Read Until the Debt Is Paid for Free Online Page B

was just rubble. Even parts of the outside wall were blown out. The place was in flames, and the hallway was all smoke.”
    He put a hand on Jan’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
    Tears ran down Jan’s cheeks. “It can’t be.” He tried to stand up again. “I can’t just hide down here. I have to know what’s going on.”
    Chandu pushed him back down to the couch. “Whatever happened, you can’t help Betty right now. It’s swarming with police up there. If you go out this door, they’ll arrest you. Two ambulances are outside. If she’s injured, she’ll be well taken care of. We’ll find out which hospital she’s in and visit her. But charging up there will only put you in the slammer.”
    “Betty,” Jan whispered. His head fell back on the couch. Then he lost consciousness.

    When Jan came to again, sunshine was coming through the filthy window and illuminating the fine dust drifting idly around the room. For a moment, he thought it was still Sunday morning and he was lying next to Betty, but then the couch’s stale odor brought him back to reality. The cold, hard facts struck him. His girlfriend might be dead, every police officer was his enemy, and he was a criminal on the lam.
    It had only taken one day for the world that he’d known to vanish, replaced by a nightmare worse than anything he could ever have dreamed.
    He turned his head and saw the massive figure of his friend sitting in a chair by the couch. At least there was one ray of hope in his shitty life.
    “How you doing?”
    Jan moaned. “I got a jackhammer in my head, my girlfriend’s apartment blew up, and I’m wanted for murder. I’m doing splendid.”
    “If you can crack stupid jokes, your head wound can’t be that bad.”
    Jan grumbled, scowling.
    “You went eight hours unconscious,” Chandu told him. “I was about to get you to a hospital, but too much was still going down. I wouldn’t have gotten far carrying you, and besides you would’ve woken up handcuffed to a bed.”
    “Thanks for looking after me.” Jan stood. His legs still wobbled under him, but the dizziness was gone. “What’s going on outside?”
    “Most of the police and firemen are gone. It’s quieter inside the building, but there are still some investigators inside Betty’s apartment.”
    Jan rubbed at his eyes. He felt weary and strung out. He could hardly believe he’d slept so long.
    “What do we do?” Chandu said.
    “We have to find out how Betty’s doing. First we get out of here, then I’ll call hospitals.”
    Jan peeked out the room’s lone dirty window. A young blonde woman stood out in the courtyard, cigarette in hand. She looked annoyed, as if she’d imagined her Monday morning going much differently. She had a flawless face, long blonde hair flowing over her shoulders, and a posture that suggested a bold self-confidence. Her slim-cut jeans clung to a slender body made even more picture-perfect by stiletto heels. To Jan’s eyes, shoes like that tended to look slutty on most women, but on her they actually looked elegant. Next to her lay a white plastic coverall, the type that evidence analysts wear at crime scenes.
    Jan went pale. “My God,” he muttered. Speechless, he headed for the door.
    “What’s wrong?” Chandu said. “Where are you going?”
    Jan heard his friend talking to him, but the words didn’t slow him down. He forgot all caution and went out into the courtyard.
    When the woman saw him she raised her eyebrows in barely perceptible surprise. Then her face returned to its impenetrable mask of cool beauty. She tossed her half-smoked cigarette to the ground, stepping on it till extinguished. And Jan knew what had happened to Betty.

    “Hello, Zoe,” Jan said, despondent.
    “I always took you for an idiot,” the woman began without saying hello, “but I never thought you’d fuck up this bad.”
    “Maybe it was a mistake to take off,” Jan said in defense, “but it doesn’t matter now. Just tell me what’s