Blood at the Premiere: A Day One Undead Adventure by RR Haywood Page A

storeroom.
    ‘Why?’ Dolan asks, pressing the phone to his ear and waiting. ‘Shit, must have done it wrong…’ He looks down at the numbers on the phone. Three nines. It was right. He puts it back to his ear and listens again. ‘Engaged?’
    ‘We can’t get out,’ Henrietta says, more to herself.
    ‘Out?’ Dolan says in horror at the thought. ‘We can’t go out there.’
    ‘We have to get out,’ Henrietta says, trying to think.
    ‘So, like…Henri?’
    ‘Huh? What?’ she asks.
    ‘Did you actually get your boobs out then?’
    ‘What?’
    ‘You said your boobs were out…’
    ‘That was to get your attention!’
    ‘Oh, okay then.’
    ‘Bloody hell, right…we can’t stay here,’ Henrietta says again.
    ‘What for?’ Bennie asks.
    ‘What?’ Henrietta asks, standing with her hands planted on her hips.
    ‘What did you want my attention for?’
    ‘Are you being serious?’ Henrietta asks.
    ‘Er…yes?’
    ‘It’s engaged,’ Dolan says with panic rising in his voice. ‘I can’t get through. What are we going to do?’
    She looks over at the serious bearded man and the frantic expression of fear etched into his features and his trembling hands trying to work the phone. Saving him was instinct. Dolan was close enough to grab, and if truth be told, she did consider having a broad man at her back might prevent her getting bitten as she ran through the crowds. There was something else, though. Her whole existence lately has been one of securing a future in serious journalism and Dolan is the key to that future. Keep Dolan alive and he’ll owe her big time. That’s how Jack got ahead in life, by building up debts and calling them in.
    Why Bennie, though? Why veer off to grab Bennie? Because he’s a simple-minded twat who can’t think for himself, that’s why, and also because Bennie is famous as anything right now so being the person that saved Bennie can only ever be a good thing.
    There is still scope in this. There is still a method to be exploited and used. Keep these two alive and the future is rosy.
    Think, Henri. Think fast. What do we do?
    Years of hard living and getting in scrapes have refined her skills well and there was many a time she found herself in a situation she needed to extract from quickly. This is just another situation. Yeah, maybe the cheeky smile and big tits won’t work this time but still, think it through.
    ‘Storeroom,’ she says to herself, forcing her mind to bring a visual image of the theatre in working mode. Bottles are stored here. Mixers, too. Glasses. Cloths, fruit for slicing, the ice machine. ‘Was there draught beer at the bar?’ She snaps her gaze at Dolan.
    ‘What?’ he says, blinking rapidly.
    ‘Draught beer?’
    ‘Er…I…’ Dolan shrugs and stares back down at the phone as though believing it will start working any minute.
    ‘Yeah, they had Stella,’ Bennie says, picking up a slice of lemon from the chopping board on the side. ‘And that Italian stuff…Birra Moretti. John Smith’s and Guinness.’ He looks at the lemon for a second before putting it in his mouth and sucking hard. ‘Urgh…that’s so nasty.’
    ‘Cellar, there has to be a cellar for the barrels,’ Henrietta says. ‘Look for the doors in the floor.’
    ‘Why won’t it work? Henrietta, give me your phone,’ Dolan says, holding his hand out.
    ‘It’s in my bag.’
    ‘Where is your bag?’
    ‘Out there,’ she replies, waving at the door while turning in a circle scanning the floor. ‘Where’s the cellar?’
    ‘Bennie, is it?’ Dolan says, turning to the young man still grimacing from sucking a lemon. ‘I need your phone.’
    ‘Okay,’ Bennie says, pulling it from his pocket and handing it over.
    ‘What’s the pin code?’ Dolan asks.
    ‘Ain’t locked.’
    ‘You don’t lock your phone?’ Henrietta asks, stopping her slow turn to look at the young man.
    ‘Nah, here, they got vodka up there. You fancy some, Henri?’
    ‘No, and leave it alone. Look