After fifty feet, Jordan could see Kennedy's strength began to waver. She backed up to one of the walls and slowly slid down onto the floor.
“Are you okay?” Jordan asked, not wanting to upset her again.
“Tired,” she stated.
“Of course,” Jordan also slid down the wall, and sat very close to her.
“How much farther?” Kennedy asked.
“Several hundred feet, I don't think we will make it today.”
“I don't think so either,” Kennedy agreed.
“Do you want to take a break before we head back?”
“If you don't mind. Could you tell me about some of these rooms while we sit here?”
“Nothing too exciting,” Jordan explained as he put his arm around her shoulder, careful not to let any weight sit on her.
Kennedy shook him off, but Jordan was not put off.
“Most of these rooms are medical supplies. That door,” Jordan pointed to one a few feet away. “are some restrooms.” He continued to point at all the doors in their sightlines. “One is the hospital's medical footage. Ryan’s office is the next door. The rest of the wing are medical rooms similar to yours, ranging in a variety of security levels. There are three other rooms being occupied out of the ten, but the case is classified. I'm not even sure of the conditions myself.”
“Oh really?” Kennedy asked, surprised.
“Surprisingly, they don't tell me everything.”
“Does Brandon have the clearance?”
“Brandon?” Jordan asked, his turn to be surprised. “No, I doubt it, unless it is his case. I bet that his boss knows though. Are you interested in the patient or the hierarchy of the company?”
“Oh, just wondering.”
Jordan and Kennedy sat in silence for a couple more minutes before Kennedy decided she was ready to head back.
Carefully, Jordan helped Kennedy up and they slowly walked back to her room.
∆∆∆
Over the next several days, Kennedy continued to make it closer to her room. By the third day, Kennedy finally made it to her little apartment. The slow pace helped Kennedy learn her way around, but she never went too far, the building was vast. Walking at a regular pace, it would only take Kennedy three or four minutes to walk from her hospital room to her new room. Secretly, Kennedy thought they planned it that way to make sure she didn't see any more of the building, but Jordan soon squashed that idea.
“I can give you a tour of the rest of the building as soon as you feel up to it,” he said as they reached the door of her hospital room.
Maybe Kennedy had been too quick to judge. After all, Jordan described this company with good intentions. At the same time, Kennedy reflected on the morning these people kidnapped her from her college campus. If these people truly had good intentions, why didn't they just ask her to accompany them? She knew if she questioned Jordan, he would throw the “for your security” speech back at her. She was tired of hearing that.
Hopefully, she will take these dumb tests and discover nothing. She didn't have any special abilities like Superman. Come to think of it, she wasn't particularly good at anything.
Also, Jordan was making physical advancements on Kennedy, and it was making her uncomfortable. She thought of her relationship with Cole, that was now forcibly over. That relationship had started the same way. Kennedy first went out with him because it was fun to date, not because she liked him. But as soon as he started making moves, she became addicted and then it turned into a relationship before Kennedy could stop it. Not that she disliked Cole, but she wouldn’t have picked him out of a lineup. Instead of getting out, she just went along with the ride and didn't want to mess anything up. Now that Kennedy knew where that road led, she couldn't let it happen again. Especially since she still didn’t trust Jordan. The last thing she wanted was a relationship in her prison, she was trying to escape this place.
Sighing, Kennedy tried to focus on her present goal of stalking out the building and trying to gain Jordan's trust. It was a dangerous line to walk.
There was a keypad to the right of her apartment door. Many doors had key codes next to them, so Kennedy wasn't too surprised to see this one. Jordan quickly typed in the code, and Kennedy couldn't see the numbers he typed.
Kennedy's first impressions of the small apartment exceeded her expectations.
“Wow,” she said as she stood at the entryway and took it all in. Right inside sat a living room. A giant dark gray couch faced a brown entertainment center with a big screen TV. There were several books on the entertainment center mixed in with a variety of DVD’s and a game console. The walls were covered in drywall instead of cement and had two toned paint. The gray walls helped the place feel less prison like.
Kennedy continued inside and saw two chairs sitting at an island that faced the corner kitchen. The countertops were granite, and the appliances were stainless steel. Her parents’ house wasn’t this nice. Down a small hallway she found a bedroom on the right with a desk, queen size bed, walk-in closet, and another TV mounted on the wall.
Across the little hall to the left she had a four-piece bathroom with a nice, jetted tub and separate shower. The whole place couldn’t be more than 500 square feet, but what more could Kennedy ask for.
“Do you like your place?” Jordan asked after she finished her self guided tour.
“Yes, the place is perfect, except where are the windows?”
“This is an interior apartment for your protection. Sorry, but artificial light will have to do.”
“Very well,” Kennedy said, trying not to roll her eyes at the security remark. “Is my kitchen stocked?”
“A little, but you can pick up anything you would like from the cafeteria. You can choose if you want to eat there or eat here.”
“When do you think Ryan will let me move in?”
“Tomorrow.”
“You asked?”
“Yup.”
