Sands of Redemption

17

Georgia threw her fists against Jasper's door, shouting his name so she could be heard above the ongoing commotion. Beside her, a door slammed open as an old couple, their heavy suitcases dragging behind them, dashed towards the stairs.

'Jasper!' she called again, pulling at the doorknob. 'Please tell me you're here!'

The door jerked open.

'What the fuck?' Jasper's bleary-eyed roommate snapped, swaying groggily on his feet. Wincing at the noise, he peered around his door. His eyes widened at the mayhem.

'Is Jasper here?' Georgia demanded, trying to push her way past him. 'Jasper!' she called over his shoulder.

'No! Wha'? Hey! Piss off!' He pushed her away. 'Tell me what the hell's going on!'

'The city's been attacked!'

'Bullshit!'

'Get out of the way! Is Jasper inside?'

'Of course he's not! Wouldn't you think he'd have heard you by now for Christ's sake!' He grabbed the side of his head with a grimace. 'What do you mean the city's been attacked?'

Using all her bodyweight, Georgia shoved the door open, the edge smacking him in the face.

'Goddamn it! I told you he's not here!'

He was right. Inside the tiny dark room, Jasper's bed was neatly made, his pillow undisturbed, as though it hadn't been slept in all night. Georgia felt her belly swoop.

'Hey, wait!' he called after her as she darted away.

Georgia flew through the hallway, pushed her way down the overloaded staircase and into the reception area where Hana and Habib were busy trying to keep some kind of order.

'Keep calm!' Habib shouted, but nobody cared to listen as they rushed in and out of the hostel like they were passing through revolving doors.

'Stay inside where it's safe!' Hana cried at a trio of young men heading for the exit.

'Safe?' One of them laughed darkly.

'Hana! Habib!' Georgia called, driving her way towards them. She reached the reception desk as Hana, blue-lipped and deathly white, tried to deal with two frantic girls.

'Hana,' Georgia gasped, rudely pushing them aside. 'Have you seen Jasper? Are you able to contact him?'

'What?' She shook her head. 'Georgia I'm sorry, but I don't have time for this.'

'But...'

'Please, Georgia!'

Sobs wracking her throat, Georgia rushed back upstairs, rejoining Natalie and John.

'John, have you his—?' She glanced desperately at the phone pressed to his ear.

'I've tried,' John returned dismally, lowering it. 'No answer. Not even a dial tone. What's the matter? What's happened?'

Georgia lifted her eyes to the ceiling as tears began to well. 'He went to the club last night.'

'What?!'

'Are you sure?' Natalie asked.

'Of course I'm sure,' Georgia snapped. 'He told me last night as he was leaving.'

'We can't draw any conclusions.' Natalie's voice was trembling. 'We can't know for sure what's happened.'

'That's right.' John grasped Natalie's hand. 'He could have changed his mind. He could have gone somewhere else.'