Black Blood

In a half-asleep state, I am awakened by an unfamiliar sound. With difficulty I open my heavy eyelids. Once again, a loud bang echoes through the shop. My gaze glides over the space I am in, hoping to rouse myself from my sleeping state. The candles have been extinguished, here and there some half-cured candle wax lies on the floor. It is dark around me.

I am startled when a new loud noise rumbles through the room. I throw off the covers, look at the sleeping Novak next to me. He doesn’t seem to wake up to the sound so I have to go out myself. I sweep my bare legs over the edge of the bed and place my feet on the wooden floor. Sighing, I get up and walk to the stairs, dressed only in my nightgown.

In the distance, I hear a man’s voice shouting, but I can’t understand what it’s saying. I am not awake enough to realise where the voice is coming from. Behind me, I hear movement in the bed.

‘Where are you going?’ Novak asks in a hoarse voice.

‘Looking,’ is my only answer as I slowly start to climb the stairs. Novak doesn’t ask any further.

The higher I climb the stairs the more voices I hear coming closer. I hear a female voice and several heavy male voices. I only recognise Nelly’s voice, although I can’t hear what she says.

At the top of the stairs, I step onto the wooden floor. I have no idea what time it is. When I look through the window in the warehouse I see that the sun is just rising. The sky is pale orange.The shop and warehouse are dark, lit only by the few windows.

‘No. Again, we won’t be open for another hour,’ is the first thing I hear. It’s Nelly’s voice. She sounds irritated and not at ease. Without thinking, I walk towards the shop, unaware that I have to keep myself hidden.

‘Come on old fart, I need it now.’ I vaguely recognise the voice, but I cannot place it. Something in my body tells me to go back to the cellar and not to get involved in the conversation. My curiosity wins out as I walk closer to the entrance of the shop.

’Get out of here. I will not be insulted by an Omega.’I want to take the last step that brings me to the entrance of the shop, but am stopped by Novak’s voice.

‘Come back.’ I turn my head and see him standing at the opening of the shutter in just pants. He whispers, has a serious look on his face.

‘I’ll kick that door in if you don’t give it to me now,’ the male voice says. That last remark is enough for me to take the last step into the shop. I see Nelly trying to keep out a man with the door in her hands. I immediately recognise the man, Willem. The man who abuses his son, the man who assaulted me. My eyes widen and immediately I am aware of how big a mistake I have made.

‘You.’ His parched lips pull up to a grin. The clothes he is wearing look exactly the same as the last time I ran into him. Filthy, exfoliated and torn. He carries a burlap sack in one hand while holding the door open with the other. Slowly I take a step back. I have to get out of here and I have to get out now.

‘I knew I’d get you. Franders will reward me handsomely if I bring his beloved wife back to him. He won’t be too happy with the news that his wife is an ill-mannered whore, but I’m sure he’ll know what to do about that.’ I swallow. My heart is pounding in my throat as I take another step backwards. I have no way out. There is only one door, the windows are too high or too small to climb out. I am a rat in a trap.

‘Franders’ wife? The Night Rider? You’re mistaken, this is my niece,′ Nelly tries. She tries to push the door further shut, to lock the man out, but she doesn’t have the strength. William pushes the door open. Nelly falls backwards onto the floor. The door swings with a bang against the other wall.

‘Shut up, you old hag,’ he scolds Nelly. He takes a step further into the shop. I don’t know where I got the courage and strength to say the next thing, but it leaves my lips without hesitation.

‘Franders won’t be happy to hear that you assaulted his wife and attempted to rape her.’ Meanwhile, I let my eyes roam the shop, looking for a way out. He laughs shrilly.

‘Who do you think he believes? His wife and the most wanted Night Rider of the moment or the man who brought her back?’ I can’t deny he’s probably right. Christiaan will never believe me and if he did, he’d be more likely to laugh at me than pursue Willem.

I slowly take a few steps back while Willem takes a few steps forward. The burlap sack hangs in his left hand, what it contains unclear. Nelly tries to get up from the floor, but her leg seems to be hurting. She grabs at her ankle.

‘There’s no way to get away, dear, save yourself the trouble,’ Willem grins.

The next moment passes very quickly. Until now I had forgotten Novak’s presence. A bag is pressed into my hands while Novak comes to stand beside me. He has taken the time to put on his normal clothes during the conversation between me and Willem. Behind Willem, Nelly pushes herself off the ground and stands up.

‘There is always a possibility,’ says Novak. At that moment, Nelly jumps from behind onto Willem’s back. Willem tries to turn around. Nelly seizes the opportunity to stick the knife, which she has always had in her shorts since the first raid, into his side. Groaning, Willem falls to his knees on the floor as his blood stains the dirty shirt.

‘Guards! The Night Rider!’ he shouts.

‘Celeste, run,’ with those words Novak grabs my hand and pulls me running towards the door. There’s so much I want to say to Nelly, but I don’t have time for anything more than a grateful look. We run out of the shop together. Behind me I hear shouting, things fall and people run. I clasp the bag between my hands, not knowing what’s inside.