Page 10 of Tristano

Internally, I groan. That’s what I was afraid of. There are dead bodies in here with us.

Slowly, I push myself up and lean against the wall.

“Welcome to the land of the living,” a girl with brown hair rasps.

“How long have I been out?”

“About a day.”

My heart skips a beat. I figured at most a couple of hours, but an entire day?

I start to mildly panic. Leftover feelings from the first time I was kidnapped come roaring back.

It’s okay. You’re not that girl anymore. When you don’t show up to work in the morning, someone will come looking.

I repeat the words, trying to calm myself, as the girl continues to talk. “Yeah, they drug you when you’re taken, then drug you again once they drop you off here, and usually anytime they move us.”

“Sounds like you’ve been here for a while. What else have you figured out?” I ask, focusing on the girl and being in the present instead of being thrust into the past.

The girl scoffs, shaking her head. “I was the first. Every night they bring another girl and repeat it over and over. So far, they haven’t come back to take anyone out though. I haven’t worked up the nerve to try and ask questions.”

I take a quick headcount. There’s five of us, counting the dead child. If this is the same group I’ve been tracking, we have a few more days. This is good. That means Ricky and Uncle Ben have a little time to find me.

“That’s smart. Don’t draw any attention to yourself. What’s your name?”

“Mandy.”

“Nice to meet you, Mandy. I’m Sabrina.” I tell her my fake name. “Can you tell me anything about the people who drop off everyone?” I nodded at the women around the room.

She narrows her eyes. “Are you planning to do something stupid? I don’t want you to get us all killed.”

“No. Nothing like that. Knowledge is power, though. It gives us something to focus on so we don’t lose our sanity. Besides, what if someone rescues us? Don’t you want to be able to tell them everything you know?”

“I guess you’re right,” she relents. “I can’t tell you anything, really. Every time they come in, we all pretend to be asleep. It’s men for sure. They have deep voices with a slight accent and don’t speak English unless they are speaking directly to us. They wear all black, gloves, and have masks covering their faces.” She swallows hard. “One of them smokes cigars.”

“That’s good.” I nod. “Do they bring food or anything in?”

“With every new girl, we get something small to eat. Nothing much though and never anything to drink.” She pauses. “What do you think they want with us?”

“I don’t know, but whatever it is, it can’t be good.” I look down at my wrists and eye the cuffs.

These are nothing like the cuffs Tristano gifted me when I graduated from the police academy a year ago. The last time I saw him in person.

“What are these for?”

“These are for you to practice picking,” he says as if it’s obvious.

“Why would I need to know how to pick a lock? I plan on putting them on criminals, Ferrari, not wearing them myself,” I tease.

He raises a brow and smirks. “Never say never, anima gemella.”

I look away as my cheeks heat.

“No,” he says, bringing my attention back to him. “If you continue on the road you’re on and pursue going undercover, I need to know that you can get yourself out of any situation you find yourself in.”

“That seems to be a little on the wrong side of the law,” I tease.

“Tomato, tomahto.” He moves his head from side to side.

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