She's never run faster in her life than when she ran now.
Heads swirled at her just as she rushed into the room. There were about twenty people in there, of different ages and almost all dressed in black.
Her brother was standing in the middle of the room, his hair messy and his leather jacket covered in dust. There was a puffed red spot on his cheekbone and with his tongue he was feeling his split swollen lip.
'Nick!' her nose tingled from upcoming tears.
'Elie!' he made a small step but was stopped. 'What the hell she's got to do with all this? Let her go!'
'Family's above all, isn't it?' a big man in Adidas jacket and with a thin ponytail smirked and slowly came up to him.
'So, listen here,' he lit up his cigarette and took a drag. He was doing it impossibly slowly, and everybody was silent. 'You've got two days or I'll throw your pretty sister to my boys, and I'm gonna give a shit about what they do to her. Until you bring me everything up to the last fucking cent,' he was leaning above him, spitting these words into Nick's face.
She was so endlessly terrified that her knees refused to hold her. She's never suffered from fainting but she felt so weak, she just wanted to collapse on the floor seeing no continuation of what might be.
Pairs of eyes were gazing her unceremoniously, lips smirking at her. She lowered her eyes staring at the dirty concrete floor.
'You just touch a hair on her head and I'll bury you, I swear,' Nick twitched towards him but two guys were holding him tight.
'Hm,' the man walked a few steps away from him but then suddenly turned around and shot his fist right into Nick's stomach.
He groaned and bent in half.
'You don't get to say here, sucker,' the man patted him on the back and pushed him onto the floor. 'When will you dumbasses fucking learn I'm not a charity?' he said in disgust.
Nick fell heavily, clutching at his stomach. She saw one of the guys raising his feet aiming to kick him.
'Stop it! No!' she cried out and dashed to her brother but Kevin grabbed her and pulled backwards.
'Come on. Enough of the show,' his words vibrated at her ear. She skidded against the floor, trying to escape his grip. He lifted her up harshly under the chest and carried her back to the basement.
'No! Let me go,' she kicked her legs in the air but it was impossible to break free.
She was writhing frantically trying to fight her way back. She crashed on the floor hitting her knees hard, when Kevin let go of her.
She heard sounds of hits and her brother moaned indistinctly.
Despite the pain, she rushed to the door but Liam blocked her way, making her flinch to the wall. All her face was wet from tears.
'What are they doing to him?' She was crying almost hysterically.
'They're just having a little talk,' he smirked and she wanted to punch him, to scratch his face, do whatever to hurt him.
'They will kill him!' Her voice rose to the highest pitch she could ever make.
'Not as long as he owns them money. He'll live. Don't worry,' Kevin replied from behind her.
She was trembling all over. 'Please, tell them to stop, please!' she pleaded, tugging Liam by his T-shirt; she could taste how salty her lips were from her tears.
'Okay-okay,' Liam snorted and looked at Kevin.
They both left the room, she heard the lock click.
Her heart was pounding in her chest like mad. Two days! She'll have to stay here for two days. She didn't get to ask how much Nick owns them but from what she's experienced today, she could guess that was a lot. She clutched at her shoulders, rugged uncontrollable sobs were bursting out her chest.
She sat at the nearest couch, hugging her knees; they were scratched and stung painfully at her touch.
Her eyes were swollen and it hurt her a lot every time she had to open them. But the tears trickled down almost constantly, and she couldn't stop them.
She must have dozed off at some point, yet not enough to get deeper in her sleep. She woke up with a start feeling someone stroking her face.
'Shhh, pretty…don't be afraid,' a man's heavy accent hit her in the face. Thick finger was tracing her chin and her hurt eyes froze terrified watching him as her head was still light from the sleep and she couldn't understand what was going on.
He had uneven beard that covered his chin and cheeks with rare grayish hairs. And he was huge. His chest was impossibly broad and hands almost the size of her face. The man was much older than Liam or Kevin, about forty or thirty something. She couldn't tell. His age was the last thing she was thinking of.
She saw his pupils almost matched the size of his irises.
She gave a weak shriek and pushed his hand away.
'If only I knew what a snack they're having here,' he grabbed her chin roughly; his other hand felt its way under her top.
Elisa shook her head and her body all curled up. She tried to kick him with her legs, but he leaned so heavily on top of her and she could barely move. He dragged her under him, taking hold of her both hands with his huge one. His free hand flew up to her overall's straps, trying to pull them down.
Desperate tears shot out from her eyes; there was no chance she could fight him off. He was too heavy and strong.
She screamed so loudly and shrilly that he had to squeeze his eyes at the height of her voice.
'Don't have to be this noisy, little thing,' he started struggling fast with the belt of his jeans. Elisa choked on her tears and her lungs ached from the cries.
'Hey, hvad så?' (What's up?) She heard a loud voice. Liam walked up to them slowly, hands in his pockets. The man turned his face towards him.
'Such a treasure you're hiding,' he was violating the consonants just as he did with Elisa. 'Join in, sharing is caring, right?'
'Hun er sytten,' (She's seventeen) Liam lowered his eyes at him.
'Are you a lawful citizen now?' He grinned at him, and Elisa felt his grip loosened. Seizing the moment, she threw up her arm and punched him in the face with her elbow.
'Shit!' he pressed his hand to his nose. A few drops of blood leaked through his fingers.
He got up from the couch, still holding at her nose.
