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Abby doesn’t answer her phone either. Still unsure of what to do, I decide to walk around to the back of the building to see if there’s another way in. The alleyway is dark, the distance between the back of the buildings and the tall brick wall narrow. It’s just wide enough for a small delivery truck to drive through. The ground is covered in wet gravel causing my feet to slide with every step.

The only entrance I find is a large metal door at the back of the building. Beside it is a small window. Standing up to the window, I cup my hands around my eyes, trying to get a better view inside.

Dirt is covering the glass pane, obstructing my view inside. From what I can see, there’s a small dark hallway leading to the front of the store. But still, it’s too dark for me to make anything out, much less see where Lena and Abby are. I step away from the window and turn my attention to the door.

With a heavy fist, I bang on the heavy metal. “Lena!”

I stand back and rest my hands on my hips, hoping she or Abby can hear me. Thunder rolls in the clouds and I tip my head up to the sky. The clouds are nearly black and full of anger. They roll with the sky, churning like clothes in a dryer. Thunder rumbles again. This time reverberating through my bones.

I wipe the excess rain from my face and bang against the door again. “Lena! Abby!”

Again, no answer.

I’m left breathless, not knowing what to do. My panic intensifies and it feels like my heart is going to beat right out of my chest. I swallow and take a deep breath. Moisture is thick in the air. It inflates my lungs, but I might as well be swimming under water. Everything about me suddenly feels heavy. A darkness washes over me. Deep in my core I knew Lena was in trouble.

Although I still couldn’t make sense of what was happening, I started to fit pieces together.

Lena and I had been followed for months, possibly longer. There was a part of me that sensed we never truly broke free from Providence like we believed.

The email address Julian had been using to send Lena emails was also the same address Natalie had used to send Max her resignation letter.

Abby had lied about her business and about being in a relationship with someone. She used the excuse of having a relationship to avoid Max’s advancesbut told Lena something different.

Together, none of these situations were connected. But separately they made up a series of untruths. Untruths that didn’t settle well with me.

I start to make my way back to the front of the building when my phone pings with a text. Water is splattered across the screen and my hands are still shaking with fear. It takes me several tries but finally on the fourth, it unlocks.

Lena: Hey, I’m inside helping Abby. Sorry I didn’t answer. The back door is unlocked.

Momentary relief drapes over me like a series of waves crashing onto the shore. I breathe out then hold my breath, tightening my chest until my lungs begin to burn from the lack of oxygen.

I don’t wait a second longer before tugging on the door and opening it. Everything fades to black. The door closes behind me, shutting out what little light was able to filter through. As soon as I step in, I can hear Abby and Lena’s voices toward the front. I walk slowly, unsure of what I’m walking into.

I place my hand against the old painted brick wall, steadying myself. The paint is chipped, bubbling out from the surface. My skin grates against it like sandpaper. When my eyes finally adjust to the darkness, I look down at my feet. Old newspapers and travel brochures are littered across the floor.

I look back up, turning my attention to the front of the store. From where I am, I can see the two dirt-covered windows that line the front of the building. Every now and then a dark shadow flashes across the window. I assume they’re the shadows of the occasional car driving down the street.

The open space of the building is eerily quiet.

Chills prickle the back of my neck and my heart hammers inside my rib cage.

Lena’s muffled cries reverberate, the sound pulling me down the hallway. I emerge from the end of the hallway to a scene I never thought I’d see in my lifetime.

Even though I’d heard Lena’s cries, she isn’t the first person I see when I step into the room.

To my left is a woman tied to a small chair. Her head is bent down, long black hair shielding her face. It isn’t until I see a black chef jacket with white stitching that I realize it’s Natalie. She doesn’t move and for a second I fear she might be dead.

Fuck.

My gaze shifts to my right. Lena is sitting in a small wooden chair, her arms tied behind her.

My stomach climbs into my throat. I want to vomit. I want to run over to Lena and save her, but my feet are made of lead, rooted against the musty old carpet beneath them.

Tears stain her cheeks in thick lines and when she sees me they widen, stricken with a fear I’ve only seen on her once before. The night Julian nearly beat me to death. My heart shatters into a million pieces.

“Logan,” she cries. My name falls out of her mouth distorted, cracking with every syllable.

“Lena.” I rush toward her but stop when I hear a loud clicking sound behind me.

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