“How are you? I couldn’t sleep at all, worrying about you.”
I forced a smile she couldn’t see. “I’m fine now. Don’t worry anymore.”
“Where are you?”
Ahead of us, a twenty–four–hour service area came into view, its dim glow cutting through the darkness.
“We just reached a rest stop. Go to bed. I’ll call you when I get home.”
After hanging up, I turned to Lloyd. “I need to use the restroom. Can you pull over?”
“Of course,” he said, glancing toward the police car. “I’ll let them know. Stay safe, and I’ll wait just outside.”
The service area was vast but eerily quiet. Only a few cars dotted the lot, and the women’s restroom was tucked away at the far end. The emptiness made me hesitate.
But with three more hours of driving ahead, I couldn’t hold it any longer. Glancing at the sleeping security guard and the silhouette of Lloyd waiting outside, I reassured myself.
Inside, nothing happened. My fears, it seemed, were unfounded. I washed my hands and prepared to leave when a
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Chapter 11
sudden, deafening explosion shattered the calm. The sound reverberated through the glass, making the walls tremble.
Panicking, I turned to rush out, only to hear the ominous click of the main door locking behind me. The lights
went out.
“Lloyd! Lloyd!” My desperate voice echoed in the empty hall, met with only silence.
A cold dread gripped me. I ran to the door and pounded on it, but it wouldn’t budge.
The security guard was gone, and the space outside was swallowed by darkness. Even Lloyd had vanished.
I backed against the door, my breaths shallow and frantic, clutching my phone as I fumbled to dial for help. Just as I opened my contact list, someone grabbed me from the side. An iron grip clamped around my neck, cutting off my air.
“Mmph–!”
Before I could scream, a rough hand covered my mouth, dragging me deeper into the shadows.
The cold tiles scraped against my skin as I struggled, but my captor’s strength was unyielding, like steel pressing into my body.
“Let’s get started,” a woman’s voice called out, sharp and familiar.
My body froze. I knew that voice. It haunted my nightmares.
The lights flickered on, blindingly bright.
I winced, pressing myself against the wall.
The woman stood before me, her expression twisted into something cruel and unrecognizable.
“What do you want from me?” I managed to choke out.
“What do I want?” Her laughter was as sharp as broken glass. “I want a kidney for my mother. That’s all.”
She turned to a masked man, her voice now clinical. “Dr. Potter, sorry about the crude location. Let’s not waste time.”
Her order was clear. “Hold her down!”
Two men seized me, pinning me like prey.
In a desperate frenzy, I bit one of them, the metallic taste of blood flooding my mouth. He cursed, slapping me so hard my ears rang.
“Stupid bitch!” he spat, tightening his grip. My head was forced back, exposing my neck.
The masked man stepped forward, syringe in hand.
Panic surged through me. If that needle went in, I’d lose all control.
I needed to find a way to stall for time.
By now, Lloyd and the police should be waiting outside. I just had to hold on for a little while, just a little while longer.
“Wait!” I gasped. “Don’t–My tongue is cut, I have HIV!”
The man I bit earlier froze, his face pale, releasing his hold
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“Don’t listen to her lies!” the woman snapped. “Hold her down. I’ll do it myself!”
The needle pierced my skin. My vision blurred as darkness seeped into my
Before I lost consciousness, a familiar voice echoed faintly,
mind.
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It was my best friend, speaking through the woman’s phone.
“You found her, right? Don’t forget the balance payment.”
The woman smirked, slapping me one last time.
“Some friend you’ve got,” she sneered. “Let’s get it over with. The cops will be back soon, and my mother needs that kidney now.”
Her maniacal laughter was the last thing I heard as the coppery scent of blood filled the air.
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Chapter 12
