Chapter 4 - The woman who knew my face
I should have run.
Every rational instinct said leave.
Get outside.
Find the road.
Call police.
Protect the baby.
But the woman in that room was holding my photograph.
Not a random picture.
A photograph taken outside my apartment six months earlier.
I recognized the coat.
The grocery bag.
The day.
Someone had been watching me long before Derek brought me here.
I grabbed his phone.
The live feed displayed a room number.
B-4.
A factory map hung beside the workbench.
I found B-4.
Opposite corridor.
Derek was still trapped behind the security gate.
For now.
Wade shouted:
“Rachel! Don’t go down there!”
I looked at him.
“Why?”
He hesitated.
That was enough.
I ran toward B-4.
The corridor lights flickered.
Behind me came metal crashing.
Derek was trying to force the barrier.
I reached the door.
Three locks.
One electronic.
Two mechanical.
The key ring had seven keys.
First wrong.
Second wrong.
My hands shook.
“Please!”
The woman inside hit the door.
Third key.
Turned.
One lock.
Fourth.
Second.
The electronic panel remained.
Derek’s phone.
A security app was already open.
I touched the unlock symbol beside B-4.
The door released.
The woman almost fell into me.
She was perhaps thirty-five.
Thin.
Dirty.
A fading bruise near one eye.
She stared at my stomach.
Then my face.
“You’re Rachel.”
“How do you know me?”
“No time.”
She grabbed my wrist.
“We have to leave.”
“Who are you?”
“My name’s Nicole.”
Behind us:
BANG.
Derek had broken something.
Nicole’s expression changed.
“He’ll kill us if he gets loose.”
“What did he do to you?”
“He didn’t bring me here.”
I stared.
“What?”
She looked toward Wade’s direction.
“His boss did.”
“Who?”
Nicole shook her head.
“We need to move.”
Then she pointed toward Derek’s phone.
“Is that unlocked?”
“Yes.”
“Open his messages.”
“Why?”
“Search my name.”
I did.
Dozens of results appeared.
Not messages between Derek and Nicole.
Messages about her.
Keep Nicole alive until we know where the drive is.
Another:
Rachel doesn’t know anything yet.
And one message from a contact saved only as M.
If Rachel discovers Nicole exists, move both before Friday.
I looked at Nicole.
“Who is M?”
Her face went pale.
“You seriously don’t know?”
“No.”
She stared at me as if I had just revealed the impossible.
May you like
Then whispered:
“Rachel… Derek isn’t the one who chose you.”
