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“Shhh, he’ll hear you,” someone said a few doors to his right.
“Hello? Who’s there? I’m Levi Harris. Who am I speaking to?”
“Will you shut the fuck up?” someone off to his left hissed.
The fear and urgency in the young man’s voice sent an instant chill down Levi’s back. Clearly, these people were terrified of whomever had taken them. Were they referring to Peabody? Or someone else?
“Oldridge. He should be back any minute, and if he hears any of us talking, he’s going to get really mad,” a female voice said to his right.
There were at least three others down here with him, both men and women. Fuck, he needed Chase.
He felt around in his back pocket for his phone but didn’t feel anything. Shit, he must have dropped it when he was trying to send Chase a message about being drugged.
Surely, Chase must have tried to contact him by now. If he couldn’t get a hold of him, Chase would have reached out to Matteo, no doubt. He hoped. God! He didn’t even know what time it was. How long had he been knocked out? Was he close to Peabody’s house or someplace far away?
Suddenly, panic began to set in. He had no idea where the fuck he was or how long he had been trapped here. Was Chase even aware that he was missing? Did Jared give Matteo his message? All of the unknowns suddenly became too much for Levi to bear.
“Hey, hey, hey,” a male voice whispered from across the hall. “Just relax and try not to panic.”
The man’s voice was soft and reassuring. It had years of maturity hidden beneath the gentle words he spoke.
Levi tried to focus on the man’s voice. He needed to calm down. Panic wouldn’t do him any good.
“I know it all seems scary right now, but know that you’re not alone. Just relax, remain calm, and everything is going to be okay.”
“Wh… who are you?” Levi managed to ask.
After a short pause and silence all along the corridor, the voice responded.
“I’m Simone.”
Somehow, he felt the panic begin to dissipate. He wasn’t alone. There were others down here with him, and one of them was named Simone. It was strange how adding someone’s name to their voice somehow made the voice become human. Become real. They were not just another random sound whispering through the night. They were a voice belonging to someone—a human who he could see and touch—well, maybe not see and touch at the moment, but at least he knew that someone was there, just beyond his reach.
“I… I’m Levi,” he stuttered, staring into the dark cell across from him.
A dark figure approached and then appeared in between the cast iron bars.
“Nice to meet you. Now, I need you to remain calm and silent. Mr. Peabody doesn’t like it when we make noise or talk to each other when he’s not around. He feels… left out.”
“What?” Levi asked, not totally understanding what Simone was saying.
“Three times a week, Mr. Peabody joins us all for dinner, during which time we are allowed to chat with each other. The rest of the time, we are to remain in our cells, silent, and that’s it. Trust me, it’s safer if you just obey his rules.”
Levi rested his head against the cold bars against the door. How was he going to get out of here?
“How long have you been in here?” Levi finally got the nerve to ask.
The man remained silent.
“Six months for me,” a woman’s voice replied down the hall.
“I think a year for me,” a man’s voice whispered to his left.
“I… I’m not even sure anymore,” someone else’s voice responded from down the hall.
God, how could he have been so stupid? Why didn’t he just listen to Chase and work the case together?
He missed Chase and the gang already.
