Captivated

Chapter Sixteen

It didn't take too long before we pulled up to the back of a warehouse and backed the suv up to a large loading door. I racked my brain trying to remember what this place had once been, a factory of some kind that went bankrupt like ten years ago. Cameron pulled his phone out and made a quick call to let whoever we were meeting know that we were outside before he stepped out of the car. I sat patiently, waiting for whatever comes next to happen so that we could move onto our next stop, Miranda.

The loading door opened and a couple men filled out, not nearly as many as I would have expected, maybe 4 or 5 of them in total. I jumped as Cameron knocked on the window catching me by surprise, I sighed realizing that by the time this day was over my nerves were going to be stretched so thin that I didn't plan on leaving my room come morning. He motioned for me to get out of the car and follow him, he reached in and grabbed one of the duffle bags careful on how he handled it then he motioned for me to follow him.

We entered through the service door beside the loading bay and carefully maneuvered our way through the many boxes, vehicles and other scattered items that took up this section out towards a hallway. He led me down the hall past a few empty rooms and into another large room. I could feel my body freeze up as we were met with a large laboratory of sorts. It wasn't the kind you see in movies, where the crack dealers are making drugs on makeshift equipment; nope it was a fully functioning Lab. Skillfully contained within a large glass room, kind of like the kind you see in alien movies that the government sets up to conduct their experiments. There were doors, a decontamination center, cooking stations, and everyone inside were in lab coats and had their faces covered in masks. You could see the whole process but it wasn't clear what they are manufacturing and I could feel my nerves take another plummet.

I had expected something, but not this; "So is this how the rich make their drugs" I asked smugly feeling my stomach roll as I tried to calm myself. I was never the kind of person so do drugs, at least not the kind that they were bound to be mixing up here in this lab. I mean id tried weed once in college, we were at a party and everyone was trying some but nothing hard, not ever. Cameron shot me an angry look and directed me up the stairs leading to an office that overlooked the whole operation. I could feel his anger building up as I muttered angry insults under my breath.

"Sit down" he said pointing to a chair near the desk. I did as he asked sitting quietly and fiddling my thumbs. He placed the bag down on the desk and left the room heading back down the stairs and leaving me alone in the office. I didn't know if he would be long, but I had the feeling that if I got up and wandered around it would not end so well for me. There were times to press Cameron and there were times when I knew I should just do as he asked me. I was getting the impression that id been pushing the wrong buttons, at least a little bit tonight, and I didn't want him to change his mind about taking me to see Miranda.

A few minutes passed before I was able to hear his voice carrying up the staircase, I sat still trying to listen but their voices stopped as they came closer to the office. I could hear the click of high heels tapping against the floor as Cameron and another woman entered the room.

She was average height in a pressed black suit wearing a white coat like the people down in the lab had been wearing. Her black hair was held up with a clip and he brown eyes shone with intensity as she stopped in front of me.

"You must be Annabelle" she said with a soft smile and an extended hand, I nodded and shook her hand standing up so that I could look at her directly. "My name is Dr. Monica Valserese"

"It's nice to meet you" I said with as much effort and strength I could manage feeling the emotional tool of today beginning to wear me thin.

"Indeed I'm sure it is. Cameron here has told me so much about you, not that I hadn't heard your name before he mentioned it to me. You graduated top of your class and my god child you are so very bright. How you ended up with him is beyond me, also it's below my pay grade to even want to know. I can tell you're uncomfortable, but you're also pretty new to this whole thing so I won't judge you" she smiled and moved around the desk to look at the duffle bag.