Vitus relented, opening his eyes again to find that he was, in fact, still alive. Jenn still stood next to him, and their hands were still squeezed together. Looking in front of them, they could see that the Russians were just as surprised as they were. A hole had been shot in the dock, just feet away from where they all stood.
"Hands up," commanded a voice.
"Nobody move, and nobody gets hurt," said another.
Two men in dark clothes and ski masks stepped onto the dock from a large fishing boat. One carried a rifle, and the other had a pistol in each hand. Judging from their accents, both were American. The two Russians dropped their firearms and held their hands up in the air. Vitus and Jenn had absolutely no idea what to do in this situation.
"You, too, lovers. Hands in the air," said the masked man with the rifle.
"Oh, right. Sorry," said Jenn. She and Vitus complied.
"We're taking the settee," said the man with the pistols. "Then you can get back to whatever it was you were doing."
"They were going to shoot us!" cried Jenn. Vitus nodded.
"Are you still going to shoot them?" the man with the pistols asked the Russians.
The Russians shrugged. "Probably," said the first Russian. The second Russian kicked him, cursing in his mother tongue.
The masked men exchanged whispers.
"Okay," said the man with the pistols. He gestured to Vitus and Jenn. "You two, load the crate on the boat. We'll have to keep you locked up, but we'll let you go at the next port."
"Deal," Vitus and Jenn simultaneously responded. They rushed over to the crate, picked it up, remarked on how it looked much heavier than it actually was, and then moved it to the deck of the masked men's fishing boat.
Once the settee had been loaded, the masked men backed themselves aboard. The one with the rifle disappeared, and the boat began to move slowly away from the dock. Once they reached open water, the masked men confronted Vitus and Jenn and removed their dark masks. One man was young. His hair was blond, and his body was thin and fit. The other was older. His hair and beard were gray, and his body could not be described in any positive manner.
"Thanks," said Vitus. "I suppose it's better to be robbed than murdered."
The young man cocked his head. "You're the antique-dealer," he said.
Vitus nodded.
"In that case, Mister Bethel, you'll be happy to know that Mister Jacobi is willing to buy the settee from you, and he'll match whatever the Russian offered."
Vitus and Jenn could only stare in shock. Moments later, after experiencing a slight drying sensation, they remembered to close their mouths.
"Hands up," commanded a voice.
"Nobody move, and nobody gets hurt," said another.
Two men in dark clothes and ski masks stepped onto the dock from a large fishing boat. One carried a rifle, and the other had a pistol in each hand. Judging from their accents, both were American. The two Russians dropped their firearms and held their hands up in the air. Vitus and Jenn had absolutely no idea what to do in this situation.
"You, too, lovers. Hands in the air," said the masked man with the rifle.
"Oh, right. Sorry," said Jenn. She and Vitus complied.
"We're taking the settee," said the man with the pistols. "Then you can get back to whatever it was you were doing."
"They were going to shoot us!" cried Jenn. Vitus nodded.
"Are you still going to shoot them?" the man with the pistols asked the Russians.
The Russians shrugged. "Probably," said the first Russian. The second Russian kicked him, cursing in his mother tongue.
The masked men exchanged whispers.
"Okay," said the man with the pistols. He gestured to Vitus and Jenn. "You two, load the crate on the boat. We'll have to keep you locked up, but we'll let you go at the next port."
"Deal," Vitus and Jenn simultaneously responded. They rushed over to the crate, picked it up, remarked on how it looked much heavier than it actually was, and then moved it to the deck of the masked men's fishing boat.
Once the settee had been loaded, the masked men backed themselves aboard. The one with the rifle disappeared, and the boat began to move slowly away from the dock. Once they reached open water, the masked men confronted Vitus and Jenn and removed their dark masks. One man was young. His hair was blond, and his body was thin and fit. The other was older. His hair and beard were gray, and his body could not be described in any positive manner.
"Thanks," said Vitus. "I suppose it's better to be robbed than murdered."
The young man cocked his head. "You're the antique-dealer," he said.
Vitus nodded.
"In that case, Mister Bethel, you'll be happy to know that Mister Jacobi is willing to buy the settee from you, and he'll match whatever the Russian offered."
Vitus and Jenn could only stare in shock. Moments later, after experiencing a slight drying sensation, they remembered to close their mouths.
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