AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She rounded the corner and crossed the main lobby, headed in the direction of the office. But just as she passed the reception desk, she heard someone call her name.
Ainsley turned, horrified to find Alva Woods standing by the main entrance. “Grace, can you help me for a minute?” The older woman was holding a squirming puppy and trying to carry a bag of dog food.
Ainsley approached cautiously, searching Alva’s face for signs of anger. But there was no hint of malice, no indication she’d spoken to Micheline yet. Maybe her secret was still safe...
“Where did you get this little one?” she asked, reaching instinctively for the puppy. She had a soft spot in her heart for dogs of all kinds, and she’d been thinking about adopting one for a while. Maybe it was time to do so?
Alva passed the dog into Ainsley’s willing arms with a smile. “Brett found her nosing around one of the outbuildings about an hour ago,” Alva said. “I just ran to the store to pick up some dog food, and after the retreat Brody and I will take her to the vet.” She started to walk d
own the hall, and Ainsley followed, cuddling the small ball of brown fur.
“She’s adorable,” Ainsley said. The puppy wiggled in her arms, her tongue lapping frantically at Ainsley’s chin.
“Yes, she is,” Alva agreed. She unlocked a room and swung the door open into the dark space. “We can keep her in here for now.”
Ainsley walked past Alva, intending to set the puppy on the ground. But a sudden, sharp sting in her thigh made her cry out and jerk forward.
Almost immediately, her head began to swim. Ainsley felt her limbs grow heavy, and she set the dog on the floor before she dropped her. Lurching awkwardly, she slapped a hand onto the table in an effort to keep her balance.
Alva’s face floated into her field of vision, the older woman’s expression one of pure hatred. “Did you think you could get away with it?” she asked, her once-friendly tone now dripping with acid. “Did you think we wouldn’t find out?”
Ainsley tried to speak, but her voice wouldn’t work. She dropped to her knees, unable to stand any longer. With a grunt of effort, she lifted her hand and swiped her finger across the locket around her neck, activating the hidden camera.
Alva smiled as Ainsley sank to the floor. “That’s right,” she taunted, standing over her. “You’re not going to get away with revealing our secrets.”
Ainsley moved her lips, working to summon the strength to call for Santiago. But all that came out was a whisper.
“Don’t worry,” Alva said. “You won’t be here long. I’m off to find Santiago now. The two of you will soon be together again.”
The announcement filled Ainsley with horror. Alva’s actions made it clear she and Brody had no boundaries when it came to protecting their scam. If they got their hands on Santiago, the couple could kill them both. Given the blind loyalty of their employees, they’d have no trouble covering up the crime.
Ainsley tried to reach out, tried to stop Alva from walking away. But her fingers curled around air. Alva laughed as she stepped out of the room, and the sound echoed in Ainsley’s ears as her vision faded to black.
Chapter 13
Where was she?
Santiago paced down the hall, heading for the room where they normally met for their couple’s session. The lights hadn’t been working, so Brody had poked his head in and told them to move to another location. He’d said he’d post a note for Ainsley, but as the minutes ticked by and Ainsley didn’t arrive, Santiago had grown worried. He’d told the counselor he was going to go find her, then stepped out to do just that.
He arrived at the regular room to find the door shut and a note posted, directing Ainsley to the new spot. So why hadn’t she shown up yet?
Was she back at the cabin? They’d planned for her to leave after the couple’s session, so as not to arouse too much suspicion. But had she decided to go into hiding early? And if so, why?
He set off down the hall again, his pace slower as he considered other possibilities. Had she been attacked again? He’d figured she was safe here in the main cabin, with the other retreat attendees and the Institute’s employees around. Now that he thought about it though, the employees probably weren’t much use in his safety-in-numbers calculations. If they were truly as brainwashed as Ainsley suspected, they were just as likely to harm her as help her.
He glanced into the rooms he passed, looking out of habit. Ainsley wasn’t the type to hide without telling him; the fact that she was gone now meant something was very wrong.
Santiago walked through the lobby and toward the Woodses’ office. Maybe they’d seen Ainsley. If not, he’d check the cabin and if he still couldn’t find her, he’d call the police.
He stuck his head in their office, but it was empty. “Hello?” he called out. Where was everyone?
“Probably getting ready for the seminar,” he muttered to himself. He stepped back into the hall, intending to leave. But just as he took a step, a low, soft sound caught his attention.
Was that a...moan?
He spun on his heel and listened hard, hoping to hear the noise again. After a few seconds passed with only silence, he called out again. “Hello?”
There it was—a definite sound of a woman in pain.
