39. No More Tears
No More Tears
Fly
This is really a castle.
Why did I expect anything less?
How am I supposed to find Sheri inside this monster? I mean, if I were eight and we were playing a game of hide-and-seek, this place would be the best ever. But when it’s my woman hiding, and I’m trying to seek her without any clues, this is a nightmare.
“You ready to have some fun?” Bishop slaps me on the back.
“I need to find Sheri.”
Bishop chuckles.
“It’s not funny.”
“Just stay away from Vex today.”
“Like I have a death wish.”
Bishop raises an eyebrow at me.
“I don’t. I just need to make sure she’s okay.” That we’re okay. Watching her run in circles all night without a word messed with my head more than I would like to admit.
The date went amazing. She shouldn’t have cried. She shouldn’t have run laps until she collapsed.
None of it makes sense. Fine, she could have been mad at me for leaving without telling her. But Integer was supposed to tell her that something important came up.
Something more important than her? Never…but it shouldn’t be an either-or kind of thing. But I can’t explain, because if this doesn’t work out, she’d know where the bodies are buried.
Well, not literally buried. I don’t think they’re dead yet. Maddox spent the entire night chatting with our friend. That doesn’t mean they aren’t the walking dead, with a stay of execution until we rescue all those women at their base.
“Earth to Fly. The party has already started.” Bishop waves a hand at me and nods to the brothers who are entering the castle doors.
We’re in an actual castle playing a game. Last night I was covered in filth, fighting the dregs of society after the most perfect first date in the history of first dates.
The emotional roller coaster isn’t going to slow down until I have her in my arms. “Let’s do this.”
My stomach growls as we walk inside. Somewhere in the castle, they’re roasting meat.
“The game is already afoot.” A woman dressed to the nines, like she’s in the roaring forties, greets us at the door.
“A murder has occurred within the castle. Your job is to find out who did it, why they did it, and how.” She holds out an envelope with a metal bracelet attached.
“That is a tracker. Keep it on the entire time you’re here.
If you figure out who did it, simply press the button once, and it will turn green, alerting all the players to meet in the main hall. Press and hold if you get lost.”
“Do people actually get lost here?” Bishop scans the area.
The woman shrugs. “That’s what I’ve heard.
I haven’t had time to explore yet. Your costumes can be found in the library for the next several hours.
After that, they’ll be moved to the cloakroom.
I have no idea where that is, so I’d recommend taking enough for the weekend so you don’t need to go searching for them.
The card inside will tell you all about your character and the clues you might have for people to figure out. Have fun.”
Like I care one bit about this game.
“Let’s get dressed so you can go hunt your woman.”
I am dressed. I don’t want to try on some silly outfit to play a game when I could be talking to her. “Fine.”
Bishop grins.
I’m not really a violent person, but the urge to punch him in the face runs through me.
***
Two hours later, I’m no closer to finding her than when I walked in the door. This place is a maze on par with the labyrinth, except I know my way around in the clubhouse. I’ve taken four wrong turns, which led me to the morning room each time. I don’t want food. I want Sheri.
We each have a tracker on…her phone. She still has her tracker, allowing me to follow her on her phone. I pull out mine…no signal. The walls are probably too thick here. But we’re all wearing a tracker that works…Which means someone is able to find us…find her.
I need to find the security center.
Havoc walks by with a very pregnant Greer by his side. She’s got a snack in hand and a smile on her face.
What is it that makes pregnant women so stunningly beautiful? Focus. “Do you know where the security center is?”
Havoc shakes his head. “I think it’s in the dungeon, but I haven’t had time to go looking yet.”
The dungeon?
Time to find myself a torture chamber.
Twists and turns, rooms within rooms, and finally, I find stairs leading down…
Dungeon fits the stone-and-steel space. There’s wall after wall of implements, each and every one meticulously kept. Is that about preserving history, or does the owner still use these?
Those aren’t problems for my brain right now…or ever, hopefully.
A vaguely familiar man in a modern black suit steps out of a door on the right…
Security center found. I open the door and step out of stone and steel into a state-of-the-art security hub. The almost two dozen screens on the wall each show different images.
Taylor turns from the screens he’s monitoring. “What do you need? This isn’t part of the game.”
“I’m looking for Sheridan.”
“She’s lost in the maze.”
This whole place is a maze. “Could you be a little more specific?”
Taylor grins and hits a few buttons. A maze in the back garden pops up on the screen with what looks to be the top of Sheri’s head walking through it.
“She’s been walking in circles for over an hour now. She hasn’t pushed her button, but I was thinking of sending someone out to check on her, anyway. Are you going to be that person?”
“I’ll take care of her.”
“Do you need me to print you a copy of the map?”
“Nope. All I need to do is study it for a second.” Puzzles are a bit of a hobby of mine. “Thanks.”
“You might want to take that door.” He nods to one of the half dozen in the room. “It leads to a staircase by the back garden.”
“Thanks.”
“Before you go…I heard about your jump last night. Very cool idea. And tell your president I might be a little insulted we weren’t invited to the party.”
“Will do, but I think Maddox is running the op now. With your skills, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind extending an invitation to your team.” This feels like a silly conversation, but there’s so much more going on than the superficial words would have an outsider think.
Taylor nods. “Has Vex waded in?”
Hopefully not. “I don’t believe so.” As interesting as this conversation isn’t, I need to see Sheri. “Thanks for the help.”
Moving faster than is prudent, I dash out of the castle and into the maze. “Sheri!”
“Fly? Is that you?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m lost in here.”
“Stay where you are. I’m coming to get you.”
“Okay.”
When I left, she was in the middle, so I head there first.
“Fly?”
“Yeah?”
“I got your message this morning.”
Yeah, I know.
“I didn’t know how to answer you.”
“A hello would have worked.” Anything to let me know that you’re okay.
“Last night was the most perfect date.”
“I thought so too.”
“It freaked me out.”
“I’m sorry you woke up in a car and not in my arms. Something came up that I couldn’t put off.”
“Would that something have to do with you wearing your jacket yesterday?”
My whole body freezes. She gets it. More than that, Sheri’s showing me she understands the gravity of the situation and the need for secrecy. “Yeah.”
“I figured. Just so you know, I would have preferred you waking me up, but I get why you left.”
My feet start moving as the tightness in my stomach fades away. “Then why did I freak you out?”
There’s a long pause…“Because I realized that I’m starting to care for you.”
“You are?”
“Do you want me to care for you?” There’s fear and trepidation in her voice.
One more turn and I should be with her.