Page 25 of Tribute
A few days later, while she thought Rehz was still sleeping, she took a more comprehensive tour around the apartment. Apart from the kitchen and open-plan living room, there wasn’t much to it. Two bedrooms, two baths, and a laundry room, which didn’t look like it had ever been used. The front door was locked and she couldn’t work out how to disarm it. The wide windows in the living room looked down over a city she didn’t recognize.
“Good morning, Lee.”
Keeping her palms pressed to the glass, she looked over her shoulder to see Rehz watching her. He’d just come out of the shower and his hair was wet, his only garment a white towel hanging off his hips. The faint traces of his tentacle scars wound around his torso and finished at his throat, just like hers did. She might hate his guts, but he had been through the same horrors she had.
“How long have I been here?”
“About forty days.”
She blinked at that but didn’t say anything. Time had run away from her along with everything else.
“It’s a long way down.”
He paused, his gaze watchful. “Yeah. The windows are locked shut for that reason.”
“I wasn’t thinking of jumping.”
“That’s a step in the right direction.” He rubbed a hand over his wet hair and reached for the towel around his hips, before seeming to think better of it and grabbing another one from the kitchen. “Twenty days ago I was worried you might prefer that route.”
She turned to face him. “Can I ask you something?”
“Go ahead.”
“The others. There were five of us, and now there are four.”
“You can sense them in your head?”
She nodded.
He dropped the now-wet dish towel to the floor. “Solly didn’t make it.”
“He came out. He was in the hospital.”
“He couldn’t get his head around it.”
“He’s dead, isn’t he?”
“Yeah I’m sorry.”
She wiped away her tears. “I’m so tired of crying. Ihateit.”
“If it’s any help, I’m tired of watching you cry.”
“That’s becauseyouare a complete bastard,” she hissed.
“Yeah, I am.” He held up his hands. “Are you going to throw stuff at me again?”
“No, I’m going to find a gun andshootyou.”
He nodded. “Good to know.”
“When I get out of here—because Iwillget out of here—I’ll hunt you down and make you beg for your life, and then I’ll still shoot you.” Her voice was shaking now.
“I get it.”
“Ihateyou, Rehz Akran.”
He swung around so fast she flinched.
