Page 32 of Haunted Prey

She frowned. “The doctors said we needed to. It helps us stay calm while they do their research. Since a lot of us have anxiety.”

“I know.” I let go of her hand. “But do you really know what they are researching?”

“Our pregnancy,” she said matter-of-factly.

“I know, but…why?”

“For the health of the baby. To help it grow and be as healthy as it can be. Since a lot of us…are kind of high risk, you know?”

“Sure, right,” I said, glancing at the door. “Just look out for each other, okay?”

She gave me an odd look, but I didn’t break. “Of course.” She went to turn for the door again. “See you tomorrow, then?”

I nodded, unable to voice my lie. If all went right, she wouldn’t. If I failed, I don’t think I’d be coming out of my room again. Whether by choice or by the people who ran this place.

I took an early dinner in my room, hardly eating more than a few bites. There, I waited. I pretended to read one of Jamie’s books, regretting that I would have to leave them behind since I’d look suspicious carrying my bag.

I counted down the minutes until the sun was nearly gone past the trees, then I snapped the book close and set it on my bed. I pulled on my sweater and put my phone in my pocket, then calmly made my way out to the hall.

“Out for your walk, Eve?” Jackie said, smiling, as I came upon her desk. “A little later than usual, isn’t it?”

The security guard hovered close by, but I refused to look at him. “Yeah, I wasn’t going to at first, then I changed my mind.”

Jackie’s cold eyes assessed me while her smile never faltered. “All right, well, take care, it gets cold out there the darker it gets.”She went into her desk drawer and took out a small flashlight. “Take this so you don’t trip.”

I took it, thanking her.

“Oh, and Leo wanted me to tell you he’ll be gone this weekend but if you need him for anything, you can leave him a message.”

“Great,” I said. I hadn’t bothered to see him in the last couple of days, telling him I needed time to think, and he had obliged. If he didn’t work for this place, maybe I would have felt sorry for not saying something to him before I left. But Leo was here to serve Tyler and this facility, so I couldn’t bring myself to trust him—or feel too sorry about it.

Still, I hesitated. “Actually, can I borrow a piece of paper and a pen? I want to leave a note for him.”

Jackie ripped a piece of paper from her notepad and handed me a pen. “See you in a little while, Eve.”

Yeah, right. I walked away from her desk and made for the stairs.

I knew the guard was stalking me from behind, keeping his distance. Still, I chose to ignore him. I practically skipped down the steps, making my way over to Leo’s office. Keeping my back to the guard, I pressed the paper to the wooden door and scribbled my note on it. Satisfied, I folded it up and flung it under the door along with the pen.

Without missing a beat, I made my way to the side door and went out. The cool evening air was crisp and fresh, almost on the verge of being too cold for just a sweater. Still, I relished in the chill. I stomped my way down toward the woods. I knew where I was going and I wasn’t going to pretend I was just taking a leisurely stroll. Then, I broke into a run and made straight for the outer stone wall that made up the perimeter. I curved along the path slightly until I saw my intended target. An old oak tree with a branch just low enough for me to climb up on, its endsawed off at one point to make room for the wall. Above it was another branch which happened to stretch over the other side.

I stopped a few feet away from the old oak and turned around to look behind me.

The guard was there just a few yards away.

We watched each other.

Before he could take a step toward me, I flung the flashlight at him, then I swung around and bolted for the tree.

He shouted as I reached the tree and grabbed on to the branch. I made the mistake of glancing over and saw him sprinting for me while talking into his walkie. Heart in my throat, I leaped onto the lower branch when he came upon me quicker than I expected. As I gripped the branch above, he grabbed my other arm, pulling hard, twisting the wrong way. Pain shot up my arm. I screamed and kicked at him, hitting his face.

As he stumbled, I scrambled up to the next branch, pain still searing up my arm, but adrenaline kept me from stopping. I wrenched myself over and clung to the branch as I pulled myself along it. I shimmied across until I made it to the top of the wall. By then, the guard was starting to climb after me.

“Come back,” he shouted. “If you don’t comply, we will be forced to put you under sedation.”

That only made me move faster. He shouted more threats at me and I didn’t listen. When I got over the wall, I looked down and knew my only chance was to let go. I looked over my shoulder and saw him already on the next branch, coming for me. Without a thought, I dropped.

I met the ground with a dull thud, thankful that there was a small pile of leaves to cushion my fall. I rolled to my side and then to my knees.

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