Page 36 of When Sinners Rise
“This whole damn place is gonna break if you–”
“Go.”
I do, moving quickly because I know well what’s about to happen in this cellar, let alone the rest of it with the state it’s in. Stone steps pass by under my feet, and a few corridors later, and more rubble jumped, and I break out into the bit of the building she’s in.
Miri, no,eight, looks up at me as I open the door to her room.
“Time to go.” She sits there looking defeated, with no thought of moving. “You want to see your sister again, you’ll get your ass up and start moving.”
“Naja?” She crawls her way up and waits in the corner. I don’t have time for that, so I move to her and start dragging her through the corridors and rooms. She starts bitching but doesn’t fight as hard as she has done. It isn’t until I get to the exit that I realise I’m gonna need to cover her mouth in case she starts screaming and shouting for help again. I smother her lips with my palm and push the door to get us outside, then look around the lot. There’s not much more than crumbling stonework, bricks and barriers, but eventually, I see the dark outline of a car waiting for me.
Hurrying us both over to it, I get a smell of the smoke already starting to make its way out to us. “You stay quiet, you hear me?” She struggles in my grip, mumbling something. “If Itake this away, are you gonna scream?” Her head shakes, eyes looking up at mine.
I pull my hand off slowly, easing it in case she does anyway.
“Where’s Naja?” She flicks her panicked gaze around, trying to tug herself out of my hold. I clamp on harder and pull her ass into me to wrap an arm around her stomach.
“Not here.” I keep my stare fixed on the building, waiting for Dante to emerge.
“But you said–”
“Keep that mouth closed down.” I’m not interested in talking. “You'll see her soon enough.” The only thing I’m interested in is seeing him come out of that place alive and breathing. Fucking stupid. I shouldn’t have left him. Should have left her instead. That might have been a better future for her.
Minutes tick by, and I watch the smoke start turning red. The old frame creaks and moans like a bitch under the pressure he’s setting up. I swallow, eyes still fixed on the entrance we came out of. Nothing comes. I frown and look at the car, then back at the building. She struggles in my hold some more, trying to back us away from what’s about to start really tumbling down.
“Stay the fuck still.”
Flames start rising, heavy and steepled. They climb higher and spread sideways, forging a steady path to cause maximum damage to what’s left. This is what it must have been like that night while Knox was searching the place for them. He must have been so fucking desperate to find them, to save them. I wasn’t even here. I was out drinking and fucking that night. Can’t remember who.
Miri shakes in my hold as I unconsciously push us forward towards the building. Guess she must remember it too, maybe like it was yesterday for her.
Still no fucking Dante.
My own sense of loyalty starts growing inside me. She’s worth shit to me compared to him, and if I need to get in there and find him, I’ll drop her the second I make that call.
“What are you doing? No,” she stutters, fighting me trying to get us closer. “Shaw. What the fuck? Stop.” I scowl and push on again, so focused on scanning through the smoke that I barely register the heat crawling over us. “Shaw! I can’t go in there. No!”
“Quiet.” I need to listen, to try hearing his footsteps or calls for help.
Nothing comes.
One final push, until we’re about ten feet from flames that are creeping around the old entrance, and what’s left of the building starts crippling in on itself. My hold loosens on her so I can get in there,and not a second later, I watch him walk from the smoke.
He dips his head under the flames, almost smiling about his work, no doubt. Cigarette in one hand and a bottle of brandy in the other.
Guess I did miss one.
The panic that was beginning to eat me up disappears as he gets closer to us. He doesn’t speak; he just takes a few pulls on the bottle and then tears Miri from my hold. She’s pushed and turned until he’s got her on the car where he wants her, and then he’s holding up his phone for her to look at something.
Her eyes go wide, lips faltering for words. “Naja. Oh god, no.”
He leans his mouth down to her ear. “You remember me?” She swallows and shivers. “We’re getting on a plane soon, Eight. She dies the minute you try making that journey hard; you hear me? And then you’ll fucking die, too. Or worse.” She’s stockstill in his hands, eyes fixed on that screen and whatever she’s looking at. “Don’t make me pissed. I’m not as nice as him.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
MIRI
Naja.
