Waze confirmed that they were getting closer to their destination.
“It’s unlikely we’ll find the right house immediately,” Anthony said. “I’ll park next to the first one, and we can move by foot from there if it's not too far.”
“Okay.” Ethan leaned forward. “Look over there.”
“Where? Oh, I see it.”
Above the faraway trees, the top of a Ferris wheel appeared.
Anthony drove faster.
23
CHRIS
He woke up disoriented on a bed that smelled of sweat. The room was small, bare, and windowless. His stomach felt hollow, his skull filled with nails. A rotten taste nestled in his mouth. When he tried to move, his bound hands and legs stopped him.
Then the memories hit.
Jay.
He pushed himself up, grimacing at the aches across his body. The only source of light came from a dusty night lamp next to the bed. The zip tie had dug deep into his wrists, leaving angry marks. Could he have dreamed yesterday’s events with Jay? Trevor had been keeping him drunk ever since they kidnapped him, so maybe his scrambled brain wasn’t thinking clearly.
But no. It had been too vivid, too horrifying to just be a hallucination.
“Trevor!” His voice echoed painfully in his head.
The door creaked open, and Trevor walked in. “Morning, sunshine! How’d you sleep?”
“Where’s Jay?”
Trevor frowned. “Who?”
“Jay!”
“My ears must be acting weird. It sounded like you raised your voice at me.”
Chris inhaled and leaned back with his bare back against the headboard. “Sorry. Can you just tell me where he is?”
Trevor shrugged. “Don’t know what you’re talking about. How’s the head? You’ve been drinking like a sailor.” He winked. “Naughty boy.”
Panic ignited in Chris’s chest. Had Trevor killed Jay during the night?
Or maybe I am imagining things?
He shifted on the bed, feeling the raw state of his asshole, although that could have been Trevor’s doing.
“You need to pee?” Trevor asked.
“Yes.”
“You must also be hungry. I’ve been such a shitty host. I’ll bring a knife to untie you.”
Chris waited anxiously, knowing this was likely a trick yet hoping it wasn’t. His stomach grumbled, his throat dry and irritated. Trevor returned with a knife and leaned down to cut off the zip ties.
Chris shook his hands, forcing blood to flow through his numb and aching muscles.
“You need a shower and to brush your teeth, then we’ll get some food into your stomach.”
