Robbers

thirty - two

At the top of the staircase, Kurt led them down a short hallway, with an easy-going gait that suggested he had been here multiple times. The other man was following behind them so closely that Ella could feel the toes of his boots nudging against her heels every other step, as though he wanted them to be walking faster. But her legs were wobbly and she felt as though she was walking through syrup, like she was caught in some horrible nightmare where it was impossible to run.

Kurt knocked twice on the scuffed, cream-colored door at the very end of the hallway and pushed it open, although Ella hadn't heard any sort of response from within. Ryan entered after Kurt and Ella followed closely behind, her head ducked low and shoulders hunched forward as though she wanted nothing more than to become invisible behind Ryan's tall stature.

The apartment smelled strongly of a mix between cigarettes and marijuana. People were talking loudly as the four of them entered, voices echoing in laughter and deep tones. Ella's head was spinning as the room opened up into a sitting area, with a flat-screen television and black leather couches. There were men sitting haphazardly around the room, ranging from Ryan and Ella's age to about fifteen years older. The air was thick and clouded by thin tendrils of smoke.

"Hunter, my boy. What's good?"

The voice had come from the right side of the living room, where a man in his late-twenties was slouched in an armchair. Unlike Kurt, this man's face was clear of pock marks, and his lower cheeks were sharpened by dark stubble. The color of his hair was hidden by a dark green snapback, the hat twisted backwards so the rim rested against the back of his neck. His thin chest and prominent ribs made him appear skinny, but the muscles on his arms bulged beneath pale, heavily tattooed skin.

Ryan nodded stiffly in his direction, and Ella could practically feel the tension in his stance. His tone was cautious and cold all at once as he replied evenly, "Jackson."

"My buddy Kurt says you have good news for me," the man grinned, revealing yellowed teeth. Jackson straightened in his armchair and spread his arms wide, his palms facing the ceiling. "The day has come."

His tone was mocking, and Ella felt as though every man in the apartment was holding back laughter. Kurt and the other man placed the duffel bags at Jackson's feet, beside the glass coffee table that was laden with items that Ella didn't bother to examine. Ryan took a small step forward after only a second of hesitation, tossing the final duffel bag into the pile with the rest. As soon as he moved, Jackson's cool grey eyes slipped past Ryan's shoulders and fell upon Ella.

The hairs on the back of Ella's neck stood up. Jackson motioned towards two men on his right, pointing towards the bags at his feet and saying, "Count it."

As the two men moved towards the duffel bags, Jackson raised one arm towards Ryan, who had moved backwards to stand in front of Ella almost as soon as he had left. "Hunter," he began, almost teasingly, "when were you going to introduce us to your friend?"

Ryan's lips parted, but no sound came out and Ella could see the stiffness in his cheek from how tightly his jaw was clenched. Jackson was grinning, one corner of his mouth curved upwards, and Kurt was laughing from his place on Ryan's left.

"That's Ella Jane," Kurt told Jackson, cutting in before Ryan could even begin to respond. His hands were shoved deep inside his jean pockets, wiry arms bent in a casual position. "She's the one I told you about."

Ella could feel multiple pairs of eyes on her, and she wanted to sink beneath the wooden floorboards and out of sight. Jackson was watching her from past Ryan's shoulders, and he nodded towards her in greeting. "Hey there, Ms. Jane. It's nice to meet you."