The Loop (Book 2)

The Truth

Minutes felt like hours as the others scouted the clinic. Evelyn and Cassandra returned first, their arms laden with scattered supplies: a broken chair leg, a metal rod, and a dusty first aid kit.

"Found some bandages and antiseptic," Cassandra muttered. "Better than nothing."

Jennifer joined them soon after, locking the front door with a length of chain she'd found. "Entrance is secure. For now."

The group gathered in the waiting area, each of them taking a spot near the walls, weapons within reach. Evelyn lit a small camping lantern she'd retrieved from her bag, its warm glow casting eerie, flickering shadows.

"We rest in shifts," she said, her voice low but resolute. "Two awake, two asleep. We don't let our guard down."

Olivia hesitated, glancing toward the dark hallway beyond the waiting room. "And if he—if the Predator—comes back?"

Evelyn's expression hardened. "Then we fight. Together."

The group fell into uneasy silence, the distorted lullaby drifting through the air like a faint heartbeat. Each of them grappled with their thoughts, the oppressive weight of the clinic settling on their shoulders.

As Olivia sat against the wall, her fingers tracing the edges of her pendant, she couldn't shake the feeling that the clinic wasn't just a place—it was a trap. Not one made to hold them physically, but one designed to twist their minds, to dredge up the secrets they'd buried deep.

And as the hours dragged on, the faint sounds of distant footsteps began to echo through the hallways, as if the clinic itself was stirring to life.

As the group huddled in the dimly lit waiting area, the oppressive silence of the clinic was broken only by the occasional creak of the old building settling. Cassandra shifted uncomfortably, her gaze flicking to Evelyn, who sat with her back to the wall, her jaw set and eyes fixed on the faint glow of the camping lantern.

The memory of the Predator's words gnawed at Cassandra. His tone had been too deliberate, too specific. She needed answers.

"Evelyn," Cassandra said softly, careful not to wake Olivia and Jennifer, who had taken the first chance to rest.

Evelyn didn't look at her, but her shoulders stiffened. "What is it?"

Cassandra hesitated, then took a breath. "Back in the woods, when the Predator was taunting us. He said something to you... about your past. Your truths. Your choices."

Evelyn's gaze flicked toward Cassandra, sharp and guarded. "And?"

Cassandra leaned forward slightly, keeping her voice low. "What did he mean? What is he trying to use against you?"

Evelyn's lips pressed into a thin line. "It's nothing. Just another one of his games to get into our heads."

"That didn't sound like nothing," Cassandra countered, her voice steady but persistent. "You're always the one with the plan, the one who keeps us together. But he looked at you like he knew you. Like he knew something we don't."

Evelyn's jaw clenched, her hands tightening around her knees. "He's a manipulator. That's what he does. Don't let him win by dwelling on it."

"But he's good at it," Cassandra pressed. "Good enough to use whatever he knows against us. If there's something we should know—if it could help us understand him—don't you think it's better to tell us?"

Evelyn looked away, her eyes fixed on the shadows dancing along the cracked walls. For a long moment, she said nothing.

"I don't owe anyone my past," she said finally, her voice quieter now, but no less resolute.