WandaWidow - Book 1

Chapter 31 - Fired Up

Natasha POV

I reached the coffee shop again in a matter of minutes, and went inside to speak with the owner. They had got to know me a little over the past few days, well the me that I wanted them to know.

"Natalina," he called out cheerily when he saw me, "Back again so soon?"

"Oh you know me, I can't stay away from you for too long," I flirted playfully in response.

The older man was taken aback, and his cheeks blushed red as I reached the counter.

"Another black coffee?" he asked, once his face had returned to it's normal colour.

"No thank you, Fred. I was just wondering if I could ask you a favour?"

"Anything for my favourite American," he replied.

It helps to make friends. Once Fred had agreed to my request he allowed me behind the counter to get access to their phone. I smiled at him, as he turned to serve another customer, before turning my eyes to the hotel opposite.

I dialled the number for the hotel, and as soon as it began to ring I set the receiver on the counter and hurried out of the coffee shop. I watched as the hotel worker turned from the desk and headed into the back room to answer the ringing phone. Once he was away from his post, I quietly and quickly entered the front hall, hopped over the desk and closed the door to the back room, kicking the key in the lock to keep him in there.

I could hear him shouting from the other side of the door, but didn't have any time to assure him. I instead drew my pistol and headed up the tight winding staircase of the hotel. The stairs were steep, and awkward, and it made me thankful that the high internal ceilings meant that the hotel was only three floors high.

On reaching the first floor I found all the room doors open, and mostly empty. I figured that the owners likely sold the furniture once the place went into closure. Nothing of interest to be found here, so I continued to the second floor. Unfortunately this was much of the same, but on reaching the top floor things were a little different.

On this last floor, there were less rooms and only one of them had a closed door. I thought to myself that I needed to remember to thank Rumlow for making this so easy for me. I looked through the keyhole, but it was covered on the other side. Odd.

The door was too tight to the frame to try and slide a camera under, so I instead took a breath and tried the handle. Unlocked. Maybe this was a little too easy?

The door opened to another bare room, with only two chairs in the centre of the room. Instead of finding Rumlow I found a young boy, no older than thirteen, and a woman in her forties sitting on the chairs. Their hands and feet bound, and their mouths gagged.

This wasn't what I was expecting, and I guess it took me a little minute to process it. When I snapped out of my daze, I only then noticed the panic in the eyes of the two captives. I stepped towards them, but they only got more scared, and shook their heads at me.

I realised then that my gun was still on them, so I raised it up to the ceiling with one hand, and then put it away again in the back of my jeans to show them that I meant no harm. This didn't seem to help either, and with every movement they became more and more manic, and their muffled protests got louder.

I stopped and they calmed a little, and it was only then I noticed the small camera in between them.

"Well, well. Along came a spider," came a voice from nowhere. A voice that I recognised.

I leaned over to look in the camera.

"Aw come on Rumlow, why don't you come out here and join me instead of hiding behind the camera? I'm sure you don't look that bad," I teased.