12 Minutes (#2 in Military series)

Chapter 14

This chapter is dedicated to @carpentera011 for her patience and encouragement. I hope the wait was worth it. Thank you. 

Chapter 14

With both parties still in a state of shock, Kazeem led them up a narrow flight of stairs which was blocked on all sides by brick walls. Jules watched Hasan check the locks on the door before he followed at the rear.

As they all crowded on the steps the staircase grew darker as their bodies blocked the only access for the light to seep through until Kazeem pushed at a door at the top of the stairs.

Peering over Twitch's shoulder, Julia peered through the gap in the door and saw that the apartment was flooded with a warm orange-red colour from the curtains of the same colour that had been draped over the windows to block out the afternoon sun and wandering eyes.

When Julia reached the apartment she could see that the door led straight into a living area. It's walls could have been painted pink but the stained light coming in through the curtains made everything in the room appear orange.

A variety of Persian rugs and torn blankets had been layered on top of each other and spread out on the floor around a small lamp in the centre of the room to create soft areas to sit and sleep. The only other piece of furniture in the room was a small table which lay beside a door.

Jules walked around Marc and looked inside cautiously.

"That is my room," Hasan called to Julia, holding out a hand towards her.

Jules looked at him over her shoulder but she still stepped walked inside and looked around. Hasan turned to Kazeem but he laid a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. Julia appeared a few moments later.

"All clear," She told them.

"Yes," Hasan nodded, unsettled by her apparent lack of trust or appreciation of others peoples property, "Of course, it is."

"Make yourself at home," Kazeem spoke, holding out his arms to them to indicate that they could sit.

Julia and the others began to pull the rifles off over their heads when a loud crash came from the back of the house.

They all gripped their weapons and trained them on the room at the back.

"Is someone else here?" Marc asked Kazeem as he strode past, heading for the location of the noise. Jules followed him, her eyes catching Hasan's as she did so.

"There is no need for-" Hasan called after them but they ignored him and kept going, "Please!"

Marc and Julia walked down a short, narrow corridor; the walls were lined with framed photographs that showed a large family. At the end of the hallway lay two doors exactly opposite each other.

Marc checked the right door first, "Clear."

Rifle nestled into his shoulder Marc turned to the doorway on his left and saw that there was no door only a shower of green and blue beads that dangled on individual strings from the top of the doorway.

The tip of the rifle was the first thing to cross the threshold into the kitchen. Julia stuck close behind him as she followed him in, instantly getting accosted by the scent of some spicy food.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw that Carlos and Twitch had secured Kazeem and Hasan, stopping them from getting in the way.

Marc saw a line of counter tops and various kitchen appliances when he stepped through the curtain of beads before he turned the corner and found a woman at the sink.