Michael glanced at me and I nodded, indicating that I’d answer. “I have someone who might have been through here before—a little boy named Jacob.”
The woman nodded. “Well, she might remember who that is. Her files of past patients are in that file cabinet right there. I can send someone to open them for you, but he will need your information to gain access.”
I turned to Michael, murmuring. “You take the kid to see her. I’ll stay here and stall in case she’s not the right one for his final wish.”
He stood. “Be careful.”
I saluted him. Michael and Jacob went out into the hallway and the blonde lady promised that someone would come by to help me in a minute. After sitting back down, I closed my eyes and took slow breaths, reminding myself that this was a completely different hospital and nothing horrible would happen to me here. Michael would help the kid cross over and then we could go home—the light at the end of my panic-ridden tunnel.
“Miss Amador?”
I whirled around to see a tall man in an expensive black suit standing in the doorway. Even more impressive than his height was the long ebony hair he’d pulled back into a ponytail going down his back. Thick-rimmed glasses obscured the color of his eyes from me as he smiled.
“You need access to the files, right?”
“Uh, yeah.” I said, walking over to the cabinet and preparing to lie through my teeth.
He reached into his pockets, searching for the keys. “Would you mind answering a question for me?”
“Sure.”
“Does this smell like chloroform?”
Before I could move, he withdrew a white cloth and pressed it over my face. A muffled scream escaped me, but I knew it wasn’t loud enough to attract anyone from the hall. The tall man calmly wrapped his arms around me to keep me still as the drug took effect. My body went weak and rubbery as I slipped into unconsciousness. For the second time in my life, a psychiatric hospital would be the death of me.
How poetic.
My head throbbed. It felt like my brain was trying to hammer its way through my skull and into the outside world. A pained groan crawled out of my throat and escaped my dry lips. As I regained consciousness, I realized I was lying on a bed of some kind. The mattress had way too many springs in it so they poked my spine like needles. My eyelids fluttered for a second and a wave of nausea hit. I pressed my palm to my forehead as if it would help. That was when I realized the necklace around my wrist was gone.
“Sleep well?”
I heard a purring baritone voice from the corner of the white room. My eyes shot open. Ignoring the nausea and dizziness, I frantically pushed myself up to a sitting position. There stood the long-haired man who came to unlock Jacob’s files. He leaned his lanky frame against the far wall, smoking a cigarette. The black suit stood out stark against the pristine paint behind him.
I swallowed hard and tried to get a bearing on where I was. No windows. The door didn’t have a knob, either. From what I could tell, this was either an operating room or somewhere they put the patients who were a threat to themselves or the hospital staff. It was also rather small—no more than an eight by eight foot room, not much bigger than the bathroom in my apartment.
The man continued to watch me with a cool expression. The eerie patience on his face made me realize I hadn’t replied to his comment. As if I really knew what to say to the man who had just kidnapped me. I went for the casual approach.
“You’re not allowed to smoke in hospitals.”
He chuckled deeply enough to shake his broad shoulders. I took a moment to analyze his weight and strength. Could I take him? Most likely, no. Would I try it anyway? Hell yeah.
“You’re right, I suppose. Still, I can’t help loving these things.” He flicked the cancer stick to the linoleum floor and stomped it out.
“Humans come up with the most wonderful things to destroy themselves with.”
A red flag popped up in my mind. Please God, no. “Pardon?”
The man walked towards me and fear wormed its way up my stomach, settling in my chest. He had a heavy presence about him that confirmed my suspicion.
“I’m hurt, Jordan. You don’t recognize me?”
My whole body tensed. He leaned over the bed until our faces were level, placing his arms on either side of me. I had to ball my hands into fists to keep them from trembling. I looked into his eyes. They were a chillingly blue hue with reptilian pupils. I’d seen them before.
“Belial.”
He tilted his head to the side, and a sheet of that fine black hair slid across the side of his face. It brushed my cheek and made me flinch. “Did you miss me?”
“Not particularly.” I hated how afraid my voice sounded.
The demon smiled in a way I imagine a snake would at a mouse. “I suppose not. There’s no need for you to be scared of me this time. If I was going to kill you, I’d have done it while you slept.”