Page 39 of Hurts So Good

CHAPTER TEN

Tru

As quietly as I could, I snuck over to the door. It was slightly ajar. Leaning toward the small opening, I could make out voices in what appeared to be a cement hallway. Backing up, I quickly ran over to Ari. I checked her breathing, which was fine. She was out cold but appeared not to be in any distress.

I sat next to her limp form on the bed. Rubbing her sternum with my knuckles, I tried to rouse her. “Ari, wake up. It’s our chance to escape.”

There was no response, so I tried the sternum rub again with a bit more force. Finally, her eyes opened.

“Ari. Thank god…can you move?” She frowned at me as if she couldn’t comprehend my words. “Ari. The door is open. We need to try and make a break for it.”

Ari began to shake her head back and forth, refusing as tears filled her eyes. “We can do this. I swear it. Take a deep breath with me.”

She nodded and sucked air into her lungs, mimicking me. I could tell it was painful for her, but she did this two more times with me.

“Okay, up we go.” Wrapping her arms tight around my neck, I pulled her into a sitting position, and her body slumped.

“I don…don’t feel very w-well.” Her face looked awfully green…Great.

“I’ll bet, but I need you not to feel well as we move,” I said, wrapping her arm around my shoulder and pulling her to her feet. She stumbled, but I yanked her upright. “Come on. This way.”

We made our way to the door, and I leaned her against the wall. “You good?”

Ari nodded again, but goodness, the color of her face was not looking better. Slowly, I nudged open the steel door. Thankfully, nothing creaked. Peeking out, I glanced down a fairly long hallway. Male and female voices echoed back at me, but they all sounded far away. Ducking back inside, Ari had begun to slide down the wall.

“I need a minute.”

“I know. But we don’t have a minute, my friend.”

Ari shook her head no. I grabbed her arm, threw it around my shoulder again, and started moving anyway.

“Oh god…” Ari moaned.

“Look…I’ve got you. I’m an undercover agent, and I will get us out of here. Okay?”

Ari stopped protesting and stared up at me wide-eyed.

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

Nodding, she moved toward the door before I could take another step.

Leaning hard into the wall, she made her way down the hall with me at her back. Every time we passed a door, I checked it. So far, all the doors had been locked.

Ari paused, bending down, hands on her knees. “I need…a…moment.”

Her labored breathing had me concerned, but I, too, had felt like complete shit when whatever they gave me wore off. I proceeded to check the door across the hall from us. Locked, then I moved to the next one a little further down, and the handle turned.

Shit.

Slowly, turning the handle, I peeked inside. The room was dark, but my eyes adjusted fast. Glancing around, I saw what looked a lot like a gynecologist’s office space. There was a modern-looking table with the stirrups up and open, cabinets on the far wall with a sink, and drawers beneath them. However, in the far corner, there sat an old-fashioned high chair that might’ve been from the 1800s.

Okay…that was way too creepy for me.

Backing out, I shut the door as quietly as I could. I glanced back at Ari. She was standing more upright now but still leaning against the wall.

“Better?” I placed my hand on her shoulder, trying to get her eyes to turn toward mine.