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Fionastudied Jake's face as he listened to the voice on the other end. Tensionetched itself across his features, and the muscles in his jaw tightened. Sheknew that look all too well—it meant that something had gone horribly wrong.
"Areyou sure?" Jake asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Alright,we'll be right there."
Jakeended the call and stared at his phone for a moment, the panic in his eyes nowunmistakable. Fiona knew something terrible must have happened, somethingconnected to the case. Bradley—their prime suspect and a brutal killer—wasstill out there, lurking in the shadows like a monster. And if Jake's reactionwas any indication, they were no closer to stopping him.
"Jake,"Fiona said, her voice cracking with concern. "What happened? Is itBradley?"
"Someone'smissing from the museum," Jake replied, his words curt and rushed."We need to get back there. Now."
Withoutanother word, they took off. The hotel doors burst open, and Jake and Fionaspilled into the warm night air, their breaths coming in short, panicked gasps.The city's neon lights cast eerie shadows on their faces as they sprintedacross the street toward their car.
"Jake,we have to hurry," Fiona said, her heart pounding in her chest. She couldfeel it in every fiber of her being—someone was in danger, and if they didn’tact fast, it would be too late.
"Getin," Jake barked, unlocking the doors with a click of a button. They bothslid into the vehicle, the engine roaring to life beneath them.
As Jakemaneuvered through the bustling nighttime traffic, Fiona gripped the doorhandle tightly, her knuckles white. She scanned the streets around them,searching for any signs of danger. In her mind, she went over the facts theyhad uncovered about Bradley, trying to make sense of the twisted web he hadwoven. It was clear now that he traveled with the exhibit, and his path ofdestruction was only getting more intense.
"Damnit!" Jake cursed under his breath as they hit a red light. "We'rerunning out of time."
"Stayfocused, Jake," Fiona implored, her voice tense. "We'll get there,and we'll stop him. We have to."
"Right,"he muttered, nodding. His eyes never left the road, his gaze as sharp as arazor's edge.
Fionaallowed herself a moment to close her eyes, offering up a silent prayer.Please, let us make it in time. Let us save that innocent person frombecoming another victim of Bradley's sick obsession.
As theysped past darkened storefronts and streetlights that flicked on like fireflies,Fiona couldn't help but think about what might happen if they were too late.Another life snuffed out, another family torn apart by grief. It was a chillingthought, one that sent shivers down her spine despite the warmth of the night.
"Almostthere," Jake said, his voice strained as he swerved around a slow-movingtaxi. The museum loomed before them, its grand facade lit up by spotlights thatseemed to cast more shadows than light.
"Let'sgo," Fiona said, ready to face whatever horrors awaited them inside themuseum. She knew they couldn't afford to waste another second. With eachpassing moment, the possibility of stopping Bradley grew slimmer and slimmer.
As theydashed toward the museum doors, their determination fueled by fear andadrenaline, Fiona could only hope they weren't too late.
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
Lucy'sheart pounded in her chest as she paced through the dimly lit museum corridor,her cheeks still flushed from the embarrassment of her outburst. The wallsclosed in around her, lined with glass cases that housed insects frozen intime. Their tiny legs and segmented bodies seemed to reach out for her,taunting her with their grotesque shapes.
"Stupid,stupid, stupid," she muttered under her breath, clenching her fists at hersides. She never should have agreed to come to this godforsaken insect exhibit.Why had she let her friends convince her otherwise?
Thedarkness seemed to press in on her from all sides, the shadows morphing intomonstrous forms that danced just beyond the edge of her vision. Lucy wished shecould escape the nightmarish tableau, but the lockdown prevented her fromleaving the museum altogether. As if being trapped with her worst fears wasn'tbad enough, there was the added horror of a potential murderer on the loose.
"Ofall the nights to visit an insect exhibit..." she grumbled, cursing herrotten luck. The thought of someone like that killer lurking in the very samebuilding sent shivers down her spine. She couldn't help but glance over hershoulder every few steps, half expecting him to materialize out of thin air.
Get ittogether, Lucy, she scolded herself, taking a deep breath to steadyher nerves. You're stronger than this.
But herthoughts continued to spiral, consumed by the horrifying possibilities that layahead. What if the killer was watching her right now, waiting for the perfectmoment to strike? Would she even stand a chance against someone so cold-bloodedand ruthless?
"Getit together, Lucy," she muttered under her breath, forcing one foot infront of the other. "You just need to find your way back to the main area,and everything will be fine."
But asshe rounded yet another corner, she realized with a sinking sensation in herstomach that she had taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way. The familiarexhibits were nowhere to be seen, replaced by cases filled with ancientartifacts and weathered scrolls.
Shetried to retrace her steps, but each identical hallway only led to moreconfusion. The walls seemed to close in around her like the jaws of some monstrousbeast threatening to swallow her whole. Lucy's heart hammered against her ribsas though trying to escape the terror that gripped her so tightly.
Okay,think,she told herself, taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm her racingthoughts. If I can just find my way back to the insect exhibit, I'll knowwhere I am.
But asshe continued to wander aimlessly through the labyrinthine halls, hopelessnesssettled over her like a shroud. Just as Lucy was about to give in to despair, asoft scuffling noise reached her ears. She froze, her breath catching in herthroat as she slowly turned around. The dim light from the display cases casteerie shadows on the walls, making it difficult to discern any figures lurkingin the darkness.
"Hello?"she called out hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Is someonethere?"
