Hidden Depths

Chapter 6 - The Wonderlust Club

The men looked down at Rashid then picked him up as if he weighed no more than a teddy bear.  They plonked him on his feet with some force and he was beginning to get the feeling that he wasn't in for a warm welcome when Nikolai breezed in behind him.

'Gentlemen, this is Richard. He'll be accompanying me this evening.' 

The meatheads loosened their grip on Rashid and started dusting him down and straightening his clothes.

'Welcome to the Wonderlust Club, Monsieur,' one of them said with easy charm.  Rashid turned away from the men and stood next to Nikolai, who watched with a smile as his guest took in the scene for the first time. 

It was as if they had stepped in from an exclusive boulevard like the Champs-Élysées, not from a tunnel like a sewer.  The large room, where Rashid now found himself, was comparable to the foyer of a top London hotel or a Monte Carlo casino. 

The limestone bricks that were visible were clean and dry, resembling the first section of the tunnel, not green and wet like the ones he had just been pushing against.  The circular room had a pair of sturdy limestone pillars positioned regularly around its circumference, with an equally sturdy-looking pair of men in suits stood beside them.  Each pair guarded a set of thick, richly coloured curtains that would occasionally part to allow small groups of well-dressed middle-aged men and women to enter, accompanied by even smaller numbers of extremely attractive girls and young men.  The younger, better looking ones, all greeted the bouncers with reassuring smiles as they removed black silk blindfolds from their older, wealthy companions.

Many of the older ones would blink as they took in their surroundings, with a stunned expression similar to Rashid's.  Others ignored the room and just gazed longingly at the younger men and women.  A smaller number focused on the centre of the room, where four smaller stone pillars stood at the corners of a boxing ring. Fewer still were looking at the other groups, seeking out familiar faces and assessing the unknown ones, just as a cricket player assesses the opposition as he steps out to bat.

Although they had entered at the same time as the guests, it was instantly clear that the younger companions were hosting them. One from each group collected coats, while others began leading their guests to the round tables that were scattered around the room.  Some tables had already been taken and guests were either playing cards, tucking into dinner or drinking wine and impressive looking cocktails.

For the first time, Rashid noticed that deep, throbbing electronic French music was playing quietly in the background.  Although it was only just loud enough to hear, Rashid's lungs were vibrating strangely with the bass.  Nikolai spotted him absentmindedly put his hand to his chest.

'Great, isn't it?' said the grinning Russian. 'You should see the size of the subwoofer it takes to do that.' He gestured to the closest table. 'I'm happy we made it on time.  Shall we take a seat? I always prefer to sit near my puppies.' 

Rash wasn't sure if he was referring to the stuffed dogs guarding the door in the tunnel, or the stuffed suits guarding it on the inside.

'Only me and my special guests use this door, so if we need to exit in a hurry we know there'll be no surprises on the other side.' 

Rashid looked around the room again as they sat down.  He had a good view of the ring from where he was seated, and there seemed to be more space around them than the other tables had.

Nikolai took off his leather jacket and gestured to a beautiful redhead on a nearby table. She was sitting very close to man in his mid-forties and seemed to be totally enthralled by his chat. Noticing Nikolai, she immediately held a single finger to the man's lips then whispered something in his ear, before standing and smoothing out her expensive and flattering green dress.  Leaving her guest, she glided over to their table in a manner that was for the benefit of the man behind her, but was just as beneficial for the boy in front.   She slid into a seat at their table and smiled sweetly at Rash before turning her attention to the bald man sitting by his side.