Page 145 of Somno Slave
“I’m sure he’ll crack soon. It’s been almost forty-eight hours of sitting there,” He says. He glances toward the one-way glass.
I watch him through the infrared cameras and for a moment, my chest loosens with something close to relief.
He’s still here.
“Vitals steady overnight,” Peter says, sliding a page toward me.
I keep my attention on Deogal.
Blink, damn it. Show me you’re there.
“Rheda?” Peter calls to me, and this time, I reluctantly snap my gaze down to the paper.
“I need you to sign this.” He continues, thrusting a pen out.
“What is it?”
“It’s to say you agree with all our findings.”
I frown. For a second, my mind gives me nothing.
Just a strange, hollow pause where the answer should already be.
“You know,” he says slowly. “For the board meeting this week. The thing we were working on yesterday.”
“Oh.” My voice catches slightly. “Yeah. Yes, I remember.”
I don’t. Not properly.
But Peter is already holding the pen out toward me, watching with the kind of quiet expectation that makes it feel dangerous to hesitate now.
I take it a second too late. The plastic feels oddly warm in my hand. My fingers tighten around it automatically as I lower my eyes to the page. The lines blur for a moment before settling again.
Signature.
Right.
I drag my name across the paper carefully at first, then faster once the motion starts, like muscle memory can cover whatever my brain failed to do.
Peter takes the file back and starts speaking again. I try to follow it. I really do.
But every few seconds my attention slips sideways again, dragged back toward the glass before I can stop it.
Toward him.
A strange urge crawls up my spine.
Get his attention.
I don’t know why the thought feels so important, but it does.
I lean forward in my chair. Just slightly. Just enough to be closer to the glass. My fingers tap once against the desk. He doesn’t react.
The hollow feeling in my chest deepens.
“Rheda?” Mike’s voice appears beside me suddenly.
I startle hard enough that my chair jerks slightly beneath me.
