The Prince and the Player

“Let’s go,” I whisper.

Freddie strides forward, stepping into the black room and reaching to flick the light switch. No dice. I’m right behind him as he pulls out a flashlight, and we quickly scan the seemingly vacant space. No luggage, no sign anyone’s slept in the bed.

Pushing back the heavy curtains fills the room with grey daylight. “She must’ve checked out,” Logan says behind me, moving around the magazines and a white plastic binder with his gun.

“Check the bathroom,” I tell Freddie, and he nods.

He’s only in the small, closet-sized space a moment. The noise of the shower curtain moving, and he calls to me. “Sir? I think I’ve found her.”

Logan and I both rush to where he’s waiting, and there, in the tub, lies a large, female body. She’s wearing sweatpants and a shirt that reads, “I pooped today!”

A plastic bag is over her head, tied at the neck, and it’s dotted with moisture. I’m just about to pull out our information to identify the body when the room phone blasts out a ring.

We all freeze, our eyes meet, and I take a second to decide what to do. “Identify her,” I say, snatching a towel off the rack.

The harsh, metallic noise blasts another ring, and I slowly approach where it sits on the laminate table. One more ring, and I pick it up with the towel, holding the receiver near my ear without touching my skin.

I don’t speak. Instead, I wait for the person calling to go first.

Silence. They’re waiting as well.

I’m breathing fast, thinking as Freddie walks out of the bathroom. Clearing my throat, I pretend to cough.

“Helen?” the female voice I’ve been desperate to hear speaks.

“Zelda?” I say just as fast. “Zelda, it’s Cal—where are you?”

Logan stumbles out of the bathroom, holding a towel over his mouth and nose. “It’s her,” he says.

“Zelda?” I say again fast. “Where are you, love?”

She doesn’t hang up, which I take as a good sign, but she doesn’t speak either. “Zelda, please. I’m trying to find you.”

“Cal?” Her voice trembles. “What are you doing? Who’s with you?”

“Two of my men. Tell me where you are. We’re here to protect you.”

A voice is with her. “Where is Helen?” I can tell she’s repeating what it told her to say.

“I’m afraid she’s had an accident—”

“Oh my god…” she gasps. “They’re going to kill us all.”

“Zelda, talk to me.” My mind is racing. Helen and this hotel are the only leads we have. “I know you’re afraid, but you’re smarter than this. Let me help you.”

She answers fast. “I can’t drag you into this.”

“I’m already in it.”

“I’m not good for you.”

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“You can’t save me.”

“Want to bet?” My tone is deadly serious. I will not let anything happen to this woman. “I love you, Zee.”

She’s silent a split second. “I have to hang up. They could be monitoring this line.”