71. Radimir

71

RADIMIR

“I don’t see her,” muttered Alexei.

We were on the second-floor balcony and it was a horror movie. The dark was making some people panic and they were running, tripping on the stairs and going down, and other people were tripping over them. Then there were the people who thought the best idea was to sit down and huddle until the lights came back on. They blocked the balconies and caused more accidents. The nightclub had already been over-full when the lights went out and now everyone was trying to get downstairs, creating a crush. Alexei and I were having to shove our way through and use our guns to scare people back.

I looked down onto the first floor, sweeping my flashlight over the crowd. Jesus. It was a heaving, claustrophobic sea of scared people. The panic was spreading and any minute now, it would turn into a stampede. Plus, the first floor would be full of Spartak’s men. We’d managed to avoid them in the dark until now but that wouldn’t last.

“I’m not leaving without her,” I told Alexei. “We have to go down there.”

Alexei nodded grimly. I knew he’d do the same, if it was Gabriella. And I’d be right by his side. I grabbed his shoulder and squeezed it. And we headed down into the crush of the dance floor. Bronwyn, I pleaded silently, where are you?