Page 71 of The Guru: Shadow

“You won’t shoot me on the open street.”

“Oh, I would, there’s nothing to lose.”

“Do it then.” And for whatever reason, a daring spread in her that she had never felt before. Somewhere, deep down in her focused mind and body, she had a feeling. A feeling telling her to play strong. “Shoot me, come on. I won’t shut up. Tell me why? Do it Carl, or maybe I’ll just scream.”

Gods, Emma you are so stupid!

He only breathed heavily behind her.

“Or maybe, you cannot kill me. You have orders, don’t you?”

“I’ll say it one last time, shut your pestilent mouth or you will not breathe another breath.”

I was right. He has orders. Someone gave him orders to do it. But who? Why? For what reason?

While they walked, she observed her surroundings, and in her mind, she revisited everything that happened. Everything she knew – or not knew – about Deis, everything that happened with Carl, with Julie.

And after, to her annoyance, exactly thirty-three blocks they turned another corner. It was then, that she glanced behind her.

And there he was, the grizzly bear of a man walking thirty feet behind them. The same man, who followed her from the diner. And although she didn’t know for sure, she sure as hell did not believe in so many coincidences.

A daring heat spread in her trembling chest.

Finally, when her feet hurt and burned from the pain of walking all the miles, Carl pushed her into the steel door of a closed industrial building.

It was dark inside, and the wet smell of a living rat hole infiltrated her nostrils. It was like in the movies where they held hostages for torture. They walked through three doors until they reached the back of what supposedly once was a garage.

The fucking three!

When Carl turned on a single light, she saw old tools and car parts lying around, years of dust on them, and spider webs hanging like a curtain of neglect over everything.

“Oh, I am so looking forward to this,” growled Carl darkly at her.

And yet again, she had a gun pointed at her.

“Take off your clothes.”

Concentrating on all her power and daring, she said, “No.”

“No? You will, or I’ll put a bullet in you.”

“I don’t think so.”

“And why wouldn’t I?”

Be bold. Deis will intervene. Hopefully.

“Because you are not allowed to, and aside from that, I know stuff.”

“What stuff?” he asked, his eyes glaring at her.

“About Deis.”

“Spill.”

“No. I spill when you tell me who you really are, what you want, and who sent you.”

A derogatory laugh echoed through the old industrial building.

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