Impostor

Chapter 20

I woke up with a headache. My eyelids were heavy and the cut on my leg was stinging. The events from last night slowly crawled back into my mind and I sat up with a start, only to fall back down. I waited for the dizziness to subside before trying again, slowly this time. The room was dark with heavy black curtains hanging in front of a small window. There were two doors in the room, one that led to a restroom and the other was probably the exit. I had a double bed with black sheets and a black wooden nightstand. There was a large black wardrobe against the far wall next to the restroom door. Besides the few pieces of furniture, the room was bare.

I didn't know how long I'd been here, but I was starving. My stomach growled and right on cue, the door swung open to reveal a trolley loaded with delicious-looking food. I wanted to be a stubborn hostage, but I was so hungry. I decided to drain my captives instead. When I saw who was pushing the trolley, a cold shock went through my body. Sandy, the sweet old lady from the escape rooms, smiled kindly at me as she neared the bed. "Jane, I'm so glad you're awake." She said and poured fresh juice into a glass. I gaped at her, unable to get a word out. I tried calming my rapidly beating heart by taking big breaths and letting them out slowly. When I calmed down enough from my shock I tried again. "Sandy? Why would you do this to me?" I managed to say and her smile turned into a frown.

"You stole that job. I needed that job so desperately. I am in serious debt. I have medical bills to pay and then there is the case of living costs." She sighed and looked at me with tired eyes. "If you let me go now, I will help you pay your bills." I bargained and she let out a laugh that chilled me to the bone. "I don't want you to help me pay my bills; I want to ransom you for far more money than you are worth." She sneered and I was completely taken aback. "Mr. Wulf is not going to pay for my ransom." I said with hope. She laughed and shook her head. "Michael wouldn't pay for another woman's ransom unless that woman is his fiancée." She said with a victorious look on her face.

"Who are you asking to pay my ransom then?" I asked and waited with bated breath. I really hoped that she wouldn't speak the name that I have come to love so much. "Harry." She said and dread spread throughout my body. I wasn't hungry anymore and looked at her in horror. "Sandy, please. You don't have to do this." I begged and she clicked her tongue. "Yes, I do. Now be a good girl and eat your food." She said sternly and walked out the door. She returned with a wooden chair and sat next to the bed playing games on her phone while I forced the food down my throat. This became our daily routine. She would bring me food, I would beg for freedom, she would force me to eat and then I would be left alone until the next meal.

I was starting to lose hope of ever getting out of here so I concocted a plan of my own. The only thing that I could see through the tiny window in my room was that the house was in the middle of a forest and that the winter snow had started to fall. The room I was in was also situated on the second floor of the house. I tried squeezing through the tiny window, but even if I lost all my body fat I would still not fit through it. I needed to leave through the door. I had to find my phone and put the tracker on. I'm hoping that Harry hasn't given up on me yet. I sighed as I lay down and waited for Sandy to bring my breakfast. She has been getting comfortable around me and for the last few days, she left the door open with the key dangling from the knob. She also got tired of dragging the chair into my room and decided to leave it with me. Big mistake.

I heard her footsteps and the squeaks of the trolley's wheel approach my door and quickly closed my eyes. The knob jiggled as she put the key into the keyhole and unlocked the door. I felt my breathing speed up along with my heart. My palms started to sweat as she pushed the trolley through the open door. This was my only chance to get the hell out of here. I heard her stop next to me and felt her tug on the blanket that was draped over me. "Wake up, Sunshine." She said and I rolled my eyes behind my eyelids. She started calling me 'Sunshine' a week ago, or I think it's a week.

I slowly opened my eyes and turned to her with the fakest smile I had ever displayed on my face. She seemed pleased and smiled right back before turning to the trolley of food. I moved as quickly and silently as possible while she was occupied with the food. I picked the heavy wooden chair up and broke it over her head and back. She crumbled to the ground with a large gash on the back of her head. I paused as blood started to pour from the wound. I was horrified with myself. Did I just kill an old lady? I dropped and put two fingers over her pulse and felt the drum of her heart against my fingers. I let out a big breath and forced the tears of relief back as I ran to get the key from the door. I locked her in the room and looked down the narrow stairs. The house was suspiciously quiet.

At the landing of the stairs, I found a table with flowers on it. It had a little drawer and I pulled it open, looking for a weapon. I nearly started crying when I saw my work phone's black screen inside. I quickly pulled it out and switched it on. The battery was halfway drained, but I could work with that for now. I ran through a short hallway to the front door and threw it open. The cold slapped me in the face and I had to take a few breaths to help my lungs adjust to the temperature drop. I grabbed a jacked from a hook next to the door and rushed into the tree line.

Harry's POV

I hated waiting. It's been three weeks and my detectives have come up with nothing. They want me to wait some more. I wanted to pay the money as soon as I got the message. If it meant that I could hold her safely in my arms, I would give up my fortune in a heartbeat. The police have tapped into my phones and are monitoring my bank accounts. Both personal and business. To say that I was frustrated was an understatement.

I dragged my hand through my hair for the hundredth time and took a sip from my cup. The coffee was soothing to my restless body. I wanted to barge into every place in New York and tear it apart until I found her. That is if she was still in New York. One of my detectives rushed into my office and I looked at him with hope. "We found her, sir." He said and my heart leaped. I grabbed a jacket and blanket from my couch and followed him to the garage. Everybody was rushing to cars and loading guns. It reminded me of an ant's nest. I got in the car with my detectives and we immediately started speeding in the direction of my Jane.