The Test

Chapter Twenty-Four

I rubbed a hand across my face, trying to wake myself up, "What time is it?"

Justin looked at his watch briefly, "It's almost noon."

Any remnants of sleep left my body as I stared blankly at him, "What?"

All three of them looked confused as I ran back inside, grabbing my phone from the nightstand and typing in Layna's number with shaky hands. It didn't ring, just went straight to voicemail.

"Fuck," I yelled, redialing. Straight to voicemail.

"What's wrong, Derek?" Amelia asked, walking into the room.

"Layna went out to get breakfast, but I fell asleep and it's been a couple of hours and she isn't back. Fuck, why did I sleep?"

"Do you know where she went?" Humphrey asked, pulling out his phone.

"She went to the coffee shop down the street," I hit redial as I spoke, pushing my way past them as I ran down the hall to Tom's room. They followed me but I ignored him and pounded my fist against Tom's door. After what seemed like forever the door opened, revealing a grumpy looking Tom.

"What the hell is the problem?" he snapped as my phone went to Layna's voicemail.

"I can't find Layna, and she's not picking up her phone. Have you seen her today?"

"Not since yesterday...you don't think..." he trailed off, his eyes widening in fear.

"I hope to God that it's not what I think it is."

"Call her again," he told me, and I obliged. This time, the phone went directly to voicemail. My knees buckled as the reality of the situation took over, and I sank to the ground, burying my face in my hands.

"Hey, we don't know that anything bad has happened; let's just go down there and see if maybe she got held up," Humphrey said calmly. "We can call Detective Greene on the way and he can meet us there."

***

The ride to the coffee shop happened in a blur. I followed the rest of my team blindly as I prayed to whatever was out there that she would be okay. That she was okay and that she had just got caught up buying breakfast.

When we got there, I jumped out of the car. I scanned the building with my eyes and I could see the rental car we were using parked in a spot near the front. I jogged over to it, but it was empty.

I banged the glass with frustration, before running inside where my team had started talking to the barista on duty.

"Have you seen this woman here today?" Justin asked, showing her a picture on his phone.

"Yeah, I think she was here a couple of hours ago," she said.

"Do you know where she went?" I asked, my voice coming out chocked.

"I have no idea; she was here during the morning rush. She was talking to some lady and they left but that's about all I can tell you. You can look at our cameras if you want."

I pushed my way outside, unable to breathe. I slumped against the side of the building, bracing my hands on my knees and trying to get a full breath into my lungs.

Layna

I blinked my eyes open, trying to see through the darkness. My head was throbbing, and when I tried to lift up my hand to rub my head, I realized that I couldn't move it. Both my arms were tied together tightly behind my back, and my feet were also similarly tied.

I fought against the ropes that bound my hands together, but they wouldn't budge. I was stuck.

With my heart pounding in my chest, I slumped down on the floor, trying to think through the pain in my head. I remembered leaving the hotel in the morning and going to the coffee shop...Leila! She was there but everything else was a blur.

Suddenly the lights opened and I flinched, blinking rapidly to adjust to the brightness.

The room I was in wasn't even a room; it was the size of a large closet. If I lay down my feet would touch the wall across from me. The walls were an off-white color, and the room was completely empty except for the small light bulb above me, and a door to my left.

There was a soft click as the door was unlocked from the outside and the door opened. Leila stood there in her work scrubs and a large smile on her face as she hummed softly to herself.

"What are you doing?" I asked in a hoarse voice as she slowly came closer to me.

She laughed, "I can't have you escaping, can I? He wouldn't be happy if he came and you were gone now would he."

"Who?" I asked but she ignored me, pulling a syringe out of her pocket and flicking the side so all the bubbles dissolved.

"Please don't do this," I begged, trying to push myself away from her with my bound legs. "What would your children say?"

She froze her face hardening. "That's funny, because the last time I checked, one of them was dead, and the other one is in a mental institution because of you."

With that, she slammed the needle into my upper arm and I slipped into unconsciousness.