Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 56782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 227(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Yep. That did it. The man ran to the hook that had his chains on it and released it. John tumbled to the ground in a heap. Ukrainian curses filled his ears as the young impetuous guy began punching him.
John tried to curl up and avoid the blows best he could while feeling surged—painfully—back into his limbs. Eyes closed, he flopped on his back with a kick to the midsection. The man, whose actual name was Nazar, straddled him, his ankles brushing John along each side. With a deep breath he exploded into action. Lunging up, he struck him hard in the groin all the while swinging to the right, taking one leg out from under him.
Nazar fell and John was on him in a second, muffling his cries so he couldn’t call for help from his gorilla bodyguard outside the door. Ignoring the screaming agony in his arms, he choked Nazar out until he slumped to the side. Aware he’d not move again, John checked for a weapon and withdrew a Glock and an extra magazine.
Pushing to his feet, albeit still a bit wobbly, he dropped back down and took the phone as well. First, he disabled the GPS locator then he went to the door. Pounding on it, he stepped to the side and waited. Sure enough, the bodyguard came in, muttering, his unhappiness apparent.
John didn’t wait, just clipped him in the back of the head and sliding the door behind him. While the guy was out cold, he struggled to drag him back near Nazar. Securing him, he huffed and puffed while hoisting him up in the chains he’d just been in. Locking him up there, John wiped the sweat off his head.
Now came the hard part. He knew this place was crawling with spies for the family and he couldn’t just walk out of here. However, he also couldn’t stay for someone would come looking for them at some point, especially when they couldn’t get him on the phone.
He fell to his knees, breathing hard and lightheaded. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been here, and his body had been subjected to hell once more. At least it was dark out, maybe he could slip out and blend in on the street. He couldn’t call Davis, not from this phone. He was confident this cell had been tapped and if whomever was in on his exposure with Tiltman got to it first, Davis could be put in the line of fire.
Can’t call 911, I’d be locked up and in a place they knew I was at. I’m going to be safest out on the streets. Damn, this was going to suck. It was cold out and he didn’t have much in the way of warm clothing. He searched both men and took their cash. It was enough he could buy something off someone.
He shut off the lights and walked out, quietly, from the building. The vehicle wasn’t an option, either. They would know he wasn’t the one supposed to be climbing in. Down the street he spied two men smoking against a corner. Watchers. He tugged his thin coat around him and went the other direction, keeping his head down. Wasn’t hard the cold wind was blowing, and it bit into his exposed skin.
Movement was slow, he had two broken ribs and they weren’t making it easy to go fast. He remained hunched over and shuffled along. People were huddled together and covered in newspaper. His heart hurt for their situation but he couldn’t do anything for them currently. He had issues of his own. Right before he went around another corner, he glanced back and saw two people running for the building he’d snuck out of.
Damn, not as much of a head start as I would have liked. He bought a hat off someone and gave them enough to buy drink and another hat. Hopefully they would listen. It smelled and he was sure there were creatures living on it but it helped combat the cold and disguised him better.
He stopped a few times and looked in trash cans for food, doing his best to blend and not be conspicuous. It was late and the night was steadily growing colder. His head hurt as did the rest of him. John struggled to stay upright as his energy amount sank well below operating levels.
He sank against a wall and slumped down to the cold cement. The cold spread through him faster but he didn’t have the wherewithal to get up.
“That’s no place to sleep,” a man said.
“Just resting,” he forced out.
“You can’t stay here, the shop owner won’t like it. I know a place.”
Peering up, he found himself looking at a tall thin man. Didn’t ring a bell in his mind as one who worked for the family but given how many people they paid on the street, he still could be. Beyond him, the store owner was approaching, face drawn in a tight scowl.