Souls' Collision | ✔

L O T T A

~ Chapter Eighteen ~

"What is this?"

Liz squinted at the door squeezed between two large posters; one was for some kind of bar in Akra and the other, the one torn and dirty, had nothing save for three words sloppily painted in red: Join our cause.

The door wasn't in the best shape either. It blended against the gray wall so nicely that Liz wouldn't have noticed it if, a minute earlier, Chris hadn't stopped her, pointed to the door and grumbled, "Here."

Now they stood outside, both a little jittery and unusually silent. Chris seemed like he didn't want to go inside and Liz kept looking down the street, expecting the Daltons to come barrelling down it.

"Err, Chris, I think..."

"Quiet," he growled out, a tangle of frustration and uncertainty.

She tried. She really did. But she couldn't help herself as she ten seconds later murmured, "Is this the place, the one where they're keeping Red?"

"No. This isn't the Daltons' hideout -- you'll know when we get there."

"So what is this place?"

Chris turned away from the door and all of a sudden was glowering down at her. "We can not head into the Dalton base without some kind of notion of where they're keeping my brother. If we do that then we're definitely dead."

"I thought you said we didn't stand a chance anyway."

She caught his look and quickly turned back to the door.

"So what's in there?"

"In there," he followed her gaze, "is the most dangerous wolf in Akra. The eyes and ears of Bern. That's where we'll find out where my brother is being held. Going in will be a risk but I'm afraid we do not have a choice."

Liz watched as he reached for the handle but quickly held him back. "Wait! I have a giant rifle attached to me. Maybe not the best thing to show up in?"

He shook his head and released his shoulder from her hold. "You'll fit right in. And come the time, I hope you're ready to use that thing."

"You think I'll..."

He reached for the door once again, this time ignoring her completely, and pushed it open — it creaked loudly, no doubt alerting everyone nearby of their arrival. Inside was a dim staircase as narrow as the door, framed between two concrete walls. The only way was down. Down into what ever room produced a faint smell of vanilla and red lights.

Chris took a deep breath then headed in without looking back.

Liz came trudging after, not a fan of the idea of being out on the opposite side of the threshold alone. She got close, but he didn't like that and quickly snapped his teeth at her hand reaching for his shoulder.

After that she kept a few steps behind.

It took about a minute until Chris stopped. The red light was now swallowing his whole front, leaving stray rays to dance across Liz's wide eyes. She glanced over his shoulder. Before him was another doorframe, this one relying on only a few clinking beads and pearls hanging on strings to shield the adjoining room.

They could both hear the hushed voices and soft, feminine moans.

The vanilla stung her nose.

"Christ," Liz murmured. "Is this a strip club?"

"They don't bed eachother in a stripclub."

"You brought me to a brothel?"

"No." His chin cocking slightly to the left was all showing he was paying her any mind. "There's no profit involved... The wolves that are here are here completely on their own accord."