Page 65 of Now Until Forever
Sarah pointed across the street. “It’s that building.”
Traffic streamed past in both directions, and someone honked. Eliana figured Sarah had to be absolutely freezing, wearing that nightgown under her trenchcoat and only canvas shoes. Sarah probably had no other clothes, which made Eliana wonder whether she had anything in her closet that might fit the young woman.
Sarah entered the six-digit PIN code and opened the front door.
“Tell me about your friend?”
Sarah smiled, heading for the elevator. More at ease now—probably because they were inside. She pressed the UP button. “I’m sure she’ll be glad to meet you. We don’t have many friends.” The doors opened, and they stepped in. “It’s been hard,” Sarah added. “You know. Since…” Her face turned downcast.
Eliana nodded. “I can’t even imagine.” She leaned against the wall of the elevator. “Did you know Luci at all? I have a photo—”Right. Her phone. “If I show you a picture of her, could you tell me if you know her? I’ll have my friend pick me up. He has a photo on his phone.”
Sarah nodded, though she looked a little nervous.
“How about I meet your friend, and then you meet mine?” Eliana suggested. “We’ll know if we can all trust each other after that. I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about.” The young woman was understandably nervous. Eliana didn’t blame her for being cautious. She was feeling unsettled as well.
“Okay.” Sarah stepped off the elevator ahead of her, went down the hall, and knocked on number four.
When the door opened, a man wearing slacks and a buttoned shirt with a military haircut stood there.
Eliana took a step back. “Oh, I thought you said your friend was someone you?—”
Someone behind Eliana shoved her forward and started to push her. She stumbled into Sarah. “Hey!”
Sarah grabbed her arm and pulled her into the apartment.
Eliana cried out, “Ow!”
The person behind her—Eliana twisted around and saw another man—shoved her at the same time. She couldn’t pull her arms out of their grip, struggling against them both. She stumbled into the apartment, and they sort of flung her.
Onto the floor.
The door shut, and the man stood there. The first guy was on the other side of the room. Sarah stood between them, an entirely different expression on her face than anything Eliana had seen since the train.
“What is going on?” Eliana pushed off the floor and stood. “What are you guys playing at?” As she asked that, she realized the man by the door looked a lot like the guy who’d brushed past her in the train station.
The man who’d taken her phone.
Sarah said, “This isn’t a game.”
“Get out of my way.” Eliana went toward the front door. “I’m leaving, and you’re going to give me back my phone.”
The man standing in front of the door sneered.
Someone grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled, sparking flames of pain in Eliana’s skull. She stumbled back, and Sarah let go of her hair.
A scream bubbled up in Eliana’s throat, but the other woman whipped out her hand and slapped Eliana across the face with an open palm.
Fire erupted in her face.
She clasped her cheek with her hand. “What do you want?”
Sarah smirked. “We want you to die. Mother’s orders.”
Eliana stepped back, a reflex. An attempt at escape.
“Don’t bother asking your questions. I know you have a million.”
Eliana hissed a breath in through clenched teeth. “Just tell me if Luci is alive.”
