The Race Against Time

Chapter 27

Brooklyn

We were served pizza and I was starving so this was going to go down so well in my stomach. When I got a good look, it surely wasn't what I had expected. The pizza is one of those cheap ones mothers buy in bulk for quick meals or at least mine does. It's small, disappointingly so, perhaps four inches across.

There is barely any cheese at all, its a red disk of tomato puree with less cheddar than I'd put on a single cracker. The base is white of course, ill digest that in a few seconds and still be hungry again.

"I think they're trying to kill us with this pizza," Yori admitted holding it up.

"I agree, I don't think I could eat this but my stomach is begging for it," I said answering Yori.

Every single bite I took from the slice of pizza was repugnant but it was food after all. When everyone was finished, we were brought back to our rooms however this time each team got different rooms, which is probably a good thing.

***
I sat down on my bed daydreaming but I was interrupted by Xander sitting next to me.

"How are you feeling?"

I already know where this conversation was going so instead of lying, I should tell the truth because if it's anything Xander is a cop and could help. I'm sure I can trust him.

"I feel great and before you ask me how I'll explain everything."

"Go on."

"Before we came here and got the serum I was stabbed and the next day it was healed, there wasn't even a scar left. For some reason, I'm healing faster than usual. It happened right after I came here."

Xander didn't look like he believed me but I wouldn't expect him too.

"Yesterday I saw something in Tyler's eyes when he was choking me. It was some sort of red light and when I told Esmerelda about it, she acted quite eerie and told me that she was sure I was hallucinating but not to tell anyone about it. I think she's up to something. I don't believe that Tyler would choke me for no reason."

"I know nothing of this organization and I'm a cop I am supposed to know every one of them. This woman is up to no good and we need to get out of here as soon as possible before it's too late. Nevertheless, first, we need to find out what they're up to, but now is not the right time."

"I'll talk to Tyler, they must have told him something," I told Xander.

He nodded and walked away. He went over to Tyler and whispered something in his ears. I'm guessing he told him that I wanted to talk to him because Tyler came straight in my direction after Xander left him.

"Tyler can you remember what happened yesterday."

"Umm, I'm not supposed to be talking about what happened yesterday or even talking to you, so if that's all you wanted to say can I leave."

"I knew it, that psycho woman made you do it. Yesterday you choked me, you could've killed me that's what happened."

"You're talking nonsense Brooklyn that never happened, why would I choke you."

I could see beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He took his hand and wiped it on his pants. He kept watching back and forth avoiding my face.

As if now registering what he just told me he quickly shot his mouth closed got up and walked away. I didn't go after him this time because he already confirmed what I wanted to know. He looked more nervous and scared than a mouse being chased by a cat. But why would Esmerelda want him to strangle me?

I thought and thought and now it came to my mind. She wanted to know if what I was saying about my healing was true.

Tomorrow I'm guessing we are going to start the second challenge. We need to win this challenge because if we don't, we will never get the chance to figure out what this crazy woman is trying to do.

As of now, we need to keep this information a secret until we could prove that this woman was playing us and we don't know if someone will tell her what Xander and I found out because that will be a disaster.

After about an hour Xander came back to my side to find out what Tyler had told me.

"What did he say."

"He said that he wasn't supposed to say anything about what happened yesterday and when I told him about him strangling me, he said that he can't remember doing that. Apparently, he wasn't supposed to say that either because he left right after he said it. You could tell that he was nervous."

"But why would Esmerelda want him to strangle you. Did you do anything?"

"At first I didn't know why she would make him do that but then I remembered that I told Esmerelda about my abnormal healing. It was probably because she wanted to know if I was lying or not." I said

"But if she made Tyler strangle you that means that she could control him. But what made her be able to control him?"

"I think it's the serum."

Xander looked at me not wanting to believe that, that could be a possibility.

"So if it's the serum, that means."

He didn't even have to finish the sentence because we all know that if it was the serum that implies that she could control every single one of us.

"If it is that the serum allowed her to control Tyler then she could control everyone even both of us, indicating that we can't trust anyone because for all we know she is controlling them."

Before Xander left we agreed that if any one of us was acting weird or suspicious in any way just go with the flow or else Esmerelda would suspect that something is off.

This entire situation was hard to take in. We hadn't even discussed all the details yet, like where are we going to escape or when we are going to escape because we are in the middle of nowhere. This can go wrong in many different ways that I can imagine but we have to keep calm for now and avoid meeting each other too much. She could be listening in and watching everyone.

If this is what I knew I was getting myself into in the beginning I would have never gone by Tyler's house. I would have kept my butt home and watched Netflix.