Laid Bare by Espen Arcadia

Author:Espen Arcadia [Arcadia, Espen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-12-29T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Kilik

The taxi has taken us to St. Mary of the Angels’ neighborhood. I can see the cathedral down the block, the lights glowing brightly. In front of us, a small, bland apartment building sits. I lead Alex to it, using a keypad to gain entrance, then heading to the third floor. Alex looks around with confusion as I use three different keys to access the apartment.

I lead him inside, locking it carefully behind us. He spins, taking in the room. I’ve brought him to an industrial-looking apartment with brick walls and scuffed dark wood floors. Pipes jut out of the walls and run along the ceiling. I’ve hung heavy drapes across the large windows but left them open with a view of the cathedral. To the right, there’s a small kitchen with wooden counters, ahead is the living and dining room, and off to the side are two doors, one to the bedroom and the other to the bathroom. Alex looks up at the high ceilings, eyes wide. I collapse onto the leather sofa in the center of the room, shoving my wet shoes off of my feet.

“Where are we?” Alex asks, joining me.

“It’s my second place. Like a refuge,” I say, tugging my shirt over my head and tossing it aside.

Alex’s eyes roam over my chest. “Refuge from what?”

I sigh, rubbing my face. “Before we get into anything else, are you okay? What happened?” I ask, my voice quiet.

“A delivery guy came to the door. I answered it to tell him he had the wrong address and then he attacked me. I lost my gun in the fight, you were on speed dial…” Alex trails off. “When I came to, I was in that room. A man was there with me. He asked me some questions, hit me a few times, and then left.”

“What did he look like?” I ask, eyes narrowed dangerously.

Alex shrugs. “White, short, brown hair. Nondescript. How did you know where to find me?”

“Do you want to shower really quick? Go clean up?” I ask, rising.

“Okay.” Alex nods. He’s quiet as he disappears into the bathroom. I hear the water running soon after.

In the kitchen, I boil a pot of coffee and make us a few sandwiches. I stare nervously at the spread. Alex appears a few minutes later, wrapped in a towel, his bare chest still damp. I clear my throat. “I made some coffee, if you’re hungry here’s some food. I’m gonna go finish cleaning up,” I say.

In the shower, I rinse the dirty water off of me, the blood from the men and creatures I killed swirling down the drain. When I’m clean, I tug on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, bringing out an extra set for Alex. He’s lounging on the sofa, munching on a sandwich. I toss him the clothes, he catches them deftly. A moment later he’s wearing my clothes, stretching out comfortably on the leather.

“Make yourself at home,” I joke, settling into the recliner across from him.

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