Borgata - Book II #wattys2016

Chapter 2: Absence of Light

Don't forget to vote and leave feedback, so that I know if you enjoy the chapter!

;)))))))))))))))))))))

* * *

Fico's hand was still extended towards me.

You can't run from me anymore.

"You're right," I said and put on my best 'I'm-so-fragile' eyes. "I can't."

I made a decision, then. I knew this decision would change my fate drastically, for better or for worse.

I reached for Fico's helping hand, but before our fingers touched, I picked up that pocketknife I dropped on the floor with my other hand, lunged forward on the ground, and I stabbed Fico right in the thigh.

"FUCK!!" He grabbed at me, but I rolled out of the way like a ninja, got on my feet, and with the toe of my heel, I struck him so hard in the balls that I was certain every male in our vicinity had felt it. Truth be told, I felt bad for his future wife, after that one.

Fico crumbled to the ground like a tower of cards, and I fled to the back exit of the private room. Right when I threw my entire weight into the exit door, Fico roared out a command to his men. I could hear it in his voice. If they caught me, I was dead.

I sprinted down a narrow hallway, past strippers smoking and flirting with men. I shoved people out of the way and even stepped on someone's foot with my stiletto.

Ouch, I know.

When I looked over my shoulder, men in suits were pursuing me. If they had guns on them, they weren't trying to shoot me. I didn't know if that was a good or bad thing, but I didn't want to find out.

I made it into the alley behind the club, across the street, through a bakery, out another and into another building. I thought I was home free, sprinting down a vacant alleyway, when Ben appeared on the other side of it.

He ran towards me. "Samantha, stop! It's pointless!"

I turned my head around, to find another suited man running at me from the other end of the alleyway.

Frantically, I looked around, and locked onto a fire escape ladder. I ran at it and jumped. My momentum wasn't great enough, plus my feet were killing me in my heels (a rarity since I was used to those suckers, I know), and my hands barely reached the bottom bar of the ladder. And whatever reason, the ladder got stuck and wouldn't slide down. Ben and the other suited men were nearing. The odds were against me. At least, I would have been at a disadvantage, had I not been a pole-dancer. I used my upper body strength to heave myself quickly up the metal. Then, like a participant on Ninja Warrior, I nearly flew up the flights of stairs and launched myself into an open apartment window.

"Just passing through!" I shouted breathily at the skinny, pale man lining up some drugs to snort up on his kitchen counter. I flew towards his front door, navigated down many hallways to an elevator, and watched an unfamiliar brown-haired man in a suit race towards me, nearly throwing his body into the elevator, before the doors closed.

I took the elevator down to the bottom floor, my features torn between laughter and terror. Ding! Through the foyer I went, out onto the sidewalk, and then onto the street. Horns beeped and a taxi almost nailed me as I desperately J-walked to the other side. I kept running, and jogging, and stumbling... It was blisteringly hot outside, and I thought I would collapse. I was getting dizzy and slowed my pace.