Human Nature (Book 4): Human Nature IV by Borthwick, Finlay (book recommendations website .TXT) 📗

“Tweezers!” Cora affirmed as planted them in her mother’s hand.

“Alright. Now, Emile,” she looked across Alek’s bed to stare his fiancé sternly in the eyes, “Hold him down firmly, okay? Hold him down like is life depends on it—Because, quite frankly, it does.”

Emile nodded, understanding what he had to do. Without needing to be told twice, he kept Alek pinned down by his arms.

Taking a deep breath, Erica composed herself. “You can do this!” She whispered to her unnerved conscience. Then, remembering that it was now or never, Erica moved in on Alek’s wound with the tweezers…

Nikola, Rubin, Kieran, and Valorie had stumbled across an old electronics shop. The front window had been smashed open, and most of the items inside had already been looted. The glass shards that were scattered all over the floor were all mouldy and dirty.

On the splintery wooden shelves, there were even insects crawling around as well as small plants growing out from all the damp mould.

As Kieran slowly opened the door, a bell rung out above it. “Well, that’s very old-fashioned.” He remarked as he listened to the ringing.

In single file, Nikola, Rubin, and Valorie all entered into the store from behind him as well.

“Spread out,” Kieran suggested, “Check every single shelf, check the back rooms, make sure you thoroughly examine every nook and cranny—Some of the objects on Mac’s list could easily have slipped inside a crevice.” As he said this, he unfolded the aforementioned list and left it on the counter for everybody to check.

“We’ll take the back rooms,” Nikola asserted about herself and Rubin, “You two search around out here in the front.”

Neither Kieran nor Valorie contested this idea.

With their tasks now clearly identified, the group of four split off into their designated two pairs.

“Found anything yet?” Nikola called over to Rubin amidst their rummaging of the back rooms.

“Well, a load of useless crap, but that’s all.” Rubin responded on the negative, finding nothing but empty cardboard boxes and smashed television screens scattered about.

“Oh shit, look at this!” Nikola had noticed something peculiar.

“What is it?” Rubin asked as he made his way to her side.

“Looks to be a doll of some kind.” She remarked as she picked the doll in question up; it was scruffy and rather eerie looking. It had one left eye which was a black button, whilst its’ right eye was nowhere to be seen.

“More like a voodoo doll, I think.” Rubin countered.

“Even so,” Nikola sighed, “A child owned this once upon a time. A child who’s probably long gone by now.”

“Yeah…” Rubin lamented with her.

Valorie was going over the list on the counter; partially to remember herself what objects she needed to gather, but also partially to distract herself from the feeling of grief.

“What the hell does a VHS player have to do with a solar farm?” Valorie enquired to Kieran, having read the final, and rather unusual, point on Mac’s list.

Kieran rose up from underneath the shelf which he was swiping at in order to answer Valorie’s question, “Oh, I don’t think it does have a connection.” He grinned.

“Then why is it on here?”

“Well, you know Mac as well as I do… I think he just loves a good old classic.” Kieran referred to how passionate Mac was about films from the seventies and eighties.

“True—I mean, it’s just weird,” Valorie commented, “I was just a kid myself when VHS tapes were in circulation. Mac has an interest in films that were made over a decade before his time?” This concept was completely alien to her for some reason.

“Maybe that’s because when he was a kid, the films that were being produced were utter shite.” Kieran kidded with her.

But then, the light-hearted atmosphere was shattered.

‘BANG! BANG! BANG!’

Three consecutive and deafeningly loud gunshots were fired off from outside of the store.

“Get down!” Kieran grabbed Valorie as he took her down behind the counter with him. “Don’t make a sound.” He grumbled to her, putting his finger over his lip as he did so.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Valorie complied, slowing her breathing rate as she did so.

The door to the backroom squeaked open, as Nikola and Rubin poked their heads through the gap.

‘Get back!’ Kieran mimed to them, as he gestured with his hands for them to shut the door again.

Instantly, they complied. As they backed up, Nikola and Rubin closed the door again.

“We know you’re in there!” The booming voice informed the scavenging group from outside. “We just wanna talk to you, that’s all. Come on out quietly, and let’s get down to it.”

Neither Kieran nor Valorie trusted the man outside; he just had one of ‘those’ voices.

“You heard the gunshots… So, you know if you don’t come out here, things are gonna get a little tense.”

Kieran scrunched his face up in anger at this threat, slowing moving his hand towards his own pistol as his anger rose.

Valorie grabbed Kieran’s trigger hand and pleadingly shook her head at him.

“Why not??” He whispered to her, completely mystified by this action.

She didn’t give an answer.

“I’ll count back from ten if I have to!” The man continued to taunt.

“I could kill him right where he stands!” Kieran grumbled to Valorie, despite not knowing where exactly their unseen foe stood.

Valorie continued shaking her head to dismiss Kieran’s suggestions.

Swallowing his anger, Kieran felt obliged to comply with Valorie’s request, out of respect for his late friend.

“Fine… Ten!” The man had indeed begun counting down.

“I don’t think he’s bluffing, Val!” Kieran groused at her. “Just give me permission—Let me do it!” Again, out of respect for Richard, Kieran was not willing to go against Valorie’s wishes, though it was not above him to pressure