Intentional Killer - Book 2 In The Jessie Series

Chapter 11: Knifed Note

We stopped outside a bathroom. Before I went in I turned to my little escort party.

"Would someone be a dear and get my backpack from the guys? It has some ... Items of mine I would require." I smiled sweetly at the huge armed men.

Captain Vince groaned and exhaled heavily through his nose. "I do not get paid enough for this shit." He grumbled but turned and stormed down the hall.

"Thank you Vince!" I called after him.

"It's CAPTAIN Vince!"

"Did you forget your rank again?"

I could tell even from here he wanted to flip me off or something but he kept walking. I grinned to myself. It was the little things... Like pissing people off. I was actually really surprised Vince went without questioning me it what was in the bag. Not like I had any weapons. Well, not in the bag anyway.

I shrugged and turned into the locker room. Before I stripped down I did a thorough check of the walls, ceilings corners and books and crannies. I didn't find a camera. Apparently my camera hunt took a while, there was a knock on the door.

"I haven't even started! Slim it."

"No dear...may I come in?"

"Depends."

There was silence. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Fine."

The door cracked open. A middle aged woman pushed the door open and was holding a fresh change of clothes and my backpack.

"The Captain didn't think it appropriate to have a male come into the bathroom and give you these. He asked if I would instead."

She walked over and set the things down on the bench. She had a kind face, her dark brown hair was pulled back out of her face. She must have been beautiful, but hard work and a tough life had stripped some of her physical beauty. But her eyes seemed to have kept their soft kindness and compassion.

"I won't keep you. But Sergeant Barnes asked if I would check that cut in your arm and see if you needed anything for your headache."

I straightened up. And looked at her hard.

"Sergeant Barnes...asked?"

"Yes. He understands. He gets the same headaches from time to time. And he noticed the bandage on your arm was looking a little worse for wear. Don't want dust and dirty to infect that cut."

She said this all with a smile, and her voice sounded too cheerful and her eyes had taken in a hard look, like she was trying to say something else with her words. I frowned. I had no idea who I could trust and who I couldn't.

For a fact Janson was a rat and I did not trust him. I trusted Barnes. My memories confirmed that. Unless Gally was right and somehow these are fake? But why would they give me fake ones about Sergeant Barnes? Was the surgery real or some kind of manipulation to get me to trust him only to be betrayed later. I furrowed my eyebrows more. I was still playing their game. It was still WICKED. But...where all the employees here WICKED? And the group originally was good and were helping kids escape the maze? Or was it always them and all these people couldn't be trusted? Or! We're a few of them working inside WICKED to help kids escape under their noses?

My brain felt like it was going to explode, so many what ifs and different scenarios and too many loose canons. I used my knuckles to rub my forehead, the headache was starting again.

"I don't know what Barnes headaches are from, but I doubt there the same." I said cautiously.

"I do believe they are Jessie. He would understand completely. And after three days, I'm sure you are also dehydrated. And it's just Tylenol."