“The … uh … person on the speaker. They erm … said there was a room for each of us?” Adrian asked.
“Of course! I’d forgotten all about that. Good memory mate,” Hunter said. The way he presented himself, how he was the one to always speak first – he had cemented himself as the de facto leader of their group.
“I wouldn’t call that good memory,” scoffed Richard. Adrian took an immediate dislike to the man.
“Well, I’d completely forgotten about it so,” Hunter shrugged his shoulder. “I’m off to find my room. I sure hope there’s an attached dunny in there.”
“A what?” Richard asked.
“A bathroom. One can hardly make themselves ‘as comfortable as possible’ without an attached bathroom eh? Also hot water would be nice,” Hunter replied.
“You seem awfully calm for a kidnapped person who is on a death row,” Hwang said.
“Don’t we all? Except for that fellow,” Hunter pointed at Adrian. “No offence. You do seem really nervous. Anyways, there’s nothing else we can do. And panicking won’t help.”
Adrian looked at everyone else. They all did seem very calm. Except Richard, he seemed annoyed at how much Hunter was talking. Nobody else seemed to mind.
“John Hunter is right,” Kel said. “There is no use panicking. I am off to my room to freshen up for now. I advise you all do the same.”
With that, the Somalian left the living room. Hunter walked out after him. Seeing no point in staying, Adrian left the room too. Exiting through the door, Adrian found himself in a large hall. There were two wide staircases on either side at the other end with a large oak door on the wall between them. A label next to the door said ‘Kitchen’. There was a large chandelier hanging on the ceiling; unlike a traditional chandelier, the one on the ceiling had electric bulbs in place of candles. The entire floor was covered in a thick soft rug. There was another door to the left labelled ‘Library’ and one to the right labelled ‘Pool’. Adrian wondered if it referred to a swimming pool or a pool table.
There was one final door, a rather big one compared to the others presumably leading outdoors, exactly opposite the kitchen door. It was barred with five iron bars from top to bottom; each padlocked with a lock double the size of his fists.
“Hey, Adrian wasn’t it?” It was Hunter.
“Uh, yes,” Adrian answered.
“I’m sorry if I offended you when I called you nervous back there,” he said.
“Oh it’s … it’s alright,” Adrian said with a nod. “I was kidnapped and threatened with death so I suppose a little nervousness isn’t out of the way.” He couldn’t tell the Australian that he was actually the one tasked with protecting them.
“You are the only one who seem normal,” Kel said. “Everyone else is just so calm.”
“Speak for yourself mate,” Hunter said. “Man, I sure hope our host was kind enough to stash some grog in here. You two drink don’t you?”
“I do not drink,” Kel said.
“Aren’t you a party pooper? Nothing at all? Not even wine?” Hunter asked.
“I do not touch alcohol.”
“What about you Adrian?”
“Oh, I drink. I like getting drunk,” Adrian replied.
“Now there’s someone I can get along with. As for you Kel, you need to start drinking. Mate, live a little! Especially considering you’ll die within the next ten days. Unless the detective, whoever it is, saves you,” Hunter said.
“If you guys are talking about drinking, count me in.” It was Shanice Miller. She had just come out of the living room. Everyone else was coming out after her. “I’d love to have some whisky.”
“I would much prefer vodka,” Antoine said. “I’m afraid my time with the Russians have spoiled me. I don’t like the taste of anything else anymore.”
“You’ve been to Russia?” Adrian asked.
“Yes, went there on a vacation. Only, I wasn’t kidnapped over there,” he replied with a chuckle.
“Russians. I hate them,” Raven said with a disgusted face.
“Hey guys,” Hunter, who had climbed up the staircase called, “All of our rooms are up here. They’re clearly labelled too and they have an attached dun – bathroom, god bless our host.”
“I wouldn’t have god bless our host considering they kidnapped us and locked us up in here,” said Tharonby.
“Not to mention the ‘one death per day’,” Richard added.
They all looked at each other and, for the first time since waking up, Adrian saw fear behind the calm in everyone’s faces.
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