“I’ll wait out here,” she whispered, ashamed of the panic in her voice. She handed Eli the flashlight.
They went in without her.
Chapter 8
The heavy door closed solidly behind them.
Franny and Eli hesitated, neither wanting to move into the belly of the building, away from the exit.
“I can’t believe she was afraid to come with us,” Eli whispered in the dark. “I mean, she’s an FBI agent.”
“ Shhh .” Franny frowned even though he couldn’t see her. “She’ll hear you. And she used to be an agent.”
Eli returned to the door, his head bobbing, blocking what little light fell through the door’s small window. “She’s wandering around the yard,” he whispered. “I can see her up there.”
“I don’t blame her for not wanting to come,” Franny said. “I’m scared.”
Eli came away from the window to pat the top of Franny’s head. “Poor widdle girl.”
Letting out an annoyed laugh, Franny ducked and knocked his hand away. “God, I’m surrounded by lame-asses. And I’m five-foot-eight. Hardly widdle.”
“Don’t harass me. You’re always harassing me about something. I was just trying to keep things light.”
Franny didn’t know if he was really offended, or just acting like it. With Eli, you never knew.
“Well…” They’d stalled about as long as possible.
This whole thing was such typical Noah melodrama crap. Staging some elaborate scene to get Franny’s attention, make her feel sorry for him. Trying to project his neurotic behavior onto her, turning everything around to make her feel guilty for growing up poor.
She was one of those pathetic women who was attracted to instability. And high drama. She’d never been drawn to guys who were normal, even if they were cute and nice and smart. She had to have someone who was wounded and damaged in some way. Maybe because she’d never had much of a family. Maybe because nobody had really looked out for her. Whatever the cause, she felt a need to nurture.
She wanted Noah to be happy about who he was, but once that happened, if that happened, she’d probably lose interest in him. That was why the more messed up a guy was, the better.
Which was really messed up. Oh, but people were sick and twisted and weird.
“Come on.” Eli reached for her, grasping her hand.
Her heart jumped and fluttered and sank as the subtext shifted.
Here she’d thought this little adventure was to find Noah, and Eli was looking on it as an opportunity to touch. To be alone with her in a dark, scary place so he could maybe even put his arm around her.
Did guys ever outgrow that opportunistic way of thinking? Or was it part of their genes?
She didn’t pull her hand away. She clicked on her flashlight.
Eli did the same.
“Keep the light pointed to the floor,” she whispered, “so it won’t shine out any of the windows.”
Together, they moved slowly and awkwardly through the dark, cavernous space until they reached a pair of heavy double doors with wire mesh set in small, face-level windows.
Franny took out her cell phone, keyed in Noah’s number, and pressed dial.
No answer. She tried one more time before sticking the phone back in her sweatshirt pocket.
“Come on.” Eli tugged at her hand.
They went through the set of double doors, then down a hall.
Franny shone her flashlight along the walls, pausing on a bulletin board with a yellowed calendar pinned to it, left over from when the hospital was a working asylum.
That made her feel weird.
She tried Noah again. Still no answer. “He’s probably not getting a signal in here.”
“This is creepy as hell,” Eli whispered.
Was his voice kind of shaky?
She could feel his palm getting sweaty. Her own hand was freezing. Her whole body was freezing.
“You know what I think?” Eli whispered. They were standing really close. “I think he’s fucking with us. I don’t even think he’s in here.”
Why hadn’t she thought of that? Of course that’s what had happened. He
They went in without her.
Chapter 8
The heavy door closed solidly behind them.
Franny and Eli hesitated, neither wanting to move into the belly of the building, away from the exit.
“I can’t believe she was afraid to come with us,” Eli whispered in the dark. “I mean, she’s an FBI agent.”
“ Shhh .” Franny frowned even though he couldn’t see her. “She’ll hear you. And she used to be an agent.”
Eli returned to the door, his head bobbing, blocking what little light fell through the door’s small window. “She’s wandering around the yard,” he whispered. “I can see her up there.”
“I don’t blame her for not wanting to come,” Franny said. “I’m scared.”
Eli came away from the window to pat the top of Franny’s head. “Poor widdle girl.”
Letting out an annoyed laugh, Franny ducked and knocked his hand away. “God, I’m surrounded by lame-asses. And I’m five-foot-eight. Hardly widdle.”
“Don’t harass me. You’re always harassing me about something. I was just trying to keep things light.”
Franny didn’t know if he was really offended, or just acting like it. With Eli, you never knew.
“Well…” They’d stalled about as long as possible.
This whole thing was such typical Noah melodrama crap. Staging some elaborate scene to get Franny’s attention, make her feel sorry for him. Trying to project his neurotic behavior onto her, turning everything around to make her feel guilty for growing up poor.
She was one of those pathetic women who was attracted to instability. And high drama. She’d never been drawn to guys who were normal, even if they were cute and nice and smart. She had to have someone who was wounded and damaged in some way. Maybe because she’d never had much of a family. Maybe because nobody had really looked out for her. Whatever the cause, she felt a need to nurture.
She wanted Noah to be happy about who he was, but once that happened, if that happened, she’d probably lose interest in him. That was why the more messed up a guy was, the better.
Which was really messed up. Oh, but people were sick and twisted and weird.
“Come on.” Eli reached for her, grasping her hand.
Her heart jumped and fluttered and sank as the subtext shifted.
Here she’d thought this little adventure was to find Noah, and Eli was looking on it as an opportunity to touch. To be alone with her in a dark, scary place so he could maybe even put his arm around her.
Did guys ever outgrow that opportunistic way of thinking? Or was it part of their genes?
She didn’t pull her hand away. She clicked on her flashlight.
Eli did the same.
“Keep the light pointed to the floor,” she whispered, “so it won’t shine out any of the windows.”
Together, they moved slowly and awkwardly through the dark, cavernous space until they reached a pair of heavy double doors with wire mesh set in small, face-level windows.
Franny took out her cell phone, keyed in Noah’s number, and pressed dial.
No answer. She tried one more time before sticking the phone back in her sweatshirt pocket.
“Come on.” Eli tugged at her hand.
They went through the set of double doors, then down a hall.
Franny shone her flashlight along the walls, pausing on a bulletin board with a yellowed calendar pinned to it, left over from when the hospital was a working asylum.
That made her feel weird.
She tried Noah again. Still no answer. “He’s probably not getting a signal in here.”
“This is creepy as hell,” Eli whispered.
Was his voice kind of shaky?
She could feel his palm getting sweaty. Her own hand was freezing. Her whole body was freezing.
“You know what I think?” Eli whispered. They were standing really close. “I think he’s fucking with us. I don’t even think he’s in here.”
Why hadn’t she thought of that? Of course that’s what had happened. He
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