AFTER YOU SAVED ME // ZESSA

Chapter 31: Hessa

Hardin's POV

"Wait, so you know this Heather girl?" I ask, properly confused as to why the fuck Zed is freaking out over this chick we just learned about.

"Yes!" he shouts, his fists nearly white in his lap as we drive to the address listed in Heather's memory box. "She told us her name was Anna. She's been friends with Tessa for months! Since the day she confirmed her pregnancy at the clinic. Anna was the one who helped us. She got so close with Tessa – it all makes sense," Zed yells, slamming his fists on my dashboard.

I nearly ring his fucking neck for hitting the interior of my car like that but do my best to ignore it. I know how hard it is to remain calm when you are this upset – and Zed has every reason to be enraged.

However, when he slams his fists into the dash a second time, I waiver a bit.

"Knock it off, mate," I say a bit harshly, shooting him a warning glare before clearing my throat and quickly recovering, "we're going to find her right now and find out what the hell is going on."

"They better be there. Anna or Heather... whatever her name is, Dan, and Tessa. I'm going to personally kill them both," Zed seethes, angry tears streaming onto his dark jacket as I speed through campus.

"Believe me, I'm on the same page as you. We just have to get there – and we're not too far," I reassure him, picturing my fist landing squarely on Dan's jaw – something my therapist surely wouldn't be too happy about.

"And you called the police already?" I ask Zed.

"Yes! They didn't take it seriously, but said they would send someone when they can," Zed groans in frustration. The police have taken me and Zed less seriously the past month, given there's no "real evidence" Tessa was taken.

A few minutes later, Zed finally having composed himself as I psych myself up for the fight of my life, we pull into the back of an abandoned factory building.

The place is huge and looks older than any building on campus. Its towering iron bars and decaying red bricks look especially ominous under the dark clouds forming overhead. It looks as if it will rain soon and the temperature has dropped significantly, make me shiver in my thin jean jacket.

"Looks like something out of a Saw movie," Zed says, eyeing the building up and down. "Let's go," he adds reluctantly, climbing of the car.

I follow, spotting a rusted metal door just under the iron staircase wrapping up and around the building. It must lead to a basement of some sort, as it is a few steps down from ground level.

"There," I point, as Zed and I quickly jog over to it.

Giving it a hard tug, Zed pulls back on the handle, but it does not move. "It's locked," he says disappointedly, "Let's look for another entrance."

"Hold on," I say, flashing him a small smile as I pull out a tiny, slender tool with a hook at the end.

"What's that?" Zed asks, moving aside as I crouch down in front of the door.

"It's to pick locks," I answer bluntly.

"Can't say I'm surprised you own something like that," Zed huffs knowingly.

It takes a couple minutes, but with the satisfying sound of a click, the door creaks open.

"Nice, man" Zed notes, offering a hand to pull me up.

I take it, standing up quickly and walking inside. "I'm not completely useless," I chime.

Pulling out my phone, I use the flashlight app to help light the way. What few bulbs line the hallways are either extremely dim or burnt out.