Night Cap by Chris Bostic

Author:Chris Bostic [Bostic, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-04-01T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 20

“How close you think they are?” I asked as the minutes dragged along. Or probably more like seconds. It just seemed to take forever whenever my life was almost literally in someone else’s hands.

“Someone’s still up here,” Lee replied. “I can hear ‘em moving around.”

“I thought so. I’ve got the wrench ready.”

“I kinda thought you had, so…what’s that hard thing on your side?”

Even though it had to be the wrench, I said, “My hip.”

“Okay, smartass.”

“Better than a dumbass.”

“Seriously. I felt something hard. Like metal.”

“Oh, that has to be my belt,” I said, seeing if he’d remember what I had been wearing. “It has these cool metal studs on there.”

“What? Really? You wear a belt with metal studs. What are you…like some kind of metalhead?”

“I just thought it was pretty.”

“For a bulldog.”

“It’s not like spikes and chains and shit.” I chuckled at the way I defended my fake fashion sense, or lack thereof. “Probably a shame though.”

“That could definitely come in handy, if you were actually wearing that.”

“So you do remember?”

“I pay attention to things,” Lee replied. “That’s what cops do.”

“Good point.” I sighed. “Shame I didn’t have a belt. That could’ve been a good weapon.”

“Probably better than the wrench.”

“Not as easy to take off, though. Right?” I rambled.

It was his turn to chuckle. “You’re, uh, asking the wrong person that question.”

“Duh. I should have expected that kind of answer out of you.”

“Maybe, but let’s be serious for a second.”

I thought about answering back with another snide comment, but it was clearly not the time. I’d also started to pick up on the sound of boots on the metal gridding. Granted it was a large area, but the volume had seemed to grow exponentially. Whether that meant more people or someone getting closer, I couldn’t quite tell at first.

The longer I listened, the better sense I got that there was only a single person. The quiet gaps between each step were too uniform.

Then suddenly the pace quickened.

“Fella’s picking up speed,” Lee whispered. “That could be good or really bad.”

“If they’re in a hurry, they might miss us,” I deduced.

The way the sound grew dimmer then louder gave me a slightly better idea what was going on.

“They’re going down the rows, probably looking in all the fermenters to see if we’re hiding in there.”

“Only an idiot would hide there,” Lee said brusquely, insulting me as much with his tone as with the incrimination. I had considered hiding in one, though I knew I hadn’t really been that serious about it.

But still, I’d considered it.

“How stupid,” I muttered at myself.

“Yeah they are. We’re gonna be fine,” Lee declared. “Getting away was the best thing we could do.”

I didn’t think he could tell, but I nodded in agreement.

“Now that the alarm’s pulled, everyone knows something is up,” Lee continued. “They might not even make off with any of the bottles from the safe.”

“Makes me wonder about the others, though.”

“Hold that thought.” Lee finally let go of my shoulders.

Footsteps grew their loudest yet.

Lee’s hand wrapped around my wrist, brushing against the wrench in the process.

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