Broken Dreams(94)

Sophie turned towards Nick. She pointed to herself and then to the right side of the desk. She motioned him to go to the left side. He didn’t like the idea, but he agreed. Nick tried to keep his breathing even. His nerves were starting to show. He wiped the sweat off his brow.

There were two doors on either side of the reception area. Sophie stopped before she went down the hall. She flashed the light at Nick. He gave her the thumbs up, and they both went down their separate hallways.



***



Nick pushed open the swinging door, wondering what he would face as soon as he stepped through it. He was worried about going in on his own. His shirt, laden with sweat, was stuck to his body. He feared what would happen to Elaina if he died. She was already on the verge of snapping. Then he thought about Claire.

It pained Nick, knowing that one of his last moments with her was him crying like a baby onto her shoulder. It was so embarrassing, but he couldn’t hold his emotions back anymore. He needed to stay strong for Elaina, regardless if she had Henry next to her or not.

He quickly shone his flashlight around the area. The hallway was narrow with a few offices on both sides. His heart raced and his breathing quickened. He knew that, at any moment, someone or something could take him out. He stopped to gather himself and to try to breathe normal.

“Grow a pair, you bitch,” he whispered, and forced himself to continue on.

The further he crept down the hallway, the stronger the putrid odor became. He put the back of his hand over his nose to try to block some of the smell. Nick knew the scent of death would never leave him, no matter how much he tried to stop it from creeping into his sinuses. It would dig a crevasse in his brain and neatly tuck itself away. When he least expected it, it would tap him on the shoulder, and the haunting would start all over again.

Nick debated opening doors to find the source of the smell. When he looked toward the back of the hallway, he could see a dim light under the farthest door. He focused the flashlight on his watch. Seven minutes remaining.

He decided to forego the offices, and headed straight to the door at the end of the hall. He lay down on the floor, trying to see under it, but there wasn’t much clearance.

He could hear low grunting sounds. A slow shadow staggered by. It made him recoil. Nick got up and tried to gather himself again. He knew he needed to go in and check it out. His mouth was parched. His breathing was becoming even more rapid by the second. He cracked his neck and knuckles, then jumped up and down a few times, trying to prep himself for what he was about to see and smell.

Again, he thought about Elaina, and what would happen to her if he wasn’t around to watch over her. His thoughts traveled to Jenna, then to Claire. He clutched his chest as his heart began to ache. He felt like he was facing certain death.

“This is no time to think, Nick. Stop being a pussy and go in,” he whispered to himself, while positioning his body against the door. It was another swing door, like the one up front. He counted to three in his head.



***



Sophie waited a solid minute after Nick went down the left hallway. She crept back to the front doors. She saw that Nate was pacing around on the sidewalk. Once he was out of sight, she slowly opened the door and saw him standing on the corner. Sophie smirked. She walked out to him and tapped him on the shoulder. He whipped around, his Sig ready.

“Christ! What is your malfunction?”

She smirked again. “I don’t have one.” She grabbed him by the neck and picked him up off the ground, choking him. “You know, Nate, I’m not a fan.”

He was kicking wildly and dropped the Sig. Sophie licked her lips. She was more than ready.

“There is something I need from you. A favor, I suppose.” She dragged him over to the passenger side of the truck for some privacy.

“What…are…you…doing?” Nate struggled to get the words out. Fear poured from his eyes and flooded his face.

“Oh, now, hush, little Nate. It will all be over in a moment.” She pushed him against the side of the truck, forcing him to slide down into a sitting position. She pressed her hand over his face and knelt down on his thighs, pinning him right where he was.

In one quick motion, she launched at his throat and tore it open with her bare teeth. Nate screamed. She groaned as the blood started to pour from the gaping wound. She latched onto his neck and sucked in her fill with long, hard swallows.

Sophie rested back on her heels. “Holy fuck.” Her head was buzzing. Her eyes rolled back and her inner core stirred. She thought about finding Nick and milking him dry, but decided that wouldn’t be a good idea.

“Get a grip.” She wiped off her face, and noticed that Nate was officially true dead. “Oops.” She grabbed a vial out of her vest and milked out enough for Henry. After cramming it in her cleavage, she licked the rest of the blood off of her fingers and pulled out her Sig.