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Before I could think any different, I grabbed my wallet, keys, and coat and headed out the door. There was no going back once I did; I didn’t have access to Eli’s condo.My stuff is still in there. Well, that’s a problem for Future Iris.
I still had a case to solve, damnit, and I couldn’t let a pair of pretty eyes get in the way of that.
I was immenselygrateful my car was still parked in the condo’s garage, though Henry giving me a friendly wave as I headed out was less than ideal. Still, it saved me from having to hire an Uber — or worse, walk — so I pushed that thought out of my mind.
It was late, so the traffic wasn’t bad, and I arrived at the designated address easily. The surrounding neighborhood didn’t look like much, ranch houses of different sizes with lawns in various states of care. Some looked a little greener than others; some looked like they might need a wash or a coat of paint, but nothing was remarkable.
When I pulled up to house number twenty-seven, it didn’t look lived in. The lawn had grown long and then dried up in the summer heat, and there was no evidence a car had been in the driveway recently. Most of the other homes had cars, motorcycles, or something in the driveway, so I knew those at least had some residents.
I parked across the street and killed the engine, watching the house for a few moments, but nothing happened. I would need to go inside and investigate — some small part of me knew Eli wouldn’t like me going in alone, but… Time was of the essence. I couldn’t change how I did things just because of Eli; I was used to doing things on my own. Hell, I wasgoodat doing things on my own, and I owed it to my clients to be at the very top of my game. If I couldn’t give them that, then I shouldn’t be a private detective.
Steeling my resolve, I stepped out of my car, closing the door softly behind me. Once I got to the yard, I did a quick circle of the property, but the backyard was just as overgrown and dull as the front. I found the side door leading in from the driveway, shadowed by the streetlight, and pulled out my lock-picking kit to open it up.
It was a simple lock and only took moments; I knew as soon as I stepped inside that there were no alarms. I closed the door softly and walked inside, blinking as I observed the home. I was in a kitchen, but there was no furniture. As I ventured further into the house, most of the rooms were empty.
I guess that could make sense if someone moved out and this sat on the market for a while. Why leave your furniture behind if you had to relocate?
What didn’t make sense, though, was the lack of dust. Either someone was cleaning it, or someone had been here recently — whether that was the former or the new owners was hard to say.
I pursed my lips together and poked my head into a bathroom. Nothing. I decided to check the bedrooms next, but as I opened the first door, I found it just as abandoned as the kitchen and the living room. It was just a weird, empty house.
Just as I wondered if that was just another unrelated dead end, I heard the creak of a door behind me. I caught a flurry of motion out of the corner of my eye as something shot out of the closet. I swung, taking a step back, but something had me by my jacket. A moment later, I felt a sharp sting against my neck—
I wokeup with blurry eyes and a buzzing head, my stomach roiling as I rolled onto my side. I didn’t remember falling asleep, certainly not heaped in a pile like this. Blinking slowly, I tried to get to my feet, but the world swam around me threateningly. I felt like I was hungover, but…
I haven’t had anything to drink in… I don’t know how long.
I clenched my eyes shut as I spread my hands beneath me, noticing for the first time that the ground felt oddly cool. When I opened my eyes again, I realized I was wearing all white — white scrub pants and a plain white tee shirt. A pang of fear echoed through me. I definitely didn’t dress like that.
As I unfolded my legs, I realized my boots were missing — and so were my socks.
Because I didn’t fall asleep at all. I was in that house — the house Demi said the van had just purchased, and —
I still wasn’t sure exactly what happened. I shut my eyes again, trying desperately to pull a memory out of the foggy mire that made up the last few hours. I could remember looking around and finding nothing. A flurry of motion. A bat? Did I get bitten by an animal?
No.
There was a hand. Someone had grabbed me.
I opened my eyes again and reached up to rub my neck where I’d been stabbed to check for a wound, but my fingers brushed against something cold. My entire body went rigid as I realized something was around my neck, much bigger and heavier than any necklace. As I ran my fingers around its circumference, the horror grew in the pit of my belly.
That’s a collar. A metal collar. Someone has put acollaron me like some sort of animal.
It was burning my skin. It wasn’t the wound making me itch, it was the collar.It’s silver.
A feral panic flashed through me and I tried to stand. As soon as I started to step forward I was jerked back, a chain rattling as I fell backward. Not only was I collared, but I was tethered like someone’s neglected dog in their backyard. I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I looked around wildly, but I was trapped in a white room with white walls and white tiles — there was no bed, not even a sheet, just a small toilet in a corner. That was it. I had no idea where I was — no one else would know where I was. Demi was the only one who knew I’d even been looking at that house, but how far away was I from there? From Austin?
Would Demi even come looking for me?
I spun around and a glint caught my eye; the fourth wall wasn’t painted white. It was glass. There were people behind it. My heart leaped into my throat.Holy shit.
I didn’t find Project Night Moon.
Project Night Moon had found me.
