A Deadly Trip (Now Available on Amazon!) (Unedited Version)

Chapter 23

It wasn't too hard to find my way into the basement again, which made me wonder why the police hadn't been able to find my friends yet.

Once inside I did a quick scan of my surroundings. There was a group of police by the front door in the lobby  and another set by the elevators which I assumed still weren't working. Even though the elevator wasn't working there was a set of stairs off to my right that had a white sign with a little red stickman walking down a set of steps that clearly led straight into the basement.

I mean really? Did they even look for my friends? There could've been a big flashing neon sign that said 'Kidnapped Teenagers Are Down Here' and I'm pretty sure the police still wouldn't have found them.

Cops are dumb.

I wish we would've found the stairs earlier then maybe we wouldn't be in this mess now.

After making sure no one was watching me I made my way down what felt like a thousand set of stairs before I finally made it to the basement. Looking around, it looked like I was on the complete opposite side of where we all started off from because I didn't recognize anything and there was no elevator in sight.

This basement was a complete maze.

Great.

I didn't have time to wander around and hope that I would miraculously run into Archer, but what choice did I have?

I took a deep breath and was about to take a leap of faith and just choose a random hallway to go down when that song started playing again.

Hotel California.

I instantly froze.

I doubted that music should be playing down here.  In the elevator sure, but down here in the basement,  and for it to be the exact same song that played when we first got stranded down here, it wasn't a coincidence.

That could only mean one thing.

"Gemma."

I instantly spun around and came face to face with Sheep Mask.

Well face to mask, but you get my point.

He was holding a black cellphone in  his hand and he was breathing heavily. It made me wonder how I didn't hear him come up behind me. There was a trickle of blood running down his neck that soaked the front of his shirt. Dylan must've hit him pretty damn hard.

Too bad it didn't kill him. I guess I wasn't that lucky.

I wasn't about to sit here and stick around for chit chat though. I quickly spun on my heels ready to bolt. I was able to take about three steps forward before I felt a sharp tug on the back of my hair.

A scream flew from my lips as I was yanked back into Sheep Mask's chest.

I dug my nails into his hands that had a death grip on my hair but it didn't seem to phase him.

"Let me go!" I yelled.

I tried kicking and twisting my body from side to side but he wouldn't budge. It only seemed to piss him off.

I was turned around quickly so I was facing him again and then I felt a sharp sting across my left cheek that caused my head to snap to the side.

I had to blink a few times to clear the dots swimming in my vision. How many times was this bastard going to hit me today?!

"You little bitch." He sneered in my face. "You just won't listen will you?  Always have to do things the hard way."

Sheep Mask moved his hand from my hair to my throat and tightened his hand, instantly cutting off my air.

My eyes went wide in panic and I tried clawing at his hands again but it was no use.  His grip was like iron.

He pulled my face close to his so I could feel his hot breath fan across my face through the hole in his mask.

"I should kill you right here right now."

Go to hell you psychotic bastard!

That's what I wanted to tell him but I couldn't because he was literally choking the life out of me.

I could barely pull air into my lungs.

Darkness started to creep into the edge of my vision and my grip on his hands became weaker and weaker.

Was this how I was going to die?

Alone and in a dirty basement at the hands of some psycho?

Sheep Mask moved his face so that his mouth was right next to my ear.

"Killing you like this would be too easy. I have so much more in store for you Gemma. So much more." He whispered.

He turned his head into mine and took a deep breath.

Was he smelling my hair?!

"Would you like to know what I have planned for you?" he asked.

Like I could answer him.

"After your little boyfriend is dead, I'm going to take you with me. How do you feel about being my little pet Gemma? Hmm?"

I tried to pull away with what little strength I had as he used his other hand to stroke my hair.

He pulled his mouth away from my ear and leaned back so he could look at me through his mask.

Although I couldn't see his eyes, I could just picture him looking me up and down.

"I can picture it now. All the fun you and I are going to have." He gave a dark chuckle.

"There won't be anybody there to hear your screams. No friends, no Archer. Just me. What do you think about that?"

"I think you have two seconds to get your hands off of her before I fucking kill you."

Sheep Mask instantly loosened his grip on my neck but didn't release his grip on me. I started coughing as I tried to take in lung fulls of air.

I was able to turn my head just enough so I could see Archer standing at the end of the hall, fists clenched and a deadly expression on his face.

I felt that familiar burn in my eyes as tears started to form.

He was alright.

The reality of our situation came crashing back as I eyed the phone clutched in his right hand.

The bomb!

I tried to open my mouth to warn him but Sheep Mask beat me to it.

"I'm so glad you're here. It makes what's about to happen so much sweeter."