Apartment 905 by Sahin, Ned (readnow .TXT) 📕

it to the vehicle in time when Saviors broke into his house. They killed him and stole the vehicle. It is now serving as the North Carolina state leader’s mobile office.

“Hey!” a Savior pushing a hand cart yells us while we are looking at the Centaur. We turn to him with our hands ready to pull our sidearms.

“Mind giving me a hand?” he asks, sweating heavily. One of the wheels of the hand cart seems to be stuck in a crack on the concrete floor.

Toshi and I look at each other for a split second.

“Sure,” Toshi says and walks over to him. They try to push the cart together.

I turn back and walk on the hallway toward the room they took the hostages in. It’s a big room with two windows on each side of the door. The blinds are half-open. It looks like a break room for workers. There is a pantry on one side and portable chairs and tables in the middle. About twenty people with zipped hands are sitting on those chairs. Three hostages are distributing the food bags they brought from the cafeteria. Two Saviors are chatting near the door inside the room.

I get closer to the window to see better through the blinds. I see Val. She is on the other side of the room probably waiting for her food.

Her shoulders are slumped, and her half-open eyes are blood-shot red. Her entangled hair falls over her ears and parts of her cheeks. Losing her mom and being kept here for a week must have been traumatic for her. No matter how weak and devastated she looks, I can still see her strong personality in her determined eyes.

I walk away from the window and check other rooms. I find a door with a janitor sign on it. I enter the dark and quiet room. I close the door and pull my radio.

“Miguel, are you there?” I say on the radio. There is a continuous interference. The factory’s thick walls must be disturbing the signal.

“Si, Matt,” he says.

“She is here. Go to the back side of the factory where the unloading docks are. Wait for our signal.”

“Thank God… See you soon.”

I like his way of communication on the radio. Short and to the point.

I go back to the break room and look through the window one more time. Hostages are eating their food. Two Saviors are sitting half-asleep near the door.

I look toward the production line, but Toshi doesn’t appear to be around. I trust him. He probably got carried away in a conversation with someone he knows.

There is no way to communicate with him. Someone took his radio in the camp for a mission.

Time is running out.

I decide to do this alone and enter the room.

The hostages and the two Saviors turn their heads to me.

Chapter 14

“The Charlotte leader wants to see Valeri Hernandez. Is there someone with this name here?” I say, looking at the two Saviors. My mispronunciation of her name will hopefully make them think I have never met her.

One of the Saviors stands up and walks toward the kitchen counter to pick up the hostage list. The other Savior extends his legs on to a pile of plastic bags and leans back with his arms crossed over his chest while slowly closing his eyes. It looks like he is only interested in having a nap.

“It’s me. Valeria Hernandez,” Val says, raising her hand. She looks at me and pretends not to know me, but I can tell she has already figured out my plan.

“Come here,” I say, trying to look as tough as I can. I grab her arm by the wrist aggressively to make the scene look more realistic.

“It won’t be necessary,” she says and moves her arm away from my hand. She is playing along. I point the door with my head. She walks toward it and reaches for the doorknob. I think we are exhibiting an Oscar level performance.

“I’ll come with you. I’ve been wanting to introduce myself to the Charlotte leader. I’m sick of babysitting these people,” the Savior with a list in his hand says.

As much as I know how risky it is, I know that I can’t stop him from coming with us.

I clench my fist and force a smile. “Okay, but I should warn you. He is not having a good day.” I am hoping that the Charlotte leader is a man.

He pauses for a second. “I don’t have much to lose.” We leave the room and walk through the production line. I have no idea who the Charlotte leader is or where he might be. I decide to follow the signs “Executive Section.” Val is behind me. The Savior is following her.

I am not enthusiastic about finding the leader. I can’t see any way of getting out of the situation even if we find him. I plan to find an empty meeting room and take the Savior down somehow. Even if people hear the fight or a shot from my handgun, Val and I should have enough time to flee.

The hallway divides into two small corridors. I turn right without hesitation, pretending to know where I am going even though I have no idea.

This corridor has rooms on one side and floor to ceiling windows on the other. I see the front gate from the corridor. We are in the fancy executive building in front of the factory.

I stop in front of one of the doors. From the small window, I see the lights are on, but I don’t see anybody. I knock the door and enter. This will be the room to execute my plan.

As soon as we enter the room, a Savior sitting in the corner of the room stands up and salutes. This is one of the security details I saw in the cafeteria. He probably thought his leader entered the room.

“Hey, did the Charlotte leader go somewhere?” I ask him. He looks confused as I expected.