Against All Odds (Silent Moments Series: Book 2)

Chapter 1

My heart raced as panic gripped me when there was no immediate response to my desperate call for Monty. Fear gnawed at me, and I couldn't contain the rising anger and frustration.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Where's Monty? What the hell did you do to him!" I yelled, my voice trembling with a mix of emotions, each word a sharp accusation hurled at the unseen figures who had brought me here.

My impatience and desperation reached a breaking point. Without thinking it through, I lashed out, delivering a powerful punch to the glass window that separated me from the unknown world beyond. The glass shattered, scattering shards like fractured memories, and I ungracefully reached through the broken window to unlock the door. My steps were resolute as I grabbed a shard of glass and navigated the pristine white hallways in search of Monty's whereabouts. The disconcerting silence was punctuated only by the sound of my own rapid breaths. Finally, I reached Monty's room, my heart pounding in my chest. But what I found inside was unexpected and unsettling. A figure in a hazmat suit was diligently cleaning and disinfecting the room. The sight raised a multitude of questions and concerns, and I couldn't help but wonder what had transpired during my time unconscious and how it had affected Monty.

The unexpected presence of a hazmat-clad figure cleaning Monty's room left me both bewildered and incensed. The stranger's alarmed reaction to my entry only added to my confusion.

"Ah! What are you doing? I'll be contaminated!" she shouted, her voice tinged with panic.

With a shard of glass in hand, I took control of the situation, my desperation and anger bubbling to the surface. I pressed the glass against her neck, applying just enough pressure to convey my intent without causing harm. My voice was low and threatening as I demanded answers.

"Where's my friend?" I growled, my eyes fixed on her, searching for any signs of deception.

"He's fine. You don't understand, okay? He's us-"

"Take me to him," I interrupted, my impatience palpable.

She pointed out my bleeding hand, a detail I had neglected to notice in my haste and desperation. I glanced down at the blood, my mind racing with questions. "How do they know my name?" I asked, my tone filled with suspicion.

"It was on your chart," she explained, her voice shaky as she tried to calm the situation. "I really don't know, please don't hurt me," she pleaded, her fear evident in her eyes.

"If you want to live, do exactly what I say," I muttered, keeping the pressure of the glass shard against her neck as we exited the room.

We made our way to the elevator, where she hesitated for a moment before reaching for her pocket. But I wasn't about to take any chances. "I don't think so," I mumbled, my threat clear.

"K-key card. I need my key card," she stuttered, her words a plea for cooperation.

I nodded, allowing her to retrieve the key card and use it to unlock the elevator. The two of us entered the confined space, the glass shard still held to her throat. My internal conflict simmered just below the surface; I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for the fear I was instilling in this girl. But my need to find Monty, to understand the mysteries that surrounded us, compelled me to continue on this path, despite the moral dilemmas it presented.

My interrogation of the hazmat-clad girl had yielded limited information, leaving me with more questions than answers. Frustration gnawed at me as she remained tight-lipped, a stubborn silence that pushed me to the brink.

"Which level? Who are you, people?" I pressed, my patience wearing thin.

The girl, her fear and desperation evident, responded with silence but pressed the shard of glass a little harder against her throat, a silent plea for me to ease off. My frustration boiled over, and I screamed at her, my voice laced with desperation and anger. "Answer me! How many of us are here? Where are they? Say something!"