Code: 16B

Chapter Twenty-Three

Twenty-Three

    When I woke, this time I was not back in my cell, and unlike the last time I was knocked out, I didn’t have a major headache. The room was dark, and I couldn’t help but smell a familiar smell, but yet I couldn’t remember the last time I’ve smelled that scent. I noticed that my wrists, my forearms, and ankles were bounded together with duct tape. I tried to struggle against them, but it was no use.

    “Struggle all you want. You’ll never get free.” I hear the eerily familiar voice, and I didn’t have to look to know that Victor is in the room.

    He walks toward me in a way that should make me cringe, but I can’t. No matter how much I try, I can’t break free, proving his point. His laughter was as terrifying as it is mocking when he moves a strand of hair away from my face, and I wish that I could flinch away from him if I wasn’t tied up.

    “So, where’s your boyfriend, the one who tried to help you escape?” I could hear the sarcasm in his tone, but I refuse to answer. When he realized that I wasn’t going to speak, he simply continued on his gloating rant.

    “I was glad to see that he tried, and I was elated to see that he was a fool to use the split up tactic. You see, I knew that the old man who watched you like a hawk was lying to me, and I took the liberty of poisoning his coffee after I realized that you were gone. That old coot will be dead in…” he paused to look at his watch, and then his gaze returned to me “Well, he’ll be dead right about now.” He laughed, and I couldn’t help but let the shock take over.

    “You killed Gramps?” I shouted, and I could hear the anger and rage within.

    “Duh, what else was I supposed to do, send him to an old folks home where he belongs? I don’t think so. And besides, it’s not like I’ve done it before.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, and I couldn’t believe that he could be so nonchalant about it, after admitting he killed an innocent old man who showed nothing but kindness to me.

    “What do you want?” I said through gritted teeth as my eyes watch him pace back and forth, forth and back.

    He laughed. “Isn’t it obvious?” he asked, and when I didn’t answer, he continued. “You, of all people, chose to go after the boy with a secret. The one secret that puts you in danger, and the next thing you know, you’re in a situation where you’re about to die. All because you had to go after the one boy with the secret, the one person who has what I’.” He finished with a sneer directed at me.

    “The point?” I asked, my patience growing thin with each pun hidden in his cryptic words.

    “The point,” he began with a devilish smile, “is that you’re here, because your boyfriend has something that he stole from me back in Singapore…” he trailed off, leaving it unfinished.

    “The chip.” I whispered.

    “Yes. The chip.” He snapped back maliciously. Then, with some effort, he calmed himself down before he continued. “When I first learned that his new location was in Houston, I thought I could just ambush him, torture him until he either killed me or give me the chip. Only when I finally spotted him, and after hacking into the school’s security cameras, I find that he’s falling for you. I knew that I could somehow use you to get what I want.”

    I felt my jaw drop as he said it, and remembered what Missy said at the park, about her being watched at school. Why didn’t I notice that something seemed wrong each time I went to Westfield? I ignored the question in my head, and asked aloud, “And how did Missy play into it?”

    He laughed, this time he threw his head back like it was a hilarious joke told by the very comedian who wrote it. “Your friend, she was the perfect candidate to get you out in the open after your boyfriend took off with you at the parking lot. At first, I wanted to just follow you until you and Cyrus are alone so I could kill him, and get the chip. But, I didn’t think that he would be packing, especially when I’ve heard that he’s supposedly resigned from the agency. So after he took you to his little hiding place, I decided to go with Plan B.

    “Your friend was at the mall, with her tiny friend with glasses, and I happened to did my homework on…Missy, is it? Anyway, I managed to strike up a conversation with her, talking about nothing but movies, music, and books. Feigning interest in the one she likes and her opinions, do a little flirting and viola! She’s completely head over heels.” He paused to gauge my reaction. But I was the one that showed a face that was cold, and hard. I’m already through with hearing the stupid minor details; I just want him to get straight to the point.

    “I did have to scare her a little so that way she would beg you to come out of your little hidey hole so she could confide in you, and here we are.” He laughed again. “Don’t you think it’s a wonderful story?”

     I gaped at him. “Why in the hell would you do all of this just to get to Cyrus?” I blurt almost immediately.

    “Because, it’s a lot more fun.” He said in a creepy way that would remind me of the Mad Hatter from Alice In Wonderland.

    At that point, I couldn’t take it anymore; I began to struggle so I could get free, knowing that I’m not going down without a fight if he plans to stop me. Victor seemed to notice one of the pieces of tape breaking, so he walked over to the wall where a big red button stood.

    “By the way Amanda, I heard from a reliable source that you’re afraid of the water.” I didn’t bother to ask him why would he care to point that out. He pushed the button when he realized that I wasn’t going to speak. “Have fun at the bottom.” He said with a maniacal laugh.

    For a moment, I began to ponder what his statement meant. What did he mean have fun at the bottom? The bottom of what, what does he mean? Then, I realized what he meant when the floor dropped from underneath me, and I hear the sound of my body splashing into the water that waited below.

    The water was cold, and I struggled harder, trying hard to break the stupid duct tape. But, each time I try to move, I keep going down, and I realized that Victor, or someone must’ve put some weights on me to make sure I don’t come up for air. I could feel the ice-cold water going down my throat, and into my lungs. I keep trying to break free.

    I tried to see, but the water was obviously dark because I couldn’t see a thing. I couldn’t see my arms, my legs, nothing but darkness though I know my eyes are open. But I didn’t want to give up, and I didn’t wan to lose this game. I keep trying to break the bounding duct tape, but I could feel my energy depleting, and I could feel my lungs aching inside my chest.

    It was then I couldn’t feel my arms and legs. The icy waters immobilized me, and I could feel that I was floating downward.

    Then, when all hope seemed lost, I saw a bright light.