Chapter 17: LION IN THE ROOM

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LION IN THE ROOM

I make it all the way to floor 18 as my legs burn. Then, I realize that Xander will most likely take the elevator, so I do a little something. I open the door and run towards the elevator. He's currently on floor 16 so I take out my gun and shoot the electrical box. Sparks fly and I jump back with a laugh. The light goes out on the elevator buttons. I laugh harder as I start to navigate through the maze of offices. Then of course... As I expected...my phone starts ringing. I debate whether or not to pick it up, but then I decide to.

"Sky! I know it was you! Damn it! This is not the time for eye for an eye!"

"So? Is that all you called to tell me? Because, I really don't have time to deal with your accusations and chastising."

"Sky! Why? What did I do!? Can we deal with our relationship problems at another time?!"

"Sure...Sure... Wait did you just call it RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS? Is that what you're calling it? What. The. Hell. Uh Xander,...There's just a little problem...Oh gosh...oh gosh...Uh Xander... there's a damn lion in the room." I say as I open the door. I blow out a breath and slam the door shut. Is this the sick game, Liam was talking about? I guess I would be game to the lion. Dammit! Why? Of all things a lion has to be in the room? Uhh! How did it get in here anyway? A lion?

"Sky, if this is your way of changing the subject...then you need to work on that.-"

"Xander. There. Is. A. Lion. In the damn room!" I hiss into the phone.

"You're kidding right? Sky, can we get back to the mission? Or how 'bout you fix the elevator."

"First of all I'm not a freakn engineer... second of all I'm not kidding! There's a freaking furry...mean looking...hungry damn lion in the room!"

"How is that possible?"

"What the hell! You want me to prove it? Take a damn selfie while it eats me alive?"

"Sky...calm down.. maybe you're hallucinating."

"I. Am. Not. Hallucinating! Xander! You know what? I don't know why I'm still talking to you. Considering what you did...Uh...I'll solve this on my own...Bye." I say just as I'm about to hang up.

"SKY! DON'T YOU DARE HANG UP! What did I do?"

"Don't be stupid. You very well damn know what you did! You just don't know that I was told of what you did!"

"Ok.. Sky, I'm going to find you and we'll solve this together. Stay where you are."

"Were you listening to me? I said you know what you did! You're just too damn scared to confront me about it. And of course you'll find me I mean you did inject me with a tracker!" I yell into the phone.

"Sky...is that what this is all about? I was ordered by John. I'm not like you, I can't just flirt my way around things. It was for your own good."

"Flirt my way around things?! How dare you. My own good? The hell. How would you know what's good for me? Oh... because your devil of an ego told you? Don't believe all the shit your ego feeds into your brain. You don't have a single clue, what's best for me. Nor do you have any right to claim you do. Flirt? I can't believe you would think so low of me! Damn you! I can handle this on my own. I don't need a partner! I never did!" I scream into the phone.

"Sky! No!"

"Save your BS for someone else, Xander. I'm no longer willing to take it!" I say and I hang up. It's time for me to face my fears on my own. I'm a vegetarian, I don't kill animals. I can't kill the lion unless desperation calls for it. I take in a breath and walk into the room. File...I'm looking for the file...hmmmm... oh jeez... it's behind the lion. How wonderful. Doesn't that make life so much easier? Sorry...sarcasm's a coping mechanism for me.

"Nice...lion?" I ask it. It just stares at me with those gleaming predator eyes. This has definitely been a crazy week. It gets up and starts to prowl towards me. Then I remember my ring. It's drugged. Hopefully there's enough to knock out a lion. As I back into the wall...I increase the dosage of my ring. Just as it starts to growl I take a jab at its neck. It lets out a primal sound and swipes at me. I dodge most of it, but end up getting clawed in the leg. I hiss in pain as the lion collapses. I stagger towards the file and open it. My mouth hangs agape in shock.

TRAPPED.

That's all it says! The whole mission was a set up! Everything! I growl in frustration, fatigue and pain. Suddenly the door bursts open and men with black suits surround me. Liam walks in as well.

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