The Beautiful and the Psychotic

Chapter Nineteen

ONE MONTH LATER

Alexis's P.O.V.

I crept up to the wall next to the window. I had expected to do a "run" as they were called earlier than this, but at least I didn't have to earlier. I had calmed down a little since Bella's death- I still missed her sometimes, but it wasn't the constant thing on my mind anymore. The police had found her body and there had been a string of reports. But that was all I could get my hands on from the outside world: news reports.

I knew I wasn't going to be able to find out about my family. I had seen a few of the victim's families, but nobody I knew. There was no news of them finding Ethan, either. There were other tidbits I found out that didn't really matter to me, like who won the election, and on the outside I would care. But I didn't.

Even standing far out of Silver Gardens with David, I knew there was no escape. We were always watched by Jamey and Mason through the different bracelets we had to wear. But at least there was new scenery. But scenery was easily overshadowed by having to kidnap somebody.

I pulled my gloves on harder and looked through the window. Empty room. So was the next. The third room contained a middle-aged couple, and the next had a family, two parents and a small child. The next one was a college-aged boy. We were meant to find a teenage girl. David was ahead of me, looking through the other half of the ground floor windows on this hotel. He beckoned me over.

I sneaked up to the window he was looking through. It was two parents and a young daughter.

"We can't pick her up, she's maybe 13!" I whispered harshly to David.

A low voice came through the earpiece I had. "I told David to use her," said Mason's voice.

Honestly? How could he even seen the people in the rooms? I sighed and noted in my mind the room number on the back of the door. Room six.

I threw my hooked rope up the the roof and tested it. I began to climb, hoping desperately I wouldn't get sudden acrophobia. 

David came up after me. He found the air conditioning vent and used a crowbar to get the door off, crawling through it. I followed, trying not the inhale the dust.

We dropped into the hallway. David leaned towards me. "What's the number?"

"Six," I whispered in answer. His dark blue eyes darted down the hallway until he found the right room. As he crept towards it, I thought that there would be a report on this. A small hotel in Brisbane, another girl kidnapped. Barely 13. Police search turns up nothing.

This poor, poor girl.

There seemed to be minimal to no security cameras here. My face was painted black, a hood drawn over my hair, head-to-toe black. But still, I wish they recognized me. It wasn't my choice to do this, but there was a small chance I could be found. At least my family would know I was alive.

I followed David to the door. I had the lock-pick, but after a few minutes of trying David impatiently took it from me and unlocked the door himself.

The door appeared to think that was a key and didn't set off alarms. I wished I could run away, but if I tried, my hands would be gone and I'd probably die.

We both stood there in the doorway, uncertain. Mason's voice whispered through the earpiece, "Alexis, you get her."

I reluctantly took the rag doused in some kind of liquid out of my pocket and crept up to the bed. As quietly as I could, as put the rag over the little girl's mouth. I slowly pulled it away as her head slumped just a little more than in sleep and her snoring stopped.

I put the rag back in my pocket, and cautiously pulled the girl out from under the covers and into my arms. She had yellow pyjamas on with little pink hearts. Another wave of empathy soared for her.

I looked over at her parents. Those poor people were going to be worried sick. As David wrote Jamey's signature "16" on the pillow, I considered leaving something for them to find. But if I did, I could die over at Silver Gardens.

Instead, I made a silent promise to make sure their little girl was returned to them.