'Good I finally got to see you, Liam-boy. How you doin'?' he patted Liam on the chest.
'Can't complain,' he sat down on the couch next to Elisa who was all crying mess.
The man walked up to the table and rummaged in his pockets. Finally, he took out a small bag with white powder and struggled clumsily to open it. 'First class shit, good job,' he poured a bit right on the surface and formed two curvy lines with a card.
'Help yourself', he looked at Liam.
'No, I'm good.'
'Just give it a try, you won't regret, I can guarantee that.'
'Nah, man, you know I quitted,' while his nose was tracing the white lines on the table, Liam turned to Elisa and patted her slightly on her leg, she flinched back from him, all tensed, ready to hit him as well.
'Your loss,' the man shrugged his shoulders and sniffed up the lines, one after the other.
'Broke my fucking nose, your little slut'. The man grinned at her, there was madness in his eyes and his lips were swollen like a drunkard's. The blood mixed with the white powder was dripping from his nose, he wiped it with his sleeve. 'Where'd you get that, by the way?' he pointed at the content of the small bag.
'There're places,' the corner of Liam's lip tugged upward but not enough to form a proper smile.
'You sneaky bastard,' he shook his finger, crimson from the blood.
'You gotta go now, Miguel's looking for you,' Liam said. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, his voice was tensed. He got up and walked the man to the door.
'Have you thought of my suggestion?' he placed his arm over Liam's shoulders. He didn't answer.
'We need boys like you. How's that working out for you flopping in this mud puddle? You'll get cleaned up, I can promise you that.'
'Uh-uh,' Liam gave him a boring look,
'Think faster. Patience is not my virtue.'
'I will,' Liam watched him as he walked out the door.
He brushed off the remnants of the white powder to the floor and leaned against the table.
'You're a badass, aren't you?' Liam looked at Elisa with amusement on his face.
The door slammed and the girl barely jumped out of her skin.
Kevin walked into the room.
'Hey,' he smiled at Elisa but she couldn't and didn't want to return it. 'What's going on?'
'She's getting popular' Liam smirked. 'Lyt,' (listen) he suddenly turned to Kevin with a slight irritation. 'Jeg er ikke en babysitter. Jeg skal arbejde'. (I'm not a babysitter. I've got work to do)
Liam started telling something to Kevin and the guy looked skeptical for a bit. But Elisa could guess she was the object of their discussion because Liam was pointing and both constantly turned their eyes at her.
'Hvad?' Kevin's eyebrow rose up. (What?)
'Jeg mener, se på hende. Hvem ville tænke?' (I mean just look at her. Who would think?) Liam nodded in her direction. She had absolutely no clue what so funny was about the thing that he said, maybe it's that she was at a total loss of whatever was happening, that made them both chuckle looking at her.
Kevin was about to say something but his lips still curved in a slight smile.
Hvad nu hvis hun fortæller nogen? (What if she tells anyone?)
Liam squinted at him mockingly. 'Hvem? Hun?' (Who? She?) They both stared at her blubbered face.
'I really don't want to think so' Liam suddenly spoke in English. 'You're a good girl, right, Elie-jelly?'
'Well, that's also an option,' Kevin smiled slightly, winking at her. His phone rang. He nodded at Liam and moved aside to pick it up.
She gave Liam a short look and closed her eyes. Mom must be worried sick, and the only thing Elisa wanted right now was to be a small girl again and just nest in her mother's arms and know nothing of these people, of drugs and consequences, and to forget those huge hands that pawed her all over. She bit her lip to stop the tears.
'Hey listen, we could make kind of a deal, don't you think so?' Liam's eyes flashed cunningly at her.
'Like what?' She gazed at him nervously, wiping the wetness that formed in her eyes.
'Like whatever you can offer me?' He was watching her, smiling provocatively.
She was silent.
'So what can you offer me for letting you go?'
'I…' she started but found no strengths to go on. Speaking was a real torture as if all words got suddenly paralyzed with her shock.
'You do realize the debt you brother owes us is slightly too much,' he leaned forward slightly. 'Would keep you here for a couple of days… maybe more. Besides, I don't think you like it here,' he squinted at her.
'So? Nothing you can think of?' He grimaced sadly. 'I bet you can,' he smirked. They both knew she could. There were not many options for her. But she would never say it out loud.
The pause he made lasted for like an eternity. She was so close to leaving this goddamn hole of a place.
'Actually, there's something I'd like you to do for me,' he finally spoke.
'What?' She barely prevented herself from stuttering this simple word.
'I was just thinking you might help me out with something…' Liam's blue eyes were gazing her closely. He took a deep drag from his cigarette and breathed out white smoke into the ceiling.
'What do I have to do?'
'Some work… nothing you can't do', he pressed the cigarette into the ashtray smearing the ash on its surface.
She wasn't sure if she should push him to tell her what she will have to do because she was just deadly exhausted and afraid he'd change his mind if she starts annoying him.
'If I agree, you'll let me go home?' she said instead. She hated how her voice was pathetically thin.
'Sure. I promise to take you home as soon as you accept my offer.' He pronounced it so calmly that Elisa thought it was probably the first time of the day when his words had no mockery in them.
What work it would be, the girl thought apprehensively. But she really didn't have a choice. Well, technically, she did. But staying here with those crazy junkies made her shiver. Liam was looking at her waiting for her respond. He didn't say she'd have to do something before he takes her home, so hopefully he is not bluffing.
'So?'
