Ineffable ? Joost Klein ?

46.

'Aggu.'

The new voice made Arabella turn. She paused in her walk and her shoulders slightly sagged in relief. The sight of her friend standing outside Aggu's car was nothing short of blissful. It made it even better that she had her own gun in her hands, which Arabella didn't know she would ever see in her life time.

Joost couldn't find any relief in seeing Elke out of the car with his gun. He had left it under his seat in case Aggu or someone else arrived at the car while Joost was distracted. If he had known she was going to step out, aim the weapon at Aggu in front of a bunch of unknown men, Joost would have taken it with him.

'You're really starting to become a problem, Elke,' Aggu grumbled. He didn't need to turn to know that the woman was stood with a weapon. While he watched Arabella pause and surpress a watery grin at the sight behind him, Aggu didn't lower his aim.

'Let her go,' Elke demanded, working hard to keep her voice stable. 'Or I'll shoot.'

The handle was cold in her two hands and she wasn't sure if she would be able to pull the trigger. Elke didn't know what she was thinking when she stepped out of the car. She had watched her best friend be forced to walk in agony. When Aggu sent Arabella back along the painful path, Elke had thrown open her door while everyone was distracted.

Elke tried to not look to where Joost stood to know he was livid. His attempts to keep her out of harm's way didn't have the best track record but this was a new step. But from what Elke could gather, Joost couldn't do much as Arabella was being forced to join the strangers in the carpark.

She faltered as Aggu slowly turned around. The sight of Elke in her evening dress and Joost's gun in her hands didn't faze him. He confidentally faced his back to those he kept a distance from and left Arabella to stand on her lonesome.

'Go on, then. Shoot me,' Aggu insisted and Elke swallowed. She tried to inch her finger to the trigger but it barely twitched. She thought she could at least scare Aggu into letting Arabella retreat into the car. Joost would throw himself behind the wheel and they would leave Aggu to finish his deal alone. But Elke's lack of experience shown and she was staring at the mask with trembling arms.

Joost's feet were already moving when Aggu's arm raised. The gunshot that rang out made Arabella squeal and throw her hands up to her face. She went to rush towards the scene but her ankle buckled from the skid of her inch-tall heels.

Joost's gun dropped to the floor and tears spung to Elke's eyes. The recoil of the weapon had shocked her but not as much as her sudden dare to shoot Aggu before he pulled his own trigger. Her cheeks became wet as Joost bent down to grab the gun while Aggu stumbled backwards.

Groaning and clutching his arm, Aggu staightened up. Even with a bullet in his flesh, he kept the bag strap on his shoulder. With a grimace and glare behind his mask, Aggu went to meet his shooter's eye, but met Joost's instead.

'Fucking hell, man,' Aggu wheezed. 'You've got a bold one, Joost.'

'Arabella,' Joost called out without taking his eyes or gun off of Aggu. 'Come over here-'

'No, no. Don't move, Bella.'

The barrell was aimed at the woman for the third time that night. Aggu's arm threw itself back into Arabella's direction to stop her from moving an inch. Her wide eyes were glued to the blood that seeped through his white shirt.

'Give it up, Aggu. You're done,' Joost encouraged. The men on the other side of the carpark were filtering back into their cars hurriedly. They weren't involved in whatever double-crossing that was occuring. Their deal was finished and Ski Aggu's condition was one they didn't mind dropping.

With the money in hand, the cars roared to life just as two vehicles screeched around the corner. They were in the carpark and in front of their bonnets before they could pull away.

More bullets were fired and Arabella threw herself to the ground. A rogue shot dinged against the Mitsubishi Lancer and Aggu took the distraction to fire his own shot. Joost ducked, causing Elke to do the same, and before they knew it, a shoot-out was taking place around them.

Joost bent low as he rushed backwards. His arm stuck behind him in the presumption that he would run into Elke. When he did, she was already bending low to avoid bullets. He pushed her behind the car's boot where Elke fell on her backside.

As Joost leaned to peer to the shoot-out, he caught sight of the black Porsche, Stuntje's BMW and those who shot around it. His friends, the people he trusted the most, wielded their guns and drew the cars of men into a back and forth. He saw Arabella on the floor, her hands over her head and sobbing. But there was no Aggu, putting Joost into a state of panic and unease.

Jerking back behind the taillight, Joost watched a bullet soar past. His heart raced and he took a shaky breath, hearing the shooter throw open the door to the driver's side.

'Oh, my god! Are you hurt?!' Elke cried at seeing the close call. Instead of an answer, the sound of bullets were overshadowed by the exhaust beside them roaring to life.

'Go!' Joost cried. 'Get up! Quick!'

The two hauled each other to their feet as Aggu put the Lancer in reverse. Elke and Joost narrowly avoided the taillight as it flew towards them. Holding the gun with both hands, Joost rained bullets through the back windshield. The unmistakable silhoutte of Ski Aggu was unflinching in the driver's seat and the couple watched as the car drove forwards, leaving them exposed to the dying shoot-out.

From what Joost could see, the others somehow overpowered the unknown men. With bullet wounds and dwindling man power, the opposing side were slumped against their cars and took refuge in their seats. The last few that were standing desperately threw their guns to whoever shot next.

'Elke,' her attention was pulled from the gunfire and bloody wounds. Hands grabbed her face as she turned, Joost bending down to be at her level.

'Get Arabella. Stay here.'

'Where are you going-'

'I'll be fine.'

He stepped away before Elke could keep him near. If he wanted tonight to end, Joost would have to seperate himself from the man he was with Elke. If he wanted to catch up to Ski Aggu and finally finish things, Joost had to be the person he hated so that he could let him go forever.

Elke didn't know why she let Joost go. His large hands left her face warm and his sprint across the carpark made it feel like her heart was being pulled away with him. Even when he joined the side of his friends, Elke didn't call his name or plea for him to come back. She knew Joost was going straight into the firing line.

But instead, Elke called for her best friend who was getting to her feet. The bullets had stopped flying overhead and Arabella wobbly's knees met Elke halfway. The sobbing woman practically fell into Elke's arms and clutched at the only person she could trust.

'I'm so sorry, Elke. I should have believed you...'

Joost crouched beside Stuntje behind his BMW. The man held his own gun, which had been used extensively up until now. At the arrival of his friend, Stuntje checked over his attire for wounds before glancing back to where two men remained in the back and forth.

'Can you take care of this?' Joost asked while panting.

'Where are you going?'

'Get Elke and Arabella out of here,' he continued before saying, 'I'm going after Aggu.'

Stuntje looked over his shoulder and met Joost's eye. He didn't need clarification, more so the certainty that Joost was meaning what Stuntje thought. He nodded and Joost straightened up from his crouch to peer over to the Porsche.

'Enzo!' the man himself looked away from the scene. 'You're driving!'

Enzo nodded without hesitation.