Chapter 17
A piercing pain shot through my head as my blurred vision tried to make way for me to see, but the vibrant white lights made it difficult, so I quickly closed them again. Still, I found no comfort. Metal springs dug into my side while a chilling breeze made sure I knew this was not home.
I tried to remember how I got here, but my memories were even blurry, and that was only making my anxiety shoot through the roof. I inhaled and exhaled to relax as much as I could, but the air tasted recycled, as if it had been breathed in by too many lungs too many times, then released. When I inhaled, the mineral taste of concrete met my every movement. It didn’t help that the mattress held a musty undertone, along with something else I couldn’t fully identify.
I needed to see where I was, so I turned over onto my stomach, facing away from the lights, then slowly tried to open my eyes again. Each lid felt as if I was lifting heavy sandbags, but I kept going. My only mission being that I needed to see where I was so I could get the hell out of here.
Finally, my eyes gave way, and the brown and deep hues on the mattress came into view. Bile came up in my throat when I noticed the multiple stains covering the mattress. It was like they had found the nastiest mattress they could find and laid it in here for me. My skin immediately itched as if a million different creatures had bitten me.
The urge to spring up hit me, but my body betrayed me. My muscles were useless, refusing to help me sit up. Even the simple act of turning my head was excruciating, leaving me to survey the room in slow motion. The drug they’d used—whatever it was—was something I never wanted to experience again.
I blinked a few times as I took in the concrete walls surrounding me and beneath the mattress I was on. I finally noticed a camera in the room’s corner high up. I could feel my arm having more function, but the cold air in this prison made it hard to move. With everything within in me, I lifted my hand, then my finger, to flip the camera off.
Fuck them. If this was going to be my life, or lack thereof, they could kiss my ass. Once my muscles loosened up a little more, I stretched my legs out in front of me. I was preparing to stand when the door wrenched open. There stood Ms. Patricia, and she had a pleasant, almost elated smile on her face. That was when it all came back to me. She was the reason I was here, but I didn’t understand why. She was my parent’s friend.
I squinted as I tried to rack my brain for any signs of a problem that, as a child, I may have overlooked. Only one incident came to mind. I had just come home from cheerleading practice with my sister. We rarely ever heard my parents shout or remotely argue, so when the loud noises were coming from the office, it shocked my sister and I.
So much so, we waited until the shouting was over to see what was wrong. We were nosey ass kids, although we could never pinpoint what that conversation was about. The moment the door opened, Ms. Vlad stepped out with a smug smirk on her face. She walked right over to me and tossed my pigtails, then looked over at our parents. When I was a child, I never paid their tight smiles any attention, but now that I thought back on it. They were the smiles you gave to folks you didn’t fuck with, but you didn’t want to alert anyone around you.
I was sure whatever happened that day set whatever led me here into action, or at least removed any loyalty she once held for my parents. The guard placed a metal chair across from me as she took a seat. He stepped back, then leaned against the wall while he kept his hand on his weapon.
“I’m happy to see you’re finally awake, honey. I was beginning to think we gave you a little too much. How was your nap? I hope you feel well rested. We have a long day of events today, and guess what? You’re the main attraction. I know how much you loved attention as a little girl, so this should be a piece of cake for you,” she said.
This bitch must be deranged.
“This has got to be a joke. Why am I here?” I asked.
She crossed her legs, then leaned back in her chair with a smile. “I’m glad you asked. Honestly, you were never part of my immediate plan, but you sure know how to pick ‘em, honey. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I definitely had plans on scooping you and your siblings up later, but only if your parents stepped a toe out of line. They’ve been pretty good lately. It sucks that you’ve been dragged into this, but what’s that saying again? One bird, two stones, or something like that.”
I rolled my eyes, already exhausted from this shit. “The saying is two birds with one stone, but I’m still confused. What do my parents have to do with anything pertaining to you or Knox?” I asked.
“I’m glad you asked—I do love telling stories,” she said. “You must be wondering where you are.” She swept her arm around the room with mock grandeur. “This is the Void. It’s where your beloved Knox was shaped into who he is today. Your parents created this place, turning unwanted children into warriors. While you were enjoying a normal childhood, these kids were sacrificing theirs to protect the liberties you enjoy today.
I shook my head. “No, you’re lying. My parents would never knowingly create a place where children were treated like this. Please don’t tell me this is the room they were forced to live in?”
Patricia rolled her eyes and waved me off. “Cut the dramatics. See, that’s what I’m talking about. You’ve been given so much that it’s easy for you to look down on others. They were built to survive. You couldn’t last more than a day in here before you would go out of your mind. Lucky for you, you don’t have a full day in here.”
“They shouldn’t have had to live like this! I know you weren’t sleeping on a thin ass mattress and concrete floors. You sit in a chair in front of me, wearing designer pumps, top of the line makeup, and your hair done, trying to lecture me, but honey, you benefited the same way I did. For you, it was worse. You knew whose backs you were getting the luxury from and didn’t give a damn. The smug smirk on your face lets me know you even enjoyed it. Being over children tormenting and controlling them gave you a sense of power. You’re nothing more than a sick ass old woman kicking her feet because the control she took years to build is slipping.”
The smug smile she once held dropped, and a scowl took its place. She hopped up from her chair so quickly it slammed against the concrete floor. Patricia reached back and backhanded me, causing me to hit the mattress. My muscle strength still a thing of the past as she gripped my now coarse hair, lifting me until my eyes met hers. I smiled, knowing I had finally rattled that little play of power she was trying to put on.
Soon, the lights in the room went out, giving my eyes a break from the constant blaring, as an alarm sounded, bouncing against the concrete walls.
“Ma’am, we have company!” the guard shouted.
I laughed aloud, causing Patricia to tighten the hold she had on my hair, pulling me into a standing position. My knees buckled from the sudden use of them, forcing her to help me back up. Red lights flipped on, and she was now staring at me with the deepest frown, but my laughter couldn’t be contained. It didn’t matter that she held a tight grip on my hair. The stinging from the hair I was sure she pulled out in anger didn’t change the fact that this was all ending soon.
“It’s not just one person, ma’am, it’s a team of six, and our guards are falling rapidly. We need to get to the helicopter pad now,” the guard instructed.
“No! I am the headmistress of this place and I will get them in order.”
“I guess those kids you trained to be warriors are back to hunt you. How funny is that?” I asked, then laughed.
She tightened her grip on my hair and turned to face me. “You won’t be laughing when this is all over. I will have order!”
I shrugged, no longer worried. Knox was coming for me. “It’s not my fault I got good pussy. He is coming to get me. You might as well just run like your guard is suggesting.”
Her jaw tightened as she turned to face the guard. “Lead the way to the playroom, then send the helicopter the place to meet us. It has an opening right above that room. Now!” she yelled.
I said a silent prayer that Knox got to me in time and that whatever she had planned for them failed as she pulled me toward the room.