Page 33 of Captured Immune

“You’ve got really long hair.” Katie stands in front of me, stroking my hair. I lean backward, but she cups the back of my neck and forces me toward her. In one swift movement, she unhooks my necklace and tucks it into her bra.

“Hey, what are you?—”

“I’m just tying your hair up for you,” she says, giving me a firmshut uplook.

I don’t know why, but I do. With the hair tie around her wrist, she pulls all of my long waves into a ponytail. As she finishes, she gently tugs on my hair, forcing my head back. My attention lands on a small security camera bolted to the ceiling behind her. Is she trying to tell me we’re being watched?Maybe she’s here against her will too.

“There!” Katie says, stepping back to admire her work. “Now you won’t have to worry about getting that long mane of yours tangled up during your stay.”

“My stay? What is this? A hotel?”

“It’s no five-star resort, but it’s not a crappy side-of-the-road Motel 6 either.”

“Then what is it?”

She doesn’t answer. Instead, she plants herself back onto the folding chair and returns her iPad to her lap. For a few minutes, she does stuff on the tablet in silence. I don’t say anything because I’m too busy scanning the room for possible exits.

No windows. No vents big enough for a person to climb through. There are two doors: the one to the bathroom, which I’ve already inspected for exits, and the other that Katie is so obviously guarding.

“There’s no way out,” she says, not looking up from the iPad. “You might as well stop searching. Despite what it looks like from inside this little bedroom, you’re not in a house. You’re in an underground facility surrounded by about two hundred trained agents. Beyond that is a forest that stretches as far as your eyes can see.”

That’s all great information to note to the police once I get out of here.IfI ever get out of here. If what Katie’s saying is true, I don’t think I’ll see my home again until they want me to.

A steady vibration comes from Katie’s pocket. She pulls out her phone to read the screen.Wait.That’s not her phone. It’s mine!

“YourGrammyis calling. Is she expecting you or something?”

Last night, I called my grandma with the intention of telling her about the baby, but she was already asleep. Instead, I left her a voicemail saying I had something important to talk to her about. It must be morning now—not that I could peek out a window to be sure.

My phone stops vibrating. Seconds later, it buzzes with a text.

“What did she say?” I ask as Katie reads my phone screen.

“She said, ‘Hi, sweetie. Sorry, I was sleeping last night. You said you had something important to tell me? I’ll call again in a bit.’” Katie returns my device to her pocket. “Are you pretty close to your grandma?”

“Yeah.”

“So she’ll find it weird if you don’t call her back?”

“Definitely.”

With a long sigh, Katie drags out her pink phone again. She types something on it, then waits for a reply. It comes a few seconds later. “My boss says you need to call your grandma back and talk to her as if you weren’t here.”

“You mean, as if I’m not being held captive?”

“Exactly.”

“And if I refuse?”

She folds her hands together in her lap. “I think my boss would prefer it if you called.”

“Look, I don’t know who your boss is, but I’m assuming he’s the reason I was kidnapped, so I’m not going to do anything he wants me to. If he’s saying he wants me to call my grandma and tell her that nothing’s wrong, I’d rather jump into a pit of flesh-eating snakes.”

Katie blinks at me before returning her thumbs to her phone. After a moment, she straightens her back. “He’s almost here.”

Less than thirty seconds later, the door opens and in walks a tall man wearing a brown suit. The big gray mustache above his lips barely hides the scowl on his face and the emotions to match.

Three other men accompany him. Two step into the room and stand on opposite corners. The third guy stations himself outside the door as Katie shuts it.

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