Bill glumly toyed with his food, silently watching the changing landscape before him, lost in his own thoughts. Suddenly a violent explosion erupted from the next room shaking the entire apartment. Karen screamed and fell to the floor.
Veronica clasped her hands to her ears but remained seated. Bill jumped from his seat. ‘That sounded like a bomb from the emergency exit!’ Bill exclaimed.
Before Nick could move, two men burst into the dining-room brandishing laser rifles. ‘Nobody move or your all dead!’ One of them yelled.
Chapter Thirty-five
The Looters
Karen slowly picked herself up and they all stared at the two gunmen, stunned into silence. Cold viscous eyes peered from faces smeared with a dark substance. Both men wore eye phones and navy jacksuits with black leather boots, one with a gold coloured waist length jacket, the other all in black. One of the men, the one in the gold jacket was thin and emaciated, and wore his immaculately groomed black hair just touching his shoulder. Dark glazed eyes blazed from his elegant face and he carried a sat-phone in one hand, and a military-style laser rifle in the other. Tucked into a leather belt was a menacing black hand gun that Nick assumed was fast, accurate and became an extension of the hand when grasped by the wearer.
The other man was taller and equally as threatening, and he wore a red bandanna tied around his forehead and carried two hand guns. His dark eyes flashed back and forth as he waved the guns and issued orders.
The thin man began talking to someone on his eye-phone. ‘We’re in the north tower penthouse. Looks like we struck gold, this guys really loaded, you should see this place. Send Jill up. There’s some ladies here she can take care of.’
Nick shot Bill a look of caution as he felt the gun barrel dig into his shoulders. ‘Right man, stand up. Slowly, and no funny business.’ The man with the bandanna said. ‘Don’t think about commanding the phone. This shooter would love a workout. Which one of you bastards own this place?’ The ugly face and the red bandanna loomed inches from Nick’s face the smell of stale tobacco assaulted his senses.
Nick didn’t answer immediately, repulsed by the man’s foul breath and body odour. Then an unexpected punch to the belly doubled him over and knocked the breath from his lungs.
Bill spun around. ‘Leave him alone you bastard! I’m the owner. What d’you want?’
‘Shut up old man! I’ll ask the questions here, you speak when I tell you. Put all your phones on the table. Sit down!’ He ordered Nick, who was trying to recover from the blow. ‘All of you, hands on the table!’ He gestured to his partner. ‘C’mon on man. Let’s enjoy some of this excellent food these good people have laid out for us while we wait for Jilly.’
They watched in disgust as the two looters began to eat their food, laughing as they threw crab claws onto the lace tablecloth.
‘This is a meal fit for a king.’ The thin one said, carefully pouring champagne into a delicate crystal glass. Veronica flinched as he downed the champagne and flung the expensive glass against the far wall, sending droplets of champagne streaking down the crimson velvet wall paper.
‘Are you arse holes having fun?’ A low pitched feminine voiced demanded.
They all turned to see a girl standing in the doorway, presumably Jilly. She was about seventeen or eighteen years old. She wore expensive gold ear rings and gold jewellery, and her attractive face was expertly made up, but the most arresting thing about her was that much of her abundant white-blonde crinkly hair flowed out widely from her face and fell to almost waist length. She wore a stylish burgundy jack-suit with motor cycle boots and the latest in feminine accessories: a wide belt with pockets that hung rakishly around her hips, into which was thrust a gruesome long-bladed knife. She also carried a hand gun and looked like she was ready to use it.
‘I bet she thinks she tough.’ Veronica whispered to Karen.
‘Yeah, join the party babe.’ The bandanna man said. ‘Won’t hurt to have a full belly. Bubbly’s good too.’
‘Yeah.We haven’t got all day y’ know. Bobby wants us to clean this place out. I bet there’s a shit load of loot in this apartment alone.’ She had made her way to the table and pushed the hand gun into Veronica’s neck. ‘Stand up bitch. You too.’ She nodded to Karen.
Jilly examined their jewellery, and satisfied that Karen offered no prize, turned her attention to Veronica. ‘Nice.’ She said as she twisted Veronica’s diamond rings from her fingers.
She flopped down at the table examining the rings, placing one on her finger and pocketing the other two. ‘Guess it won’t hurt, I haven’t eaten much today.’
Nick had been watching the sky and guessed Graham would arrive soon. He would have to ask for the rooftop door to be opened, which would have come through the speaker in the kitchen alerting the looters. When Graham came down in the lift he would have no way of knowing they were being held hostage, but he knew Graham would keep his cool, he didn’t scare easily.
Nick prayed the looters wouldn’t hear the Veto land, and he was trying to work out a way to warn Graham, he had to stop him from announcing his arrival. Jilly had laid her hand gun on the table beside Nick and his mind raced for a solution. He placed his arm on the table.
‘What was that!’ He said, and at the same time spun toward Veronica beside him and knocked the gun to the floor. ‘Open the rooftop door.’ He hissed, praying Veronica would understand, and the looters would not hear in the grab to pick up the gun.
‘I’ll get some more champagne.’ Veronica said rising and moving toward the kitchen. Jilly picked up the gun and followed her.
Veronica pulled the champagne from the fridge purposely sending it crashing to the floor. ‘Stupid bitch!’ Jilly yelled looking at her wine spattered boots. While her attention was diverted she didn’t notice Veronica push a button on the wall that connected to the rooftop door so Graham would find it open.
They returned to the dining room and Veronica managed a slight nod of her head toward Nick.So,Nick thought,she’s not a dumb blond after all.
Nick wondered how many were in this gang, and where they were in the building? He also wondered how far they would go. Would they harm them? He decided not push their luck and co-operate, they looked like a determined trio.
The looters had finished eating and the bandanna man and Jilly moved to the kitchen, cursing the wet floor as they opened cupboards and drawers, thoroughly searching for money or valuables hidden in jars or containers. The thin man remained seated.
‘Some fancy place you’ve got here mister.’ The bandanna man said, as he returned and placed his face so close to Bill he could smell his foul breath. ‘Bet you’ve got a safe somewhere too eh? Probably got smart cash in it too.’ He drawled leering at Bill.
Smart cash had replaced credit cards for those who could afford the expensive jewelled wrist band with no limit. They were granted only to people who had A1 credit ratings, and were custom made as watches or bracelets. When they were removed from the wrist the credit was automatically suspended unless the owner programmed them to remain open using their home computer.