Kathmandu by Luke Richardson

Author:Luke Richardson [Richardson, Luke]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Independent
Published: 2019-05-03T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 55

Allissa, Fuli and Chimini were in position ahead of the arranged 4 PM arrival of the two men.

Peering through a gap in one of the bedroom doors, behind where the men would talk to the girls at the reception desk, Allissa hid. Listening to the thump of her heartbeat in her ears, she watched Fuli and Chimini try to act normally, talking about the programme on the small screen TV attached to the wall. Allissa couldn’t see the TV, just hear its unrecognisable chatter.

4 PM came and went in agonising seconds.

Chimini had questioned whether it was a good idea to invite the men back into the guesthouse, but Allissa thought they were unlikely to give up that easily and Fuli didn’t think they’d seemed dangerous. In fact, the description she’d given was complimentary if anything. Even so, Allissa had watched Chimini slide the sharpest kitchen knife they had beneath the checking-in book and Allissa had a large metal pole leaning up against the wall beside her hiding place. It paid to be careful.

Looking back into the room, newly furnished and ready to receive guests, Allissa felt a welling of frustration. They’d achieved so much in the last few weeks, why was she now cowering in a bedroom behind a closed door? She hadn’t come halfway around the world to continue to run and hide.

Looking towards the window, behind the blinds, the muggy square looked empty. Shadows from the skeletal trees spread like fingers across the dusty slabs as the sun began its descent.

That, she supposed, was the nature of running. You didn’t get to decide when you stopped.

Allissa continued to watch as a man walked into the square outside. The way he moved intrigued her, he scurried and then disappeared out of sight, as though hiding from someone. She knew there were plenty of strangely-behaved tourists in the city; he must be one of them. He could have been here for decades or just returned to relive a lost youth. Allissa watched as he passed a recessed doorway. Seeing the doorway he appeared to pause, look towards it, then at the guesthouse before scurrying out of sight.

There are some strange people in Kathmandu, Allissa thought.

The sound of echoing footsteps on the stairs behind her forced the thoughts of the strange man from her mind.

Allissa turned back to the door. The girls were still behind the reception desk, acting as normal.

As the footsteps drew close, Allissa pulled back, hidden, but listening to every step and breath.

“Hey, how are you?” Allissa heard someone speak, a male voice, in English.

Allissa smiled as there was no reply. The girls were going to make them work for it.

“You have some information for us, about Allissa?” the voice said again, slowly and simply.

Holding her breath and willing her heart to beat more quietly, Allissa slid across to the crack in the door. She had a good view of the room outside. Fuli and Chimini stood as they had before, watching the TV, and two men stood across the desk.

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