John, Hector, and Hodge

Although the smallest, Hector was the fleetest of foot, crossing to the other side of the hall. Stopping at the wall, he turned back and grinned, enjoying the excitement of what was transpiring. John was second to reach the wall, followed by an open mouthed Hodge, breathing heavily and sweating profusely.

“Vámonos,” Hector said, clapping Hodge on the shoulder and darting along the edge of the rubber baseboard at the bottom of the off color white wall toward the first door.

“Fuck me,” breathed Hodge, muscles burning. Taking two gulps of air, he resumed running.

When Hector arrived at the door, he dropped and wiggled under, the metal band across the threshold of the door securing the carpet to the floor within the office cold against his naked skin.

The carpet inside the office was a short utility blend of fibers mostly gray with innocuous dots of blue and red scattered randomly throughout. It was readily apparent this was some type of neat, well organized office space. Nice leather furniture including a couple of chairs and a nice couch, big desk, though not too ostentatious, computer monitor on the top. Bookshelves on the walls with books primarily relating to medicine.

Hector reached down and helped John through before setting off toward the desk.

John waited near the door, helping Hodge to his feet and nodding, “Take a moment to catch your breath. You make it out of this, maybe a few more laps around the yard and few less reps eh?” he chuckled.

Hands on his knees, head down, Hodge nodded and grinned.

There was a buzzing sound coming from the hallway. Dropping down John peeked out from under the door to see if he couldn’t identify the source. It was the blonde girl who had unknowingly trodden upon Russell, still dressed in workout attire, looking into the hallway, eyes narrowed, scanning. Looking for them.

Scooting back under the door, he jumped back to his feet, motioning for Hodge to follow as he scampered across the carpet toward the couch.

“What is it?” Hodge wheezed, several paces behind John.

“The woman who crushed Russell, she was looking into the hall,” he answered, concealing himself behind one of the couches squat legs.

“I think I may be having a freaking heart attack,” he volunteered, cardiac muscles racing inside his well-developed muscular chest.

“Too bad Marcellus offed the gregarious Dr. White,” chuckled John.

“Gregarious? Does that mean asshole?” Hodge said between breaths.

John shook his head, “I was being sarcastic, it means sociable, friendly,” he answered.

“Fuck that guy,” Hodge said. “He was an asshole, slippery bastard,” he added, leaning back and still sucking wind.

“I think we’re okay for the moment,” John said, eyes on the door.

“Good, feels like I’m going to puke,” replied the other man.

“Marcellus probably has it worse, packing all that muscle around,” offered John.

“But they didn’t have to run as far as us,” countered Hodge.

“Here comes Hector,” John said, eyes on the smaller man as he loped easy across the carpet toward where the two other men were hiding.

When he arrived, he wasn’t breathing heavy.

Hodge shook his head.

“Well?” asked John.

“It’s like what you expect to see. There’s an electrical plug built into the floor under the desk, cords going up for the computer and shit. Don’t see a way into the drawers from down here, but I was thinking we could climb up and maybe look around,” Hector suggested, looking back toward the desk.

“That’s easy for you to say, you’re like what, buck twenty soaking wet? Fuck, I’m almost double that,” he replied.

Hector laughed, “It’s like that movie, where the guy is being chased by a bigger guy,” the sound of the door lock clicking halted the Mexican mid-sentence as all three sets of eyes looked toward the door.

The door swung open and a woman with long wavy auburn hair none of the men had seen before walked in, dressed in a skirt and top, nice shoes, jacket draped over an arm. Flicking on the overhead light, she hung her jacket up and set her purse on the desk.

“Mami,” said Hector, shaking his head, appreciative grin on his face as he watched the gigantic woman from under the couch.

“Dude, are you for real right now? You any idea what that girl would do to you? A little Latin right now for her would mean all of you,” Hodge said, shaking his head.

“Why can I say? I love me some ghetto booty and that right now is the biggest sweetest nalgas I have ever seen. It’s the fiery Latin lover in me,” Hector replied, licking his lower lip.

“That great big taco of hers would be the end for this little Latin lover,” countered Hodge, jabbing a finger in Hector’s chest.

“What a way to go esé, smile from ear to ear, going out in style,” Hector replied, eyes still on the enormous woman as she departed the room, closing the door behind her.

“Hector, you said you think you can get to the desk top using the cords, why don’t you see if you can do that?” John said.

Hector nodded, trotting off.

“With this new woman here, I think it’s pretty obvious this is her office. We’re going to need to keep point, make sure no one surprises us. We got lucky this time we were all hidden,” John said, looking at Hodge.

“You want me to watch our six?” he asked.

John smiled and nodded.

“Where you going to be?” Hodge asked.

“Going to join Hector, see if there’s anything we might be able to use on top of that desk. There might be something in her purse too, not sure, won’t know until I get up there,” John replied.

Hodge snorted, “Dude, if I’m at the door, there is no way you are going to hear me yelling six if you’re on top of the desk before one of these gigantosaurs comes rolling in,” he countered.

“You’re right,” acknowledged John, thinking for a moment. “What I need is something reflective, something you can use to create a flash of light or something, you know, like when you’re watching the wire,” he said.

“But what?” Hodge asked, spreading his hands apart.

“Let’s go over to the desk, if there’s a thumbtack up there that would be perfect, you could easily swivel it,” John suggested.

Hodge nodded and together they set off after the speedy Mexican.