Crimson Whispers

I didn’t think I’d ever have to use the panic button. When I first started working here, the owner had shown me around and made a special stop at the button. Located underneath the register, it was connected to private security that I had never seen with my own eyes. I was instructed never to use it, unless it was a life or death scenario.

Keeping my hands busy with drying glasses, I glanced out into the bar through my lashes.

It wasn’t particularly busy but the group in the back was getting rowdy. When they had first entered, they had barely spared me a look and instantly headed for the table in the back. I had never seen them before but my gut was never wrong: something was off about them.

Not long after their arrival, a second group joined them. All dressed in suit and their hair nearly kept, they looked all the part gangster. And some of them were getting angry.

I hovered around the register as their voices grew louder. The last few customers had left for the night and it was nearly closing time. I wouldn’t have felt so anxious about the possibility of having to kick them out, if my co-bartender hadn’t called in sick.

Poor Jules. I hoped he felt better soon but at the same time I cursed him for his timing.

‘I won’t ask again,’ one of the men’s voices yelled.

My hands came to a slow stop. I could feel my stomach churn as a chair was sharply scraped back and a fist pounded on the table.

‘Tell your boss to step down or there will be consequences that we all want to avoid.’

Definitely criminals, I mused to myself. It was better to stay out of their business but as I turned to check the clock on the wall, I knew I’d have to say something. I wanted to close and go home. I didn’t want to be a mob moderator.

‘The terms were clear,’ another man replied somewhat calmer. ‘I take it that your boss isn’t accepting them then?’

Tension rose in the air quickly. I wasn’t sure what to do or say, but this wouldn’t fizzle out peacefully.

Putting away the wet towel after drying the last glass, I took a deep breath and looked at the men. One of them, silently met my eyes. I pressed my lips together in what I hoped was an apologetic look.

Strands of his dark blond hair fell alongside his face as he curtly nodded at me. Message received. I could breathe with relief.

Except he didn’t say anything to his friends. I watched them for a moment. Perhaps he was waiting for the right moment to interject?

But no. His lips remained sealed as he took another swing of his nearly empty beer.

I couldn’t stop myself.

‘Excuse me?’ I called out to them. ‘I’m terribly sorry but we’re closing.’

They barely acknowledged my existence. Instead, the raised voices grew louder and faster.

The man still standing was joined by another across the table, throwing fingers and curses around freely. It escalated so quickly I couldn’t follow until a deafening explosion erupted in the air.

I yelped and fell to my knees, covering my head as I pushed myself against the bar.

Another shot followed, accompanied by more shouting and the sound of glass breaking.

I squeezed my eyes shut and blindly reached for the button I had never touched. There was no time to think it through or debate whether it was better to call the cops instead.

Pushing it quickly, I forced my eyes open. They were still shooting at each other. I was stuck behind the bar. How long would it take for security to arrive?

My heart pounded in my chest but I tried to focus on my breathing. I needed to get out of here. Fuck what damage they caused. I didn’t want to die here.

Adrenaline coursed through my veins. I used it as leverage to force my body to move. With trembling knees I crawled to the far end. Another shot rang out. The bottles in front of me burst into a glittering rain of shards.

The control of my breathing slipped as I sat frozen. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the glass surrounding me.

Come on, Liz. Now is not the time.

My body moved on its own accord. Jumped to my feet, I looked out into the chaos of brawling men as my feet started moving. It all happened in slow motion.

Blood splattered against the pale beige walls, some of it pooling around one of them laying face down on the floor. My mind couldn’t comprehend he was dead.

Another shot rang out, but it came from the front.

I didn’t turn to look. I just hoped it was our security and that the silent button had actually done something. I prayed it hadn’t been an elaborate inside joke…

I ran towards the back door. It led to an alley where our dumpsters stood and it led back around to the Main Street. It was my own option of getting out of here.

‘Don’t let her get away!’

My hands cramped around the door handle. But they trembled so hard I couldn’t open it.

‘Get her too!’

I glanced to my left and saw the rudely one from earlier standing amidst the fight. He stared right at me, his face blank as he raised his gun at me.

My eyes stung. I pulled at the door handle but it wouldn’t give.

‘Please,’ I blubbered and looked back at the man. He hadn’t heard me. But he still smirked anyway. I saw his finger move to pull the trigger.

A bang exploded in my ear. The door finally gave way. I fell forward into the alley right as a hot burning pain soared through my whole body.

