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Drake wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “Are you okay?”
Nodding absently, I was shocked to find that there was no guilt. Not even a flicker. I’d killed my own father, and I didn’t feel bad about it. A stillness had fallen over me. A peace that was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. As Drake led me out of the viewing room to clean myself up, I wondered what other horrors I’d be able to bring myself to complete. Would they all make me feel this good?
Chapter 18
“How do you feel?” Drake asked as we made our way down the hallway. My sneakers squished on the floor, leaving bloody tracks. My sweats were soaked and sticky.
“Fine.” I didn’t want to talk about what had happened anymore. I needed to change the subject. “Was that guy at breakfast the one who brought us all here?”
“You mean Sam? Not sure.” Drake stared at the ground as he talked. “It’s been a while since he appeared. That’s why everyone else was as freaked out as you. He comes by every now and then when there’s an empty chair, claiming that this is his house.”
“You don’t believe him?”
Drake shook his head. “For all of this,” he waved around at the entire house, “and all it entails? There has to be a team behind it. I’ve had a long time to think about how this would work. How to make sure everything runs smoothly. There’s no way one man could do all this. Who makes the food when none of us are on cooking duty, who tidies up our rooms when we’re out doing activities, who is out in the real world snatching all these awful people who need to be punished?”
His thinking made sense. It would be incredibly difficult for one person to do all that. Plus, there was the fact that the guy I’d seen at breakfast had a much different voice. Though the thought of some kind of torture cult holding us was more terrifying than the lone psycho theory. The more people who were involved the more difficult it would be to escape. Not that I had any idea how that would work either way.
“Has anyone tried to kill him or take him hostage to get them to let us out?” I asked, my mind flipping through options.
Drake stopped walking and grabbed my arm in a vice-like grip. He glanced around as though he was afraid someone had heard.
“Don’t talk like that. Yes, people have tried. I’ve lost track of how long I’ve been in here, but the last person to try was removed. Brutally. That guy is untouchable, trust me. Don’t even fantasize about it. It’s not worth it.” He looked into my eyes, and I could see fear where there usually was none. “Do you understand?”
When I gave a hesitant and scared nod of my head, Drake sighed with relief, and we continued on to my room. At the door, Drake pulled me close and hugged me. The warmth of his body against mine calmed me even more. Both of our devices buzzed, and he pulled away.
“See you in a little while,” Drake said and headed toward his room.
I entered my quarters feeling like I’d never been so tired in my life. The door clicked shut behind me before I realized what sat on my bed. Frowning, I stepped forward for a closer look.
A granola bar, a bag of potato chips, an apple, a sandwich wrapped in plastic, and two bottles of water. Brow furrowed, I spun to look at the door. Were we not getting out for dinner today? Why would that be? The last time I’d been locked in here, I’d nearly gone mad with hunger, and the thought of it happening again almost made my teeth chatter with fear.
Remembering my starvation from before, I ignored the food. Maybe I’d need it to last a long time. If I ate half the sandwich today, and half tomorrow, I could save the granola bar for—Bong. My thoughts were cut off by the chime.
“Good evening everyone,” Sam said. By the way he addressed us, he must have been speaking to all of us at once. “Please accept my apologies. Dinner is canceled tonight. Please enjoy the small meal we have placed in your rooms. Rest assured, you will see each other again at breakfast tomorrow morning. Enjoy your evening.”
The speaker clicked off, and I let out a small sigh of relief. The thought of starving again had been more stressful than I’d realized. It was still strange that we were being locked in for the night already, but with nothing to do but wait, I showered, changed, and then sat on the bed to eat. As I worked my way through the food, I wondered what caused it. Has someone else done something wrong? As the hours went by before the lights went out, I wondered if we’d go to breakfast and be missing a housemate.
The next morning, my door unlocked and swung open like usual. We weren’t going to be locked up all day. Hurrying to the dining room, I was relieved to see Drake walking in the door ahead of me. My housemates arrived and sat for breakfast. We glanced around uncomfortably. It seemed like everyone else had been having the same confused thoughts I’d had the night before.
Liam pulled the tops off the dishes, and we found a couple of breakfast casseroles and a plate of toast. We ate, but it was hesitant and halting. Like we were afraid something was going to happen any second. There was almost no conversation other than asking for salt or butter to be passed back and forth.
Bri jerked in her seat, causing us to freeze. With a glance at her wrist, I realized she’d been given a warning buzz. Her wide blue eyes locked onto the small screen, and when she raised her head, she had a look of abject confusion on her face.
“We have a guest?” she said, framing it more as a question than a statement.
“What?” Elise said, her brown eyes narrowing.
“A guest,” Bri repeated. “It says I need to open the door to let them in.”
As though commanded by her voice, a wall at the back of the dining room slid aside. We spun and stared in fear and amazement as the wall that had held an ornate china cabinet revealed a thick mahogany door, a small frosted glass window at the top showing light from outside. A tickle of excitement ran through me. Was that the way out? It was the first exterior door I’d seen since being here.
Three heavy thuds shook the door, sending my heart into my throat. It sounded like someone was pounding on it from outside. Bri’s cuff buzzed again, causing her to get shakily to her feet.
“Go on,” Liam said, “open it.”
“Shut up,” Bri hissed. “I’m going, okay.”
Bri walked toward the newly revealed foyer, and another two knocks echoed through the dining room. Bri reached out a hand, clutched the knob and turned it. The door burst inward. The person outside had been leaning their full weight against it and tumbled to the floor, pushing Bri back and swinging the door wide.
