The Brink | Day - 13 | 760- - Words, 30385 Total

Chapter 6 Cont.

“I’ve never met any other Bosses as good as him, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Zeleny shook his head.

“You’ve only met one other so what frame of reference do you have?” Tesar shot back.

The apartment door opened and Praza entered. He tossed the door closed behind him then walked to the kitchen and asked, “know who owns the Aston Martin?”

Zeleny raised an eyebrow, “no, why?”

“Just wondering, I had to borrow their cover for the broken windows,” Praza replied with a tilt of his head.

Zeleny walked to the fridge and pulled a bottle of water from the shelf then shut the door. “I still think you’re wrong about him,” he said to Praza as he walked back to Anika.

“About what?” Praza asked.

“He doesn’t understand why I don’t trust Mishenka,” Tesar’s face tightened and his lips went flat.

“Really? He must not be paying attention then cause it’s pretty obvious the way Mishenka treats everyone.”

“Whatever, it won’t matter for much longer anyway,” Tesar shrugged.

“What won’t matter?” Zeleny asked as he walked back into the room.

“Nothing,” Praza said quickly, “she okay?”

“She’s awake now and drank some water. I’m going to take the Saltines in but she’ll need food soon,” Zeleny rummaged in the cupboard for the box of sleeves.

“Just get delivery,” Tesar offered.

Zeleny nodded as he walked to the bedroom and shook the box of crackers in the air.

Praza looked down at his watch then up at Tesar, “I’m starving. It’s 4:30 and we still have to go to the warehouse again.”

“We’ll see what he says when he comes out but I’m good to go get food. He can order her delivery.”

Chapter 7

“I still don’t understand why it has to be me,” Anika said as she slid her legs into leggings.

“You don’t have a record so you’re the one who can most likely get out of the country,” Zeleny replied as he pulled his shirt on over his head.

“But it will show up on metal detectors won’t it?” her sweater slid down over her sleeveless top.

“I’m pretty sure you just have to say it’s a bolt from a broken bone,” he said with a slight shrug.

“That’s not very convincing sounding to me,” her brow furrowed.

“We can ask him when we get there, he said to be at the warehouse at 9:30,” his boots slid on and then tied.

Zeleny walked to the kitchen and poured cold coffee into a mug and slid into the microwave. He waited for it to finish then pulled it out and poured a stream of sugar into it from a jar on the counter. He stirred it with the handle of a spoon on the counter then tossed it in the sink. He took a drink of the coffee and puckered his face at he sweetness.

“You drink like a hummingbird,” Anika said as she walked into the room.

“Says the one who eats like bird,” he retorted.

She shot him a glaring look then walked to the fridge and pulled an espresso shot can out, cracked it, then downed it in a few swallows. She closed the door then tossed the can at the garbage which hit the rim and bounced off the wall then fell to the floor.

Zeleny shook his head and smiled then drank the remains of his coffee, again a grimace came over his face and his lips puckered. He shook his head and blinked his eyes until the sweetness diminished.

Anika pulled her purse from the table which was less a purse and more a wallet. Small in size with a long thin strap and a clasp to lock it on the front flap. She slung the strap over her head and shoulder then looked at Zeleny and asked, “are you about ready?”

He smirked and muttered, “you’re the one who is always late.”

He walked to the wall of the room near a window and bent down to the floor. He pushed on a board and it popped up slightly, enough to allow him to grasp the slight edge and pull the board up on its hinge. Beneath the board was a cavity about eighteen inches long by eight inches wide and deep. He pulled a small cloth bag from the cavity and stuffed it in his pocket then pushed the board back down and clicked it into place. The board seated flush with the surrounding so it was not visible as a false board.

Continued