When I woke up, a sharp pain shot through the side of my neck. I screamed in pain as I rubbed my sore muscles. I ran my hand over my chapped lips and felt something wet running down my chin. A chuckle.
"Are you drooling over me?" Ben asked.
My eyes flew open and I sat up straight. I rubbed my neck and rubbed my eyes with one hand and my eyes with the other. Ben sat in the seat next to me. A book lay open in his lap. There were wet marks on his shirt. He reached to his side, took out the pair of sunglasses, and put them on my face. At least the dark lenses kept me from staring at that embarrassing puddle of drool. ha
"How long have I been asleep?" I asked.
"Almost seven hours," he said. "You were cold."
"Well, sorry, I was drugged."
I looked around the plane and saw Oliver sitting in his seat, stretched out over the side of the cabin. He is typing. I curled up in my seat and leaned my head against the window.
"We'll be landing soon, boys," said Oliver. He must have heard us.
I stared out the window at the clouds.
A few minutes passed before the pilot's voice came over the intercom, telling us that we were about to land. I put the seat belt on my legs.
After the plane landed, Oliver asked me to stay with Ben again. Ben put his arm around my waist as Oliver led the way off the plane. The warm, moist air brushing against my skin felt like heaven. Ben must have been sweating profusely as he had to hide under his leather jacket and scarf. ha.
A man takes Oliver on a ship. The area where the plane landed looks like where the plane took off from Canada. The only difference is that the building is surrounded by tall, thin trees. We walked along a short wooden pier and boarded a boat. The three of us squeezed into our seats.
Oliver forced my head down again. "I told you not to look up," he said. "Don't say anything."
I nodded. Oliver kept his hand on my neck for a few seconds longer, like a stern warning.
The boat sailed through the waves, and the cool mist fell on my hair and bare legs. My glasses were fogged up.
I tried to keep my head down. I want to see the new environment. I want to lift my chin. A smile crept onto my lips as I felt the boat slow.
"Ben, help Diana stand up," Oliver said.
Did he use our real names? He must not be afraid of people figuring out who we are. Unless they already know. If they work for Dr. Alexander, they must know what is going on with us.
Ben grabbed my hand and pulled me up. He helped me onto the dock.
I looked up and saw a Jeep nearby, then my head dropped back down. A dark-skinned woman with a bright smile on her face was waiting in front. I watched Oliver's feet walk past us.
"Good afternoon, Dr. Whinney," the woman said, her voice thick with a beautiful accent.
"Nice to meet you, Leta," Oliver said.
"Dr. Alexander is having a bad day."
"He's taking a break. He'll be waiting for you at home."
"Thank you so much."
Ben opened the door and slid over the seat. The three of us were squeezed into the back seat again. There was a man sitting in the passenger seat. My heart pounded when I saw his large assault rifle. Keep. Leta got into the driver's seat and started the jeep.
Driving along the dirt road again forced me to stare down at my knees so my eyes wouldn't be exposed to the sun. I glanced over and saw tall, skinny trees with lush leaves all around us. The drive lasted only a few minutes and we stopped in front of a large mansion. The driveway is built around a stone fountain. A grand staircase leads to the front door.
This time Oliver put his arm around me, not Ben. He pulled me out of the car. I tripped, no,. Scare you.
He pulled me up the stairs, his pace quickening. This time, I was glad to be able to look down on my own, as it helped me gain my footing.
Two men opened the door. A crystal chandelier hangs from the domed ceiling. The staircase bisects down along the marble floor. The walls are covered with paintings in gold frames.
A man stood at the bottom of the stairs.
He shuffled forward as Oliver and I entered. The man was wearing a pair of tan slacks and a white shirt.
He leaned forward, a blank look on his face. He looked to be in his early sixties.
"Oliver, I'm glad you're early," the man said with a British accent.
"Thank you for inviting us," he said.
"This must be young Diana," he said.
"Yes, sir," said Oliver. "Diana, this is Dr. Alexander." Oliver took the sunglasses off my face. I blinked a few times to adjust to the bright light. Gregory grabbed my chin. The shaking in his arms made it difficult to stay awake. A smile appeared on his lips.
“It’s pretty amazing,” Gregory said. "I'm looking forward to seeing it up close."
"Of course, sir," said Oliver.
He released my chin and looked over my shoulder.
"Nice to meet you, Benjamin," he said. "how have you been?"
"Very well, sir," Ben said with his usual smirk. "It's nice to be back." "Lita will show you to your room,"
said Gregory. "Ben, you can give Diana a tour while I talk to Dr. Sweeney."
"thank you, sir."
Rita's sandals clicked on the floor as she came up behind us.
"Come on, follow me," she said. "They will deliver your luggage to your room."
, , , , , , , . I,,,,,,,^0^, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, , I nodded and followed Lita. Ben moved closer to me. Leta walked down the corridor hidden beside the stairs. It was a pure white corridor with nothing hanging on the walls and no doors. At the end of the hall is a spiritual wall. and Leta typed a few numbers on the keyboard. The door opened and we walked in.
The ceiling is a glass dome. Sunlight pours in, reflecting off the hardwood floors. The foyer is lined with doors on either side. Leta showed us the two doors in the middle.
"Here you go," Leta said. "Benjamin, you are number ten. Diana, you are number 12."
"How ironic," I muttered.
Ben nudged my side with his elbow.
"Dinner will be ready in an hour," Letta said. "Ben, do you still remember how to get to the restaurant?"
"Okay." Lita's lips trembled for a moment, then she smiled at us again. "I hope you enjoyed your stay. Dr. Sweeney will be given your room number and Malik will have your luggage here shortly."
"Thank you," Ben said.
Leta turned and hurried down the hall. She punched in the code before the metal door slid open again.
"Come on," Ben said.
He closed the blinds and the dark room was filled with sunlight. There was a large bed with a pile of pillows and a wicker headboard. There is a dresser on the far wall. There are nightstands on either side of the bed. Each one has a lamp covered in shells. It looked tacky and out of place with the rest of the mansion. I sat on the foot of the bed.
"I always forget how hot it is here," Ben said, pulling the scarf off his neck. He took off his jacket, sweat staining his shirt. He pulled it off his head and threw it on the bed. "What happened to Dr. Alexander?" I asked.
"Gregory has Parkinson's disease," he said. "He can no longer perform surgeries himself. That's why he now buys subjects from other doctors."
Ben ran his fingers through his hair. There was a knock on the door. The man with the rifle in the car was standing with our luggage. He put Ben's bag down before going to my room. Ben threw his suitcase on the bed and started rummaging through it. He took out a vest and put it on.
He walked around the bed to a door next to the closet. He turned the lock on the door. "Open the door to your room," he said. "This room is connected to ours. You can go to your room to change clothes. I'll wait for you."
"Okay," I said.
I walked to my room. It looked exactly like Ben's. It even has the same ugly lights. I dug through my suitcase until I found a yellow sundress. I combed my messy hair with a comb. I tied my hair back and could already feel the sweat on my neck.
I unlocked the door on the wall. Ben leaned against the door across from my room. He spread his arms. "Are you ready to meet the others?" he asked.
"I guess so," I said. "I'm hungry. I'm more interested in food."
Patient No. 12
Ben smiled.
"Don't be submissive in front of them," he said. "They'll eat you alive. You need courage."
I took a deep breath. "Finally. I'm tired of being so submissive."
"Yes, but you must behave as I taught you as long as a doctor is present."
"I will try my best."
Ben put his arm around my shoulders and we walked to the dining room.
