Tonight is the night we die

Chapter Fourty-Seven

The following day was brutal for both Gloria and me. The lights tamed behind the curtains were already too much for our eyes to handle. Maybe it was just an excuse to stay in bed, away from all the bad guys and the scary future that waited for us. We joined back to reality after a few more hours of avoiding it. Gloria needed to shower, and I cleaned the room before I joined her. It was more about standing under the warm water in each other's arms than really having a shower. We ordered room service and returned to work with the music that enveloped us in our little bubble.

I managed to do more than the day before. Either it was a miracle or the hangover that made my brain function properly again. It scraped the stupidity away. Eyes cemented on my computer, I had no idea of the hours that passed by until Gloria's name appeared on the top right of my screen:

Gloria: "It would be great for you to EVENTUALLY eat and drink!"

The full moon stole the sun's spotlight. I glared at the bottom right corner of the screen. 9pm. I stretched and rubbed a hand on my face,

"You didn't hear me, and I didn't want to disturb you, so I thought texting you was the best way,"

"I swear it was lunchtime two minutes ago,"

I grunted as I stood up. My legs and back ached so much. I was turning 29 in a couple of weeks, and my body could definitely feel it. Gloria closed the curtains, and I pulled her in my arms. My mouth dropped a kiss on the top of her head.

"You're ok?" I asked her softly.

"Yeah. Are you?" Gloria leaned back, and the palm of her hand nuzzled against my cheek.

"I am. I am getting closer to them,"

"Good! You're the best at what you do, so they don't stand a chance,"

I could have blushed. My daddy issues took a slight detour and mutated into mommy issues. I guess it was the root of the problem. Gloria's praise hit where I needed to be hit. I found satisfaction with Alan's father figure in my life. And I hoped I could have a mother back. I was a troubled man, and each day confirmed it a bit more. At least I have depth... Unlike Thomas. But now was not the time for jealousy and therapy.

I gave myself an hour to eat and act like a human before I glued my eyes back to my screen. To have access to their websites, you now need a particular link. They upgraded their security, which was smart, they should have done that way earlier, and if I had been as twisted as them, I could have helped them do a better job. Apart from that, nothing else changed. The design of the website was a bit more... Inviting? Probably not the best choice of adjective here. You could watch a random stranger be subjected to torture, but you could also request, in exchange for a copious amount of money, to abduct someone you know and, from behind your screen, follow and conduct the torture.

To obtain more information about their location, I had no choice but to join the live stream. I muted the sound. A woman who screamed to death was not the ideal way to fill the silence of the room. There he was. The same animator that took Bill's life and Lucas' too. The same well-combed hair and chiseled jawline hidden under a full brown beard. Wrinkles found their way to his forehead and around his eyes. His arms appeared more potent, and his chest more puffed. The big muscular guy was still here, too, still with his mask on. Or maybe he was another psycho who loved the gym too much. I could almost hear Lucas's voice saying those words. Sadness clambered up to my throat and made a comfortable nest here. I took a deep breath to chase it away before it stung me. Their signal couldn't be far from me. The first time already, they were close to me. Gloria sat on the floor next to me, and I clicked my tongue.

"Don't look at that!" I was about to move so she couldn't see my laptop anymore, but her hand quickly reached for mine, a quiet request for me not to move