Egress Point

Chapter 19

Behind the warehouse was a smaller out-building. It looked drab and disused, with broken windows and weeds growing up around the edges. It had a door with a frosted glass window which had been smashed by an impact, but the pane was held together by a grid of wires running through it. The door opened and the smaller Russian smiled at them then stepped to let them in. The German speaker stayed outside.

The interior was as old and derelict as the outside. There were long dusty tables pushed against the far wall of the room along with stacks of chairs. Opposite the tables was what looked like a counter and a kitchen. Arebecca figured it might have been the canteen that served the workers from the next door building. The taller Russian was sitting on a lone chair, a gun held loosely in his lap. He stood and tucked it into his waistband behind his jacket.

"Put your belongings on the floor." he spoke in English.

Arebecca only had her iPhone, some cash, and the hotel key. She put them in front of her. Em made a similar pile.

The smaller Russian picked out the two room keys and took them outside to the German speaker.

"Search their rooms," he said, this time in Russian. The German speaker left them.

"Turn around and put your hands on the wall." English again.

Arebecca closed her eyes. The smaller Russian's hands ran down her back, sides, legs. They reached round to her stomach and moved upwards towards her chest. She felt his chest push against her shoulders, and one hand ran down to her belt, fingers digging behind it, trying to make their way into her jeans. His face pressed into her hair and he breathed in. She jerked her head backwards with as much force as she could. He screamed and she gasped with pain as it connected hard with the bone at the bridge of his nose. She pushed back off the wall and turned around.

The smaller Russian man had both hands cupped around his nose while blood ran down over his chin. He kicked at her and caught her thigh shoving her back against the wall. The taller man left his chair and stepped between them, pushing the shorter one away angrily.

"Our orders are not to harm them!" Russian again.

"She broke my nose!" the smaller one spat through the blood. "She's asking for it."

He pulled out a knife, and the taller man shook his head, ready to argue. Arebecca edged away, and the taller Russian grabbed her arm and held it.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Em said, quietly. All three turned. She was near the door, holding the Russian's gun with both hands. It was pointed towards the floor in front of the Russians.

The taller man's hand moved to his belt. It came back empty.

"Arebecca, walk over here. You two, stand still." Em held the gun steady.

Arebecca moved slowly toward Em, and moved past her to stand by the door.

"Put the knife on the floor," Em said. "And kick it over to me."

The smaller man put the knife down. He grinned, blood colouring his teeth and still streaming from his nose. The he kicked the knife weakly. It span around and looked like it would barely slide halfway to Em. But as Arebecca watched it, it continued to spin and slide until it ended up under Em's foot. The smaller Russian's bloody grin disappeared.

"Slippery floors," she said.

There was a noise from the far end of the canteen. Arebecca looked round, a man had appeared from a door beyond the canteen counter. He was young, wearing jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt with a heavy metal logo.