Ineffable ꕥ Joost Klein ꕥ

46.

Arabella paused her shaky steps. Her face was sodden with tears and her make-up was ruined. She was betrayed by the man that she thought cared about her. When Elke warned her about Aggu, Arabella hadn't even considered it to be half the truth. He was so sweet, gentle and Arabella saw herself being with him for a long time. Elke's recollection sounded like a stranger, but standing in the empty carpark, a gun at her back, unknown men staring at her expectingly, Arabella felt like a fool.

Her knees trembled, too afraid to take another step. The backpack in her arms was the only thing she had to cling to. It's contents were heavy and whatever was inside seemed to be deathly important. As she questioned everything that led up to now, Arabella considered the option of curling up on the floor and sobbing aloud.

A bullet ricocheting off the tar made her yelp and whimper. The warning shot that came from Aggu's gun forced Arabella to continue to the other side. She swore she felt the heat of the bullet as it soared past her leg. The men who waited silently barely flinched, their attention solely on the woman who wasn't convinced she'd be safer away from her boyfriend.

Joost had to root his feet to the floor to endure the sight. Aggu was merciless, watching his own girlfriend let the backpack be taken from her arms. He didn't care that he had just shot dangerously close to her foot or that she was trembling on her lonesome. Joost wasn't surprised at Aggu's cruelty, but it didn't mean it was any less agonising to watch.

Clenching his teeth, Joost eyed the dufflebag that Arabella was handed. From the way the petite woman took it from a particularly scowling man, it was heavy. The strap cut into her bare shoulder as she turned to haul it back across the carpark.

Facing Aggu's gun, Arabella was reminded of her situation and sucked her bottom lip between her teeth. Her arms were empty of the backpack but her shoulder was now weighed down by the dufflebag. It was uncomfortable and with her vision blurred, Arabella struggled to walk straight.

'Thank you, Bella,' Aggu cooed when she finally made it near. He kept his gun in hand while taking the strap off of her shoulder. The girl gulped at having the gun so close to her face. He paraded it around without a care and Arabella whimpered when the hand that held it rested it's wrist on her waist.

'Don't cry, liebe. You did so well,' Aggu bent his knees to catch her watery, wavering eye. 'Now, I need you to show these guys the way to the airport. I need to make sure they don't detour-'

'No, please. August, no-'

'Shh, it's okay. I'll come find you. I promise.'

'Aggu, stop,' Joost interrupted. 'You have what you need.'

Joost couldn't stand to watch the man torture Arabella. Her pleas were desperate and she choked on her splutters. She sagged in Aggu's hold all while trying to not touch him anymore than she had to. The metal of the gun skimmed her bare shoulder as he turned her back to face the strange men.

They waited silently, their presence heavy and anonymous. Joost didn't know any of them and that unnerved him. They weren't from The Netherlands so everyone's suspicions had been confirmed; the country was being used as a filter to get whatever Aggu wanted into Germany.

Ignoring the Klein behind him, Aggu's gun retook its target. The barrel touched Arabella's bare back and she immediately took steps to avoid it's chill. But she stopped again, looking back over her shoulder to her boyfriend. It was futile, Aggu's ski mask hiding his eyes and successfully reflecting the pitiful, hopless state she was in.

By the time she was back in the middle of the commotion, Arabella was willing to take the bullet. The men waited on the other side without a show of their intentions. She didn't want to go anywhere with them, but then again, she didn't want to go anywhere with August, either.