Layla

Chapter Eighteen: Too Late

"Meet me at the extraction point tonight around midnight. I have the girl." He growled into the phone, clenching the device tightly into his hand. 

It wasn't a question. 

 It had been a demand.

 A demand toward Stryker.

 The very man who held his freedom in his hands, and he was risking that by demanding him to arrive tonight, rather than wait for his signal. It was a risk he was willing to take. At this point, he just wanted to hand the mutant off to him because he wasn't sure he ever would. Things weren't going his way, and with the other telekinetic he was bound to be discovered soon. Better to be safe than sorry.

As patiently as he could, he awaited Stryker's reply. Though, they were on separate lines, and distant from each other, the tension hung heavily in the air. Even with his hearing he couldn't hear the other side of Stryker's line, but he knew he hadn't hung up. Finally, Stryker broke the silence. 

"I haven't even given the all clear, and you're telling me you have the girl. Tell me, what has transpired that you arrive to such extreme measures." Stryker asked in an incensed, testy tone.  

"They were beginning to get suspicious. The girl is close with the professor, as well as, the other students. One of them being another telekinetic. It was now or never." Theo replied cooly, but impatience had clearly lined his voice.

Turning his body in the cramped telephone booth, he watched the door to the motel, while he waited. 

He felt at ease knowing Layla couldn't escape because he restrained her well enough against that flimsy, wooden chair. Though, he thought it best to keep a watchful eye on the door just in case she escaped, and tried to make a run for it. The feeling that wouldn't escape him was the unease that lied within. Even now he felt he was being watched by Stryker's men. But he had scanned the area, listening for any intruders, and there was nothing. So, why would the feeling not leave him? 

"Very well," Stryker began, drawing Theo out of his thoughts. "My men will be there soon. Be ready for transport." He finished stoically, hanging up without another word.

The line went dead, and Theo slammed the phone back in its place. He exited the phone booth, cursing at himself and at the fact that he rammed his hand into the siding on his way out. His boots marched heavily against the cold, damp concrete, and he shook his hand in hopes to ease the pain. Bits of rubble from the cracked parking lot, crunched under his feet. The place had seen better days he thought somberly. He imagined The Happy Camper-that was the motel's name-use to be hopping back when it first opened, but now it was the unhappy camper. The motel was one of those retro ones you'd find along the side of the road with the bright neon lights, and colors that made it stand out. And don't forget the catchy name. The motel was one story and the majority of the building was white, but after years of aging, it looked like a dirty rag. Green moss grew in patches on the wall along with mold. The paint had even begun to peel and chip, revealing the rotten material underneath. Moths hovered around the lights that hung beside each door, and those that were dark were covered in spiderwebs and dead bugs. The blue neon sign up front glitched, ready to take its last breath, and half of the letters on the advertising board had been taken out. Even the door to their room had seen better days. What was once a bright pink was now faded, and next door to them a small cockroach scurried to the door, crawling inside. 

Yep, this place was a real shit show, but that was the point. No one was around for miles. A nicer, more crowded area would have drawn more attention to them, and honestly Theo couldn't believe this place was still running. He and Layla were the only ones here, and wasn't surprised if they had been their first visitor in many, many years. Before stepping back inside, he listened one more time, checking to make sure they truly were alone. Knowing that all was clear, except for the raccoon that was eating trash in the dumpster out back, he stepped inside the musty room. To his surprise, Layla was awake, looking confused. His heart seemed to drop in his stomach, and that feeling of unease and guilt came crashing back at him.