Kennedy walked around her apartment a couple times, looking at everything. She marveled at all the details that went into this place. Her closets were full of clothes, her desk held a laptop, her entertainment center had her favorite movies, and some of her favorite treats were in the pantry.
As she finished opening the kitchen cabinets, she started to lean against a wall. The exhaustion was finally hitting her.
“Are you ready to head back now?” Jordan asked her.
“I'm pretty tired, but I really don't want to go back to that hospital room after seeing this place.”
Jordan smiled, “I was afraid of that. If you are up to it, we could take a small detour and hit a vending machine.”
Kennedy looked up at Jordan, “A vending machine?”
“Okay, not the most exciting thing. The cafeteria is too far, and there isn't really anything in this part of the building besides apartments. We could get a snack?” Jordan offered.
After a moment Kennedy had to laugh, “Alright, to the vending machines!” she said as if off to battle.
“There's the spirit!” Jordan said as he pulled Kennedy from the wall.
His hand lingered a little longer than necessary, and Kennedy pulled her hand away. She then followed him back out the door.
“By the way,” Jordan began as they left. “the keypad code for your room is your laptop password.”
“What laptop?” Kennedy asked, confused.
“Your personal laptop,” Jordan clarified. “The one you use at school.”
“You know my personal laptop password?” Kennedy asked, slightly alarmed.
“I thought it would be easy for you to remember.”
“How do you know my computer password?”
Jordan looked at Kennedy for a moment before answering, “We’ve been watching you for a while.”
“That is not ok.”
Jordan smiled as he put his hands on her shoulders, “Well if it makes you feel better, I've hacked a lot of computers. Yours was probably the most mundane. There were no scandalous p
ictures, no juicy diary secrets, and nothing very unique. Although, I did find that paper on the hippies to be pretty interesting.”
Kennedy shuddered with his touch, especially on her right shoulder. Not only did he just admit to hacking her computer, but he also kept trying to touch her. What was wrong with this guy?
“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking,” he apologized.
“How dare you go through my stuff?” She questioned. He had gone too far. How could he just look through all of her stuff and just stand there like it was no big deal? Who cares if she didn't have any secrets to hide? It was still her personal stuff. Also, these physical contacts were making her uncomfortable.
Jordan's smile had quickly disappeared. “Kennedy, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have told you, or touched your shoulder.”
“You shouldn't have told me? I think you are missing the point here,” Kennedy steamed. “You shouldn't have looked at my computer. In fact, you shouldn't have talked to my family, broke up with my boyfriend, and taken me to this cement hole in the middle of Death Valley. Also, stop touching me.”
“You know I can't tell you where we are located,” Jordan half mumbled.
Kennedy stormed off back to her hospital room. She didn't really know anywhere else to go, and she couldn't stand hearing one more thing about security and how important she was to everything.
“Wait, Kennedy!” Jordan said, stumbling behind her.
“I can find my way back.”
“I can't leave you in the middle of the hallway. At least let me walk you back to your room.”
“Whatever! Just don't talk to me,” Kennedy stammered. She could feel the energy draining from her body quickly, but she didn’t dare expose that weakness to Jordan. The last thing she needed from him was his assistance.
Quietly, Jordan followed Kennedy back to her hospital room, made sure she got into bed alright, and then left her for the rest of the day.
Kennedy had no doubt that Jordan was watching her from outside her room, but she didn’t care. It was nice to be alone. Whether Jordan knew it or not, she struggled with the pressure he was putting on her. Instead, she escaped to a book, where all the characters could live the adventure, rather than her.
That evening Ryan walked into the room.
“Where is your little lap dog?” Ryan gestured.
“Who cares?” Kennedy snapped back, and Ryan's sense of humor dropped.
“What did he do this time?”
“He not only admitted to going through all of my personal information on my computer but didn't even apologize. No, instead he thought it would be appropriate to make a joke at my expense.”
“Oh dear,” Ryan commented as he looked at the wound.
“To say the least!”
“I'm sure he was just doing his job.”
Calming down a little, Kennedy took a breather before continuing, “That might be worse.”
“Yes, I could see how that might look bad.” Ryan took a small break and looked Kennedy in the eyes. “To tell you the truth, I'm not sure what goes on outside of this hospital wing. I don't know what Jordan works on, and I'm not sure of this company’s true goals. What I will tell you though, is that this medical center has done nothing but good. We have found remedies for many illnesses and continue to help the world in providing vaccines and other basic medicines. So, even if you aren't sure about everything, know that at least I have done a lot of good.”
Kennedy had doubted many things about this whole place. But, in that moment, she knew that Ryan had spoken the truth.
“You think I should trust Jordan more?”
“Trust is a powerful thing,” Ryan suggested. “I do not give mine freely, and I would not ask you to give yours, but I do trust Jordan. Does that make him perfect? No, in fact he is a young, stupid, ignorant man who has a lot to learn. I can tell you that his intentions are pure.”
“Thanks Ryan,” Kennedy said while she contemplated his words.
“Now, would you like me to grab you some dinner?”
“That would be great.”
“I would be happy to join you if you would have me?”
