Feeding Time

Chapter Twenty One

I sit with my legs crossed on top of the bed, my arms buckled tightly in a straitjacket, and my eyes half closed and heavy as I strain to listen to Agent Sol's conversation with the nurse from the other side of the bedroom.
"-Condition has worsened dramatically", I catch her say. "And there are now signs of another session of electroshock, but this time it was just enough voltage to inflict pain and weaken the body, not erase memories."
"Any idea why?", the man asks. "Do you think Mr. Mandela may have caught up to her?"
"That's the most logical belief."
"He did", I slur, struggling to lift up my head, fighting against the calming drugs in my system. "When you find him, call him a fucker for me."
"Take it easy now, Miss Moore", the woman soothes, calmly walking over, gently guiding me down until my head hits a pillow. "Just sleep."
Her voice sounds warped and far off, which tells me that I'm already beginning to drift away
"When you question her, she'll need to be handled with kid gloves. The electroshock happened recently and her brain hasn't fully healed yet", the doctor says to the agent as I close my eyes. "We need her to understand everything that happens. We need to learn to understand how her."
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"Your father is worried about you", the agent tells me the next morning, smiling as I curl up on the couch from across his chair, my arms now free as I stare at him and the familiar Detective Brown, still shaking off the drugs. "He'll be glad to know you're safe."
"He's a traitor", I snap, suddenly more aware at the mention of my father. "You have to arrest him."
"For what exactly?", the detective asks, leaning forward in his seat.
"He's with Jake Mandela", I tell them. "And they're terrorists. They used me to kill so many people when I don't want to murder anyone. And he faked my mother's death and held her captive. I met her in that dark place."
"Do you know where it is?"
"Give me your phone and I'll find out", I reply, holding out my hand. "Please."
Agent Sol fishes his cell out of his pocket and tosses it to me, watching me catch it and dial a number, biting my lip as I hold the device up to my ear.
"Hello?", Noah's voice says from the other end.
"It's me", I say tiredly. "I need your help for something."
"I'm not helping you until you explain why the heck you turned yourself in", he responds. "Start talking."
"I won't let him win. This is the only way."
"Not very descriptive, but good enough for now", my friend sighs. "What do you need?"
"Where did Jake and my father hold me and my mother?", I ask. "It's important."
"The abandoned warehouse on Rose Street. The one at the end of the road. Where are you exactly?"
"It's better if you don't know that", I answer. "You might hear it on the news. Dont come for me. Leave me here, got it?"
"Why?"
"Because I don't want to be used any more. I don't want to hurt anyone. I don't want to be this way anymore."
"You're back at the asylum", Noah states, groaning from his end.
"Not the same one. Don't come looking. You won't find me, I can promise you that."
"Theresa-"
I end the call and toss the phone back.
"Abandoned warehouse at the end of Rose Street", I say. "One of the things you'll find is a padded room. It'll have a large bloodstain near the center of the floor. That's where they kept me when they didn't make me kill."
"Thank you, Miss Moore", Detective Brown tells me, speaking as if I were a child. "Until further notice, we will keep your location away from your father, at least until we find whether or not he is involved with terrorists. You've done very well so far."
"Yes you have", Sol agrees. "Now there's two more questions we'd like to ask. Just answer them to the best of your ability, okay?"
I nod my head slowly in response.
"Eyewitnesses report seeing you being forced to escape the asylum with Morona Feller", Detective Brown says gently. "Was it your own free will to leave?"
"No." I shrug. "I wanted to stay so no one would get hurt. I get out, look what happens", I say bitterly. "I turn into a serial killer."
"Alright, Miss Moore", he replies. "No need to get agitated; they're only questions."
"Where are the others?", Sol asks, leaning forward in his seat. "Did you call them?"
I stay silent.
"Kid gloves", Brown murmurs to the man, who sighs.
"Do you know where Noah Rahsen is?", the agent asks finally. "Or Gemma Jenkins?"
I nod my head, keeping my mouth firmly shut.
"Can you tell us?"
I shake my head no.
The detective leans forward in his chair and says, "Theresa, Noah and Gemma were taken by force, just like you. They have families that are worried sick about them."
"Wait." Agent Sol puts up his hand and rises, stepping forward and crouching down in front of me. "Do you know the address of where they are?"
"No."
"The general area?"
"No."
"How about the state?"
I nod my head and he smiles, reaching up to pat my shoulder.
"And what state is that?", he questions. "Can you tell me?"
I bite my lip for a moment and open my mouth.
"Texas", I whisper, guilt washing over me as I betray my friends once more. "I don't know where in Texas. That's all I know." Tears fill my eyes as I hang my head, feeling weighed down by my betrayal.
"It's okay", Sol soothes. "You did good."