The Bodyguard ✔

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Lucas lays on the ground. He's been punched by the guy who just got up from the couch. Pete looks like he's trying to calm him down, while the stranger suddenly points at me.

Dammit, I still can't understand what they're saying.

Lisa is helping Lucas to stand up. I look at Vicky. She appears to be as shocked as I am. She rises from the couch and shuts off the music, as it has been shut off for the second time now. "Are you crazy?" Vicky certainly isn't afraid of saying what she thinks. The guy who punched Lucas pushes Vicky away.

Pete's still trying to ease everything. "Vince, calm down, I'll fix this." So that's his name: Vince.

Vicky looks uneasy. "Can someone tell me what's going on." When she gets ignored, Vicky lays her hand on Vince's shoulder to get attention. "Hey, I'm talking to you too!" Vince turns around and pushes Vicky violently away.

"Hey!" I stand up from the couch and I want to go to Vicky, but a muscular person blocks my path. This must be the guy who was sitting on the couch as well. The guy in front of me looks at Vince, like he's waiting for a command. That is indeed what Vince gives him. "Take them to the basement, Don. We'll deal with them later."

Wow what?

Before I can even react to his command, Don has taken my arm and Vicky's, leading us through the hallway. "What are you doing? Let us go!" I hear Lisa crying behind me as she gets escorted by Pete, who is following us. When we arrive at a dark wooden door, Pete pushes Lisa in front of him and opens it. As soon as Lisa's descending the stairs, Vicky and I get pushed through the door as well. We stand at the top of the stairs when Pete shuts the door saying "It's just for a minute, ladies."

And then: darkness.

Vicky has taken my arms with both her hands, and I hers as well. As my vision is taken away, my other senses have intensified: I can hear Vicky's heavy breathing, mine and Lisa's silent sobbing in the near distance. "Elle, what should we do now?" It is the first time Vicky sounds unconfident to me.

I try to calm myself down first. There's no need for panic, just think logically. "There should be a light switch somewhere, let's try to find it. But be careful, don't fall off the stairs." After all, we're still both standing at the top of the stairs and falling off could mean a tragic ending.

I let my hands slide over the walls around me, being intensively aware of it being covered with dust and small knobs. Slightly dusty air fills my lungs and I cough. Vicky's sudden exclamation startles me. "I found it!"

Electric light turns on with some effort and as it is typical for this sort of light: it does not flatter the skin. Lisa, standing on the floor beneath the stairs, wrapped her arms around herself and looks up at us. Red spots have formed on her cheeks and under her eyes, because of tears, as her small shoulders shock.

I go down before Vicky does. "Lisa, calm down. I don't know what's happening either, but those boys are just stupid. Don't worry, we're leaving this supposed party as soon as they open that door again." I lay a comforting hand on Lisa's upper arm, but she doesn't seem to be calmed, on the contrary.

Her shoulders just start shocking heavier and tears start rolling over her cheeks again. "No... you... don't understand... they're... going to... they're..." Lisa lays her hands on her chest as she desperately tries to catch her breath. Oh no, she's hyperventilating. If she doesn't calm down, she can lose her consciousness.

I quickly command her to sit on the ground. "Vicky, come here." I gently push Lisa's back to the ground. "Calm down, okay?"

Lisa, all out of breath, utters a word. "Asthma."

She has asthma? "Lisa, where's your inhaler?"

She just shakes her head and starts crying even more. "My bag... upstairs..."

Dammit. "Don't worry about it. Vicky, grab her legs and hold them in a 45° position." Luckily, she silently obeys. I lay my jacket under Lisa's head and I try to calm her down. It took at least ten minutes, but eventually, her breathing slowed down. Vicky puts down her legs and she crouches next to Lisa, opposite from me. "Is she okay?"

I look down at Lisa's chest. It's slowly going up and down, but her eyes are closed. I lean over so my ear is just inches away from her mouth. I hold my own breath as I listen to hers: it's wheezing. I face Vicky. "She's just exhausted from an episode, her inhaler would really help her breath more easily."

Yes, I know how it feels. It's been years since I had my last episode, but I can remember it very clearly. I remember how someone in a white coat told me my aunt had lost her battle against cancer and how the air couldn't seem to find my lungs anymore. It was the worst day of my life.

"Elle?"

I look up.

Vicky shakes her head. "What is going on?"

I part my lips to say nothing useful as I get interrupted by Lisa's weak voice.

"They're going to take us."