He pressed the hoodie into my arms. “I want the hood up.”
I reluctantly pulled it over my head. I felt like I was swimming in a blanket. “I’m really hot.”
He stepped forward and yanked the hood up over the hat. “Keep this up.”
“This makes me want to scream,” I informed him through clenched teeth.
“Suck it up.”
The crew member stood, acting like he couldn’t hear us speak. “Follow me.”
The trek from the back of the plane to the hangar was almost unbearable. The heat from the black tarmac made it feel like I was walking on a stovetop. I was still wearing my winter boots, and I thought I was going to melt.
The hanger wasn’t air conditioned, but at least we were out of the sun. Without ceremony, a guard stepped forward and motioned for us to follow him. He led us out the back of the hangar and then walked us over to a chain-link fence.
“Taxi waiting for you.”
Viktor handed him a bundle of cash, which the man carefully counted before smiling and ushering us through the gates.
With a firm grip on my arm, Viktor hustled me into the back of the warm cab.
Viktor spoke to the cab driver. “Do you speak English?”
“Yes, a bit.”
“We need a cheap hotel that doesn’t ask questions.”
The man didn’t look back. “I know one place. It costs thirty dollars a night.”
“That’s fine.”
We drove in silence, but when I tried to take the hood down, Viktor gave me a death look.
When we pulled up to the hotel, I waited impatiently while Viktor paid the taxi driver.
“Can I take my hood off now?” I hissed.
“Not until we’re in the room.”
I stood in the lobby, off to the side, while Viktor dealt with the hotel staff. Then we were pointed in the direction of stairs. The stairwell felt like a convection oven. I got to the first-floor landing and couldn’t take it anymore.
I ripped off the hat and then pulled off the sweatshirt and threw them both on the floor, panting with my efforts. Then, for good measure, I kicked off my boots and his sweatpants. It didn’t matter. His oversized t-shirt came down to almost my knees.
Viktor watched me in silence. “You finished?”
“Yes.”
He moved ten feet toward a door and unlocked it.
Well, that made me feel like an idiot. I bent down and picked up the items before huffing past him.
The room was tiny, with no windows and two single cots that were so close together they were almost touching. Three hooks were on the wall, and a tiny table and stool were tucked in the corner. The air in the room was stuffy and hot.
Viktor moved past me to the table and picked up a remote. A couple of seconds later, lukewarm air was washing over us from the small air conditioner.
“What room are you in?” I asked.
“This is our room.”
I put my hand on my hip. “No way.”
“It’s not up for debate.”
“Why do you have to sleep in here?”
“To keep you safe.”
Again, I couldn’t argue with his logic, but it didn’t mean I had to like it. “You could have at least gotten a bigger room.”
“This is the biggest room they had.”
“Really?” That shocked me.
“Do you want to shower?”
His words stopped me in my tracks. “Yes.”
He looked around the room. “I’m heading downstairs for a couple of minutes. You don’t open the door, you don’t let anyone in.”
I was grateful for the privacy. “Okay.”
He left the room and shut the door behind him. I stood there completely dumbstruck that I was alone. I wondered if maybe I should be trying to find a phone to call for help, but at that moment, it seemed like too much work. Besides, I knew the only way to save my grandfather was to stick with Viktor. As dangerous as he was, he kept me safe from all the other monsters.
It felt too hot to think. I needed to cool down. The bathroom was no bigger than a closet. The walls were covered floor to ceiling with bright-blue tile, and there was a long drain on the floor. The shower was over the toilet and sink, but the water pressure was surprisingly good.
I opened the tiny soap package and scrubbed my body. Despite the decor and lack of space, it was possibly the most refreshing shower of my life. Using the self-dispensing shampoo, I washed my hair twice and then ran the water to a cool, tepid temperature and stood there until my body was shivering with cold. It felt glorious.
Reluctantly, I turned off the taps and used one of the hard white towels that was folded on a rack over the sink. I had left my clothes on the bed. I listened at the door. I heard nothing. I wrapped the barely-there towel tight around my body and then slowly opened the door.
Viktor lay on one of the beds.
I stood with my head poking out the door while I eyeballed my ball of clothes on the bed. Beside it sat a plastic bag. If I took one step into the room, I would be able to reach the bundle. “You’re back.”
He spoke without opening his eyes. “The bag has some fresh clothes for you.”
I rushed forward, snatched up everything and retreated into the wet bathroom.
He had bought me a pair of light-blue drawstring cotton pants that had a wide leg and ended just above my ankle. They were baggy, but I could tighten them at my waist. He also bought a white quarter-sleeved tunic top that was made of linen. The fabric was surprisingly soft and light and would keep me cool while protecting me from the sun. At the bottom of the bag were a pair of flip-flops that fit slightly big but did the trick.
I had been dreading putting his fleece clothes back on. I felt like a million bucks.
I stepped back outside. He was lying in the exact same spot with his eyes shut.
“Thanks for the clothes.”
“You done in there?”
“Yes.”
He rolled off the bed into a sitting position and dug into his bag. “I’m going to shower, and then we’ll go get something to eat.”
At the thought of food, my stomach rumbled hard. I had no idea how long we’d been traveling, but that energy bar hadn’t gone far. “Okay.”
I scrambled onto my single cot as he came around my side of the bed to access the shower. He paused at the door.
“Don’t talk, don’t move, don’t answer the door.”
“When are you going to stop telling me that?”
“When you learn not to talk, move or get into trouble.”
I lifted my chin a fraction. “No one likes to be bossed around.”
“Then learn to follow orders.” With that, he disappeared into the shower.
CHAPTER SEVEN
VIKTOR
I placed my two loaded weapons on top of the towel rack and quickly stripped down. I stepped into the tepid water and welcomed the shock to my body. I need to jerk off. My thought caught me off guard, and I could feel my nuts tighten slightly in anticipation.
I turned the warm water completely off and blasted myself with ice water for a good thirty seconds before all thoughts of sex dissipated.
I started to scrub myself down with the sliver of soap that Blaire had left me. My body ached with fatigue, but we needed to eat and stock up on supplies. The easiest way out of the country would be by boat. For enough cash, someone would be willing to risk smuggling us into Vietnam.