Page 41 of The Captive Missing

Showers are down the hall. You must beep in and out of all activities. Any questions?”

“No, Ma’am.”

“Medications are dispensed by the morning shift guard. You are not allowed to leave your room until he provides it to you.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

With a final curt nod, Tracy strode away. Val stood statue still, watching the other woman’s progress out of her peripheral vision. Not until Tracy returned to the far elevator and disappeared out of sight, did Val exhale. Smoothing at the stiff fabric of her uniform, Val twisted the handle and pushed the door open.

The room was small. A twin size mattress on a wooden platform was shoved into one corner, a desk and single wooden chair were situated along the opposite wall. A closet, no deeper than the door was wide, was situated off to the left.

Three uniforms hung neatly from plastic hangers inside of it. On the floor were three pair of shoes. One pair of heels, one pair of rain boots and one pair of athletic shoes. All of them were black.

Stepping into the space, Val ran her hands up her arms to hug herself. She had expected to share the room with someone else, as she had with Bee. But there was only the one bed in here, and thinking back, the other rooms she had passed all seemed to be set up for a single occupant as well.

Moving over to the desk, she examined the small black screen fastened to it. She placed one finger onto its dark surface and felt it come alive beneath her touch. No appointments today.

“They’ll give you time to settle in.” Charlie’s voice had her jumping. She had forgotten this was the section he lived in. “Looks like you missed breakfast already.”

“Oh.” Val subconsciously grabbed at her stomach. “I guess I’ll have to wait until lunch.”

“I have a stock pile, I’ll grab you something.”

Charlie gave her a small smile before disappearing out of sight. When he returned it was with a miniature box of cereal. The bright red cartoon of a bird was plastered across the side.

“You have kid’s cereal,” Val corrected, her lips twisted up just slightly. “You’re a physical trainer but you eat junk food.”

“Hey, hey.” Charlie held the box just beyond her grasp. “If you don’t want it, I can keep it.”

“I’ll take it.” Val had to give him a full smile as Charlie taunted her with the cereal. “I’ll take it.”

Finally handing it over, he took a quick glance around before sitting on the edge of her bed. His long legs barely reached the floor. Ripping open the cereal, Val inhaled the scent of processed sugar and popped a few brightly colored loops into her mouth. They crunched with a delightful rush of energy. It was an unusual treat. She wondered just how he’d come by it.

“So, no workout today?” Val asked between bites.

“I have a client,” Charlie explained, leaning his back against the wall. “But don’t let that stop you. There’s nothing preventing you from using the gym.”

“What about tomorrow? The computer only shows today.”

“They like to keep you guessing,” Charlie acknowledged. “It’s not like training, with class schedules and all that. Though when you get a few regular bookings then things seem to get fairly predictable.”

“Do you know who you’re going to see?”

“Yeah, I do.” Charlie eyed her closely. “It’s an overnight thing but I’ll be back in a few days.”

“Alright.” Val didn’t know why, but she felt concern at his leaving.

“Keep at the gym while I’m gone, eat good meals, and maybe try to make some friends. I’m sure you’ll recognize a few of the faces in here.”

“Thanks, Charlie.” Val waved the cereal box in the air. “For everything.”

Bobbing his head once, he shoved off the bed and out of her room. He didn’t look back. Instead, he cruised away with the same confident control that marked everything Charlie did. And Val watched him, one hand tucked into the pocket of his slate-gray slacks. The uniform fit him well. She nibbled at her lower lip. Where was he going?

It could be considered greedy of her, but Val hoped he would do some more fact finding and report back. Since his confession about Jason being on the news, Val had battled with a mix of hope and determination. Both feelings were dangerous on the inside and expressly forbidden.

When she had last seen her husband, she had been confident he wouldn’t stop fighting to free her. But since that time the blend of medication and psychological reconditioning had done something to her mind. Whenever Jason or Jace came to swirl in her thoughts, she banished them. Quickly. Completely. Was this a good thing? She didn’t know. And just like that, they were gone again.

Wrapped up in her own thoughts, Val didn’t notice the new woman who had come to lean against her doorframe. It took the clicking of nails along one metal hinge to jerk her back to the present. Val blinked. The woman was pretty. A stunner even, though every captive on this floor would be.

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