Kennedy then smiled a genuine smile, “You do know how to cheer someone up.”
Ryan finished with the dressing and took off the gloves. “Give me twenty minutes and I'll be back.
“Sounds perfect.”
That night was the first night that Kennedy let her guard down and simply enjoyed an evening with what seemed like a close friend. Ryan's laid back and open conversation was a nice break from Jordan's stiff and nervous demeanor. He didn't try to make any impressions on Kennedy and didn't act like some over protective big brother. Instead, Ryan talked about some of his medical advances, and asked Kennedy about her studies at school. They talked for several hours without any awkward moments.
At about ten, Ryan announced he had to go to bed and excused himself. Kennedy let him go and fell asleep, for once not thinking about how to escape.
Chapter 5
E 00101
The next morning Kennedy woke up to an empty room. It was nice to be alone for a while. She walked around the room but didn’t dare go into the hallways without Jordan. This place had too many prying eyes.
An hour later, Jordan walked in with Kennedy's breakfast, like a misbehaved dog with his tail between his legs. He even brought flowers.
“Kennedy, I'm sorry that I hacked into your computer. I did it for my job, and nothing else, I swear.”
“Thanks for the flowers,” Kennedy replied. She didn’t want to talk about the whole privacy invasion anymore.
“Thanks for forgiving me,”
“I didn’t say that,” Kennedy corrected. “I realize that you did things for whatever all of this is,” Kennedy said waving around the room, “but I don’t need to know. I'm already shaken up enough.”
Jordan crossed the rest of the room, took her hand, and kissed it before handing her breakfast. “I should have brought you some dinner last night.”
Jordan was getting more daring, Kennedy noticed. She didn't like where this was heading. Didn’t he get all of her hints that she wasn’t interested? Didn’t he realize her only motive was to escape this place?
“Don't worry, Ryan had dinner with me.”
Jordan's eyebrows went up. “He did huh?”
“Yup.”
Jordan just left it at that.
After finishing breakfast, Kennedy was ready to get out of the room again. “Where are you going to take me to today?”
“I brought you a little surprise,” Jordan smiled mischievously.
“I'm not sure I like surprises,” Kennedy replied hesitantly.
“Oh, you will like this one, come on,” Jordan prompted, helping Kennedy out of bed.
They walked through the hospital door and out to the hallway where a golf cart was waiting for them.
“What?” Kennedy said happily. “Is this for us?”
“Yup, I thought you would enjoy the grand tour today.”
“Would I!” Kennedy said excitedly.
“The only condition is that I get to drive.”
Kennedy's smile faded, “You take all the fun out of things.”
“Ah, get over it,” Jordan said as he hopped into the driver seat.
Kennedy slid into the passenger's seat and they slowly took off down the hallway.
“Are we really going to go two miles an hour the whole time?” Kennedy complained.
“It is for your...”
“Security,” Kennedy finished off irritated.
“Ha ha ha, no, for your shoulder. I don't want it bouncing all over the place as we stop and go.”
“It is a cement hallway, there are literally no bumps. Can we at least go ten miles an hour?”
“Five,” Jordan offered.
“Eight.”
“Six.
Kennedy sighed, “Seven.”
“Six.
“Alright six!” Kennedy said giving up.
Jordan increased slightly,
“There is no speedometer on here, so this will have to do.”
Kennedy gave him an evil glare, “I bet this is only four.”
“No way to prove it,” Jordan said smiling.
“Ridiculous,” Kennedy said as they crawled down the hallway at a near snail-like pace.
After a few turns, Kennedy realized that they were in new territory. She quickly tried to study, and remember every aspect of the hallway, even though it looked exactly like every other hallway.
“What’s that look for?” Jordan asked when he glanced at Kennedy.
“What?” Kennedy asked, trying to cover up her concentration. She took a more relaxed sitting position.
“Oh nothing.”
“Where are we heading?” Kennedy asked, eager to change the conversation.
“Everywhere,” Jordan said before pausing. “Well, until you get tired at least. I thought you could see what this company is all about. Maybe it will help you to feel more comfortable here.”
“Yes, the cement walls aren't really very inviting.”
“The interior decorator never called me back, we’ll have to live with function.”
“Ha, ha,” Kennedy said sarcastically. “Where is our first stop?”
“I thought I would show you our offices. All the halls we have passed so far are just living quarters. Most of them are like yours, one version doesn't have a kitchen though.”
“Why is there a kitchen if there is a cafeteria?”
“We spend all day with each other, some want to just get away. Others, like me, don't know how to really cook so we use the cafeteria. Plus, I don't mind seeing my co-workers, they are good people. Your room has a kitchen though, so if you would like I can cook you a romantic dinner.”
“You mean a terrible dinner? You literally just said you couldn’t cook.”
Jordan laughed, “Ok, you’re right.”
Jordan drove the golf cart around three more corners before reaching a double sliding door, one Kennedy hadn't seen at the complex yet.
“We have to park outside; can you get down yourself?”
“Yes,” Kennedy said, already half out.
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