Voices – Page 64
Part 7 — Glass on the Floor
“We’re dead. We’re dead. We’re dead.” Kevin was exhausted, disheveled, bruised and bleeding.
John grabbed him by the collar, spun him around, and slammed him into the crumbling brick wall. “Why didn’t you fucking tell me he had the place wired?!?” He shouted.
“I didn’t know! How would I know?” Kevin shoved John away, coughing. The air was filling rapidly with smoke, thick and black. Something below them was burning. Kevin began to pound against the wooden door, but it wouldn’t budge. The only window in the room had been bricked over some time ago.
“It’s blocked,” John said. “Kevin, cut it out. It’s blocked!”
“We’re going to fucking die!” Kevin shouted at him. “We have to do something!”
John coughed. “I’m working on it.”
“Work faster!”
John shut his eyes and concentrated, searching for other presences in the building. For a moment, there was nothing, and John felt panic clawing at the edges of his mind. He forced himself to breathe, difficult in the smoky air, and try again. This time he found what he was looking for.
“Get away from the door,” he said.
“Fuck you. We have to get out of here.”
“If you don’t get away from the door within about ten seconds, you’re going to be too hurt to do anything except scream. Move, Kevin. Now!”
There was a note of command to John’s voice that cut through Kevin’s hysteria. He looked over at John for a moment, and then did what he was told.
Seconds later, the door exploded with a loud crack, spewing splinters around the room.
“Still alive, John?” shouted Jen’s voice.
“For the time being,” John said. He grabbed Kevin by the shoulder and pulled him toward the exit. “Where’s Brian?”
“Hell if I know,” said Jen. She was bleeding from a cut over her left eyebrow, and was covered in grime, but looked otherwise unharmed.
“We can’t leave without him,” said John.
Brian’s voice came from down the hallway. “Worry less about me and more about your own asses! Head this way. There’s fresh air. I think we can get out.”
John made his way past Jen, and Kevin began to follow. She shot an arm out, blocking his path, and looked into his eyes.
“This is your fault,” she said.
“Right,” Kevin snapped. “I’m the one who jumped out of the shadows and shouted ‘get him!’ to the rest of you. That wasn’t your idiot boyfriend, or anything.”
“Don’t talk about him like that,” Jen said.
“Jesus Christ… we’re going to die if we don’t get out of here, you crazy bitch! Get out of my way!”
She moved out of the way. After staring at her for a moment longer, Kevin moved past and headed up the hall after John. Jen followed him. Kevin heard her speak once more, her voice pitched low so that the others wouldn’t hear.
“I know you tried to fuck us, Kevin. As soon as I can prove it, I’m going to have Brian tear your goddamn arms off.”
