Faster.
Spinning in every direction, dizzying me as they pass.
All while my stomach convulses.
Until it abruptly stops, leaving the lights flashing behind my eyeballs as I continue throwing up. My retching bounces off the reflective walls. I don’t realize how much I’ve sullied myself until the door slowly slides open, allowing a muted light into the room.
The elegant recital gown is stained orange down to my knees where my vomit is pooling. My skin is clammy, sweat beadingacross my nape, my hair plastered to the side of my face. I wipe across my mouth with the back of my hand as tears mix with the acidic air, burning my eyes.
Dress shoes tap against the glass floor, and I look up as Lenny stops at the edge of the rancid puddle. “Sweet girl,” he coos, shattering me because it’s not my friend, it’s his twin. “I overestimated your resolve.”
“I need to play,” I beg as my limbs quake, hindering me from being able to stand.
“You already have.” He reaches into the breast pocket of his suit jacket. “Now you have a choice. Would you like that, sweet girl?”
I nod, nearly throwing up again at the motion.
“Good girl. You can fight,” he offers, snapping open a narrow velvet case. “Or you can forget until you serve your purpose.”
Loud barks travel through the space, shaking the walls. I whimper as I slide backwards to get away from the punishment. “I’ll forget. I promise, I’ll forget. Let me go back.”
“It isyourchoice to make.” He tuts as the barking gets louder. The light reflecting off the walls cast him in different shadows like he’s a monster I’ve made up as he lowers to his haunches, rolling something across the floor towards me.
A syringe.
The liquid is clear and there’s a cap covering the sharp point of the needle. But the barking is thunderous, seizing all of my muscles.
“Stop them,” I beg, curling my fingers over the cool glass barrel of the syringe.
“The choice is yours.” He gestures to my hand.
The barking gets louder, paws eagerly padding against the floor. I don’t think as I pull the cap off and push the needle into the thick vein below my thumb on the side of my wrist. My veinburns but once I push the plunger down, sending the full vial of liquid into my blood, my body soon sinks.
56
KANE
“1369,” Sasha giggles excitedly as she wipes the hunting knife on their chest. “We’re getting so close to 1400.”
“1370.” I copy her as I kick the head further away to give The Three a messy site to clean. “1371.” I turn to the other, slamming my foot against their cheek. “1372.”
“You don’t have to show off.” She rolls her eyes as she cuts her snacks.
Our assignments have become more frequent over the last few weeks, leaving less downtime for me to escape reality, so I take it out on their bodies. Dropping to my knees, I dig the tip of the knife into the inside of 1371’s elbow, cutting a circle through their flesh. Once the bone is exposed, I have to use my hands to pull the joint apart. I fall back on my ass, inspecting the limb for any marks to make sure it’s perfect as Sasha decides to explore their kitchen. The villa has every amenity available.
“Have you got all of your snacks, crazy pants?” I ask, watching her bloody fingerprints stain the white cabinets as she occupies herself with the push-release mechanism in the kitchen.
I stand with the forearm in my hand as my phone buzzes. It’s my reward for the job, another puzzle piece about where my wife is, so I forget about my little assistant as she examines different areas of the kitchen. But as I take my phone from my pocket, there’s no image on my screen. Instead, it’s another auto-deleting message.
Time until 1373 – 1378: 84hrs 53mins
Location: to follow
Travel time: 1hrs 4mins
Decibels: 0
Team drop: 64hrs 19mins
