Page 79 of Lost Track

Just as she got to the door that would lead them to the row of storage units, she heard a garbled yowl from behind them.

“Sabine?” Max called, worry in his voice.

She struggled with the keypad, her fingers already frozen from the cold air. She felt Max at her back, crowding her into the door.

“Sabine?” he called again, right on top of her.

So was the yowling.

Their lives were in danger.

She needed to get the lock open otherwise they were going to become cat food.

She glanced over her shoulder and saw it. The demon eyes in the black void that served as a face.

“That’s the one that got me,” she said.

“What?” Max asked, his body vibrating against hers. He was pressing against her to the point she could hardly maneuver her arms to work the lock and handle.

A strangled laugh escaped Sabine’s throat even though she knew it wasn’t appropriate.

Max made a noise that sounded like a mix between a flailing Muppet and a drowning man. She sucked in a breath that wanted to become a laugh.

She would not laugh.

She would not laugh.

She would not laugh.

Max was legitimately terrified.

As well he should be.

Laughing would be wrong.

She typed in the code again and the lock disengaged.

She shoved the door open and Max shoved her through it.

She tripped in the narrow hallway and turned in time to see Max slam the door closed behind him and press his back to it, eyes wild.

“What the hell was that thing?” he demanded.

“That was the cat.” She was deep breathing, keeping her laughter at bay. But Max was making it more difficult by the second.

“I have seen cats.” Max sliced a hand through the air. “I’ve held cats. That was a-a-a-acougar!”Max shouted.

That did it.

A huge laugh burst out of her and she sank to the floor. She sucked air but it was whisked away by more laughter. It was like the laugh was punishing her for trying to hold it back for too long.

Max stalked away from the door and raked a shaky hand through his hair. He spun around, eyes wide. “How are we going to get out of here? How will we ever get back? I left my phone inside your loft. I can’t even call the authorities.” He shuddered as he exhaled, completely ignoring the fact that she was wheezing on the floor.

He crouched down to look her in the eye. But that was difficult because she was still wearing the hockey mask. He grabbed the mask on either side of her face and held his forehead against hers.

“Is this where we die?” he asked.

Dead serious.

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