Masud wanted to run away, which was no surprise to Raoul. What could be expected from a person whose brain was addled with drugs and to top that seemed to be involved in all kinds of shenanigans?!
Shaking his head, at what he had known to have some good somewhere, he nudged Masud to move forward. Every nudge brought more whimpers and more shuffling.
Raoul knew if whimpering did not finish soon, he will loose all his patience with Masud. He spoke to himself, under his breath, "Raoul, just few more minutes. Few more minutes."
Masud reached out to open the door to the building. A buzzer or a bell in such a would definitely have been out of place. Masud stumbled forward as the door came free from its hinges in his hand. He fell forward, with a crash, on top of the door. A loud cry emerged from him, while Raoul could not stop himself from laughing, giving that it seemed a scene straight out of a Charlie Chaplin movie.
He stifled his laughter helping Masud to his feet. Masud gave an embarrassed smile, mumbled his gratitude and avoiding eye contact with Raoul, showed him the way forward.
They moved up the stairs to the third floor. Masud stopped on the stairs, looked at raoul, and for the second time in the day, asked Raoul, "Should you be doing this? May be we should go to the police?! This is not going to be safe."
Raoul pressed his hand to his temples, wishing for that headache not to start at such an inopportune time, not that it ever did start and go away at his whims. He looked at Masud, "May be you should've used your sense before giving Lyna's car away as a gift to your friends to use as the getaway vehicle."
Masud flinched. Raoul stared at him. Whatever resolve Masud had till now, melted away, and he agreed with Raoul, "Alright! Alright, alright! I'll take you where those guys are generally found.
He looked at the flat on the left side of the stairs, cursing himself, for having come out to meet Raoul and Lyna, knowing all that he knew.
He motioned Raoul to follow him, and reached the last flat in the corner. Standing outside the flat, he knocked on the door. They waited.
No sound came out.
He knocked on the door again, waiting for a response. Almost giving up, he half-turned towards Raoul standing behind him, opening his mouth, when there was reply from inside, which was more along the lines of a question, "Who is it?", a female asked from inside.
Masud spoke that it was him and asked Laila to open the door. Laila replied, "Coming, coming, well isn't it strange to see you after such a long time, Mas...!", as she opened the door, stopping mid-sentence on seeing Raoul with Masud.
Raising her eyebrow, questioningly at Masud, she gestured towards Raoul. Masud mumbled and introduced Raoul.
Raoul entered the flat behind Masud, with Laila closing the door. Raoul got straight to the question and asked about Hanif and the others.
.... to be continued...
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