I couldn’t stop trembling as I stumbled away from the door. I couldn’t feel my legs, only the burning hole in my upper arm. With my other hand I pressed down on it and tried not to pay too much attention to the wetness seeping through my fingers.

I needed to get away.

My knees buckled under my own weight. The only thing saving me from falling face first onto the concrete was an empty car.

I was shot.

I got shot.

I had a hole in my arm.

Tears flowed freely and my teeth chattered. I didn’t know what to do. My mind was blank except for those two thoughts. As if they were being screamed at me through a megaphone.

Through blurry eyes I looked at my reflection in the car’s front window. Small spatters of blood freckled my face. It made my stomach churn.

‘Are you alright?’

I turned around faster than was good for me, startled by the heavy voice that had appeared out of nowhere.

The stranger had kept a safe distance, his dark eyes studying me and the bloody patch on my sleeve. It made him frown. He went to step closer but then I spotted the gun he was holding.

‘Stop.’ My voice rang surprisingly clear. ‘Don’t come any closer.’

I held out a hand as if that would make him listen should my words have failed. My pale fingers coated in dark red. Once I had spotted it, I couldn’t look away.

‘Oh my god,’ I moaned softly. I was going to be sick. How was I still standing?

‘First time?’

I ignored the faint amusement in his voice and slowly nodded. I turned my hand around, palm facing up in the orange street lights.

‘You might want to keep applying pressure to that though,’ the stranger continued. ‘You don’t wanna bleed out in an alley.’

‘I need a doctor,’ I fired back, suddenly irritated. My hand fell back to my side. ‘And you need to stay away.’

Not giving him any more space to speak, I pushed myself off of the car and started walking again. Well, stumbling was a better word for it. Tripping over my own feet and swaying side to side, I looked more like a drunk.

As I neared the end of the alley, I slowed down. What was I doing? Was it really a good idea to step out into the busy street like this? Somebody would definitely call the police and then I would most definitely be out of a job. If I even had one left after all this destruction.

I don’t know how long I stood there, mere inches away and hiding in the shadows.

‘What’s going through your mind?’

I hadn’t noticed the stranger come up behind me. My breath caught in my throat and I took a step away from him.

‘Don’t worry,’ he shushed and held his hands up. They were empty. He shot me a pointer look. ‘I don’t mean to hurt you.’

‘Then why,’ I took a deep breath, ‘were you in there with those maniacs?’

The corner of his mouth quipped up but it was gone before it could reach a full on smirk.

‘If I recall,’ he drawled out, still holding his hands up, ‘you called me.’

It took a moment for his words to register. But when they did, they didn’t help ease me.

This was the security team we had? The same people who just shot up the entire place? The same people who just shot me?

Slowly my head moved from side to side. What was going on? Nothing made sense anymore. It felt more like a movie than real life.

As if sensing that my mind was ready to trip down a rabbit hole of adrenaline and shock, the stranger spoke up again.

‘I understand that this must be a lot to process in one night,’ he slowly dropped his hands, checking that it was alright with me.

I crossed my arms while still holding onto my arm. It didn’t matter that he was being polite, maybe even nice. For all I knew, he was in cahoots with the crazy guy that shot me.

‘Who are you?’

‘You can call me Simon.’ His voice got softer but I had the idea that he did it on purpose.

‘Explain what just happened, Simon.’

He glanced back at the pub, the back door still opened into the alley. ‘I’m not entirely sure about that yet. But I can tell you it was smart to push the button.’

The button. That damn button.

‘So what?’ I shrugged as best as I could. ‘You’re some kind of secret security lurking in the shadows until somebody calls you?’

He turned back to face me, thought about it for a second and nodded.

I didn’t believe him. There was no such thing as what he claimed to be. And yet, as I studied him, I could tell he was involved in something like it.

Dressed in a black suit and obviously armed, it was almost stereotypical. His dark hair was gelled back out of his marble face and his dark eyes had obviously seen things that didn’t even come close to tonight. Or maybe I thought that because I could see a scar peeping out from his sleeve onto his hand, cutting an old school rose tattoo.

I could feel my head getting light. I blinked hard, trying not to show it and pay attention.

‘Let me get you some help for that.’ He stepped closer.

‘I don’t need your help.’ I stepped back, hitting the brick wall.

‘I’m being nice. I have no intention of hurting you. But you will bleed out at some point.’

I held his stare, doing my best to glare at him but my energy was fading fast. I needed to make a choice now.

Sighing deeply, I reluctantly nodded. ‘Fine.’ The word came out slurred and the world started spinning. ‘But you’ll have to catch me first.’

Everything went black.