfortably personal search.

"Satisfied?" Thick sarcasm.

"Shut up and get inside."

"Where is Lynne Kirk?"

"I said, shut up." He pushed Warren up the stairs and into the big room where Sabbi stood beside the chair where Lynne sat.

"Go back outside and keep an eye open in case our friend here decided to bring company." Sabbi dismissed his man and waved Warren to another chair across the room.

He paused and asked Lynne if she was okay, getting a nod and a questioning look at his attempt at first aid. The patch looked like wind-blown litter had stuck to his face.

"I hope you brought what I wanted."

Warren took the copies from his pocket and handed them over.

"Those are copies of the papers I told you we found. I made those just in case. Seems this is that, just in case."

"This isn't what she said you found in the cab." Sabbi watched Lynne while he waited for a response. She stared straight ahead and never looked at Warren.

He tried to read something in her face. Had she really said they found the envelope? She wouldn't. Did she?

"I don't know what you mean. Those papers are what we found that night."

Lynne's eyes close and her head dropped, and Sabbi faced him with a grim smile.

"I told you what would happen if you tried any funny stuff."

"I'm not!" Warren felt he had to keep up the lie.

"No? Why go to the hotel then?"

If ever he needed a manuscript plot, this was it, and his mind raced through every scenario he could remember, hoping for a plausible story.

"I guess we need a lesson." Sabbi moved toward Lynne.

"It's not what happened – not what you think." Warren looked at Lynne and hoped she would understand. "It was pouring rain when she stopped for me. I was soaked, and the rain was too heavy to drive right away. We talked and I told her I was in a hotel room at The Shropshire." He waved his hand and grinned weakly. "I figured if I could get her into the hotel, find a room . . . you know."

"Bullshit."

"It's true. I tried to—"

"You rotten bastard!" Lynne screamed, and Sabbi jumped. "You told me you needed help to get to your room. You liar!"

Warren's face almost gave him away until he realized she was ad-libbing to support his bluff. Sabbi held out a hand to stop her tirade, then raised the gun and bellowed for them to shut up.

"You shut up, Sabbi." Lynne shouted. "I trusted you, you- you pig!"

"I said shut up!" He faked a smack to her face.

"Let her rant, Stubby, she knew what she was in for."

"It's Sabbi, and one more word and she dies." He glared at them, his chest heaving from shouting. This wasn't going the way he planned at all. They knew nothing?

The door burst open and Sabbi's man rushed in, gun out in front like a sword.

"You okay, boss? I heard all the shouting!"

"Take these two out to his car, I'll be along in a minute."

"He doesn't have a car, he came by cab."

Sabbi looked defeated. His arms flapped by his side as if he was trying to take off.

"Take them out and put them in my car then!"

"Roger that. Get up you," he snapped at Lynne, and waved them both toward the door. "You want me to . . .?"

"Just put them in the car." Sabbi went to his computer bench and sagged onto the stool.

"Stubby seems a little upset." Warren called over his shoulder, as he followed Lynne down the stairs.

"His name ain't Stubby."

"Well what is it then?"

"Sabbi. Sabbi Tiryaki."

"What kinda name is that?"

"Just shut up and get movin'."

"Are you his brother?" Warren stepped ahead of Lynne and opened the door.

"What? No. We are countrymen." He pushed Warren ahead and pointed to the car parked in the shadows.

"What country?"

"Turkey- never mind, just shut up and get into that car."

Lynne stopped and turned around. "What are you planning to do with us? I don't want to get into this car until I know."

"You give me any grief lady and you'll go in the trunk." He stepped forward and took her arm. "Open it."

Warren moved quickly and yanked the door open, smacking the man on his gun arm and right knee. Lynne wrench her arm free and shoved him sideways into the car, then they slammed the door again, catching both his legs. His scream was muffled in the car, but he swung his arm around and fired at them a number of times.

The window shattered and bits of glass flew wildly. Warren yanked Lynne to the side, taking most of the glass shrapnel. He shoved the door again and this time the scream was short, turning to silence. He dabbed at the cuts on his face and called to Lynne. She was standing stock still looking toward the building, and Warren stumbled up beside her, sounding a stunned, "Oh!"

Several feet away, Sabbi stood watching the blood soaking down his shirt-front. One or more of the bullets had caught him as he was rushing to help his man. They walked slowly toward him, and his face came up showing disbelief, then his legs buckled and he toppled head down on the gravel lot.

"Should we call an ambulance?" Warren said.

"Maybe for you, and our friend in the car." She suddenly wrapped her arms around him, shaking violently.

"It's okay, Babe. It's okay." He held her tight and thanked his lucky stars she was safe. "I think now, we need to call the police."

Word Count: 14,755 Microsoft Word