Page 58 of Todd
Footsteps neared but seemed to pass by her door before they returned. The sound of another key card activating the lock sent Sadie’s hand instinctively toward her weapon. Todd prepared to move to shield Sadie from whatever threat was about to materialize.
A petite Hispanic woman stepped through the doorway, her face etched with fear.
“Nina?”
Sadie obviously recognized the woman. Todd saw her name badge, which let him know she was from housekeeping. Her hands shook as she quickly closed the door behind her.
“Ms. Sadie,” Nina whispered, her accented English thick with emotion. “I need to get you out of here. Tonight.” Nina’s gaze drifted over Sadie’s clothing, her eyes widening at the sight of the holstered weapon. “You already know? You're already leaving?”
Todd’s muscles coiled for action, stepping into the room. Nina’s eyes widened even more, but then her gaze darted between him and Sadie. Todd was filled with protective instincts, screaming at him to neutralize a potential threat to Sadie’s safety. But something in Nina’s expression, desperation now mixed with hope rather than malice, made him hesitate.
“Nina,” Sadie said softly, moving closer despite Todd’s restraining hand on her arm. “What’s wrong?”
“They told me that tomorrow morning I was to prepare your room for a new guest,” Nina replied, tears gathering in her eyes. “But I hear them talking. They are not expecting you to check out normally. They are talking about taking you to the place for... rebalancing.”
The euphemistic language couldn’t disguise the death sentence it represented, and Todd felt rage explode through hischest like molten steel.Rebalancing. Another clinical term to mask the possible murder of women whose only crime had been seeking wellness and rejuvenation, but had become suspicious.
“What place?” Todd demanded, his voice barely above a growl. “Where do they take people for this rebalancing?”
Nina’s face crumpled with the weight of the terrible knowledge. “Out in the desert. Northwest from here. Old mining buildings, they used for... for when guests become problematic. I had a cousin who was taken to clean the place. I know what they do.”
The image of Sadie being taken to some remote facility for execution sent Todd’s protective instincts into overdrive. His hands clenched into fists as he processed the systematic horror that Serenity Dunes had been conducting under the guise of luxury wellness.
“You have to get away tonight,” Nina continued, her voice growing more urgent. “Eli patrols the grounds looking for problems. He makes all the maids afraid because he hurts anyone who asks questions. But I know where he goes, what routes he takes. I can help you get out.”
Todd studied the woman’s face, weighing the risks of trusting someone whose motivations he couldn’t fully verify. But Sadie stepped forward, her movements steadier as she reached for Nina’s trembling hands.
“You don’t have to do this,” Sadie said gently.
Nina shook her head. “You are nice to me. And I can’t just know and not try to help.”
“If they suspect you helped us, what will happen to you?”
Nina patted Sadie’s hand. “After tonight, my son is coming to pick me up. I won’t work here anymore.” She scoffed. “If I don’t help you, then I’m no better than they are.”
The simple humanity of her response broke through Todd’s tactical suspicion, revealing a woman who’d chosen courageover safety despite the enormous personal cost. He nodded once, accepting her offer with the gravity it deserved. “What do you need us to do?”
“There is a back door from the pool,” Nina explained, already moving toward Sadie’s door. “Eli, he patrols the front areas most, but he checks back areas too. You must be very careful.”
“I know where the pool is,” Sadie said. “You don’t need to take us. You need to leave as soon as you can.”
“Eli has a radio,” Nina warned as they prepared to leave. “If he sees you, he calls for help. Guards come very fast.”
Sadie stepped forward and wrapped Nina in a fierce embrace, a gesture that surprised the housekeeper, but Nina returned the hug and smiled.
“Thank you,” Sadie whispered. “For everything.”
Todd watched the exchange with something tight in his chest, seeing once again the compassion that made Sadie such an extraordinary woman. Even compromised and facing danger, she took time to acknowledge the humanity of someone risking everything to help them.
Nina offered a hasty nod toward both of them before slipping out the door and hurrying down the hall. Sadie grabbed her bag and was ready to follow.
They slipped out the door after confirming that the way was still on a security feed loop from Casper. Todd followed Sadie as she hastened down the twisting halls, moving into another area. He could smell the chlorine as they approached the swimming pool area.
Once inside, they hurried toward the back and found the door Nina had indicated. Before moving through, Todd radioed, “At the back of the pool. Is the outside clear?”
“All clear. Guards are near the front, and we’ve neutralized the cameras that are on the fence.”
Todd turned to Sadie. “Stay close behind me. If you feel ill, then tap my shoulder. We’ll still move in the shadows until we get to the fence.”
