I blink a few times, a bit disoriented when everything starts to come into focus. The nurse from before is standing before me, taking my blood pressure again. I swallow, but it’s difficult. My throat is dry and I could really use some fucking water. “What is it?” I croak.
She’s been giving me tidbits of information every few… I don't know, hours? Days? I’m not sure how long I’ve been here, but I'm in the same room, and they haven’t moved me, so that’s a plus. “I brought you half of a sandwich.”
I blink. “What?” I choke out.
“They’re having issues with the cameras, upgrading them today, so they’ve turned them off. I brought you half of my sandwich. And a juice box I found. I’m sorry it’s not more. But your vitals are down, and I can't let it get worse on good conscience." I almost snort. She unstraps my other arm in a hurry and places both the sandwich and juice box in my hands. “You shouldn’t but try to eat as quickly as you can.”
“How long have I been here?”
“This is day seven at this location.”
Okay, so I've been gone a full ten days. I bring the juice box up to my lips and almost glitch at how sweet it is. I easily bite into the sandwich, shivering at the temperature in the cold room. I swallow it down and take another bite, pretending it’s one of my wife’s cupcakes. Emotion clogs my throat, but I swallow it down with another bite. I’ll allow myself to feel whatever it is I need to feel later. “When do these games start?”
She shakes her head at me while striding toward the door to peek through the small window, then turns to face me, standing in the corner of the room next to it. “Don’t talk. Eat. There isn’t much time before they come in here for an inspection. They’ve paused the gases until they fixeverything, so you shouldn’t throw it up. Or at least you’ll digest it a bit until you do.”
I do as she says and finish the half of the ham and Swiss on dry white bread and gulp down the kid-size juice box. She glides back to me so I can hand her the trash. She shoves it into her scrub pocket before she straps me back in. Just like she predicted, men in surgical scrubs, caps, and masks come in. They evaluate the room, and she rattles off my vitals. One of the men checks my restraints, then flashes a light in my eyes as if it’s not already blindingly white in here.
I make no noise. Even when I want to lash out like a fucking beast and bite at him.
I won’t give them that satisfaction.
Plus, I’m saving all the energy I can to fucking kill every and any Syndicate bastard possible when I see them. I want to watch the light leave their eyes.
The other scribbles something down on a clipboard, and suddenly I wish I was sitting in Damon’s office. I’m going to have so fucking much to unpack. But I'm not letting this get to me. I won’t let it. Can’t let it. He murmurs something to the nurse and I hear the name “Alice.” She nods up at him and they leave the room, the door closing behind her.
I look back up at the ceiling as she prowls closer. “Alice. Is that your name?”
She dips her chin and starts talking quickly. “The games start next week. It seems they’re still waiting on a few more Initiates to bring in their contestant. Although that word feels inappropriate.”
“Tell me everything,” I rasp, feeling the sandwich in my stomach swirl and cramp at the solid food settling.
“Mr. Giordano…”
“Everything. Don’t leave anything out. I have to make sure I get back to my wife.”
“God, I hope you remember all of this once the gases start again. The day of, you’ll be given a small breakfast and lunch to give you some energy. Eat it throughout the day, not all at once, or you’ll lose it quickly. Your stomach won’t be able to bear too much too soon. Later, you'll have a type of device placed around your neck that checks your pulse to make sure you’re alive. That’s how they keep up with… you all. The first games always start at night. Your best bet is to run straight to the forest but be wary of the ground and your footing. The alarm will sound at sunrise. If you survive, you’ll be taken in so you can have a shower and be fed breakfast. Afterwards, you’ll be shown to a separate wing that’s heavily guarded where you can rest properly. They’ll feed you both lunch and then dinner. Do not drink the wine. It’s laced with sedatives that not only make you tired, but they also make you loopy. It’s a tactic for the next game that starts after breakfast for a better chance to catch you. Do not overeat. It’ll slow you down.”
“And then?”
She sighs, giving me a pointed look. “I’ll give you more information then if I can find you. They usually have me down here in the lab. Which is why I have to take your blood now. But if I can get away, I will.” She wraps a tourniquet around my arm.
I feel a pinch in my arm, and by the time the gases start again, she’s gone.
I do my best to remember everything she told me.
Run straight to the forest. Survive the night. Don’t drink the wine. The second game begins at sunrise.
Shit. I’m missing something.
She’ll find me…
Survive the night.
Sabrinawillfind me…
Run straight to the forest. Survive the night. Don’t drink the wine. The second game begins at sunrise.
I close my eyes, hold my breath for as long as I can, and allow myself to fall into a space where I’m with my wife. Real or not—it’s the only thing I have. And like I've said before—I’ll never let her go.
