So what game was Johnny playing?
I went from his private bedroom down the hall to what looked like a dingy basement. It smelled moldy and damp, the scent permeating the space.
I sat cross-legged on the mattress with my back against the wall, dressed in lingerie. My heart pounded against my rib cage as if it were clawing its way out of my chest.
A chill raced down my arms as cold air blew through a vent in the ceiling. I ran my hands over my arms and shivered, my teeth chattering.
It was freezing.
Like an arctic blast.
My stomach ached from the hunger pains. Or maybe it was because of all the drugs they had been feeding me. Bile rose from the back of my throat, choking me.
I was thirsty, beyond dehydrated. So when I spotted a water bottle on the floor across the room, I used all my strength to push myself up from the bed. Staggering over to the empty mattress, I plopped down and grabbed the bottle.
Of course, it was empty.
Not a single drop left.
Fuck.
I threw the bottle onto the floor and dragged my tired body over to the door. To my surprise, the knob turned.
It was too good to be true.
This must have been a test, but I had to escape. Nico may have called mepasserotta, his little sparrow, but I wasn't a bird someone could cage.
I poked my head into the dark hallway.
An overweight man sat in a chair with his hands on his lap. He slept with his head against the wall.
I covered my mouth with my hand, despite my panicked breathing. My lungs were tight, making each intake of breath sharper than the last. Without my inhaler, I had to do everything I could to control my breathing. So far, I had done a decent job, but I could feel it in my lungs that I wouldn't last much longer without my inhaler.
I crept past the man on my tip-toes, careful not to make a sound. He stirred for a moment but didn't open his eyes. I ran down the narrow corridor. The soles of my feet burned as they scraped the cement floor. But I blocked out the pain, willing my body to keep going.
"Hey," the man yelled from behind me.
Shit.
With him on my tail, I didn't bother to look over my shoulder. I couldn't risk losing the lead on him. The closer he got, the muskiness of his cologne filled the cramped space.
When I hit the end of the hall, he closed the distance between us, reaching for my arm. I weaved to the left, rounding a dark corner, and he missed my arm by a few inches. Wires dropped through the exposed ceiling, with wooden planks holding up the insulation. Camping lanterns were placed sporadically along the hall, providing a golden glow.
I turned another corner and spotted a door in front of me.
Yes!
I picked up the pace, my body kicking into overdrive.
Only a few more steps.
Almost there.
I clutched the doorknob with only seconds to spare and swung the door open. The heavy wood hit the man behind me, but that didn't deter him. He grabbed my shoulder and pulled me into his chest.
"You're a feisty little bitch," he growled in my ear, the scent of cigars lifting off his breath. "Time for your punishment."
I wasn't going back to that room.
