Last Kiss in Paris

Chapter 18 - Amrisha Faints (Yet Again)

Suggested Song: Don't Leave Me Alone by David Guetta ft. Anne-Marie
Don't you ever leave me, don't you ever go
I've seen it on TV, I know how it goes
Even when you're angry, even when I'm cold
Don't you ever leave me, don't leave me alone

—

"What now!?" Alek dashed towards the door, his hand outstretched for the knob, when more bangs erupted from outside and he froze. "Guns," he mouthed, as more screams filtered into the room.
"Do we call the police?" Sophie asked, inching forward.
"No," Alek waved her away. "Stay there." He began to open the door but was knocked down as Saige, Alexander and Buvhi stampeded into the room, followed by Sébastien, who looked unnaturally pale.  Sébastien slammed the door shut and pushed Alek aside, before making a beeline for the sofa and fiddling with something under the cushions.
"What's going on?!" Amrisha cried.
"Shh!" Sébastien hissed. There was a creak as one of the seats popped up, revealing a large hole underneath – maybe a tunnel entrance? "It's El Gaño," Sébastien explained. "They've come for MC Lunaar."
"What-" Luc began.
"No time to explain now," Sébastien said briskly. "They have the exits surrounded. Quick, get in here," he gestured frantically towards the hole in the sofa. "Call the police. I'll lock the door from the outside but it won't hold if they come here." Sébastien looked at their stricken faces and his expression softened. "It'll be okay. Just follow my instructions. You must get the police here. I'll buy you some time."
"You can't go back out there alone!" Saige protested.
"I have no choice! I should have known. This whole gig was their plan to jump Lunaar. We can't trust anyone. I'll try to reason with them. Now go!" Several people surged forward but Sébastien pushed them all back, before racing out the room and slamming the door.

For two seconds, everyone looked at each other, stunned. Finally, Amrisha jumped into action. "We have to trust him," she said, pulling out her phone and punching in some numbers.
"Oh yeah?" Alek countered. "Why would he help us? He could be one of those gunners, luring us into a trap!"
"Yeah, he was the one who was dealing pot to Pierre," Luc added, glaring at Pierre.
"No, he's definitely one of the good guys," Pierre assured.
"Guys, don't any of you care!?" Buvhi shouted. "Sadipoh and the others could be dying out there!" Suddenly, the sound of heavy footfalls and disembodied voices began to echo down the hallway, getting closer by the second.

"We have to do as he says!" Amrisha whisper-shouted. Reluctantly, the others began to enter the bunker. Amrisha was the last to go, and she flicked off the lights and climbed into the sofa-hole, just as people started to bang on their door. The drop caught her by surprise, and immediately dampened the noise from above. Amrisha had expected the space underneath the sofa to be a sort of storage compartment, with only crawling space. Instead, she dropped about 2 metres and landed heavily on her feet, stumbling. "Whoa there," Pierre caught her arm as she righted herself.
"Thanks," she gave him a grateful, but anxious smile.
"Hurry up and close the damn trapdoor!" Alek snapped as a crash came from above. Pierre, being the tallest, reached up and pulled the sofa seat down with a thud, cutting off all light.

A few people brought out their phones and turned on flashlights, illuminating a cube-like room about 2 metres in all directions. In the corner were a stack of crates storing alcohol bottles. "This stuff is from the 1800's," Alexander marvelled as he peered at the labels.
"Enough about that," Sophie hissed. "Does anyone know what the hell is going on?"
"I've informed the police," Amrisha reported. "They're coming."
"And we just sit around and wait? We should be fighting those thugs up there," Luc said, cracking his knuckles.
"As much as I love a smack down, they have guns," Pierre pointed out.
"Ok," Saige took a deep breath. "Now, Sadipoh and the others..." Beside her, Buvhi made a strangled noise as he checked his phone.
"He's texted me... he and Jazz made it out," Buvhi began. "No sign of Aliza. But...oh my god. Look what I found." He held up a news page about El Gaño.
"Oh my lord," groaned Alexander, and he slumped down onto a wine crate. "They've been sending death threats to Lunaar? Why? He's such a legend!"
"Apparently the gang is composed of religious extremist Mexicans," informed Buvhi. "MC Lunaar has quite controversial song lyrics."
"Whoa, he's involved in gang wars?" Luc asked.
"Nah, but some of his fans are," Pierre said. "Jeez, the leader of the gang was a former drug ring leader."
"And we just let Sébastien deal with them?" Saige cried, putting one hand over her mouth.
"Our primary concern is to let the authorities know and stay out of the way of those terrorists," Alek said calmly. "No point throwing ourselves out there to be killed."