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He swept his weapon around the corner and pushed on. Nick was behind him, scanning the other way as the hallway branched out.
Boom!
The sound ricocheted along the hallway, which only made Tobias push harder, until he was almost running. Nick went after him, leaving me to hurry with Ali…until I slowed, then stopped. Something nagged at me, worming its way through my mind. I turned around, and saw a lone figure standing at the end of the hallway. A figure I almost didn’t recognize…except for those eyes.
Washed out green.
Green like I saw every day when I looked in the mirror.
Only that man…he was a stranger.
He took a step forward, agony filling his eyes.
“No.” I shook my head. “NO!”
I closed my eyes.
“Ryth? Ryth!”” Caleb grabbed me to him, looking behind me. “What was it?”
But I shook my head and turned, staring at the same place he was…only my father was gone. Like he wasn’t there at all.
Only he was. He was there. I cradled my son and stepped away from Caleb, moving in the opposite direction.
“Ryth, no.” Caleb called.
“Baby?” Nick was next.
“What the fuck was it?” Tobias pushed past me, heading further back into the hall until he stopped, then turned around.
“I…” I started. “I thought I saw?—”
“Who?”
I met that implacable stare. “My father.”
I saw a flicker of fear as he froze. “Your what?”
I wanted to shake my head. I wanted to say it was a lie, just a figment of my imagination, a remnant of the deep scar he’d left on my heart. But it wasn’t a lie. I knew it wasn’t. “He’s here…there.” I stepped forward.
Tobias’ lips curled in a sneer. “Yeah? Then let’s find out where the sonofabitch has been all this time.”
He left us, striding forward, his gun raised. All I could see was my father’s death. I wanted that more than anything. To see him hurt, begging for his life. Begging forgiveness. That’s what I wanted.
Because he’d hurt me.
He’d betrayed me.
Just like Mom.
That old pain resurfaced as we headed along the hallway, turning right at the end. We moved, our steps thudding like the beating of my heart until we came to the end and two doors, one left and the other right.
“Which way, little mouse?” Tobias turned toward me.
I stared at them, then lifted my finger. Left.
“Right it is.” He yanked the handle and shoved, but the door was locked. The red light blinked. Tobias swore, then turned to the other door and smacked the handle.
Click.
