Page 35 of Forget Me Twice

Up ahead, maybe fifty paces away, Blondie’s got Sabine pinned up against his car, caging her in with his large body. The Aventador is parked at an angle, near one of the entrances to the building we’re crouched against. It’s a nondescript warehouse with a few shot out windows and a rusting framework. The door is long gone, and all I can see behind them is a yawning entrance into the complete darkness beyond.

Her eyes are closed, and her posture is tense, small tremors running through her like she’s connected to a live wire. He has a fistful of that long, pale blonde hair clenched tightly while he talks quietly against her ear.

I’m frozen.

What the hell is this? Is he threatening her?

Without warning he flings her away, shoving her in the direction of the warehouse. Her whole body bursts into motion, and then she’s disappearing into the pitch black doorway.

Lake and I move at the same time, keeping to the shadows, quickly and as silent as ghosts, picking a path towards the douchebag.

“Run, run, run, little girl!” he bellows at the darkness, followed by raucous laughter. The asshole peels off his aviators and throws them on top of his car, before turning and locking eyes with us.

Shit.

We’re made.

Yeah, this prick has Underworld written all over him.

“Enjoy the show, boys” he smirks, sweeping a shallow bow like the absolute dickhead that he is. And then he too disappears into the pitch black building.

“What the fuck,” Lake breathes. His eyes are glazed over with excitement. He takes a step towards the open door, before I grab his shoulder and give him a shake. He jerks to a stop, but doesn’t move his focus from the entrance.

I waggle my cell in front of his face. “Infrared. Need it to navigate and hopefully get a video of our little spook to take back to Tristan.”

Lake nods absently, pulling his own out of his pocket and unlocking the screen. I hesitate as we both reach the threshold, trying and failing to make out anything in the inky darkness beyond, before opening up my own IR camera app.

My scalp prickles.

I exhale. It’s a long harsh, ragged breath that does nothing to calm the growing storm inside.

Alright, Winters. Let’s pull back the curtains.

The air isthick with our frenetic energy and the coppery smell of structural decay. Ten steps at this pace and I know there will be another doorway—this one leading down to a rotting catwalk.

The entire blueprint of this warehouse has been seared into my brain from the moment we chose it. I can recall each sub-level in perfect detail and navigate them with my eyes closed.

Which I may as well be doing as the pitch black inside this building isabsolute.

I cover my mouth with a fist as I burst through the opening in question, kicking up a clouded bouquet of sawdust and red dirt as I do.

The stench of damp wood and rusting metal and nesting rodents that surrounds me does nothing to deter the frenzied pumps of adrenaline singing through my veins. If anything, the blatant danger of running blind through a rotting building is only amplifying the rush of excited dread.

My heart is thundering wildly and my lungs constrict, gripped by a renewed wave of icy-cold anticipation. It leaves my gut in a happy mess of writhing carpet snakes. I know the lack of light in here is not the only reason my pupils are no doubt as big as saucers.

I fucking love it.

It’s exactly what I needed.

The metal catwalk rings out like a tuning fork with my first footfall. I pause and tilt my head, listening. I always try to vary my paths as much as possible, but Rhett is a fucking bloodhound. If I didn’t know better, I would think he was using night vision goggles to cheat in our sordid little games of cat and mouse.

I hear a soft movement from below. Giddy, I retreat back through the doorway, my movements deliberately more measured this trip through. I don’t want to give myself away just yet.

I’m not ready for this hunt to be over.

The southern end of the hallway outside this room will lead me back towards some abandoned offices. No matter the game, I never bother finding a home base. I just out-pace and out-maneuver, utilizing my agility and stamina. He’ll expect me to keep moving, as always.

Perhaps this time I can use that to my advantage.

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