She did not know how long she had stayed that way. Curled into a quivering ball of fear. Time seemed to have stood still as she was transported back to the complex once more, Deici's sadistic smile and taunts now echoing among the horrific wails. By the time nightmare had finally ended, and she had slowly started to unroll herself the sun had set. Her muscles ached and her eyes were red and swollen and her stomach felt empty. Ayla slowly rose to her feet, he eyes slowly adjusting to the dark room she looked at the bedroom door, there was light filtering in from under it, she turned away. She had not the strength to go down the stairs, not with the possibility of seeing Deici, she shuddered at the very thought. She climbed into bed, not feeling like taking a bath in the connected bathroom. The room was quiet, except for the soft breeze blowing through the curtains of the window, with the lights of the neighborhoods below, she knew she would not be sleeping tonight as her brown eyes stared at the headboard, tears threatening to spring forth again as she buried her head in the pillow. She would arrange to meet with Arcadia in person in the morning...she stifled a sob...she really needed to see her.
....
"It seems she's finally figured it out" Deici smiled to himself. It took her long enough, he knew she was smarter than this, maybe it was denial. She knew what he did and had seen him at the Towers. What would she do now? He was sure of what she was going to do, and he had planned for it. He picked up the satellite phone and called Typhon, the ice in his eyes melting revealing the man-child he expected to see.
"I'll be back in two days tops, manage the situation and keep a close eye on her," Typhon said rubbing his temple. "We needed to leave this city anyway. Make sure she eats something!" The screen went dark.
"Perfect!" His smile widened.
....
Ayla jumped when she heard a knock at the door. Was it Typhon? He was the only one to actually kind of check on her. It was possible he had gotten back while she was...incapacitated and as much as she hated to admit it, he was nice to be around but right now....
Another knock. The room fell silent again and she flopped back on the pillow...if it was Typhon she would apologize later, she was in no mood to- "You better come to the door, I'll kick it down if I have to knock again," his voice was clear, seeming quite chipper as he threatened her privacy.... like he even cared about that.
Of course...OF COURSE, IT'S HIM....it just had to be him. "Give me a minute," she said just loud enough to be heard through the door. She tried to lower her heartbeat and calm her breathing as she approached the door, she took one last shaky breath before turning knob.
"Took you a while to answer, everything alright?" he tilted his head to the side sounding strangely...concerned. Something was not right.
"I'm fine!" she said holding his stare not wanting him to feel he was intimidating her. His smile grew even wider, and his eyes darkened slightly.
"I just came to bring you a snack since you didn't come down to dinner." Ayla said nothing as he held out a plate of food, hesitantly she took it. It was the leftovers she had stored in the fridge from earlier that day, she was immediately suspicious, he hadn't poisoned her yet but why else would he be here.
"Thank you," she said her eyes now on the plate in her hands, she was definitely flushing it down the toilet.
"No problem," she started to slink back into the bedroom, thinking the conversation was finished, and even if it wasn't, she was finished, when he grabbed her wrist, she froze. Just feeling his hand on her skin made it crawl. She pulled away in disgust.
He leaned in close making sure she could see his face, "Looks like you've been crying. Thinking about the dead will do that to a person. Survivor's Guilt, they call it. One day I hope you'll let me know how you did it." He turned to go, and curiosity got the better of her. "Tell you what?" "How you survived silly kitten." Her anger boiled up burning her throat and rendering her speechless. "Sleep well, Ayla." and with that he left, leaving her seething and plotting his downfall.
She slowly turned towards where he had gone, making sure he definitely gone and NOT coming back before dashing back into the room and locking the door. She threw the plate on the nightstand and grabbed her bag, taking out the card she had so carefully hidden inside the wrapper of one of her feminine products.
He was going down tomorrow. She smiled. It all made sense as she replayed what she would need to do. Typhon was the only loose end, but they could take care of him later.
She called Arcadia and asked her to meet at Ted's for lunch the following day. The phrase 'Meet at Ted's for lunch' was a code they had agreed upon if one of them was in trouble. Arcadia would be at her family's time-share at 3p.m. with a bug out bag, money and a car. It had seemed so foolish at the time, but Arcadia had insisted, she was glad she had agreed.
She took a sleeping pill and went to bed. She would need her strength for her sprint to freedom tomorrow.
"Oh kitten, plans made when emotional always seem fool proof, but make you the fool." Deici said to himself as he read the message she had sent.