So just pull the trigger.

38. I'll be right back.

Joni had lost track of time. It was difficult to tell how long they had already been on the road. His shocked mind kept repeating Yegor's death before his eyes. The sound of the gunshot still ringing in his ears.

There was a powerful stab of desperation in his chest. The chance of getting through this with no injuries was getting fainter with each passing second.

It was dark; he wasn't sure how far or where they were. The chance that the cops would stop them or even some outsider was faint. And even if someone did, that unlikely rescuer would need a gun, Aki clearly wouldn't hesitate to kill. The nausea spread. Tears rose in his eyes and the realization that he really wouldn't be able to escape hit him hard.

Finally, after they had driven for what seemed like several minutes, on a dark forest road, the car stopped in front of a small, cabin-like house. They got out, Chris dragged him forcefully with him towards the building and Joni felt the panic building up. It was difficult to breathe. Fear seemed to choke him. It was dark and cold. The house was far away from everything.

He struggled in vain, just wanting to get away from whatever waited inside. He'd rather freeze to death in the forest than die here, in that house! Chris cursed and took a stronger hold of him, pushing him violently inside and Aki calmly followed them, turning the lights on. Joni looked around frantically; they entered a living room/ kitchen, and there was a long dining table that split the space. A sofa bed already made ready for sleeping, a bookshelf, a radio.

Chris pushed him forward, opened a door to another room, and violently shoved him forward. Joni lost his balance and tripped onto the floor to his knees, only now paying attention to the ache that throbbed on the left, caused by the tumble on the stairs earlier.

"I'll be right back," Chris said, shutting the door. Joni was left alone in the darkness and terror spread through his body. He desperately tried to yank his hands free, before finally accepting the uselessness of the attempt.

 Drawing a shaky breath, Joni struggled to get on his feet. He hadn't seen the interior of the room other than it was meek and that there was some space around him. The only source of light in the room came from under the closed door.

"What now?" He heard Aki's agitated voice asking. "Why did you leave him alone in there? It's time for some fun, time to celebrate our success!" Joni's stomach churned knowing what 'fun' Aki referred to.

He wanted away, desperately praying for a chance to escape. God only knew what Aki could do to him! 

"Success?" Chris repeated with a tense voice. "You wasted time! You killed a man! That most definitely wasn't part of the plan!"

"Oh, come on, that man was ancient! He probably would have died soon enough anyway, I merely gave him a more exciting way to go. Besides, what else could I have done? Leave him alive with his rifle? So that he could have shot you?" Aki snorted. Joni heard the steps echo on the floor, a clink of a glass. The sound of a drink being poured into glasses.

He felt nervous, hope and despair battled in his mind. Chris was mad at Aki and that was good, wasn't it? On the other hand, that anger might soon be directed at him, Joni knew Chris's mindset too well by now.

"If you hadn't wanted to play around and look for Joni's wallet, we would have been able to leave sooner! There was no discussion of that before, what the hell was that even for?!"

"I want money," Aki answered calmly. "I admit that it was a sudden whim. I wanted to make sure that I'd get at least something. Just calm down, take a drink, and get him here, I'm sure that a good fuck is all you need."