It seems my dream wasn’t just a dream after all. Sweat beads along my hairline as I swing my legs over the side of the bed. My heart beats wildly inside my chest while I try to figure out what the hell is happening here. Some unknown bad guy kidnapped my sister and threatened me with her life if I didn’t get information for him. What that information is and why they need it, I still have no idea.
Every nerve ending in my body is on fire while I try to calm down enough to take the next step. Any normal human being would freak out right now, but I don’t have the luxury. Willa is counting on me to save both our lives.
“A plan. I need to come up with a plan.” I need to keep myself from spiraling out of control. Remain focused on the task at hand to ensure I can get the two of us out of this mess in one piece.
Closing my eyes, I push to a seated position and take a few deep, cleansing breaths, trying to focus on finding out where I am. Once I’m relaxed enough, my eyes pop open and scan for clues.Directly across the room is a door leading to what looks to be a living room area or kitchen. There are a few generic paintings hanging on the wall in the other room, but nothing to give me any clues as to where I am. On the opposite wall from the window is a set of double doors pulled tightly shut.
“Good morning, Celia.” A voice I’d hoped not to hear for a few more days fills the room. “I trust you slept well.”
My head swivels from side to side, trying to locate where the voice is coming from. Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, my feet sink into a plush, dark gray carpet.
“Not by choice.”
Pushing to my feet, I pad across the cool laminate floor and head out of the room. There’s a small bathroom directly across the hall and a long hallway leading to a door to my right.
“You know what happens if you run.” The voice once again fills the room, letting me know that my every move is being watched by this unknown person.
Tempting for sure, but I know the only way to protect my sister is to stay the course and do whatever the voice asks me. Instead of turning left, I turn right into a kitchen area, running almost smack dab into the fridge. The kitchen is tiny, with only enough space for the fridge and stove against the wall and a small breakfast bar separating the kitchen from the living room.
“The fridge is full if you’re hungry. I know you didn’t eat anything on the ride here.” A sinister laugh filters in.
Anger bubbles in my veins at his flippant attitude. Willa and my life are hanging by a thread, and this motherfucker is joking about food.
“You think this is fucking funny?” I shout, my anger getting the best of me.
I know in the back of my head, this is a bad idea. If I anger these people, they could end my life in an instant. These people are always lurking in the shadows, waiting for their chance to strike, but now I don’t give a fuck.
“You ruined my life. My sister’s life. And for what? Some dirt on an equally shady person?”
I storm over to the couch and flop down, noticing for the first time the flat-screen television attached to the wall and the small, red, blinking light tucked into the corner of the room above an oversized chair. I know I should leave it be and pretend I don’t see it, but I’m sick and tired of this cat-and-mouse game. I want it to end. I want to know what I need to do to save my sister’s life. I want to see my sister.
“Patience, Celia.”
“I’m all out of patience, asshole.” Storming across the small room, I climb onto the entertainment center positioned directly below the television. My eyes zero in on the red light that is blinking just a few inches above my head, noticing a small lens poking out of the wall. Raising on my toes, I reach toward the light, wanting to rip it from the wall.
“How do I even know you have my sister?” I question, finally realizing that this is nothing but a game. That was a picture sent to me from my sister’s phone. Someone could’ve stolen it from her work one night. Hell, someone could’ve photoshopped the photo, and Willa could be relaxing in her apartment, none the wiser. Or… bile rises in my throat at the thought that my sister could already be dead. This entire situation is nothing but a battle of wills between me and the puppet masters. The question is, who is going to be the winner?
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” My hand freezes a few inches from the lens, knowing I should sit back down and listen to what the voice has to say, but I need answers.
My hand continues moving toward the lens. I know it’s going to cost me in the end, but this small act of rebellion feels like a must. I need to make sure that whoever this is knows that I won’t take whatever they say at face value and that I’m going to fight them every step of the way. But I need to find a balance between fighting and doing as I’m told. If I make one wrong move, it could cost Willa her life, and I can’t let anything happen to her.
Just as my hand wraps around the edge of the lens, the voice fills the room.
“If you have a seat on the sectional behind you, you can see your sister.”
Fuck.These assholes are good. Right now, there’s nothing I want more than to see how my sister is doing. Shaking my head, I climb down off the entertainment center and take a seat on the small sectional couch sitting across from it.
“Turn on the television.”
This time, I don’t hesitate. I grab the remote off the table in front of me and turn it on. The screen fills with static, but no sound filters through until the picture comes into focus.
“Where’s my sister?” I sob, regretting taking these people at their word.
“Patience.”
Tears stream down my cheeks as I search the screen for any sign of Willa. The room is about the size of this apartment, with a row of windows filling it with natural light and a red folding chair sitting front and center. The room is clean and free of any type of grime, making this the last place I expected them to be holding her.
Just as I’m opening my mouth to demand answers, I glimpse movement out of the corner of my eye.