A Web So Dark and Deadly

Chapter Thirteen

The faucet runs inside the bathroom, which is on the left side of the room's entrance. The connecting door is shut, so I hurry past, my heart beating in my throat.

As the door handle scrapes open, I race behind the single, king-sized bed stretching across the center of the room. I duck down, taking deep breaths in from my nose. Footsteps pad toward the desk, and I glimpse the top of a man's head, covered in frizzy, closely-cropped black hair.

My veins pulse under my skin, thrumming with blood and adrenaline. I shift my gaze from the man to the floor, where a suitcase sits a few paces away from me. All I have to do is gather a couple shirts from it, stuff them inside my trench coat pockets, and then get out before he sees me.

Papers shuffle on the desk. I peer over my shoulder again as he rifles through a notebook and some cards, placing several inside a brown-leather briefcase. Several minutes tick by on the clock, right above my head on the bedside table. Finally, he tosses a stack of envelopes on the table.

He steps toward me, though he still faces the desk. My heart is pounding. I can scarcely move or breathe, terrified that he'll turn around at the slight sound. His body turns part way. If his head rotates any further, I'm certain he'll see me in his peripheral. A jolt of fear shocks my limbs into stillness. I feel numb. Aside from the steady thump, thump, thump in my ears, the room is silent.

He turns, and my fear spikes again. But he isn't headed in my direction. He walks past the bed. When I dare to peek over the comforter pulled neatly over the top, I see the man headed for the closet.

Now's my chance. I crawl to the suitcase. My hands shake as I ease the zipper open. I go one tooth at a time, pressing the zipper slowly back so it doesn't make a sound. The top unseals enough for me to reach my hand inside.

I feel around until I find something that resembles plastic buttons. I pull the clothing article out. Sure enough, it's a cotton button-down. I fold the shirt up and shove it inside my coat pocket.

Should I grab another one?

I glance over my shoulder again. The man is turning around inside the closet, removing a suit jacket from inside. I duck down again, deciding it isn't worth it.

I just need to focus on getting out.

It's bad enough that I have one bulging pocket. But two? That'd be a walking red flag when I'm trying to leave the hotel.

I crawl around the side of the bed, when the man doubles back, headed back in my direction. I scurry backward, pressing my back to the skirt overhanging the bed. He fiddles with something on the desk before walking away again.

My lips press together. If I could be sure that he wouldn't find me, I'd be content to wait this out. But all it takes is for him to glance one time in my direction. There's no place for me to completely conceal myself.

My best bet is to try to sneak out the next his back turned away from the door. But even that's risky.

While I debate what to do, a shadow falls over the top of me. My head cranes up to see the man's head looming over the bed. Slowly, he draws a gun from his pocket and points it at my head.

"What are you doing here?"

"I-I was a friend of Daniel. I was just looking for him."

"How'd you get in?"

"He gave me the spare key to his room."

The man arches an eyebrow. "There's only one spare key, and he gave it to me."

I shrug. "I don't know what to say. But he definitely gave me a spare key. How else would I have gotten in?"

The man narrows his eyes. "I'm sure there are ways. How did you know Daniel?"