The Turning Point

Chapter 3

chapter 3

Noah

The car rounded a corner as I turned in my seat to face Jeanie.

“How did ‘Cerberus’ manage to get here before us?” I asked, curious. She shrugged and winked at me.

“Friends in high places,” she called over the roar of the wind around us, “our current employer had a private cargo plane for his own shenanigans, so I made one of the conditions of our contract that Cerberus would go wherever we go.”

I looked at her a little perplexed,

“But won’t the car attract attention?” I questioned, looking around at the beat up Ladas and old VWs that cruised the roads around us. She looked over at me and smiled, her hair whipping in the wind.

“So?” she asked coyly, “We’re not exactly planning on staying around for long.”

Slamming the butt of her hand onto the dashboard of the car she gritted her teeth in frustration. Roughly pulling at the wheel Jeanie hauled the car into a sharp turn.

“Does no one speak English around here?” she snarled, glaring daggers through the windscreen. I raised a finger, my mouth opening to answer her. But I lowered it, thinking again. Instead I pointed out a parking spot just ahead; she pulled into it, giving me a curious look. I gestured over a middle aged man who had been casually enjoying a cigarette, loitering in the entrance of an alley.

“Mё falni zotёri, por mund tё ju direkt mua hoteli mё I afёrt?” I asked him, as he sauntered over to lean on the side of the car.

“Vetёm tё marrё e majta e ardhahёm, hoteli I quajtur tij Gotrmund.” He said and gestured down the street. I nodded my thanks as he stepped back, giving our car a curious look.

“Take the next left.” I told Jeanie as she pulled back into the passing traffic. She nodded giving me a funny look.

“I didn’t know you spoke Albanian.” She said a little shocked.

“There’s a lot that you don’t know about me.” I countered slyly, winking ever so slightly.

I turned away from her; a sad look on my face, what I had said was true. She didn’t know much about me and I wasn’t about to start telling her. We had only been working together for a while and there are things that I just can’t tell her about me, about my past, my future and all the things in between.

I spotted Hotel Gotrmund, its fading and cracked visage adding to the run-down look of the neighborhood we were in. Pointing it out we pulled into the roundabout leading into the reception, car bouncing about on the uneven tarmac. Jeanie brought the car to a juddering stop. Jumping out, she loped into the hotel reception. I watched her with amusement as she gestured wildly, trying in vain to communicate with the receptionist. I sighed, a smile on my face and I opened the door of the car stepping out onto the road, making sure to close it behind me. Pushing open the door to the reception I put Jeanie out of her misery, quickly getting us a room.

Heaving the last bag into the room I dumped it on the ground before sprawling out across the bed. Jeanie wandered over to the door and looked out, checking for exits and structural integrity of the door. I watched her, fascinated by the way she moved, unconscious of how beautiful she was. She froze suddenly, and looked out the door again. She frowned and I saw a hand reach for the knife at her side. I stood and moved over next to her and peered over her shoulder.

“What is it?” I asked, whispering into her ear. She jumped and pushed me, a cute grin on her face.

“Nothing, just thought I saw something” she said, glancing towards the door again, a strange look on her face. I snickered a little and gently pulled her into my arms, falling backwards so that we both crashed onto the bed. I needed to distract her.